The quartet behind Earthy among their produce, food that’s planet friendly and convenient
The , ood life
Claire Sawers discovers a wholesome, ethical food venture where the emphasis is on great taste and everything comes with a clear conscience
espite the very best and utterly wholesome intentions to stock tip on organic cheeses at the weekly farmers‘ market. or to take a drive to the country to buy veg with the soil still hanging off it. sometimes a long lie or a busy week gets in the way. Luckily. help is at hand in the shape of Iiarthy. a new ‘food hub‘ in the southside of lidinburgh. ()pened earlier this month. the mini supermarket stocks a very clear— conscienced supply of local. seasonal. organic. liair Trade or free-range produce. cherrypicked by a team of four dedicated foodies. ‘If it doesn't taste great. it‘s not getting in the door.‘ says co- director Dirk Douglas. who has scoured the best suppliers. from organic cheesemakers 2() miles down the road. to artisan olive oil co—ops in Spain. The idea is to provide a one-stop shop for those who would rather avoid chain supermarkets. but don't
14 THE LIST a2? May your)
always have time to go straight to the source. With shelves (lovingly handmade from two liast Lothian red wood trees. naturally) piled high with meat. game. fish. cheeses. breads and cakes. liarthy aims to bridge the gap between small producers and city centre shoppers. Realising that supermarkets often favour suppliers who can provide wholesale quantities. Douglas and his three business partners have provided the missing link between small-scale farmers and time-stretched shoppers with their heart in the right place.
‘I hate to use the word "passionate". but this really is a way of life for us.‘ says Douglas. ‘All four of us love talking about food. and really care about where it comes from.‘ Two years ago. Douglas was a self-confessed ‘townie‘. with not even the faintest idea of how to mow a lawn. never mind grow the perfect purple sprouting broccoli. After moving to liast l.othian. he began buying boxes from l’hantassie ()rganie l‘arm in liast Linton. and tending a small vegetable patch in his garden. The good life grew on him. and he joined forces with Phantassie’s owner Patricia Stephen after spotting a gap in the market. (‘hris
‘IF IT DOESN'T TASTE GREAT, IT'S NOT GETTING IN THE DOOR'
Purser. formerly of the (irow Wild box scheme initiative in Broxhurn. and Pete Jackson. a horticulturalist. came on board next and Iianhy was born.
As of next month. the shop will be launching an online delivery service. where customers can build a shopping list from their selection of everything from Fair Trade wines and toiletries to organic herbs and wild boar burgers. liarthy will then prepare the order for pick- up. or deliver to your door. It's hoped this service will also be popular with lidinburgh restaurateurs. who Douglas says are often keen to use local produce but find it too time consuming to do the necessary leg work when finding suppliers.
‘We wanted to open a place that was planet friendly. where we‘d done all the vetting for you. so you don‘t have to scan labels to check it’s GM free and ethically produced.‘ says Douglas. ‘But we're also the kind of shop where we like to smile at our customers and say hello. It’s not rocket science. we just believe in being nice. honest and selling amazing food.‘
Earthy Food Store (www.earthy.co.uk), 33-41 Ratcliffe Terrace, 0131 667 2967, open Mon-Sat, 9am- 7.30pm, Sun, 10am-5pm. To celebrate their opening, Earthy are having a Sunday Brunch Tasting on Sun 1 1 May, noon-4pm, with food tastings and a chance to meet the owners and suppliers.
DUMB WAITER
Our Eating & Drinking Guide editor explains some of the terms you read on menus but can never quite remember what they mean
brochette skewer think kebab. but not that kind of kebab. bruschetta Italian toast. served with olive oil and tomatoes (rather than marmalade). capon castrated cockerel. caponata a Sicilian speciality of aubergines with tomatoes, olives. anchovies and capers. But no bits of castrated cockerel. escabéche fish in a spicy marinade, served cold. escalope thin slice of meat. No relation to the round white shellfish. granita a half-frozen Italian sorbet. Former lslington restaurant of the same name was the location of the famous Blair-Brown pact. Which, in time, became fully frozen. gratin, au the golden crust of a dish placed under a grill. Applies to any dish cooked with a crust. Au gawd is used to describe a dished placed under a grill for too long. parfait ‘perfect‘. Not. however, always the case. The French culinary tradition is of a smooth, creamy iced dessert set in a square mould to allow it to be sliced. It’s often used for anything made in a parfait mould. while the Americans use it to describe a layered dessert like a sundae. rouille rust a rust-coloured sauce made with red chillies and sometimes saffron. commonly served with bouillabaisse. roulade a process to describe anything which has been stuffed or spread then rolled. You're often then served a slice. Think Swiss Roll. rémoulade mayonnaise sauce. tian strictly a square. rectangular or oval ovenproof dish used to make stews or gratin dishes. Commonly. a mix of chopped ingredients made in a tian dish and then turned out into a wee tower or pile on the plate. tulle a tile. If it tastes like one. the pastry chef isn't very good. Basically a thin petit four made by bending the biscuit mix around a rolling pin when hot and left to harden. (Donald Reid)
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