Picnic, Reading
In amongst the clinically formulated chain stores of central Reading, wedged (quite literally) between coffee warlords Costa and Starbucks, sits Picnic, the town's greatest café and lunchspot.
The Outside comes indoors into this glittering jewel of a café - too small to even have a loo, not that it seems to put anyone off - which is packed by a rolling sequence of clientele; morning cappuccino junkies, interns doing the coffee run at 11.00, office workers searching out a tasty home-cooked lunch, and shoppers refuelling after an arduous battle through the department stores of the Oracle.Each day they serve, in addition to their quite staggering array of sandwiches, two "Picnic Boxes" a filling alongside couscous & fresh lettuce - think Cumin Yoghurt and Almond Chicken or Home-made bacon quiche - and a freshly made soup.
http://www.picnicfoods.co.uk/
Planet Organic, London
OK, so this might not be an utterly undiscovered arena, but this Aladdin's Cave of Organic food and lifestyle gadgets is fused with a Café and take-out food stop. Everything in here is yummy, responsibly sourced and fresh; a real novelty in faced-paced London. My favourite store is at Torrington Place, just off Goodge Street, and its position right by UCL means its always filled with intellectual types who will massage your inactive brain cells whilst you nourish your body.
It would be absurdly easy to walk out with little purchases like the Bobble bottle (a refillable water bottle with inbuilt filter - why didn't I think of that!) and your bodyweight in Vitamin supplements, but it's probably worth avoiding these pitfalls and just heading for the groceries, unless you have a far healthier bank balance than mine - it's not cheap in here!
Anyone who lives in the London area can have Fresh nutritious goodies delivered to their door including Fruit & Veg Boxes, just-prepared meals, Fresh juices and scrummy soups. For everyone else, this is eating for those who enjoy knowing they're refuelling well whilst savouring every bite. A sort of Dean & DeLuca for the streets of London and less commercial than Whole Foods Market, it's an essential foodie pit-stop for lunch, coffee or a whole cupboard re-stock.
http://www.planetorganic.com/
Emma x
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