The Art of Wonky Cucumbers
I took a few photos of my shopping - now, this sounds odd and rather boring but I found the colours of my shopping so vibrant and energising that I couldn’t resist and snapped away every Friday when I came back home from the Sawston High Street, where I do my weekly food shopping.
I must admit that Cathy Faithfull beautiful photos of her garden fruit were also an inspiration.
I was really happy to find Mary’s Greengrocers shop when I moved to Sawston in 2017. I remember feeling like stepping back in history when I entered the first time. Her shop was very much like what I experienced as a child. Lots of seasonal fruit, often misshaped and with imperfections. Mary started her business in 1982 and I dare to say that there are hardly any shops left in Sawston that would go back this far. The best thing about her shop is the choice she provides. You can have your fruit and veg neatly packed in a plastic bag as well as get your hands dirty from picking your own freshly delivered local potatoes, apples or tomatoes and use paper bags.
I love the fact that I can buy food that looks like it was grown outside, that my blue bin is not overflowing with packaging but mainly that I can support somebody who works hard seven days a week, is very friendly, shares great recipes and is always ready to help.
This morning, I found a message on Mary’s FB account that she is struggling to keep the shop open. I am sorry to see that somebody who managed to stay open throughout lockdown, who supplied the village with fresh fruit and veg and on top of that with much-needed items such as flour when there was a shortage, is now struggling. People in Sawston expressed their gratitude to NHS workers for many Thursday evenings during the lockdown. Maybe this time we could send our kids once a week with some cash to get an apple or a banana. It will do us all good.
Shopping feels like a chore to me, but not in the small world of fresh herbs and wonky cucumbers at Mary's Greengrocers. I hope people in Sawston will help out and let Mary keep going. After all, she looks after our health with what she sells and we would miss her greatly.
