Never one to shy away from getting his point firmly across, Gordon Ramsay is making waves in the press at the moment with his call to legislate against the use of out-of-season produce in UK restaurants. He wants chefs to use locally obtained seasonal produce to improve the quality and sustainability of their dishes, with restaurants to be fined if they fail to comply.

He’s not alone in his way of thinking. Oliver Rowe’s restaurant Konstam proves it’s perfectly possible to run a top class eaterie using local ingredients, stating that “Over 85% of the produce used in the Konstam kitchen is grown or reared within the area covered by the London Underground network”.

Seared Amersham pigeon breast and Waltham Abbey chicken? Why not! As Ramsay states, preventing access to ingredients from far flung corners of the world can only “increase inspiration”, encouraging chefs to make full use of the wonderful produce available in the UK. And remember, transporting food from abroad doesn’t only mean it’s less fresh than local produce because of the time it takes to get it to the UK, there’s also a vastly increased carbon cost from the emissions caused by shipping/driving/flying it here. By eating seasonal local produce you can lower your carbon footprint, plus it tastes nice!

It’s never been easier for us citydwelling amateur cooks to get hold of seasonal fruit and veg, with brilliant local markets springing up all over the place. Check out TrustedPlaces video tours of Exmouth Market and Broadway Market, read rave reviews of the famous Borough Market and have a look in your local area to see what’s going on - vegetables taste better when they’re not wrapped in plastic!

Photo credit: Mushrooms, Borough Market, London by gruntzooki (CC License)