Aaron Craze filmed Market Kitchen at the event

Aaron Craze filmed Market Kitchen at the event

Traders on London’s Portobello and Golborne Road markets came together last weekend for their third produce-themed event, to celebrate home-grown asparagus, watercress and rhubarb.

The Taste of Spring Festival featured cookery demonstrations from Market Kitchen chef Aaron Craze and caterer Chef on the Move’s Mark Dunne, who made seasonal treats on a pitch at the market backed by recipe cards so that passers-by could try what they saw at home.

To kick off the festival, a feature was filmed for Market Kitchen in which Craze cooked up a Primavera salad made with spring greens including asparagus, broad beans, peas and courgettes, French goat’s cheese and bacon lardons.

The two-day event was organised by markets development officer Mark Atkinson, who teamed up with representatives from New Covent Garden Market for a third time.

The event was the third in a series of produce-related events held by Portobello and Golborne Road markets, with the next set to be a celebration of apricots, berries and cherries in July.

Ruth Holbrook of the Local Food project: London & South East told FPJ: “We have made strong links with Portobello and Golborne markets and we want to promote produce from all of the London wholesale markets.”

Atkinson added: “There is a lot of potential here and these events are good for traders on these markets, local restaurants and the wholesalers that supply them both - they are very accessible to the public too, whether people are shopping for good value fruit and vegetables or consider themselves gourmets.”