Charles Campion is The Smart Shopper

10 April 2012

A round-up of this week's best food shop buys...

Pick out the plums
It's a great time of year for anyone who loves plums — the Victorias are on the market, a real treat, impossibly large and impossibly honeyed. Also that magnificent all-green plum known as the Reine Claude in France and more prosaically as the greengage in Britain. At Fortnum greengages are £5 per kilo, and there is an attractive 500g punnet containing three different kinds of plum for £4.
Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, W1
(020 7734 8040, fortnumandmason.com)

The East India comeback
What's in a name? An astute Indian businessman, Sanjiv Mehta, has bought up all the shares in the fabled East India Company and set up East India Company Fine Foods — and the first store opened recently on Conduit Street. Look out for rare teas including a special "Staunton Earl Grey with Neroli"(£9.95, 125g caddy) and specialist Japanese and Chinese teas. Also the fetchingly named East India Company Bulldog mustard.
East India Company, 8 Conduit St, W1 (020 3205 3380, theeastindiacompany.com)

Time to coo over pigeons
Now that the rich feeding on the stubble fields has worked its magic the humble wood pigeon comes into its own. Get your butcher to prepare the birds, then remove the breast meat and legs. Marinate in lemon juice, a little olive oil, some Tabasco and lots of rosemary for a day. Then salt and cook in a fiercely hot pan. Rest before slicing thinly. Wood pigeons, £2.50 from good butchers like
M Moen & Sons, 24 The Pavement, SW4 (020 7622 1624, moen.co.uk)
Charles Campion

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