Celebrating Local Food and Green Living

A Summer of Growing, Gathering, and Community Spirit in New Malden

This summer has been a truly special one for New Malden — full of colour, creativity, and connection. From the buzz of Jubilee Square at the Good Food Green Fair to the calm moments of shared harvests and apple juicing, our community has shown once again how powerful local collaboration can be.

The Good Food Green Fair:

In June, Jubilee Square became a hub of community energy for the Good Food Green Fair — a joyful celebration of sustainable living, local food, and creativity.

The event brought together growers, makers, and neighbours to explore greener ways of living and eating. Stalls were packed with delicious homemade treats, eco-friendly products, and local produce. Visitors enjoyed inspiring talks, hands-on activities, and a vibrant programme of performances hosted by Kingston for Equality, with artists from Ram Jam and Woody’s Bar and Kitchen keeping the square lively all afternoon.

Our creative food-growing competition captured the imagination of the community — from innovative balcony gardens to bountiful allotment harvests — showing how anyone, anywhere, can grow something green.

A huge thank you goes out to everyone who took part, volunteered, performed, or shared their skills. The day embodied the true New Malden spirit: collaborative, curious, and full of heart.

Growing Together: Aulaw Organic Farm and Harvest Sharing

Over the summer, our partnership with Aulaw Organic Farm Co-Grow has continued to thrive. Each week, local residents have come together to share produce, swap seeds and recipes, and learn more about sustainable food growing.

Highlights included the Spaghetti Squash Everywhere project — which saw neighbours cooking, sharing, and enjoying the fruits (and vegetables!) of their labour — and our much-loved community apple pressing, where visitors turned freshly picked local apples into delicious juice, free for everyone to enjoy.

We were also honoured by a visit from the Mayor of Kingston, who joined us at the Co-Grow Garden to celebrate the project. In their speech, the Mayor praised New Malden’s community growers for their dedication and creativity, calling them “an inspiring example of local action for a greener Kingston.”

These gatherings have reminded us all how simple acts — sharing a harvest, pressing an apple, enjoying soup together — can build stronger, happier, more connected communities.