YOU ARE HERE 51˚N x 0˚W
LONDON 51˚N x 0˚W
My Favourite Work Spots Due to not having an office and lacking the ability to focus at home I spent many hours with my laptop in neighbourhood cafés. Here is my top three favourite work spots: • GAIL’s on Exmouth Market • The CoffeeWorks Project on High Street in Angel • GRUB On The Green on Clerkenwell Close
THANKS TO: The amazing Glenn Waldron, for all his creative input and critical view on my ideas and writing. The lovely and design mastermind Robert de Niet, for staying late when we needed him and introducing us to proper Chinese student food. All the fantastic people who talked to me for the articles. The UAL libraries for functioning as a second home when we came closer to the deadline. And of course to all my sweet classmates, because gals, we were all in this together!
Editor’s Letter Welcome to the first issue of You Are Here magazine. A sustainable and local guide for the more conscious traveller that looks for a unique and special experience. A traveller that is not just here in this city, but also here in this moment. This issue is focussed on London, a vibrant and big city that is home to nearly eight milion people. Even though I always thought about all the big high street stores when I thought about shopping in London, I discovered that a lot of the people in this city are very conscious about what they produce and buy. There are many shops, restaurants and cafÊs that focus on sustainability and everything local. Creating this magazine has been an absolute pleassure. It opened my eyes to a whole new side of London, a more village-like and very kind side. All the people I spoke to for the articles were so friendly and very enthousiastic and passionate about what they were doing and where they were doing it. Making this took me on a journey through a conscious city and showed me that there is so much to experience for the curious explorer. I hope you enjoy reading You Are Here as much as I enjoyed creating it. Love, Anna van der Heijden
CONTENTS
YOU ARE HERE
Food Glorious Food The London Streets Local Life Industrial Luxury Parkhopping in Stoke Newington Vintage Finds My London Caffeine Compass The Good Shops Toy Story
Food Glorious Food London has a few beautiful restaurants that solely use organic, local and seasonal products in their dishes. The owners of these restaurants put a lot of love in the food they serve their customers. What do they love, did they taste and makes them happy?
Geetie Singh had such a strong opinion about how the food should be cooked in the restuarants where she worked that she decided to start her own. “If I am going to work that hard for someone else, I might as well do it myself,” she says. So she started The Duke of Cambridge, an organic pub, about twenty years ago and therefore completely ahead of the current organic food trend.
I love vegetables and so does my husband Guy, we are both vegetable nerds. We fell in love in a radiccihio field. I watched him bending down cutting a radiccihio and thought: “that’s the man for me!” My favourite food season is late spring or early summer. After the long winter everything that was stored, like onions and potatoes, is running out and that can be quite a struggle. And then things like wild garlic start popping up and it just sends you into frenzy. It is utterly wonderful. I ran the Duke like that for years, with only British seasonal produce. My chefs would complain about it, but when something came in it was wonderful to hear them all excited about it in the kitchen. It is really good to run the restaurant with my husband Guy because we are both so passionate about it and we get to do what we love the way we want to. We talk about work a lot, so we set some boundaries and are not allowed to talk about it in bed or in the bathroom, but up until the end of supper we are allowed to talk about work. It is very hard not to talk about it in the morning in bed. I feel very privileged to been brought up in the way I was, because it so happened to match my desires. I grew up in a commune where I learned to appreciate fresh vegetables
and during my late teens I continued my education when I moved in with my dad and stepmom in London who introduced me to fine dining. I was able to create a business out of something that was just my passion. My drive was true and honest, and my reasons to do it where utterly pure. I just loved it. And the bit that gives me the most pleasure is watching my team grow with me. They don’t necessarily get what I mean from an environmental point of view in the beginning, but by the time they leave they totally get it. So that is one person converted each time. My best food memory was going to the vegetable garden in the commune and eating the vegetables. I just loved it! They even used to call me the rabbit. Vegetables to me were the best snack, much better than chips and chocolate. The best meal I ever had was when my father took me to a restaurant in France and I had a salad with walnut oil and vinegar dressing and it was just the best thing I had ever eaten. And when it came to pudding I said: “could I get the walnut salad again?”
When Emma Miles found a restaurant space that did not ask rent but just needed someone to fill the space and cook food for the businesses in the building, she decided to start The Clerkenwell Kitchen. Along with her partner Laura Hearn she serves seasonal dishes made with local and organic products. The menu – written on a black chalkboard – changes daily and shows a few simple traditional-with-a-twist dishes.
My best food memory was when I was about ten years old and visited my aunt in California. I remember having an avocado for the first time, and it completely blew my mind. I was like oh god! Just with a little bit of lemon juice, but it was simply amazing. My best meal ever I had right after I had my first son. I had been in the hospital for three days and had corn flakes for three days. When I came home my mom made me stew and it just tasted so delicious at that moment. The best thing about having my own restaurant is that I can be my own person. I can serve what I want without having to make the sort of food other people want me to make. Being in control, I love it! I also love the people who work for me and teaching people. I am not that good at it, but I love seeing people learn, get interested and enjoy what they are doing. My favourite food season is autumn, or late summer, because you got so much and the colours are just amazing. Everything is sort of colliding at that point. We have got the beginning of the autumn/winter and the last of the summer veg. It is becoming more and more indistinct. Laura and I where having a laugh earlier because we where seeing all these tweets about “the winter tomatoes have arrived”, and it’s a bit like where have the winter tomatoes arrived from? Some heated greenhouse I would imagine, because they are not growing on the vine anymore.
I am good at living poor. Having your own restaurant does not make you any real money. But we work all the time and we can eat our own food, so it works. The best products are local products. We do not just use it because it is more sustainable to use local vegetables, meat and fish, but as a chef, or with any kind of skill, you want to use the best ingredients you can find. A painter wants to use the best paint, and I want to use the best products I can find. There is no point in eating a tomato in February, because it just does not taste good. My favourite meal of the day is my meal in the evening, because then everything is done, I am home and I can sit down. But generally, we chefs tend to not do food after a while. I am like a bit of white bread with butter and marmite will do. You get kind of overloaded with sensation during the day. I enjoy walking around in London. I grew up in the countryside and I’ll say I love going for walks in London because there is so much to look at. The countryside is just trees and grass. Everybody goes on about how beautiful it is, but it just doesn’t change. It’s the same beauty day after day, whereas London is continually changing and evolving.
Living like a local. It is something we hear a lot theses days. People look for an experience that is unique to a certain place. What makes London unique? Its street life.
More and more people want to experience London like a local. The local life in England’s capital happens on the the streets. From art to food and from music to fashion, everything comes together outside. Part of the local life experience is staying in someone’s flat. The number of Airbnb bookings for London almost doubled to nearly a million in 2015, says the house market space company, which proves that this generation loves to be part of the everyday life. This really is something of this generation. A generation that wants a unique experience rather than a mainstream guidebook to follow blindly and a special activity rather than a hop-on hop-off bus tour. People look for the real thing. This experience starts by staying in the house of a local and continues where local life in London happens: on the streets. What makes the streets of London so special? It all starts with the first look. They say you should not judge a book by its cover, but you can certainly judge this city by its multiple appearances. Every neighbourhood is completely different, but the buildings and everything else you see on the streets do define or are defined by the character of the area. The majestic houses in Kensington stand in big contrast to the cosy red brick buildings in Hackney. And the modern buildings in the City house completely different businesses
from the building blocks in Camden. London’s architecture tells a story. Often this is a history based story sometimes it is more recent. With foundations that run back almost 2000 years ago – when this city was called Londinium – history and modernity run alongside everywhere. Take for example Regent Street, where big high street fashion and lifestyle brands occupy the white majestic buildings from the early 1800s. Or East London that used to be the place no one wanted to be and is now the place to be; a true example of gentrification. There are many very active organizations that organise events and tours surrounding London’s diverse architecture and history, which shows that the topic is very now. And with every season shedding a different light on the architecture of this city, there is always an other atmosphere to taste while wandering around. Something that colours the different areas and gives a clear indication of what you will find behind the doors is the kind of art you will find. From big museums in the west, to galleries in the centre and street art in the east. Street art is obviously the most clearly ‘out there’ form of art. Walking around a neighbourhood like Shoreditch makes you think you are walking right through a big living canvas. There is graffiti art everywhere you look. There is even a guy, George Macdonald, who started a magazine called VNA
Photo by Sam van der Heijden
THE LONDON STREETS
that is completely devoted to street art because he could not get enough of it. Officially it is illegal to spray the city walls with paint, but since a lot of people do love it, councils allow it as long as people tell them they want to keep it, it is not on a council owned property and it is in no way offensive. This way people have had the opportunity to become true street artists. Big names like STIK and DSCREET started their art careers on the London streets. The street view is also defined by the style of the people in them. London might be one of the easiest cities to divide in areas by style. Hipsters in Dalston, vintage in Shoreditch, punk in Camden, blue tailored suits in the City, antique in Notting Hill, chic in Chelsea. The clothes people wear add to the image of a certain neighbourhood. It makes the streets more interesting and makes it easy for visitors to decide where they would fit in. Not only visitors are inspired by London’s diverse street style, the catwalk also loves it. Or they at least often show very similar trends, like
for instance the seventies retro trend that was hot during last seasons fashion shows and is part of everyday street style in east London. Something that both locals and visitors love to do is going to markets. There are a few popular ones that almost everybody knows of, like the grand and amazing Borough Market, the colourful and cute Columbia Road Flower Market and the hip and delicious Brick Lane Market. There are also a few hidden gems that are just as worthy of a visit as the well-known ones. Every weekend there is for instance the little Maltby Street food market underneath the railway arches south of the Southbank and the nearby Bermondsey Antique Market – which is every Friday morning. It looks like London is never done adding new markets to the list. Duo Henry Dimbley and Jonathan Downey are planning on opening twenty new local markets in the next five years and on starting a permanent food market in 2017 with their company London Union. The two focus on healthy food and a positive food culture. They want to bring
locals and visitors together on these markets. Because however grey the weather is, there is always a warm atmosphere at the London markets. The food looks its best, the vendors are friendly and the visitors are happy. It is the best reason to be outside. Another great way to spend a day outside is to take a walk in one of London’s many parks. Being Europe’s greenest capital with 47% of the city as green space, according to a campaign by Greenspace Information for Greater London, there are options in abundance. By taking a walk in one of the bigger parks like Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Hempstead Heath or in one of the smaller ones you can escape the city for a bit without ever leaving it. At the same time, you will get a close look at the local life. But there is also enough to see in the urban jungle, which you can explore in different ways. You could, for instance, take a guided tour by a homeless person, join a free (well, tip-based) walking
tour or go a little crazy and try a cemetery tour. While you are moving from place to place you will be surrounded by music. Whether you are in a tube station, on a busy street, in a pub or on a market, there is music everywhere. London has a vivid music culture. There is probably no place where the presumed dead record business is still so alive as in London. The street also produced some great artists. Ed Sheeran, for instance, started out making music on the pavement with a cap in front of him in stead of a filled stadium. But in the end, the thing that makes these streets come alive are the people filling them. Maybe that is the pull to this city and the reason so many people want to experience it like a local, they all want to be a part of London for a while.
LOCAL LIFE
When we travel to a new place, we all want the best tips on where to go and what to do. The first thing most people would do is ask a friend who knows the area, ritght? But what if you do not have one of those friend, then you need the opinion of someone who knows the area like the back of their hand, someone who lives there, a local. These are area guides by Daslton and London Fields locals who rent their apartment out on Airbnb. People who rent out their own homes are oftentimes aware of things their guests could do in the neighbourhood and are happy to share their area secrets. Lets be their guest!
LONDON FIELDS Rosey lives in a rustic and modernised warehouse in London Fields. She loves travelling herself so knows how important it is to be a welcoming and openminded host to her guests. London Fields is a park in the south of London borough Hackney. It is surrounded by a vivid village-like atmosphere.
WHAT MAKES LONDON FIELDS THE BEST? The cultural diversity and proximity to all of the awesome cafes, street markets and restaurants. There’s always something new, organic or exciting that seems to be popping up on and around Mare Street. I also enjoy the luxury of being close to all of my friends who live in the area as well as the multiple bus and train lines that connect me to other parts of London. Truth is, I don’t venture out of E8 unless I really need to! WHAT IS THE BEST THING TO DO FOR FREE IN LONDON FIELDS? Being able to park yourself with a picnic on a patch of green grass in Victoria Park. There’s so much space and fresh air. I’ve spent so many summers knocking about with friends in the sunshine. WHAT IS THE FRIENDLIEST RESTAURANT IN THE AREA? Hackney Bureau is low key, never pretentious and always has friendly staff who serve coffee and brunch to perfection. ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL SHOPS AROUND YOUR HOME? I love to venture out to Luna & Curious when I head over to Colombia Road Flower Market on Sundays. It’s a small, quirky shop a little past the market, edging into Shoreditch. They have the best mix of kids clothing, jewellery, homewares, books and magazines, all sourced and produced by local as well as international artists. I could spend a fortune in there and always walk out with a little bag of something unique. WHAT BAKERY OR COFFEE PLACE WOULD YOU GO TO FOR YOUR SUNDAY MORNING BREAKFAST? E5 Bakehouse for sure! They do the best coffees (although Climpsons on Broadway Market is a close contender) and it’s where I get my wholemeal sourdough fix. Their menu changes daily and always includes their delicious bread. You can’t beat E5 Bakehouse - it’s got to be the best bakery in the whole of London. IN WHAT PUB DO YOU LIKE TO SPEND AN AFTERNOON OR EVENING? The Spurstowe Arms is great for catching up with friends over a bottle of wine and roast on a Sunday. I also love Adam&Eve during the week - it’s massive, comfy and has a specials menu of pub classics, courtesy of the Cornwall Project.
DALSTON Stacey and Frank live in a beautiful apartment with garden in Dalston. Dalston lies right next to London Fields, which gives these two areas a similar feel. Stacey and Frank run a consious and waste free business, (re)vision society. This creative studio works on projects with other designers to create luxury limited edition items that have little to no impact on the environment and are all made in London. “The concept of (re)visioning goes beyond the beauty and function of the physical objects we create, it’s about a mode of being, a way of constantly questioning, improving, seeking answers and a commitment to trying harder,” says Stacey.
WHAT MAKES DALSTON THE BEST? That it feels so local, being based on a park it feels there is a real sense of community. We know our neighbours, our grocer and our local market stallholders. It has a real village vibe. Even though it is still zone 2, it just feels a lot more laid back than central London, which is only a short bus ride away. WHAT IS THE BEST THING TO DO FOR FREE IN DALSTON? Visit the local Broadway market on a Saturday, watch people strolling by to a backdrop of buskers filling the atmosphere with live music. WHAT IS THE FRIENDLIEST RESTAURANT IN THE AREA? We don’t often go to restaurants because we like to buy food locally from the organic grocers and butcher but Off Broadway make great cocktails and have very friendly staff. There is also a great jazz night on a Wednesday in the basement. ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL SHOPS AROUND YOUR HOME? We like Momosan Shop on Wilton Way. Momosan has a lovely selection of one-of-a-kind wares whose stories speak beyond the objects themselves. WHAT BAKERY OR COFFEE PLACE WOULD YOU GO TO FOR YOUR SUNDAY MORNING BREAKFAST? We love E5 bakehouse under the railway arches. As you walk in the smell of fresh sour dough fills the air. They make a great coffee too.
Tradition and heritage form the story behind knitwear brand Country of Origin.
It is a lovely sunny morning. Amwell Street is quiet but there is a good atmosphere, as usual. As I walk towards Country of Origin I already see Alice standing behind her old knitting machine. She sees me and waves. I have only been here twice and Alice Liptrot and Ben Taylor, the owners of the knitwear brand, already treat me like an old friend. I walk through the light blue door and stand right next to the vintage knitting machine. Alice moves the handles on the machine rhythmically from left to right. The threads of red wool that are spun from above come out as a nice piece of soft knitwear on the bottom. She looks up from her work again and says that she will be with me in a second, because she needs to finish this piece of fabric, otherwise she will lose the thread. Ben is chatting with a customer, but gives me a cheerful “Hello” as I walk past him. Alice and Ben started Country of Origin a few years ago as a webshop and just moved their business into a physical store in Clerkenwell in the summer of 2015. Here they sell handmade knitwear from their suppliers in Scotland and they make made to order jumpers, hats and scarves. Customers can pick a model, colour of wool and a pattern themselves and pick up their order a few days later. This is not just ordinary shopping this is an experience. Alice and Ben want to bring industry back to the UK. “These machines are not used a lot anymore. The jumpers that were made in Scotland on these machines are frumpy and old-fashioned,” says Alice. Ben
adds to this, “Yes, so we wanted to bring new designs into the traditional industry. For us it is all about tradition and heritage.” They do not want to be part of the crazy consumption trend. “Buying four cheap shitty jumpers a year costs just as much as buying one of ours. But ours are made to last,” says Ben. “The designs and primary colours are timeless, so you could wear our pieces for years rather than months,” adds Alice. They call their concept a new form of luxury, where there is more emphasis on the story behind the clothing. “Luxury is going in a way where it needs a background story. A lot of the luxury brands now are not actually luxurious, they are just expensive,” says Ben. The Country of Origin pieces do not have a negative effect on the environment and other people’s lives, which is an important part of their story. They know where all of their products come from and who makes them. “The jumpers from our 5 Gauge collection are made by two Scottish dudes in a shed,” laughs Ben. On a daily basis Alice is responsible for the designing and knitting and Ben does the business side of things. “But we think about the designs together, I just make the cutting patterns because I know how to do that,” says Alice. “Opening a store in knitwear was not my childhood dream, but ever since I did an MA in knitwear I thought about opening a small store. Not a lot of people know how to work with these machines. Only three people from my class are still working in knitwear.”
INDUSTRIAL LUXURY
Even though they look very calm and at ease, they say that they worry a lot. Their new years resolution for 2016 was to remember to also have a nice time along the way. “It has been super great and super stressful at the same time. But having the shop really made it easier. Now we can articulate our vision much better than we could with just a website,” says Ben. Unfortunately a vacation is not on the menu yet. Sweden and Iceland are on the list at the moment. “Food, drinks and a bit of culture in between, that would be nice, “ says Alice, “oh and a little bit of sunshine!” And what are their plans for the future? “A worldwide empire!” says Alice. They both laugh, “Imagine! No, I am afraid we don’t have the capacity for that.”
Parkhopping in Stoke Newington Exploring by Anna van der Heijden
I wanted to explore a new area of London, Stoke Newington, in a different way and look at it from an alternative perspective. No guided tour, no hop-on hop-off bus, no mainstream guidebook. Since London is the greenest capital in Europe, I figured parkhopping would be an interesting experience. Parks are a great way to get a feeling of the local life, because that is where people do sports, have lunch, walk their dogs or take an easy stroll. To get from park to park you get to see a different side of the city, a less touristy side. I will take you on a little visual voyage of my experience of walking through Stoke Newington. I started in Millfields Park, walked along River Lea, went uphill Springfield Park, strolled right through a residential area to get to the beautiful Abney Park Cemetery, had a break on Stoke Newington Church Street and ended my journey in Clissold Park. My conclusion: Parkhopping is a brilliant way to explore new areas!
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Walking through Abney Park Cemetery is weirdly enough - a very relaxing experience. The ivy overgrown crooked graves and through leaves filtered light make for a mysterious atmosphere. The dense trees and singing birds block out all the sounds of the city for a while.
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Walking along this river brings you in a different world immediately. With houses on the left side and fields on the right side, River Lea looks like a tranquil border between nature and culture. People run and bike along the river and row canoes on it.
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Three tips for a break on Stoke Newington Church Street: 1. Green Room CafĂŠ 2. 125 Church Street 3. The Tea Rooms
VINTAGE FINDS
Vintage is cool. Vintage is also good; for the environment and your wallet. But not all of us are blessed with the ability to walk into a vintage store and find that one gem. Therefore we contacted people with a passion for the old and went to London’s vintage heart Shoreditch to ask the experts for their tips on how to shop vintage.
“I love vintage because of the fact that I will not run into someone on the street who wears the exact same item as me.” With her sister Danielle founded Porcelain and Red three years ago. They both needed a change in their lives and since collecting vintage was their hobby they decided to open a store. Porcelain and Red has a smaller collection than most vintage stores according to Danielle. The sisters handpick all of their stock themselves,
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which they find all over Europe. With the pieces they sell their focus is on quality rather than quantity, something Danielle loves about vintage clothing in general: “you just cant buy clothes for a decent price range with good quality anymore. With vintage you’re guaranteed that it is going to be a lot better quality.”
Danielle’s tips for shopping vintage: “Do not ever go vintage shopping if you do not have the time. It is not a rush job. You have to have the time, because obviously everything is different. If you do not have the time to look at all of it you are never going to find something.” “Try things on, because they will look completely different when they are on. If it is not exactly what you want you can always alter it.”
“Go shopping with an open mind. Never go shopping with a specific item in mind, because you are never going to find it.”
“Vintage shopping is so exciting! With every piece I think ‘someone else wore this once, who would it have been?’ ”
Priya works in The Vintage Store on Brick Lane. This store welcomes everyone by selling clothes from different eras. “But we mostly sell retro stuff, which means it is from the 80s and 90s, because most people like that best at the moment.”
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She herself likes wearing old workers clothes, with a CPO jacket as her favorite piece. “A friend found it and called me to say to me that I needed that jacket.”
Priya’s tips for shopping vintage: “There is something there for everyone. Vintage does not have to be extreme. We sell a lot of things you could find on the high street as well, like biker jackets. Those are vintage, but not at the same time. You can also remake old stuff. If you find a horrible dress, you can make it into something new.” “Buy one good statement piece.” “You have to wear it with confidence. Here in Shoreditch you will never be the strangest, but in other places you might be the only one wearing vintage. If you just wear it with confidence it will automatically become cool.”
“I love vintage for the thrill of the chase. It makes each piece more special, and the fact they are unique makes you stand out more from the crowd.” Ellie is a vintage addict. She writes about her vintage adventures and other daily happenings on her blog Rose and Vintage. Every once in a while she finds the most amazing pieces. “I think the best has to be a real leather,
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original diesel jacket worth about £360, that I found in a kilo sale and bought for £10. It’s the softest leather and has an embroidered face on the back; I absolutely adore it,” she says.
Ellie’s tips for shopping vintage:
“Don’t pay over the odds. In London, vintage is quite ‘hip,’ with stores trying to charge ridiculous amounts of money for secondhand clothes in an attempt to appeal to those who want to be vintage but do not want to go thrifting. You can find beautiful, exceptional pieces for cheaper prices if you search around. Unless you know for sure it’s a rare or designer piece, remember that you are buying an old piece of clothing and it shouldn’t be too expensive. Also, the cheaper each item is the more you can buy!”
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“Go shopping a lot. That is when you manage to bag some really great deals.”
“The quality of vintage clothing is just so much better. And you will find great unique prints that they just do not make anymore.”
“My best vintage find ever is one I am going to create out of two coats,” says Freddy from vintage store Rokit. “This way I can create my dream coat for only fifty quid!”
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Rokit sells pieces for every kind of vintage lover with their four shops in London, online store and workshop where new pieces are created out of old clothes.
Freddy’s tips for shopping vintage: “If you try something on and you have fallen in love with it, make sure you put it on a hold or buy it immediately, because with vintage you are never going to see it again. It’s the things that you don’t buy that are going to haunt you for the rest of your life.”
“Have a look out for patterns on the fabric. And also fit and the quality of the material.”
“Avoid things like sweatshirts. Sweatshirts are not necessarily that special.”
My L on d on This is the London of Alice [and her dog Goose] Alice is a designer, a maker, a collector and the shop owner of In With The Old and – since recently – Botanique, which are both on Exmouth Market. Entrepreneurialism is in her blood, but after business school she knew that she did not want to follow her peers to a big corporate company. “When I see my friends now going to work wearing suits and stuff I think ‘gosh that is so not me,’” she says. Instead she went sailing after graduation in 2010. Somewhere at sea she got unintentionally inspired by joking with friends about how she would make stuff out of junk and sell it. Making things has always been something she loved to do, so once she got back in London in 2012 she looked for a shop and started selling her own creations, things she had found and products of London designers she found through Etsy. Together with her lovely dog Goose she is pretty happy with her life right now.
WHY DO YOU LOVE LONDON? It is the variation of the city. Saying that kind of makes me a hypocrite, because I live in Dalston, I have my stores on Exmouth Market and barely get anywhere else then those immediate neighbourhoods. But I suppose I love that there are endless possibilities in London. Even though I do not necessarily go to art galleries, gigs and events that much, if I would want to there is just so much to choose from. I suppose there is a buzz in London because there are lots of things going on. It makes it a fun pace to be. THINGS TO DO I love just walking around the markets, especially the East London markets. But I do not like it when it is
very busy. My perfect day would probably begin with a lie in and a good cup of coffee. Afterwards I like to take Goose up to Hampstead Heath and then we will go for a drink at the pub. But if I am completely honest I love a nice day in the shops best. It sounds kind of sad, but when we close the shops for a few days, all I want to do is come back. It makes going on a holiday hard! Although I do love going out of London and using my Land Rover with roof tent to go camping. PARK The best parks to walk around with Goose are Victoria Park and Hampstead Heath. We go to Spa Fields Park a lot too, but that is not really a park, that is just really convenient because it is around the corner. RESTAURANT I always have quite a lot respect for Moro here on Exmouth Market. It is a really special business. They have a lovely team of people and the owners are still very involved. It is beautiful and they do amazing food. They are very true to Exmouth Market, they could have made a chain, but they like what I like: the community feeling and being involved in a small business. Bourne and Hollingsworth is also a great place. They have done a lovely job. It is all very clean and beautiful. And the food is very good. They have a nice greenhouse area and a fireplace, which create a nice atmosphere. NEIGHBORHOOD I really love Exmouth Market, where I have my stores. There really is a community feeling here. I know the owners of all of these businesses and get to know the locals. We all have a coffee and chat on the street.
That for me is really important. Both Exmouth Market and Amwell Street – where I had In With The Old before – are little villages within London. Not every part of London is a like that, you have to find these little pockets of the city. Camden Passage, Stoke Newington Church Street, Broadway Market and Lamb’s Conduit Street are like this as well; little streets full of independent shops that manage to maintain a village vibe. MARKET Craft markets are really interesting. There is this furniture and interior design one called Tent. It is always in September in the Old Truman Brewery. I enjoy it a lot because you get lots of upcoming designers. Probably my favourite craft fair is called Renegade,
which is an American run fair that is on twice a year. I already know a lot of the London based designers, so I like going to this one because I get to see new and different things. TREASURE HUNTING I love buying old stuff, so I go to lots of car boot sales. I think the best I go to would be the one in Kempton Park, which is actually called Sunbury Antiques Market. It is huge. It is more expensive that actual car boot sales, but it is really nice. The last time I went I was not on the hunt for something specific and that was really nice, because usually I am. So I just wandered around and found some great things. My best find ever was probably this beautiful roll of embroiled fabric, which we turned into lovely cushions and other things.
PUB I love going to The Eagle on Farringdon Road, I go there a lot. It is a pub with nice food from an open kitchen. LOCAL DESIGNERS Daisy Cooper is a lovely ceramics designer. My favourite jewellery, which I wear, is from WeAreArrow by designer Tatiana Andrea. She has a little shop on Netil Market. And I love the clothing of Sideline, which is sold in a few boutiques. BEST SEASON The best season here is definitely summer. That is also when Exmouth Market is at its best. It gets a lovely Mediterranean feel with people getting drinks after work and lots of people having lunch around here. PHOTOGENIC PLACE Columbia Road Flower Market is a good place to take photos with all the flowers. PLACES TO AVOID Lots of places, actually. Just generally everything in Central London, like Oxford Circus, Regent Street, Leicester Square, it is all so busy. SECRET FIND The Tooting car boot sale is pretty awesome. It is actually at the Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium. It is best on Wednesdays, because you get all these house clearance guys.
In With The Old | 31 Exmouth Market | EC1R 4QL | LONDON | +44 (0)20 7919021400 Botanique | 37-39 Exmouth Market | EC1R 4QL | LONDON
Caffeine Compass Exploring new places is amazing but can also be rather exhausting. Take some time to reload with a nice cup of coffee. For an extra special experience, go to one of these places that roast coffee beans in-house.
CARAVAN 11-13 Exmouth Market | EC1R 4QD | LONDON | +44 (0)20 78338115 51˚31’31.6561” N x 0˚6’36.4155’ W
On the corner of Exmouth Market you will find Caravan. This is a restaurant with a coffee roastery in the basement where they roast organic beans to create delicious coffee.
WORKSHOP COFFEE CLERKENWELL CAFE 27 Clerkenwell Road | EC1M 5RN | LONDON | +44 (0)20 72535754 51˚31’20.6979” N x 0˚6’8.6863” W
Workshop Coffee has multiple locations. The roastary was originally in the Clerkenwell Road Café, but because this was not big enough they moved it to a new location. An old roasting machine is still present in the Clerkenwell Café, which gives the place an industrial feel. There is no WiFi available, so this is the place to be if you actually want to talk to the people you have coffee with or if you just want to read something non-digital.
OZONE COFFEE ROASTERS 11 Leonard Street | EC2A 4AQ | LONDON | +44 (0)20 74901039 51˚31’28.5622” N x 0˚5’12.2445” W
Ozone is an international roastery that supplies coffee for multiple coffee cafes. They also have their own café in Shoreditch on Leonard Street. Ozone was once started because the founders wanted to make a difference in the world through coffee. They make sure that everything on the plantations goes ethical and by maintaining close relationships with their coffee planters.
THE GOOD SHOPS
London is known to be a city where you can go for a good shopping spree. All the big high street brands are clustered together on Oxford Street and Regent Street. For the people who want something different, special and ethical, London also knows many independent stores and boutiques. Being in their stores a lot makes the shop owners very aware of the nice things you can do in the area, but they also know of cool things to do in general, since they want to make the most of the little spare time they have. We spoke to a few of these shop owners and asked them about their favourite things to do and secret finds in London.
69b BOUTIQUE 69b Broadway Market | E8 4PH | LONDON | +44 (0)20 7249 9655 51˚32’14.9533” N x 0˚3’40.6385” W
The boutique, located on Broadway Market 69b - hence the name of the shop - has a diverse offer of sustainable and fair brands. Founder Merryn Leslie loves the planet and wants to sell brands that share that love. She wants her customers to be able to have sustainable style. She definitely knows style, with a background as fashion editor at i-D Magazine and years of styling experience.
Must do
Secret Spot
“Drive on Victoria Embankment late at night, along the River Thames. I love the view of London from there - the architecture and the lights.”
“It’s got to be Broadway Market on a Saturday. I know the market itself is not a secret, but many of the food stalls are gastronomic treasures waiting to be discovered.”
THE KEEP 32/33 Brixton Village | Coldharbour Lane | SW9 8PR | LONDON +44 (0)20 7924 0867 51˚27’44.8502” N x 0˚6’41.789” W The Keep is a boutique in Brixton Village that sells a variety of ethical brands. Owner Kate Richards was fed up with her closet that kept filling up with clothes she would have to throw away at some point because of the poor quality. She wanted good clothes that where made in an ethical way. Clothes with integrity, clothes to keep. That’s why she started The Keep Boutique.
Must do
Secret Spot
“Stealing an afternoon away and visiting the Whitechapel Gallery. We are so lucky to live amongst so much art and culture. I love this gallery for its focus on contemporary artists that challenge the status quo.”
“Anima e Cuore is a little Italian restaurant in Camden. I would like it to remain a secret, but the food was too good not to share! And I like Brixton Village, Brixi and Leftovers.”
HERE TODAY HERE TOMORROW 30a Balls Pond Road | N1 4AU | LONDON | +44 (0)20 7241 0103 51˚32’45.8994” N x 0˚4’38.5163” W Anna-Maria Hesse is one of the owners, designers and makers at Here Today Here Tomorrow, a collaborative studio where the work of the affiliated designers gets sold in the store. They hold on to a sustainable philosophy that entails that they produce fair trade, use sheep wool only, and are conscious when it comes to water usage.
Must do
Secret Spot
“I like cycling everywhere, that way you discover lots of lovely little shops, cafe’s, pubs, streets, houses, and parks that are hidden away from the main public transport routes.” “I don’t know if I should be sharing a secret place - but there is a beautiful bike ride down the canal from Hackney to Broxbourne along the Lea Valley. It is very green and there are many reservoirs and ponds.”
LOWIE 115 Dulwich Road | Herne Hill | SE24 0NG | LONDON +44 (0)20 7733 0040 51˚27’10.5438” N x 0˚6’13.753” W The owner of Lowie, Bronwyn Lowenthal, designs and makes her own vintage inspired fashion from soft ethical wool and organic or recycled cotton. Bronwyn makes everything as ethically as possible. She is a well-travelled person. Travelling taught her to respect other cultures and people. That combined with her lifelong love for experimental and vintage fashion made her decide to start Lowie.
Must do
Secret Spot
“Go to the Effra Social Pub on Effra Road in Brixton with a group of friends. Or have a lunch at Khaosan Thai restaurant in Brixton.”
“My secret finds include hanging out in Brockwell park, checking out Herne Hill Market on a Sunday and going to yoga classes at Tania Brown in Dulwich.”
SMUG 13 Camden Passage | N1 8EA | LONDON | +44 (0)20 73540253 51˚32’4.959” N x 0˚6’14.622” W This store on Camden Passage is filled with lifestyle goodies and has a little café in the basement. Owner Lizzie Evans designs some of the things herself and sources the rest. She is a true local to the area who already came to Camden Passage as a kid.
Must do
Secret Spots
“My favourite thing to do is to spend a Sunday with my husband going early to Columbia Road for flowers and a treat from Lily Vanilli, then on to church in Canonbury to see the family, followed by a lovely lunch, a bit of shopping and a turn around the park.” “I’m a big fan of Clissold Park in North London. It’s full of local people - talking a walk, having a coffee, going for a run, walking their dog, playing football, doing yoga, paddling in the lido, looking at the deer, goats, butterflies and tropical birds. There’s lots going on but more than enough room to find a spot just for you. My favourite places to eat in London are Ottolenghi on Upper Street (I’m there a lot!) and NOPI if I’m shopping in the West End. I also love Dishoom, Patty & Bun and, to go more local again, Primeur. For stationery and homeware I really enjoy shopping at twentytwentyone, Present & Correct and SCP. For clothing I love to go to YMC, Egg, Hub and Liberty.”
Other good shops... House of Hackney Bright flowers, tropical leaves, exotic animals and geometrical prints; the House of Hackney store is a busy collection of colour and images all printed on different fabrics, home accessories and stationary. The prints are designed by couple Frieda and Javvy and are made for most part in England. Cred Jewellery Cred sells ethical jewellery made from fairtrade and conflict free products. Gold and silver is fairtrade and the diamonds and other gemstones are sourced responsibly. You can visit the store by appointment. The Hive Skincare This Hive Skincare store is part of restaurant The Hive Wellbeing, which is a few minute walk away. Both use organic and natural ingredients in their products. Content Beauty & Wellbeing Content is an organic skincare boutique. But besides skincare collections hey also sell cosmetics, hair products, perfume and body & bath items. All the products have to meet a certain set of criteria, with the most important one being ‘making the customer content.’ Cock & Bull & Co. Cock&Bull&Co is a sustainable menswear boutique with its own brands of bespoke tweed products. It all started because… Clerkenwell London The Clerkenwell is the most beautiful design concept store with its high ceilings, golden parquet and earthly colours. In this store you will not just find gorgeous things to buy – like clothes, interior design, stationary and beauty products – but The Clerkenwell also has a restaurant, a wine library, and an event space. Lost Property of London This brand sells leather bags that are designed and made in London with a zero waste principle. They sell their bags in different stores and have their own boutique in Islington. Family Tree Family Tree is a little gift shop on Exmouth Market owned by Takako Copeland. Takako sells products she makes in her store and other independent brands. Takako called her store Family Tree because of the close connections she has with everyone that has had an involvement in the designing and making of the items in her shop.
Hidden in a little alley on Brick Lane jewellery maker Eddy transforms toys into eyecatching and unusual statement pieces.
Toy soldiers, little airplanes, Barbie dolls, Lego stones and colourful pencils, all held together by golden chains. Bitsch Kitsch sells peculiar and interesting jewellery made of toys and customized vintage clothing. In 2004 Eddy moved to London from Thailand. He went to the University of the Arts for an orientation year in jewellery making. Even though he got into Central Saint Martin for the jewellery program, he decided not to go and to just make his own things. Now he has a store in a narrow covered alley on Brick Lane. Eddy designs, makes and sells jewellery made out of toys and things he finds. “I get this stuff from
everywhere, literarily everywhere. I buy things at toy stores, supermarkets, vintage stores, foreign countries, everywhere,” he says. The items that cover every inch of the little store are all unique, unusual and very colourful. “I want them to be like catwalk pieces, so they need to be a bit unusual and not like everyday jewellery pieces.” “It all starts with the toys. I have a lot of them. Then I think of a theme and start designing and creating a few items around that theme,” he says. “I put everything together and sometimes paint them as well, they are all sort of art pieces. I would even like people to hang them in a frame on the wall. The people who buy them are often regular customers, often creatives, like art collectors actually.”
TOY STORY
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When a man is tired of London he is tired of life. - Samuel Johnson
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