Charles Campion is The Smart Shopper

Broad appeal: try broad beans with Berkswell
10 April 2012
Charity chocolate bar

There is an undeniable appeal to celebrating the birthday of a chocolate bar. The Dubble bar was created specifically for children by Divine Chocolate and Comic Relief and is celebrating its 10th birthday at the 2010 London Fairtrade Festival — May 7 (5-9.30pm), May 8 (11am-9.30pm) and May 9 (11am-5pm) — at Potters Field Park, SE1. Expect lots of chocolate, music, football-themed games and revelry (fairtrade.org.uk/londonfestival)

Broad beans 'n' Berkswell

Any day now Italian gourmets will be sitting down to a plate of the first baby broad beans. In leisurely fashion they will remove the skin from each beanlet and eat the kernels raw, with a shaving of Pecorino cheese. We can do much better than that. You'll find new season's Italian broad beans in good grocers but you should nibble them with some Berkswell. This is a magnificent British sheep's milk cheese that has an astonishing depth of flavour — nowhere near as acidic or salty as Pecorino. Berkswell cheese, £36/kilo, Neal's Yard Dairy, 17 Shorts Gardens, WC2 (020 7240 5700, nealsyarddairy.co.uk). Italian broad beans, £5/kilo, Michanicou Brothers, 2 Clarendon Road, W11 (020 7727 5191).

The buzz word is bees

It's time we all did something to support the honey bee. National Honey Week continues until May 9 and The Hive Honey Shop in SW11 is running a series of bee-keeping courses for beginners. Urban honey is remarkably fine, in part because urban bees get to forage in flower gardens rather than fields of rapeseed. The two-day courses (£225) are held at the weekend — Saturday is devoted to theory and Sunday to practical matters. Contact the shop for dates and details. Or to appreciate what you may one day achieve, pop in for a pot of Wimbledon honey £8.50/340g.
The Hive Honey Shop, 93 Northcote Road, SW11 (020 7924 6233, thehivehoneyshop.co.uk)

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