If like me you have fond memories of your childhood summers spent climbing trees and looking for adventure, then mulberry picking could be for you. The tricky thing is that they are few and far between and not exactly easy to come by.
We have worked with Abundance Chiswick for the last few years and think the whole concept is fantastic. They find local W4 fruit that would often go to waste and then sell it to local restaurants and shops. They have provided me with apples, pears, cherries, plums, elderflower - all from within the W4 postcode. Often this wonderful fruit would go to waste, but Karen, Sarah and their team of volunteers are out there picking and then selling to the likes of me - with all the profits going to local schools. What a brilliant scheme that turns unwanted fruit into helping with education.
We have worked with Abundance Chiswick for the last few years and think the whole concept is fantastic. They find local W4 fruit that would often go to waste and then sell it to local restaurants and shops. They have provided me with apples, pears, cherries, plums, elderflower - all from within the W4 postcode. Often this wonderful fruit would go to waste, but Karen, Sarah and their team of volunteers are out there picking and then selling to the likes of me - with all the profits going to local schools. What a brilliant scheme that turns unwanted fruit into helping with education.
So when Abundance asked me to go mulberry picking with them I said a very big "yes please!". They took me to the most stunning private garden in Chiswick, where one side of the beautiful garden was dominated with this huge and imposing mulberry tree. The nursery rhyme was always “round and round the mulberry bush”, but in fact they grow on trees. Sadly there are not enough of these grand trees left and therefore not a lot of this fruit.
Very quickly my Head Chef and I were picking away from the bountiful supply. The first of this juicy fruit were ripe and ready for picking - those that are plumb and full and almost fall off as you touch them. There were so many and they were so delicious - so sweet and delicate. Luckily for us there is a huge quantity and lots more still to ripen over the next few weeks…so we will be back for more!
We had great fun picking in the sunshine and challenging each other to climb the tree and claim the most difficult fruit. As you pick your hands become stained in this wonderful rich purple colour - almost like blood dripping down your hands and arms.
Soon we had boxes and boxes of fruit and were ready to return to the restaurant, to hand them to our pastry chef, Alan. Over the next couple of days Alan created the most amazing mulberry jelly, cheesecake and also bakewell tart. All were utterly delicious and seemed to go down very well with our customers. So lovely for us to be able to have something on the menu that tastes so good and comes from within walking distance of the restaurant.
Soon we had boxes and boxes of fruit and were ready to return to the restaurant, to hand them to our pastry chef, Alan. Over the next couple of days Alan created the most amazing mulberry jelly, cheesecake and also bakewell tart. All were utterly delicious and seemed to go down very well with our customers. So lovely for us to be able to have something on the menu that tastes so good and comes from within walking distance of the restaurant.
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