Chelsea Green – a traditional high street in the heart of London
Chelsea Green – a traditional high street in the heart of London
A Foodie Destination
We’re proud to call Chelsea Green – a destination for food-lovers that boasts a wonderful sense of community – our London home. We opened the doors of our London flower shop just over a year ago. Our aim was to offer Londoners a green alternative by bringing our finest scented roses and seasonal flowers, herbs and foliage from our farms to the heart of the capital, offering deliveries of our bouquets and flowers within a couple of hours throughout London.
With Christmas fast approaching, we’ve put together a quick guide to our Chelsea Green home. And as Saturday 2 December is Small Business Saturday, this seems the perfect moment to showcase the passionate and original small businesses we’re lucky to have as neighbours. We’ve listed them running clockwise from the front door of our London Flower Shop at 13 Cale Street, Chelsea Green.
Felt – costume and fine jewellery
53 Godfrey St, Chelsea Green, London SW3 3QS
Felt is nothing short of an Aladdin’s Cave of contemporary and vintage jewellery, selling everything from “crap to Christie’s”, with prices starting from just £10. Adored by fashion editors and celebrities, the eclectic selection means you’re sure to find something unique and wonderful among its treasures. We’re coveting Celine Daoust’s Diamond Sliced Necklace for this Christmas.
Paxton & Whitfield – royal cheesemongers
22 Cale St, Chelsea Green, London SW3 3QU
Cheesemongers since 1797, Paxton & Whitfield won the first of many Royal Warrants from Queen Victoria in 1850. This cheese heaven is the perfect place to stock up for Christmas, offering indulgent hampers as well as membership to the Paxton & Whitfield Cheese Society, which gives the cheese lover in your life a monthly selection of four seasonal cheeses delivered fresh to their door. Paxton & Whitfield’s famous pork pies and Scotch eggs make a great lunch snack or popular alternative to canapés if you are having friends over for Christmas drinks.
The Pie Man – gourmet food shop
16 Cale Street, Chelsea Green, London SW3 3QU
The friendly team across the road at The Pie Man offer a wide range of seasonal dishes, snacks and salads, freshly prepared on site using locally sourced ingredients where possible, as well as great coffee and homemade cakes. You can simplify Christmas and cut down on preparation with The Pie Man’s Pantry range of supper dishes to take away. The team at our London flower shop highly recommend the award-winning cheese straws and sausages.
Amaia – classic children’s clothes and accessories
14 Cale St, Chelsea Green, London SW3 3QU
Designers and co-owners Amaia from Spain and Segolene from France take inspiration from traditional children’s dress and adapt it for modern living. We’re smitten by their Christmas collection with its emphasis on tartan, velvet, Peter Pan and ruffled collars, bloomers and knee socks.
The Chelsea Fishmonger, Rex Goldsmith
www.thechelseafishmonger.co.uk
10 Cale St, Chelsea Green, London SW3 3QU
Rex’s A-board never fails to brighten our day – a recent favourite reads: “Oysters are the same price as yesterday. Black Friday can shuck off”. Rex and his team sell fresh and seasonal fish and seafood caught using sustainable fishing methods that will inspire you to experiment with new dishes and ingredients. This Christmas we’re inspired by the London-cured smoked salmon, fine Italian caviar with its creamy, nutty finish, and indulgent fresh lobsters.
Andreas – greengrocer and delicatessen
4 Cale St, Chelsea Green, London SW3 3QU
"Andreas is my wonderful greengrocer whose small shop in Chelsea Green is full of strange, familiar and always beautiful produce” is how Nigella Lawson describes our delightful neighbour. Andrea sticks by his motto of “only the best” and his rainbow of seasonal fruit and vegetables never fails to leave us in awe. Andreas has everything you need to put together a Christmas hamper or wow your guests with seasonal treats such as chestnuts, cranberries, foie gras or truffles – as well as the finest and freshest vegetables.
Finns of Chelsea – café, takeaway and caterers
4 Elystan St, Chelsea Green, London SW3 3NS
Our friendly independent café and takeaway is owned and run by aunt and niece Julia and Milly. Finns create delicious home-cooked food and stock of range of gifts and tableware – we’re big fans of their brightly coloured table candles.
Alec Drew – picture framers
5-7 Cale St, Chelsea Green, London SW3 3QT
Alec Drew has been established for forty years and the current team has been framing pictures in Chelsea Green for more than twenty years. Friendly and knowledgeable, the team offers a wide range of frames and can craft everything from a simple mount for a school photograph to something fitting for an old master.
You can continue your foodie tour around the corner on Elystan Street where you’ll find our excellent butcher, Jago’s of Chelsea (www.jagobutchersofchelsea.co.uk) at 9 Elystan St, SW3 3NT, and wine merchants Haynes Hanson & Clark (www.hhandc.co.uk) at 7 Elystan St, SW3 3NT. The perfect place to catch up with friends or family in the run-up to Christmas, Villa Mamma’s (www.villamamas.com) at 25-27 Elystan St, SW3 3NT, brings the flavours of Bahrain to London – we highly recommend their delicious Bahraini cakes. CRU8 (www.cru8foods.co.uk) in Chelsea Farmers Market sells wonderful gluten, wheat, dairy and refined sugar free macaroons and other treats – which you can also order online.
For children you’ll find Bobo Kids (www.bobokids.co.uk) at 29 Elystan St, SW3 3NT, specialising in children’s interiors and furniture, and Dragons of Walton Street (www.dragonsofwaltonstreet.com) at 17 Elystan St, SW3 3NT, showcasing imaginative hand-painted children’s furniture. Claremont Furnishing (www.claremontfurnishing.com) at 35 Elystan St, SW3 3NT, is a treasure trove of textiles and fabrics to freshen up your home.
If you are looking for a stylish bargain for a Christmas party, Sign of the Times (www.signofthetimesdressagency.com) at 5 Elystan St, SW3 3NT, specialises in the re-sale of designer fashion. And last but by no means least, Cabbages & Roses (www.cabbagesandroses.com) at 123 Sydney St, SW3 6NR, is our go-to for timeless English fashion. Their new velvet pouches make the perfect Christmas gift.
We hope you can stop by before Christmas to visit our London florist shop at 13 Cale St, Chelsea Green, London SW3 3QS – as well as all our wonderful independent neighbours.
On Tuesday 12 December at 6.30pm our friendly local estate agent John D Wood & Co is hosting Chelsea Green’s annual carol service – complete with traditional brass band and choir. All the shopkeepers on the Green get involved and if you wish to join us you can find more details here.
