Farmer's Markets

I love shopping. I love shopping for clothes. and shoes. and pretty things. And I love a good tesco shop. In the really big ones. The Tesco Extras. I get so excited by the mass of opportunity.

And now I have discovered a new training ground for my shopping. The Farmer's Market.

Now, me being the true city girl that I am, thought a farmer's market was full of sheep, cattle, old men chewing straw, and hay (hence the wide birth - i suffer chronically from hayfever).

But I have had my eyes opened. Doing research for a documentary I am making about Tesco, I decided to go back to the roots of all great global supermarket enterprises - the market stall.

So, at 7am on saturday morning I got on my rail replacement bus to Pimlico, and ventured into the world of Farmer's markets.

They are amazing. You can get so much stuff; fruit, bread, cheese, juice, flowers, plants, conversation.

Everything is fresh, local and seasonal. And you can ask the people who sell anything and everything about their products. Not like in tesco, where one question of "is this organic?" merits death stares and an angry gesture at the label.

No. These people LOVE to talk food. And see the harder, more probing questions as a welcome challenge.

I was interviewing the wife of a farmer. I met her (very glamorous for what I wrongly assumed was a severely unglamorous job) and immediately liked her. She was lovely, and warm and inviting.

She told me that one of the best parts of running a stall at a farmer's market, was the connection one forms with the customer. She regularly recognises the majority of people who come to their stall, and is known to pop round to offer gardening tips, cooking tips, or just general chat.

She revealed that her family's farm go to 10 farmer's markets across London, and that at all of them, they have a similar relationship with their customers.

Well, having developed a new love for these shopping grounds, I decided that I must right away discover some more.

And so began my weekend of markets. And the slow transformation of the city girl, to country lass.

I went to one in Queen's Park (best cakes EVER - hazelnit and beetroot - yes BEETROOT - was amazing).

Borough market for the best pig sandwich I've ever eaten, and also strawberries - two punnets £1 - sod you Tesco, at that price never again will I grace the fruit and veg section.

Portobello road - already a known shopping ground - but the food market was wonderful. Got a quiche (which although onion and feta, and smelling like feet, was yum) and a delicious brioche).

Finally went to the one in Clapham - got some very impressive eggs, and apple juice. Bloody fantastic.

All the food was wonderful. Although a tad on the pricey side for my humble sutdent budget. But for the research purposes of the documentary - definitely worth it.

And in order to truly embrace my new image of rural living, I am off this weekend, to the lake district. On an activity weekend.