Mozart and the magic fruit
At the border of aristocratic Belgravia with Chelsea and Pimlico, the junction of Ebury Street and Pimlico Road forms a little triangular space. Here stands a graceful statue of the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who composed his first two symphonies in 1764 at the age of nine while living at 180 Ebury Street. As the spot was not built up in those days, Mozart probably had a view of grazing animals and vegetable patches. Nowadays he looks down from his plinth each Saturday on carrots, apples and cabbages when local producers set up their stalls for the farmers’ market.
Like other farmers’ markets, the scattering of stands on Orange Square displays products that have not travelled any long distance. The aims of offering high-quality foods of known provenance, supporting individual rather than mass-manufactured goods and allowing the customer to meet the producer personally, clearly appeal to the residents of this affluent part of London.
Info
Address Corner of Pimlico Road, Bourne Street and Ebury Street, SW1W 8NE | Public Transport Sloane Square (Circle, District Line) | Hours Sat 9am–1pm| Tip A shopping tour in this district could take in Peter Jones department store on Sloane Square and the expensive temptations of King’s Road. For information about 20 farmers’ markets in London, see www.lfm.org.uk.
On the triangle of ground beneath Mozart’s gaze – it has no official name, but is usually called Orange Square – they find a rich mix of vendors whose offerings go far beyond fruit, vegetables and meat from their own farms. The fish stall sells the catch of the day from a boat on the south coast. Other stands are piled high with fresh pasta and many kinds of pesto, home-baked cake and a great variety of bread, locally made but inspired by France, Italy and Germany. The range of cheese runs from goat’s cheese to mature Cheddar and lesser-known products from artisan dairies. The market furnishes everything for a good dinner, which might start with oysters or East Anglian crab meat and be washed down healthily with single-variety pear juice from Kentish orchards. The flower stall provides table decoration.
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