Clapham Common is great for many reasons: dogs, grass, er, SW4? But there's another reason to love our favourite place for a frolic: 100ft below it, rows and rows of microherbs are growing quietly in a stretch of disused bomb shelter. This is Growing Underground, London's first subterranean farm – and it's just had its first commercial harvest.
It's taken two years of hard work to get this far – the product of two years of hard graft by founders Steven Dring and Richard Ballard and their team. The 'food mine' occupies tunnels that were originally used for sheltering Londoners during the World War II, which have now been equipped with start-of-the-art lighting, hydroponics, ventilation and special growing platforms. The result is produce of exceptional quality, thanks to the absence of pests and its freshness – the herbs can get from farm to fork in less than four hours.
There's everything from green and red basil to wasabi mustard and pink stem radish, and it's already been snapped up by several chefs. Michel Roux Jr, one of the farm's co-directors, will be using the produce at Le Gavroche, and a daily delivery goes to London's fresh produce market at New Covent Garden.
Growing Underground's salad vegetables – in pictures
Want to try them for yourself? You can buy the produce – soon to include salad crops – from Ted's Veg in Borough Market, or even get it delivered to your home through Farmdrop. And you'll find out more in our next issue, publishing mid-May.
