Going organic in Kings Heath
| Published: 30th August 2007 15:21 |
The number of places to buy organic food or eat out organic in Kings Heath is growing all the time. You can even buy organic clothes at a couple of shops on the High Street.
It's the side roads off the High Street where you'll find the best choice of organic experiences at the moment though.
Eating out
For eating out there's the Kitchen Garden Café, a fabulous oasis you find through a gateway on York Road, and Manic Organic on Poplar Road.
Kitchen Garden Cafe
The Kitchen Garden Café is an environmentally-friendly rabbit warren of garden shop, deli, grocery store, bar, venue and café. They serve breakfast all day, light bites and more substantial meals later on and pretty scrumptious desserts including homemade organic cakes.
When the weather's kids you can sit in the garden (where the furniture and wonderful olive trees are for sale), or there's room inside where the walls are decorated with posters for like-minded events and original artwork (also for sale).
The café's aim is to use organic, seasonal and locally-produced food wherever possible. The fish and game can't be certified as organic though, because it's all wild.
Fruit and Veg
The Kitchen Garden also sells a good range of organic fruit and veg. Because owners Brett and Tracey buy in for the food on the café menu as well, they buy in extra quantities and that means a good range of choices for the shop customers - including many specialist varieties not available elsewhere.
Groceries
Organic juices in Thyme Out
There's a deli in the Kitchen Garden where you can get organic and locally sourced food to take home, including essential groceries, local cheeses, meats and homemade preserves. There's also a choice of organic wines, beers and spirits.
Thyme Out, the shop and therapy centre on Poplar Road, has also recently branched out into organic groceries as a result of customer demand. The owners here, Gareth and Jo, are still building up their range - so if there's anything missing, just ask and they may well add it to the list.
Supermarket
Sainsbury's on Kings Heath High Street boasts the largest variety of organic food choices. Their SO organic ranges are spread around the store alongside non-organic options. You can't really call Sainsbury's an organic supermarket, but it's fair to say that most of the food ranges include at least one organic line. There is a decent choice of organic bread, generally a good stock of organic meat, fruit and veg, cereals and more.
Home delivery
An easy way to get organic fruit and veg delivered to your door in the Kings Heath area every Wednesday. Produce comes from the River Nene Organic Farm, on the edge of the Fens, and others nearby. Stan Cliff, the farm manager, has 42 years of growing experience and each season plants over 70 types of crop so the best of what's in season can be packed into specially designed returnable boxes. They come in a range of sizes to suit your household and appetite. The boxes can also be topped up with a range of other organic goodies from milk and eggs, to chocolate and wine.
Click here for details or to place an order.
Clothes
Not a lot to say here. Just a couple of rails of clothing in surpirsing places at the moment. New Look has a range of organic cotton clothing. It was on display in the shop window, but has now been relegated to further back in the store just in time for Organic Fortnight. Dorothy Perkins has an even smaller range. Look for the clothes rail with the tree on it (sponsored by the Woodland Trust) That appears to be it for Kings Heath, but if you know differerent do pass it on.
