Newington Green Fruit and Vegetables

Hat tip to Lizzie G for first introducing me to this place!

Newington Green Fruit and Veg by the numbers:

1 - hunk of ginger root
1 - garlic bulb
3 - grapefruits
4 - onions
5 - carrots
10 - stalks of celery (in a bag)

3.83 - Total cost in £s for all the above.

No partridge. No pear tree.

I'm a cheap yellow bastard that likes quality products, so it's no wonder I'm a regular here even though it's a 20+ minute trip on the 341 for me.

"I've got a lovely pair of coconuts..."
"Come Mister Tally Man, tally me banana..."
"Strawberry fields forever..."

It once was one shop, it's now two. One is just storage and the other is a beautiful array of fruit, herbs, spices and veg for locals to come down to browse and buy. For a few quid you can walk out with a bag of produce bigger than my leg. It's fantastic quality and loads of it is British grown.

I don't bother going anywhere else now, it's my one stop fresh fruit stop!

I have a thing for fresh produce the way other people have a thing for Islay whisky or single-origin coffee.

Back in another life I used to frequent a wonderful independent grocery store called Berkeley Bowl and fawn over their incredible selection of delectable fruits and vegetables. Another ritual was the Sunday Marin Farmers Market. I'd get up early, open the sunroof on my car and drive over the Golden Gate Bridge to get produce for the week ahead directly from the farmers who'd grown it.

Then I moved to DC and NYC and now I haven't had a car in years but I still miss California's year round growing season and all of its beautiful bounty. And I lament the produce situation in London on the regular.

Newington Green gave me hope, though. Sure, it was a trek to get here from my flat in EC1 but it was worth it. Especially on the second visit when I figured out the bus line that would whisk me to this green grocer's doorstep.

From watermelon and citrus to potatoes and tomatoes plus more rare finds like jalapeños and other types of chili peppers, Newington Green Fruit and Vegetables has pretty much everything I'm after.

Since discovering the place I've been churning out fresh smoothies, guacamole, salads of all kinds and even the odd pot of aloo gobi!

The fruit and vegetable shop offers the freshest vegetables and fruit at the best value throughout north London. Centrally located, its a wonder that much of the produce seems to be at outer London village prices. Much of the produce is locally sourced, and some of the fruit is organic as well. It is busy in the evenings and weekends, and most of the space is stacked with fruit and veg. You can find some exotic varieties of fruit here too.

The owners of the shop are extremely friendly, and encourage people to bring their own bags. Plastic is strictly forbidden from sight in this shop - small brown paper bags replace the thin plastic bags used by most shops. In case you forget, they will give you a cotton bag by the local council, and remind you to bring it next time! If you're a regular, they even give you 'credit' if you run out of change. Which brings me to the only sore point - its cash only.

Newington Green Fruit and Vegetables is an ideal place for picking up your daily five! The produce is fresh and delivered daily. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Plus the prices are excellent.

One of the strengths of the store is the vast selection. Whenever I have entered the store grocery list be damned! I end up picking up whatever looks good and trust me, that's a lot. For Thanksgiving, yes I did celebrate it; I picked up all of my fruit and veggies from the shop. I left loaded down with potatoes, apples, green beans, sweet potatoes, and peas. The best part, I spent less than £10. Needless to say everyone raved about the meal and the quality of fruit and vegetables is one of the reasons.

The best fruit and veg shop I've ever come across.

Try doing your shopping here for a week rather than the supermarket. It's much cheaper and you can buy the quantities you want, rather than having to buy 4 of everything.

They have the freshest and tastiest fruit & veg I've ever seen and they also stock a really diverse range of produce, including lots of organic stuff.

A great local green grocer with produce as fresh and vibrant up close as it looks from afar. I have no idea how they do it but the staff clearly pick out any bruised or mouldy items on a regular basis as the fruit and veg here is always clean, firm and perfect.

They also have an amazing variety for such a small shop. Dragon fruit, purple heritage carrots and other wonderfully strange and exotic things I couldn't even begin to name. Better still, they're very competitively priced. Cheaper than most supermarkets and much better quality!

Well worth a weekly wander to inspire a new recipe or two.

A nearby purveyor of fruits, veg, and spices, I am always amazed by how gorgeous everything is displayed. The employees do a superb job of sorting and displaying the items, and agreeing with Shamaine, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find anything bruised or mouldy in the shop. It seems like their gorgeous items last longer than the same items from the grocery store, and they have such a vast selection. Pretty well anything available in the area can be found here, and at such fantastic prices.

Some of my favourite things to pick-up here (that can't be found in many shops) are the heirloom tomatoes, okra, and purple potatoes.

We're so lucky they are nearby!

Great - the best local fruit and veg shop I know.
Beats Ridley road, beats chapel market. Walks all over wholefoods / fresh and wild in stoke newington.

Prices - always beats the supermarkets, shelf life sometimes a bit short - but frequent visits are are pleasure.

The Newington Green Fruit and Veg shop is a testament to the lost art of the local greengrocers! In most areas of London you're forced to choose between buying veg from the supermarket or picking up odds and ends from the newsagent. Being the kind of person that likes to have a good poke and squeeze at what's on offer, this really didn't suit me. Now I know about Newington green I'm free to rummage through boxes of tomatoes to my hearts desire and choose from standard, local and organic varieties. I love that no two squashes look quite the same and that every time I'm in there is a new vegetable that I don't recognise.

Newington Green might not be to everyone's tastes though. Sometimes it can feel like the staff are ganging up on you as they rush to pack your bags, price your shopping and hand back your change all at the same time. They also pile stock so high that occasionally you feel like you're putting yourself in danger trying to reach for a bag of spinach precariously positioned on top of a red pepper mountain. Bare in mind that the shop promotes recycling and that you will be met with a disapproving look if you ask to buy a bag. I don't mind any of this though, in fact I think it makes me like it even more! Though saying this, I'd probably forgive anywhere that I can get a weekly shop in for less than a tenner...