I was excited when I saw the signs go up announcing the opening of a new produce market just 5 mins walk from my house. I have never been completely happy with the food-buying options in my neighbourhood (largely because I’m very fussy about our food!), and I was ripe for something new.

The Market promotes itself as being British-focused, and friendly to the earth. I was hoping for a better option than my alternatives – the local supermarket and our even more local tiny grocer/deli. I went along for the grand opening this morning to check it out, here’s what I was looking for:

Friendly, efficient service
Let’s not count the supermarket, but the Aussie side of me has been disappointed that our local deli has never got past polite in the three years we’ve shopped there. I’m easy to woo, and happy to transfer alliegance to people who recognise me as a regular customer.

Range and Quality
I’ve dithered about for years here with fruit/veg options. The supermarket has a decent range of organic produce, but all pre-packaged and often in larger amounts than I want or can carry (no car!). The deli doesn’t stock organic but is closer, so I’ll often buy there. I’ve tried box deliveries but they really don’t suit us. I really want a good way to buy local organic produce, and was hoping UM would be the answer.

Easy to Choose
A local butcher assured me once that everything they stocked was free-range. Brilliant! It made it so easy to buy meat without having to constantly ask about sources. I was looking for the same here – being able to shop without reading every single label.

So how did Union Market measure up?

First impressions
First thing that struck me was the venue. UM has converted the original Fulham station building and retained a lot of period features and decor inside. It has a lovely, old-fashioned-british-shop atmosphere. The second thing was the lack of a fishmonger. This was a big blow. No doubt they have a good reason for not having one, but this area really needs a good fish place and I’m really disappointed.

As I wondered around, several staff members greeted me and I felt welcome and comfortable. I had a cup of (good) coffee and there was plenty of seating and fun people-watching.

Service?
Service was excellent. Chattier and friendlier than I’ve come to expect for London, and efficient allowing for first-day teething troubles. I asked a few leading questions and staff answered promptly and thoughtfully. I had a lovely chat to a butcher called Jamie about the sourcing and cuts of their meat and the deli counter dude offered me olives to sample when I was trying to choose.

Range?
Yes and no. The fruit/veg range was very small, no bigger than at the local grocer, and I didn’t see much organic. The quality was good though, and I’m not that adventurous in my veggie buying so they had everything I might want. The butcher, deli, bakery, cheese room and lunch/prepared meals counter each stocked an excellent range. The dry goods area once again was a bit limited, there were lots of things I would buy, but I definitely couldn’t do all my shopping there. There was also a cafe serving breakfast, and a section for wine etc where the range was ok but prices definitely on the high side (not overpriced, just a dearer selection). In general, prices compared favourably with the prices at the grocer/deli.

Information?
The source of almost everything was clear. This is a big part of UM philosophy and they had posters and leaflets giving information about their suppliers. I asked Jamie about the beef and lamb and he assured me that it is all top quality grass-fed, apart from a little topping up with grain in the winter months. Fruit and veg and cheese was labelled for country of origin (although a few labels were missing) and most products were from the UK.

I definitely felt as though I could be confident walking around and filling my basket with responsibly sourced produce without having to read every single label. This is important to me as I care a lot about where my food comes from, but don’t have a great deal of time to shop.

The Verdict
I’ll definitely be buying much of our meat from UM in the future, and probably other bits and pieces – deli items, prepared meals, the odd cup of coffee. I wouldn’t be able to do all my shopping there though, and I’m really bummed about there being no fish.

The supermarket is right next door, so I can see myself going there for standard groceries, and then popping in to UM for the ‘special’ stuff. I don’t see us completely transferring our shopping here from the grocer/deli, but smiling service has a big pull with me so it will depend a little on how things go on.

What are your thoughts? I was hoping for a single spot to do all my shopping and I still don’t have it. Do you shop around several places to ensure you’re getting good quality and sustainable sourcing? Or is it just easier to get everything in the one place. What is most important to you when you’re shopping for your family’s food? I’d love to hear your local shopping stories!

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