About us
We created the Bermondsey Biscuit and Rotherhithe Docker in 2018 with support from sponsors including Sellar, Grosvenor, British Land, and many other local businesses.
Our flagship weekly newspaper, the Southwark News launched in 1987 and is now London’s only independent, paid for newspaper.
We also publish the South Londoner each month, and the Greenwich and Lewisham Weekender and South London Weekly every week.
We are proud to be a London Living Wage employer.
We use 100% recovered paper from the Ortviken paper mill in Sweden, a green energy provider who use biofuel instead of oil and provide heat for 10,000 single family homes.
Editor Eliza Frost
Writers Michael Holland, Debra Gosling
Design Lizzy Tweedale, Dan Martin, Ann Gravesen
Marketing Clarry Frewin, Katie Boyd
Media Partnerships Anthony Phillips
Finance Emrah Zeki
Managing Directors Chris Mullany and Kevin Quinn
Contact us
EMAIL enquiry@bermondseybiscuit.co.uk
PHONE 020 7231 5258
FACEBOOK BermondseyBiscuit
INSTAGRAM @bermondseybiscuit
WEBSITE www.bbandrd.co.uk
5 WHAT’S ON Events to put a spring in your step this season
8-21 FOOD & DRINK Monmouth Coffee talks roasting, Ong Ong Buns discusses the rising popularity of filled milk bread and Bermondsey Street’s HAKATA on slurping Tonkotsu, plus editor Eliza Frost visits Andanza for Basque-style tapas
22-25 COMMUNITY Wilder’s director explains how to increase biodiversity and nature in our city and Bermondsey’s Community Sauna talks health benefits of saunaing
26-31 WELLNESS The founder of London City Runners talks about the rise of running clubs, Rotherhithe Yogi Bella Maldener on finding unity and Padel Box opens in Bermondsey
©
Saturday Sessions
Start the weekend with creative activities and performances for children aged 5 – 11, and their families (free, no ticket required).
Adapted Relaxed Sessions take place in the morning (free, ticket required).
Sat 11 Jan, Sat 8 Feb, Sat 8 Mar
38 HISTORY Debra Gosling tells a story of the old Bermondsey Central Baths of the 1920s, and finds it full of mystery and intrigue We
Creative Encounters
Find a home in the heart of London with evenings of arts, music, poetry and creative activities for all.
Wed 15 Jan, Wed 29 Jan, Wed 5 Feb, Wed 26 Feb, Wed 12 Mar, Wed 26 Mar
Part of Open Doors
Our regular free events are open to all, and bursting with creativity
35-37 MEMORY LANE From the Bank to the Bar; Pamela Hallam tells Michael Holland how she ‘always wanted a pub of me own’
Mix & Move
Pick up new steps and meet people at our monthly dance workshops with Luanda Pau, diving into Cuban Carnival, salsa, street rumba and reggaeton.
Fri 24 Jan, Fri 28 Feb, Fri 28 Mar
A
thank you to our sponsors
We'd like to acknowledge all our sponsors and supporters for helping us bring the Bermondsey Biscuit and Rotherhithe Docker to life.
Events in SE1 and SE16 this spring
Eliza Frost
ROTHERHITHE VOICES
Celebrating the voices of Rotherhithe, everyone is invited to the free Rotherhithe Voices events held on Friday evenings from 6pm to 9pm.
Since 2015, the open mic night has been held every other month on Albion Street, except for during lockdown. Now it has firmly re-established as a place for residents to gather, perform and connect.
You can expect a friendly and supportive space for both new and experienced performers of spoken word and music.
Anyone can reserve a spot by contacting co-hosts Maddalena or Felice at Deli Felice, the Rotherhithe Community Arts Cafe. Or you can join on the night to be entertained, for all or part of the evening. Food and drink will also be available for purchase.
Dates: 14 March, 16 May, 18 July, 19 September and 14 November 2025
Deli Felice @ Albion, 40 Albion Street, London, SE16 7JQ delifelice.jimdofree.com
WOMEN OF SOUTHWARK TOUR
Southwark Cathedral has had a long history in the area. In over 900 years, the church has seen the events of history unfold around it.
Now, you can uncover the history of the Women of Southwark with a guided tour.
Explore the lives of the women connected to the Cathedral from the Victorian pioneers, such as Octavia Hill and Isabella Gilmore, to the benefactors, such as Dorothy Appleby and Elizabeth Newcomen who provided funds for poor people in south London. And you will uncover the impact of Queen Mary I on the life of the Cathedral, too.
So, if you have a nose for local history, this tour is for you.
You will meet in the Millennium Courtyard on the north side of the Cathedral and the tour is one hour long.
Date: 7 March 2025, 2:30pm
Tickets: £8
Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge, SE1 9DA www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/women-of-southwarktour-the-untold-story-tickets-1012765447717
WILD THINGS GARDENING CLUB
Go on an exciting journey through the world of gardening with Brunel Museum’s “Wild Things” club for children, in collaboration with Global Generation.
In the sessions, children will explore topics such as attracting bees and pollinating insects, food growing, crafting insects and birds from clay, concocting drinks from garden herbs, following insect and nature treasure trails, and unleashing their creativity with arts and crafts using natural materials.
Each session is two hours long and will take place in the Rooftop Garden at the Brunel Museum twice a day, with the capacity for each session limited to 12 children.
Dates: 8 April 2025, 10am and 1pm Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe, SE16 4LF thebrunelmuseum.com/events/event/wild-things-gardening-club
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF MUDLARKS
Join in for a fun session to discover the history of the Thames: for In the Footsteps of Mudlarks, organised by Thames Explorer Trust, you will get onto the foreshore at Rotherhithe and find archaeological artefacts revealed by the river.
The possibilities of what will be discovered are endless, from smoking pipes and drainpipes to pottery or even bones. There is lots of evidence of London’s past to be found.
The group will be meeting at the front of the Brunel Museum, where you will take a short walk to the stone steps leading to the foreshore.
Booking is essential and children must be accompanied by an adult (the minimum age for children is eight years old with a maximum of two children per adult).
Date: 8 March 2025, 12:45pm
Tickets: £25
(Meeting at) Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe, SE16 4LF
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-the-footsteps-ofmudlarks-sat-8th-march-2025-rotherhithetickets-1111629306179
WILKO: LOVE AND DEATH AND ROCK‘N’ROLL
MEET ‘THE HERBAL WOMAN’ OF OLD ST THOMAS’ HOSPITAL
The Old Operating Theatre is welcoming back Bespoken Theatre to tell the tale of The Herbal Woman.
Bespoken is a team of theatre and mental health practitioners who are passionate about the arts and the positive impact that creativity can have on mental health and emotional wellbeing – and they tell the unheard voices in history.
Actor Abigail Halley will be bringing to life the Herbal Woman who sold her herbs to the apothecary of Old St Thomas’ Hospital and then taken to the Herb Garret to dry and cure.
Through a range of multi-sensory, participatory activities, you will unearth the history of herbalism in the 18th century. You can even make your very own pomander to take home.
Date: 20 February 2025, 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm
Tickets: The event is included in museum admission Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, St Thomas’ Church, 9a St Thomas Street, SE1 9RY oldoperatingtheatre.com/meet-the-herbal-womanof-old-st-thomas-hospital-this-december
In 2012, Wilko Johnson, the rock star and founder of Essex band Dr Feelgood, was told he had inoperable cancer and a year to live. Refusing all treatment, he decided to spend his last months living meaningfully: seeing the people, places and things that meant most to him during his remarkable life.
Then, a miracle happened…
With a mixture of words, rock‘n’roll and quotes from the man himself, Wilko: Love and Death and Rock‘n’Roll tells the uplifting, true story of Wilko.
The play with live music transfers to Southwark Playhouse Borough following acclaim in its initial run at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in 2023.
Dates: 20 March to 19 April 2025, times vary
Tickets: £28, concessions £22.50, preview £16, Pioneers’ Preview (20 March) £10
Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, SE1 6BD southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/wilko
Family fun this half-term
Imagine Festival is back at the Southbank Centre this half-term from Tuesday 18 –Sunday 23 February, full of world-class theatre, comedy, music, dance, talks and activities for children aged 0 – 11 and their grown-ups!
Ross Collins’s beloved story There’s a Bear on My Chair comes to life for the first time in a brand new stage adaptation with loveable puppets from Toby Olié (Spirited Away, War Horse). Also on stage, enjoy pop-punk juggling in Rollercoaster, join a rip-roaring, prehistoric science pop gig in The Colour of Dinosaurs, and see lots of CBeebies friends and animals celebrate the natural world in music and song at the spectacular CBeebies Wildlife Jamboree
Be wowed by amazing authors and writers, including the return of award-winning festival favourite Rob Biddulph for an afternoon family session fizzing with laughs, creativity and one of the famous ‘Draw with Rob’ draw-alongs. Jodie Lancet-Grant also brings a rip-roaring event of interactive storytelling and Wild West-themed games at The Wild West Twins, Dr Ronx teaches fun practical skills and useful facts at How to Save a Life, and Athena Kugblenu debunks fact from fiction from throughout history at History’s Most Epic Fibs. On top of that, celebrate the joy of dance with Yasmine Naghdi & Chitra Soundar at Ballet Besties, discover how to grow mighty ingredients to make plant-powered feasts with Darryl Gadzekpo & Ella Phillips at Plant to Plate, and enjoy Lunchtime Comedy with The Lollies, jam-packed with jokes, laughout-loud live drawing and fabulously funny stories.
Every day there’s plenty of free things to do for a full day out, including songs with Singing All Over the World, comedy with Big Laughs for Little Bellies and storytelling
Imagine Festival
with When Stories Come Alive ! Come and dance the day away with Afro Dance With HomeBros, ZooNation’s Hip-Hop Half-Term and Prancer the Dancer’s DanceDanceDiscoParty FunShow. Plus, art fans can scribble, doodle, draw and create to their heart’s content at Imagine’s Giant Chalkboard.
The very popular REPLAY: A Limitless Recycled Playground is also back this year, perfect for little ones and their grownups to enter an endless world of play and invention.
Imagine Festival is a Relaxed festival, meaning that all performances have a relaxed approach to noise and movement in the space.
Discover more at https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/imagine
Southbank Centre's Imagine Festival. Photo: Belinda Lawley
The Colour of Dinosaurs Photo: Paul Blakemore
Bitesize
GAIL’s latest branch has opened in Southwark’s former London Fire Brigade building in SE1, where you can expect your favourite GAIL’s bakes – from the chocolate and tahini bites to the chocolate and almond croissants, yes, combined.
The new bakery also reflects GAIL’s aim to create positive changes to combat sustainability pressures through design and practices. All materials were selected for future reusability and the bakery is designed so that all spaces integrate into your, the customer’s, experience.
Serving GAIL’s artisan sourdough breads, sandwiches and cakes alongside its speciality House Blend coffee, the opening is ideal for your new morning-commute cappuccino or weekend loaf.
94 Southwark Bridge, SE1 0DG gails.com
Roe
After opening last spring, the sister restaurant of Fallow, Roe has put down its roots as a conscious and creative dining spot.
Menus change seasonally and are subject to change, but its day-to-night menus offer intriguing dishes, packed with flavour.
If you’re looking for something other than avocado on toast for brunch, try the “No Avo” on sourdough, with crushed English peas, goat’s curd, coriander and walnuts and topped with poached eggs.
For dinner, pique your taste buds with Roe’s Wildfarmed Flatbreads – with Devon crab, tomato, chilli and basil; Snail vindaloo, mint yoghurt, bacon, coriander; or the Tunworth cheese, pear, garlic, rosemary honey.
Roe even offers an express lunch to put your supermarket sandwich to shame. Select your dishes from the sharing menu and split them between two or more for a business lunch to remember.
5 Park Drive, Wood Wharf, E14 9GG roerestaurant.co.uk
The After School Cookie Club
London’s first plant-based cookie bakery, The After School Cookie Club crafts freshly baked, gooey, hand-topped cookies and cookie dough and ice cream creations.
With trays coming out of the ovens throughout the day, and topped by hand, you can enjoy all your favourite classic cookies – like choc chip or oat and raisin – as well as some tasty and inventive combos –like the s’mores cookie, strawberry marshmallow or peanut choc-caramel.
You can even buy bake-at-home kits, where each box contains a dozen cookie dough pucks ready to bake, a baking sheet, baking instructions and pots of vanillainfused whipped coconut cream, chocolate ganache and Swiss chocolate buttons to melt, drizzle and dunk. Take your evening sweet treat to the next level.
Unit 216, Borough Yards, 22 Dirty Lane, SE1 9PA www.theafterschoolcookieclub.com
El Pastor
Inspired by the founders’ time spent in Mexico City running nightclub, El Colmillo, El Pastor serves food inspired by the flavours of Mexico – and it features in the MICHELIN Guide, so we know it’s tasty.
Named after the mighty Al Pastor taco – which they serve in heritage corn tortillas with 24-hour marinated pork shoulder, grilled pineapple and a trio of salsas – the SE1 branch of the restaurant chain offers tacos, tostadas, quesadillas and lively scenes.
In drinks, think tequila and mezcal with punchy margaritas, Mexican twists on classics and Mexican beers.
El Pastor always makes tortillas in-house daily using heritage corn sourced from Mexico by working with the initiative TAMOA, which protects corn biodiversity.
Menu highlights include the Baja Fish tacos – beer battered coley, cabbage, chipotle mayo, pico de gallo and pickled red onion – and the Rajas tacos – cheese, charred poblano, jalapeño, roasted sweetcorn, served with salsa roja. And it has to be Frijoles refritos on the side – refried beans with avocado leaf and cheese. Delish.
7A Stoney Street, SE1 9AA www.tacoselpastor.co.uk
LUNA
Jay Patel, restaurateur and founder of NinthCollective restaurants (which includes Legare on Shad Thames) has announced the opening of LUNA – a neighbourhood wine bar, bottle shop and restaurant in early 2025.
Setting sights on a spring launch, Luna will open right opposite its big sister Legare, offering 28 covers inside – including a counter dining bar, and a further 6-8 outside on the Thames-facing terrace during warmer months.
Luna, taking its name from the moon’s role in biodynamic winemaking, will champion a classic style of wine bar. Jay and the team will work with suppliers that have portfolios with old-world producers, who use ethical farming practices, and biodynamic and organic principles, but above all produce delicious wine.
The food menu at Luna will be overseen by Legare head chef and co-founder Matt Beardmore (ex-Trullo), who steps up to executive chef role across the NinthCollective portfolio ahead of the new project. With the full menu yet to be released, a teaser of what you can expect includes oysters shucked over ice, crudos and carpaccios sliced to order, straight-from-the-fryer French fries, and a few other surprises.
Unit 6, 36 Shad Thames, Butlers Wharf Building, SE1 2YR lunawinebar.co.uk
Eliza Frost
GAIL’s Southwark
Local history on the map
As the first phase of the Canada Water development reaches its completion, the first three new public spaces have been named in tribute to the area’s heritage as part of London’s docks. Each has their own unique story to tell, keeping the local history alive as part of the future of the development.
Rafter Walk, the 170m boardwalk that snakes across the revitalised Canada Dock, opened last year with a spectacular event attended by more than 2,500 people. The red walkway was designed by award-winning architect Asif Khan, who took the site’s history as his inspiration. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the dock received ships laden with timber from across the Atlantic, destined for the rapidly industrialising city of London and beyond.
Manoeuvring the wood from the ships to the timber ponds where it was kept to season was the task of a group of specialist workers, the rafters. They would hop between the floating timbers, arranging them into rafts in which they were sorted by size, quality and ownership. They would lash the timbers together with a length of coir rope, or hammer in staples to form rafts up to 20 metres long. The rafters would then move these through the dock system using long metal-tipped poles known as setting or pike poles. Paddling with oars was another technique, and rafts could be split into smaller sections to navigate narrow channels, then reassembled.
The work was hard and dangerous – rafters risked being crushed or dumped into the water when baulks of deal shifted unexpectedly, and the bustling docks were teeming with other moving vessels, all with their own agendas.
Marker Way is the name for a new pedestrian and cycle route connecting Deal Porters Way with Lower Road, from where you’ll be able to access the new Canada Water Leisure Centre when it opens this spring. The name remembers another vanished trade that was vital to the smooth running of the docks. During the Port of London’s’ heyday, the vast quantities of timber and other goods were unloaded and moved by hand. To make sure these packages reached their destinations, they had to be carefully marked according to a system that recorded where each had come from, where it
was going and who it belonged to. The markers used a written language intelligible only to the initiated, scribing symbols based on Roman numerals with a hand tool. Writing in the Port of London Authority Magazine in 1970, Editor Alan Cameron noted that, while mechanisation had by this point transformed timber haulage, “along the river you may still find workers who could name the timber in a hardwood log at a glance, tell you what port it was shipped from and where it was cut.”
By the mid-20th century, the decline of Surrey Commercial Docks, along with mechanisation and modern transport, saw the rafters and the markers disappear from the waterside. During the peak years of Britain’s maritime industry their professions had been vital to the operation of London’s port, and it’s fitting that their role in the area’s history are remembered on the map of contemporary Canada Water.
Dock Office Gardens is named after the Dock Office, the Grade II-listed building that was the hub of activity in the docks, and now serves as British Land’s project hub for the Canada Water development. The name is typical of Victorian place names, and the area has been planted with more than 90 species inspired by pioneering botanists of the 19th century.
These Victorian plant-hunters transformed gardens across Britain, using them to show off the unusual species they’d found. “Pteridomania” – or fern collecting – was a particular craze, and the present-day Dock Office Gardens contain no less than 14 varieties of fern.
Rafter Walk remembers the workers who moved timber around Canada Dock
Dock Office Gardens pays tributes to pioneering Victorian botanists
Scan the QR code to watch Redriff Primary School children present a video about the historic place names
EDITOR ELIZA FROST
VISITS THE SE1 LOCATION FOR BASQUE-STYLE
TAPAS Y PINTXOS
Sat on the corner of Weston Street, Andanza brings the feeling of a Basque tapas bar to SE1.
As diners line up along the window seats, with tables separated by just cutlery and candles, the low lighting creates a moody atmosphere for a delicious feast.
Perusing the menu, the best thing about dining tapasstyle is you can try a little of everything. And it was the Gilda plate that was first calling our names.
The dishes are listed in Spanish and English, perfect for if you’re practising that Duolingo streak.
The Gildas saw Gordal olives, Guindilla pepper and smoked sardines (£4 – Aceitunas Gordal, Guindilla and Sardina Ahumada) lined on a stick – I can’t say cocktailsize here as each item was oversized and packed with flavour. The olives were juicy, the peppers perfectly spicy and the smoked sardines brought the favours together harmoniously.
Accompanying this was a large glass of Forlong 80/20 Orange Wing from Cadiz, 2023 (£16). For me, this is a wine you can drink all year through and this glass had a tasty, sour fruitiness that was very enjoyable for a chilly end-of-January evening.
Moving on with our selection of plates, it was two classics. Both are a telltale sign of “the basics done right” and Andanza did not disappoint on this front.
The Patatas Bravas, or fried potatoes with Bravas sauce (£7), were perfectly fluffy inside with a crispy outer. The sauce was tart with tomatoes, with a hint of spice. As it should be.
And the Tortilla (£9) oozed as you cut a slice from the crisp parcel it was delivered as. Inside, it tasted like caramelised onions with the egg and potato mixture and felt decadent and rich. Arguably one of the best tortillas I have tasted.
We also had the pork belly with pomegranate, caramelised onion and potato crisp (£16 – Torreznos en Crujiente de Patata, Granada y Cebolla Caramelizada).
It was an intriguing combination that was sweet and savoury, with pork that fell apart on your fork.
Andanza is also known for the pintxos section of its menu. This dish, as normally served in northern Spain, consists of food on a slide of bread, held together with a pick.
the
For the pintxos plates, we tried two. First, the crab and lemon alioli (£10 – Cangrejo con Alioli de Limon). So fresh and flavourful, the crab mixture was abundant atop and was moreish in a way that I wished it never ended.
Then it was the yuzu brined fried chicken, thai basil aioli and hot honey pintxos (£9 – Pollo Frito en Salmuera con Yuzu, Alioli de Albahaca Tailandesa, Miel Picante). The brining meant the fried chicken was soft yet, combined with the crunchy coating, made for a perfect bite. I am also a lover girl for hot honey – sweet and spicy, it left a memorable mark.
Andanza combines non-traditional flavour combinations like this in a traditional way, and oh my does it work.
For dessert, there was only one dish we would’ve selected. Burnt Basque cheesecake. A heavenly, creamy cheesecake mixture baked with a purposefully burnt top, because why change a good thing?
Finishing on a high, and sipping the last of orange wine in my tumbler, Andanza served a meal that truly left an impression.
66 Weston Street, SE1 3QJ www.andanza.co.uk
Andanza’s pintxos came stacked high on a fluffy slice of bread, soaking up all
goodness that graced the top.
Japanese
Ramen
|
Fukusai | Craft Beer | Cocktails
HAKATA Ramen+Bar brings everything that ramen-ya in Japan are famous for – quality ‘comfort food’, served in a vibrant atmosphere with friendly & efficient service.
Hakata Ramen+Bar, 177 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UW // No reservations // Open 7-days // hakata.co.uk
SEAFOOD + WINE
Ong Ong Buns
Eliza Frost
THE FOUNDER OF THE BAKERY TALKS FILLED MILK BREADS AND EMBRACING FOOD FROM CULTURES ACROSS THE GLOBE
Aaron is a “second-generation Hong Kong-er born and bred in the west London suburb of Greenford, Ealing” and met his Malaysian wife in 2019 in Kular Lumpa. They married and Icy moved into Aaron’s South Bermondsey home just before the pandemic.
“Because of immigration rules, Icy wasn’t allowed to work and spent a lot of time cooking and baking food that she missed from Malaysia. It turned out she was an excellent baker and made food unique to London at the time,” he explains.
Disliking the cycle of freelance contracted jobs that he was working in, Aaron wondered what else he could do.
“Walking around a locked-down London highlighted there is a limited variety of food-to-go offerings,” he says. Then, using his research skills, he believed “London foodies will soon develop a taste for filled milk bread and other Asian baked goods”.
Aaron tells The Biscuit how Ong Ong Buns was then born…
The Biscuit: What is the origin of Ong Ong Buns?
Aaron Mo: Because Asian baked goods were niche food items at the time, I thought we couldn’t rely on people looking for them on food ordering platforms. I knew we needed to put ourselves in a place where people would discover us.
We started by selling our cookies in Tian Tian Asian supermarket. Because of this, a landlord in Shoreditch took a chance with us in 2021.
We had the pop-up for less than a year, and it didn’t make much money, but in that time we built up a cult following made up of food influencers, like Eater. Our Deliveroo menu also went viral because of my autistic oversharing and dyslexic writing skills.
Kerb’s Seven Dials Market heard about us and invited us to set up shop at their food market. At this point, we left our Shoreditch shop. Being in Covent Garden meant more people got to taste our food and it gained in popularity. However, we only could bake a limited number of items in our small kiosk.
In 2023, I was drinking along the Bermondsey Beer Mile and saw an opportunity to rent from the old Flor unit in Spa Terminus. I loved the idea of walking to work! It was the main driver [pun intended] and being a part of a high-quality food community was also appealing.
Since moving to the Spa Terminus arch, we have been able to sell in multiple markets, office pop-ups, catering and wholesale our shokupan and milk breads. Admittingly, we grew very quickly between 2021 and 2024. I still managed it as a passion project rather than an organisation. I was burnt out and made loads of costly mistakes. Ong Ong Buns almost closed down but the love for our bakery kept it alive.
What do you bake at Ong Ong Buns?
We specialise in filled milk bread (think of brioche). The fillings are typically pan-Asian – from Chinese pork to Indonesian chicken curry – but we like to celebrate my British-born Chinese heritage and embrace food from cultures further afield, like jerk chicken.
Because of our time in Shoreditch, we learned to provide halal and vegan options. We are still trying to develop a gluten-free offering, too.
We also bake cakes, cookies and a Chinese New Year treat called nian gao.
Our notable seasonal offering is mooncakes for the mid-Autumn festival. Every year we like to make unique flavours, which get Londoners talking.
Have you seen people try new products or come to realise the vast variety of goods made in Asian baking?
100%. Filled savoury brioche-esque buns confuse a lot of people. But customers have embraced it once they understood the concept – especially the Bermondsey locals. Of all the locations where we sell our buns, our neighbourhood is the most adventurous in trying new food.
What is the customers’ reaction like to your bakes?
It appears people talk positively about us. Some customers tell us they come to our shop because of a friend’s recommendations.
The reaction I love seeing is when people return five minutes after their purchase to buy more.
What do you enjoy about the global food offering in London?
I have an immense amount of pride that we have a stall at Maltby Street Market, next to food from Mauritius, France, Hungary and Ethiopia.
Growing up in Greenford during the 1980s, the area was mostly made up of Irish, Caribbean, Polish and South Asian people. I went around to people’s houses and embraced food like perogies (dim sum, in my head) and curries.
Sure, ignorance is bliss, but knowing you have a choice is better. To my delight, I’ve heard British children asking their parents for sushi and pho. It’s wonderful that little people are aware of different food offerings and happy to eat things from around the world.
And the best thing about being located in Bermondsey?
Leo the cat on Reverdy Road. I walk past that overly friendly and very talkative bag of fluff every day to and from our arch.
Unit 6 Voyager Estate South, SE16 4RP www.ongongbuns.com
Dive into Hakata Ramen + Bar
Eliza Frost
SLURP UP TONKOTSU AND JAPANESE-INSPIRED COCKTAILS AT THE BERMONDSEY STREET LOCATION
Japanese-inspired cocktails and wine.
“Of growing importance is our extensive selection of vegan dishes and a good selection of gluten-free options to choose from, too,” Jules adds.
The menu sees genuine Japanese and premium British ingredients used to create Hakata dishes. And, speaking of the importance of this, Jules says: “Quality and authenticity are a key cornerstone of our business.”
An important part of the Hakata philosophy from day one was to “incorporate and work closely with as many local craft producers and businesses as possible”, says Jules, with Hakata publishing a full list of partners on its website.
He explains that the “key ones” are Orbit Beers, Kanpai London Craft Sake, Jim & Tonic, Doghouse Distillery, Bancroft Wines and Hackney Gelato.
“We view these as ‘partners’ in our business, rather than simply suppliers,” he says, adding: “Unfortunately, some of the original ones, like Jensen’s Gin and Bermondsey Mixer Co, are no longer trading.”
“A big bowl of hot broth and noodles has got to be the ultimate comfort food, right? And it’s packed full of delicious umami flavours,” says Jules Bartlett, the founder, co-owner and operations director of Bermondsey Street’s Hakata Ramen + Bar.
Hakata is a “ramen-ya” with an “Izakaya” basement bar. It focuses primarily on traditional Japanese ramen dishes, but it also offers a large selection of “Fukasai” dishes (“think Japanese tapas”, says Jules), plus locally produced beer and sake,
When you visit Hakata, you will be welcomed by the team and seated to enjoy a feast of flavours. It’s walk-ins only, but you can get a tipple at the bar while you wait if you can’t be seated straight away.
Jules has been involved in the London hospitality scene since 1997, including as part of the original YO! Sushi management team, and the Hakata co-owners have worked in the industry for almost 20 years.
So the combined experience is “a huge advantage in an ever-changing and challenging sector”, he explains.
At Hakata, Jules’ role is “predominantly a supportive one”. He works to manage the business from an administrative perspective but he “also enjoys regularly working side-by-side with our team and taking care of our customers face-to-face. That is vitally important”.
Of the “dive bar” below Hakata, which encompasses the feeling of a Tokyo dive bar mashed with a NYC Speakeasy, Jules explains that “lighting is key” to recreating this vibe.
He says: “Basements naturally lend themselves to being dark and intimate. Lighting is key to the effect and our Japanese-inspired graffiti mural is the perfect finishing touch.”
Of the creative cocktails on offer, “credit must be given to Ginger Zerbetto for creating the original cocktail list,” says Jules.
“Being half-Japanese, he used premium Japanese and Asian ingredients to put a unique twist on classics. We continue this approach for our specials, too,” he adds.
Back to food, however, if you are a first-time diner at Hakata, Jules explains how “our ‘Tonkotsu’ (pork) broths are our signature ramen dishes and are the most popular – but for a first-timer, I’d recommend ordering
our Shoyu (soy-based) ramen with chashu pork (or with mushrooms if you’re vegetarian).”
“It’s lighter in style but is bursting with rich umami flavour,” he adds.
Bermondsey Street has been home for Hakata for a few years now, and Jules says the best thing about the location is the “warm and genuine feeling of community”.
He says this is “a rare but wonderful thing in a huge city like London”, adding: “Being a part of that community is without doubt the best thing.”
And Hakata adds to the global food offering we can find on Bermondsey Street – and are lucky to have in our corner of London.
Jules says: “London, without doubt, has one of the best food scenes in the world and Bermondsey Street, with is predominantly small and independent operators, showcases this. We feel fortunate to be part of this scene.”
177 Bermondsey St, London SE1 3UW www.hakata.co.uk
Monmouth Coffee
THE FOUNDER OF THE ROASTERY AND COFFEE COMPANY TALKS SOURCING BEANS AND DEVELOPING THE SPA TERMINUS COMMUNITY
The founder of Monmouth Coffee Company, Anita Le Roy, doesn’t mind how you drink your coffee, “as long as you’re using really good beans that are good quality”.
You can add flavourings or condensed milk; or however you enjoy your coffee, “we don’t say this is the way you should drink coffee; it really is what you feel like”.
On this day, for example, Anita was drinking a coffee using beans from a farm called Finca El Guatalón in Guatemala.
“We’ve had it on the counter for a few weeks now and I enjoy it, but I will have a different one every day. And sometimes I have a cortado or a flat white, at home, I’ll make a filter or use a pod,” she explains. “It’s really about how I’m feeling. I don’t lay down rules for myself, and nor do we lay down rules for our customers.”
Anita simply suggests knowing where you bought the coffee from, and the farm those beans have come from, and also tasting it before you buy, ensuring you choose a coffee you want to drink.
And good coffee starts with a good bean from a good farmer, as Anita goes on to explain here.
Sourcing coffee
Monmouth started roasting and retailing coffee back in 1978 in the basement of its shop on Monmouth Street in Covent Garden.
“It began with the idea of being able to buy really good coffee from farms, but that was impossible,” says Anita, remembering the troubles of communicating further afield in the 70s
“We had to wait for the internet,” she says. “That made a big difference across the world to the way people communicated, obviously, but it meant that farmers – from the farms’ point of view in countries like Guatemala and Brazil and Colombia – were able to access markets themselves. They weren't hidden behind exporters and so on.”
“It really opened things up,” she adds.
For the first 20 or so years of Monmouth, the business relied on what was available at the time, buying what was on offer that came into the docks, but now the team works at origin. This includes having staff in Central America, including Costa Rica and Colombia.
Understanding origin
Having Monmouth team members in these locations means a short drive or flight to visit farmers, compared with visiting from the UK, which means a transatlantic journey – “and we don’t want to be doing that a lot,” says Anita.
Sourcing coffee directly from producers means there is more control over, well, everything. Anita explains how there are tastings at every stage of the sourcing process, right up until the final shipment arrives at Dockley Road.
As the Monmouth website states: “When we taste a coffee that we like, we want to know where it comes from and who grows, picks and processes it.”
Anita adds: “I also think people are interested in where their food comes from, generally, too. We don't hide anything. We tell people where the coffee comes from directly.”
Spa Terminus community
Over the years, Monmouth outgrew its Covent Garden beginnings. Although there is still a shop located in central, as well as a site in Borough and the Dockley Road location, the company has used arches in Bermondsey for storage facilities for many years.
With production for Monmouth and its sister company Neal's Yard Dairy expanding, they started to look for more space in the city and found the Spa Road railway site.
“We went on one really grey November morning to look at this huge area called Spa Terminus,” explains Anita of the derelict space they arrived at. And they said, “This will do us.”
Continues overleaf
Eliza Frost Photography ©Monmouth Coffee Company
But it was a lot bigger than the two businesses needed, but they went for it, and they decided to ask friends in the food and drinks industry if they would like to rent spaces to brew beer, bake bread or make cheese, and so on. The community grew from there.
The Spa Terminus site is now home to many food and drink production businesses, with Monmouth being “their own landlords”, technically, Anita explains.
Monmouth has five arches for roasting at Spa Terminus, where it uses roasters from Loring in California. “Loring roasters combine air roasting technology with energy efficient design,” as the Monmouth website explains.
And, on Saturdays, Spa Terminus production businesses open their doors to the public to sell their wares.
This also means that wholesale customers, those who have a café or a restaurant, can visit on a Saturday and “will be able to see so many other businesses that they could buy from” – like The Fresh Fish Shop or The Ham and Cheese Company, as Anita notes a few of the producers.
“It can be a shopping basket,” she says. “But also, a shop front for wholesale.”
Tackling single-use
During the pandemic, Monmouth took a step in sustainability that it may not have had the chance to do otherwise, says Anita.
“We wanted to do something about single-use cups,” she adds. So, since March 2022, Monmouth stopped using disposable cups in shops.
Instead, it offers takeaway coffee in a reusable renta-cup, or you can use your own cup or a ceramic cup. You will pay a refundable £5 deposit for a Monmouth reusable cup, which you can bring back each time you get a coffee or even keep at home. (You can find out more about the scheme on the Monmouth website.)
But why did Monmouth want to introduce this scheme? “To stop half a million single-use cups from going to landfill each year,” Anita says.
“We wanted to do something about single-use for
a long time, but it was really only during the pandemic when we weren’t selling any cups of coffee that it gave us this space to think,” she explains.
They took a long time to think about the design and how it would work, but because they were starting from zero reopening after the pandemic, it meant they could “press restart, effectively”.
The success of the scheme has meant those cups have avoided landfill, but Monmouth still sells many delicious takeaway coffees each day.
Coffee futures market
The focus for Monmouth over the years hasn’t necessarily been about opening more sites, Anita laughs at how it is “one every 20 or so years”. But she says, “it’s not about the patterns you put on a latte, it is about the origin, the farms and our relationships with farmers”. Interestingly, in the Monmouth January newsletter, they talk about the coffee futures market and how, recently, we have seen record prices in coffee. Challenges in weather – including frosts, drought and wildfires – have harmed growing conditions and caused a decrease in production.
They write: “We buy coffee and agree prices based on the quality of the coffee, costs of production, and local conditions. However, we are not immune to the impact of a frost in Brazil, a drought in Vietnam, or a run on the futures market and we may yet see the current conditions impact on the way we buy coffee over the next couple of years.
“Stability is highly valued in farming, and we will continue to value the relationships we have, some of which go back decades.”
So, while there is uncertainty about the impact of these challenges on the industry, one thing for sure is that Monmouth is dedicated to sustaining what it has been doing from the start, bringing you good quality coffee by working directly with those who grow it.
Arch 3, Discovery Estate, St James's Road, SE16 4RA www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk
Fazenda do Sertão, Brazil
Come and enjoy traditional Finnish Easter treats and delicious food and pastries from our Cafe and Shop. Outside BBQ area offers a wide selection of drinks and food, inside we also have a wide range of Finnish gift items for yourself or a loved one. Fri 4th April 12:00 -20:00 Sat 5th April 12:00 -18:00 Sun 6th April 12:00 -17:00
www.britannia.merimieskirkko.fi
Grow Wilder
INCREASING BIODIVERSITY AND NATURE IN OUR CITY; AND ADVICE ON GREENFINGERED THINGS YOU CAN BE DOING AT HOME
“London is a green city, but we can definitely do more,” says Wilder director Leanne Werner, adding that “people do want to see more green spaces”.
Wilder creates spaces for wildlife to improve biodiversity and connect communities with nature in the city.
Leanne was previously a Labour councillor for Southwark and has also worked for the charity sector.
In her past work, she previously chaired a commission looking at how to reduce air pollution. She began reading more about the biodiversity and ecological emergency – “and how we’re at a checkpoint”.
Reading The Garden Jungle by Dave Goulson, Leanne highlights something he said, how even if you’ve only got a small patch of land and you add wildflowers, you can really increase biodiversity.
“I thought that was very tangible,” says Leanne. “It felt very doable, and if everyone did their bit –even if they’ve only got a window box – you could have some effect on nature.”
Leanne explains how insect numbers have plummeted, and we are experiencing a depletion
of land, but there are things we can do to have a positive impact.
Wilder has completed many projects in Southwark, transforming spaces and increasing the biodiversity of the area, with this as its aim.
These projects include creating a Gaia garden at Southwark Cathedral, wilding the grassy area on the riverside of Tate Modern, and transforming the concrete concourse surrounding the Canopi building into a wildlife-friendly garden, to name a few.
They also run a project called The Wilder Mile, with a goal of improving the biodiversity in one
square mile of Southwark – from Thames south to Elephant & Castle.
When undergoing projects, Wilder doesn’t use fossil fuel tools or weed killer, as it aims to use as many natural methods as possible. Plus, they use organic suppliers when sourcing plants.
Increasing biodiversity is so important, especially in the city, too. Leanne explains that we will see more rainfall as a result of climate change and, “if you look at it”, she says, “there’s a lot of paving in the city and the benefit of taking that up and putting in a garden is that it absorbs water”.
She adds: “Also, gardening is really good for mental health and for people. For example, if you plant a hedge instead of putting up a fence, you create a habitat for all sorts of insects and birds, it’s really great for absorbing pollution and tending to it would be good for the owner.
“So, if we had more hedges, it would be much more beneficial for people and for wildlife, and it’s a really simple thing to do.”
But it is planting a pond that is one of the best things you can do for nature, says Leanne.
This is because “it attracts all sorts of species –frogs, toads, dragonflies – and it provides a habitat for aquatic plants, and you don’t need a huge area”, she explains and adds that you could create a mini pond using a bucket or similar.
If you use a bucket, it’s key to add a ramp so insects can get in and out, but you can “get creative”, says Leanne.
On more things we can be doing in the city, she suggests, for example, if you live in a flat, you can add a window box full of pollinator-friendly plants.
You can also use water pots to catch and store water, connecting them to overflow drains or capturing rainwater, to water the plants as well.
Leanne even suggests swapping seeds with neighbours as a nice idea or organising a plant and cuttings swap.
People should try and compost, too, Leanne explains: “There are so many different ways to compost; you could just use a regular bin, and you can get that from the council, or try Bokashi composting where you can use anything, and you put some brown in and it ferments.”
There is clearly much we can be doing to to help improve biodiversity in our city and encourage wildlife.
“People, anyone, can do something – and I think that’s the appealing thing,” adds Leanne.
“I think you can feel a bit hopeless reading the news, especially looking at the fires in California and everything that’s happening, but I still think there’s the potential to turn things around.”
wearewilder.co.uk
Eliza Frost
Leanne ©Helena Smith
Wilder + Canopi ©Helena Smith
Wilder + Better Bankside
Southwark Cathedral
Alex Monroe Jewellery is inspired by nature, and the nostalgia of a childhood spent roaming the Suffolk countryside. Every piece is conscientiously designed and responsibly handmade in England by jeweller Alex Monroe, our expert team of makers and skilled long-term partners.
Bermondsey is the home of our first ever boutique, where we offer a friendly and relaxed, personalised shopping experience. Whether it’s exploring our range of Wedding & Engagement rings or finding the perfect jewellery gift for a loved one, we are here to help!
In search of a personalised piece? We’re delighted to offer readers of the Bermondsey Biscuit a complimentary luggage tag charm worth £50 with every necklace or bracelet purchase, which we will then engrave for you.*Simply bring this copy into our Boutique at 37 Snowsfields to find out more!
*T&Cs apply, please see our website for details.
37 Snowsfields, London, SE1 3SU
+44 203 117 0640
Nearest Tube Station: London Bridge
@alexmonroejewellery www.alexmonroe.com
Opening Times:
Monday: 10.00 - 18.00
Tuesday: 10.00 - 18.00
Wednesday: 10.00 - 18.00
Thursday: 10.00 - 18.00
Friday: 10.00 - 18.00
Saturday: 11.00 - 17.00
Sunday/Bank Holidays: Closed
Finding community in sauna
Eliza Frost
DIRECTOR OF BERMONDSEY’S COMMUNITY SAUNA BATHS EXPLAINS THE BENEFITS OF THE ACTIVITY
“We had nothing, no site, no money, no saunas; we just knew that we needed somewhere in London to sauna regularly, affordably and with other people in a community-focused fashion”, says Community Sauna Baths CIC director Charlie Duckworth.
Community Sauna is a not-for-profit organisation bringing sauna to local communities.
Charlie grew up in south west London and has been a lifelong sauna enthusiast having started saunaing with his dad around the age of eight.
“I became more familiar with the traditional types of sauna later in my life, for example, Finnish and German style, and in a more social setting,” says Charlie.
Searching for saunas to try London, he saw that it didn’t really exist in the capital. With the aim of starting his own, he soon discovered Community Sauna and got involved in the efforts to introduce sauna to communities.
With a rocky start, they soon found a home in 2021 in Hackney Wick, housed in a 1930s former bathhouse.
“Suddenly we had people buying sauna sessions and it’s just grown from there,” he explains, adding that: “It was mainly people like myself, who were sauna enthusiasts who didn’t have a home and were looking for something that had more traditional sauna aspects and that community feel.”
In 2023, Community Sauna exploded, and Charlie noticed “a sauna boom” in London.
The organisation has grown from one to six sites in the past 14 months, including in Bermondsey, and with more on the horizon, too.
For Charlie, a space like Community Sauna is “super important” as he explains that, in London, “I don’t feel like there’s many spaces where you can come to meet other people and socialise without alcohol”.
He adds: “This is a healthy, relaxed space and sauna cuts through all demographics, all backgrounds and all cultures, the human body likes to get hot and it likes to get cold.”
The Bermondsey Community Sauna is in partnership with Innervisions Alchemy. The organisation has brought its expertise in operating saunas and partnered with the space, which runs sessions in yoga, sound healing and other health therapies and alternative practices.
You can find out more about the complementary events on the Community Sauna website.
Charlie says: “We’re super excited to see the interplay of the space. It’s a really nice example of different kinds of cultural activities in London – so
watch this space for more events.”
“We really want to be active in involving other groups and meeting people in the area,” says Charlie of the goal to integrate with local businesses and people.
“There’s a variety of concessions that we are able to offer to make the site more accessible to certain groups at certain times,” he adds.
When you visit Community Sauna, its definition of sauna combines both the contrasting hot and cold. Charlie explains that a hot sauna may be common in places like a spa or gym, where you do 10 minutes, but the space may not necessarily have a cold pool, too.
Of the health benefits of these contrasting temperatures, Charlie explains that there have been studies around positive impacts on cardiovascular health and also on mental health and mood.
“I believe it’s going to improve your life by coming regularly because it has done for me,” says Charlie.
And you can come no matter the weather outside. Some customers say visiting the sauna is “the only way they feel they can get through the winter”, explains Charlie. “They come and feel the warmth and buzz.”
“For me, the winter almost feels like the more natural time to be in a nice warm sauna, when the rain drops on top of the roof and you can hear the pitter-patter of rain or seeing snow outside, it’s certainly very warming,” he adds.
Innervisions Alchemy, Unit 1, Ilderton Wharf, Rollins Street, SE15 1EP www.community-sauna.co.uk
London City Runners
‘I LOVE PROMOTING THE SPORT I’VE DONE SINCE A CHILD’: THE FOUNDER OF THE BERMONDSEY RUNNING CLUB TALKS ABOUT BUILDING A COMMUNITY
Under the arches on the Bermondsey Beer Mile, you’ll find the home and clubhouse for London City Runners, a running club that is free to join and welcomes runners of all levels.
Founder Tim Navin-Jones explains: “The really lovely thing about running is you just put on your trainers and it’s free.”
And running in a group helps to motivate people, he adds. “If you finish work and it’s dark and cold, you will know that there are people at the club, and often people might have arranged to meet a friend at the club, so then they get out for that run.”
And it “really helps, particularly for women, to feel
safer”, he says. “Being in a big group makes people more comfortable in going for a run during darker nights.”
Moving from Leeds to London over a decade ago, Tim was looking to join a running club to help with marathon training and keep his motivation on track.
But what got him into the sport originally was that his dad was a keen marathon runner, he explains.
Finding a lack of clubs to join in central London, he set up his own. Initially meeting at his flat, the first run was in May 2010 with just six people. After promoting it locally, the next run was twice as big,
and the next week, “and it had a snowball effect”. With his flatmate soon saying he didn’t want the bags of 50 runners dropped at the flat each Sunday, they started meeting in local pubs.
He found he really loved running the running club: “I enjoyed the fact that my dad was a keen runner, and I loved the fact I was then getting other people into running. I always give joiners lots of support if they’re a bit nervous, which a lot of people are joining the club.”
Tim saw friendships start to form during their regular socials or drinks after a run – and even romances blossom.
People at the club have running in common, “which supersedes weather chat”, says Tim.
Landlords began to ask the running club to find a new meeting spot, saying that the club has been great, but the group is getting too big. “Imagine you’re on a first date on a Tuesday in a pub and then, all of a sudden, 50 sweaty runners all drinking water enter,” he laughs.
It got to a point of “go big or go home”, says Tim. So, he started to look for a more permanent residence.
“We walked into a railway arch that hadn’t been used for about a year and Kerry, who’s been fantastic, she and I thought, let’s go for it. Let’s try and rent this place out and put our club in here,” Tim explains.
And London City Runners found a home, with Tim putting his own money into the deposit.
The group runs around Bermondsey and central London, including running over Tower Bridge. Tim says: “You’re seeing some of the most incredible attractions in the whole world. This is great for anyone new to London, as we’re a free running
group that runs past these incredible locations.”
The club is free to everyone – “the only thing that we ever ask for from our runners is that they buy a drink when they finish” from the clubhouse bar.
The clubhouse was officially opened by Brendan Foster, who launched the Great North Run, in August 2018.
Fast-forward to today, London City Runners welcomes around 200 runners on each run.
“I’ve loved promoting the sport that I’ve been into since I was young,” says Tim.
On the wall of the clubhouse, you’ll see a photo of Tim at five years old and his two brothers and dad, who was instrumental and an inspiration for Tim. You’ll also see race numbers adorning the walls and race medals, where members take on new challenges as friends, competing together.
The clubhouse also holds live music events, comedy nights, table tennis and chess tournaments, speed dating and more.
With some arguing running clubs are the new dating apps, Tim expands on the romances at the club: “We’ve had 26 marriages that we know of to this point.
“Everyone is totally swiped out on dating apps, and people are realising they want to meet someone in person.”
So, whether it is finding a group to help keep you on track with your running goals, or the hope of finding a running partner, London City Runners will welcome you in.
130 Druid Street, SE1 2HH www.londoncityrunners.com
Eliza Frost
Experience affordable wellness treatments from trusted professionals near you. From massage & therapy to yoga & mindfulness sessions, Sendwell connects you to the best care - without breaking the bank
Visit sendwell.co.uk to explore more Follow us on Instagram: @sendwell_uk for offers and updates. Interested in partnering with us?
Email: info@sendwell.co.uk
• Do you have any aches or pains? niggles that will not go away? Neck, back, shoulder, ankle, Headaches? Jaw Pain? Any part of your body?
• Is it interfering in your day-to-day life? Stopping you from doing the things that you Love? Walking running, gym, hobbies, playing with your children or grandchildren?
• Do you worry that this is it now? You have to just put up with the pain!
Nobody should have to live with pain, and at SE1 Osteopath and Rehab clinic, we work with you to investigate, diagnose and treat. We get to the root cause, and get you back to doing the things you love pain-free!
We have a team of experts (Osteopaths, Physiotherapists, Reflexologist) who have extensive training and experience in their field. SE1 Osteo and Rehab clinic can help guide you back to living a healthly and happy life.
The union of mind, body and soul
ROTHERHITHE YOGI BELLA MALDENER TALKS ABOUT THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF THE
EXERCISE
For Bella Maldener of Belair Yoga, the exercise has “always just made sense”.
“The combination – or ‘union’ (which is what the word yoga means) – of mind, body and soul, along with the understanding that everything and everyone is interconnected”, is what first interested Bella in yoga. Now, she uses her expertise to teach yoga and aerial yoga classes, as well as reiki healing, yoga business coaching, workshops and South African yoga retreats. Bella is originally from Germany and moved to London in 2018 after spending “four years on a tiny, car-free paradise island in Lombok in Indonesia”. This is where Bella started her yoga and aerial yoga journey at 29 while running a hostel.
She and her partner decided to take a break from the island after experiencing earthquakes and settle in his hometown of London for a while.
When she first arrived, Bella mainly taught aerial yoga in Canada Water – and “that’s how my business name was born, Bella + Air = Belair”, she explains.
For Bella, “yoga has always had the right answers”.
She explains of launching Belair Yoga: “It’s an ancient practice backed by science, and I wanted more people to tap into their own inherent and completely free resources.
“My vision is that more happy, healthy people create a ripple effect that leads to a more peaceful world – really reminding them of their inner light and the impact they have on this planet.
“Also, being human comes with so many layers and yoga can help with that understanding, too.”
Plus, she adds, aerial yoga is “such a playful form of yoga” and “honestly, I don’t think we spend nearly enough time just playing anymore”.
Yoga also comes with many wellness benefits.
“It has countless benefits, whether it is physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually,” says Bella.
“It is a holistic system that offers something for everyone. Beyond flexibility and strength, which are beautiful by-products of the asana practice, yoga also provides powerful tools such as mindfulness, nervous system regulation, a deeper sense of ‘self’, a feeling of belonging, gratitude, breathwork and so much more.”
In her classes, Bella “loves to make everyone feel welcome and to create a sense of belonging”, adding that they “also involve a lot of laughter and humour”.
Yoga can range from calming yoga nidra (the yogic sleep) and therapeutic tin toga to faster-paced hatha and vinyasa.
These are the styles Bella mainly teaches at Surrey Docks Farm on Mondays at 6pm and Saturdays at 9am (“we stay for a coffee and chat after”), and at Time and Talents on Wednesdays at 6pm and in the summertime at Durand’s Wharf.
Bella also hosts accessible chair yoga every Monday at 4pm at Times and Talents.
“I started this group a couple of years ago because I truly believe yoga is for every body and should be as accessible as possible in many ways,” she explains.
“The practice is mostly seated and supported by a chair, and we transform poses that we normally do on the mat onto the chair, so they become more accessible.”
This class aims to help combat social isolation and support older people, or those with injuries and limitations, to take part in yoga.
Reiki energy healing is the latest addition to Bella’s toolbox. “There are so many layers to being human,” she says, “sometimes physical exercise isn’t enough, sometimes mindset work isn’t enough, and sometimes energy healing isn’t enough.”
But reiki and yoga together? “They tie all three together, supporting you on every level possible,” Bella explains.
When booking a reiki session, you can add life coaching or Bella can tailor the session to your specific needs.
Bella has also recently launched SheCReality, an online yoga business mentoring group for selfemployed women in wellness.
She says: “It connects like-minded women worldwide and helps them build a sustainable wellness business with the support of a strong network and my experience.”
Whether you are looking to expand your approach to the business of yoga or want to start with the basics, Bella’s advice is to just get started.
“It is as simple as that, and you can make it work for you,” she adds. “Find something that makes you happy and works for your body. Practice, practice, practice. And find yourself a great community that supports your growth.”
www.bellamaldener.com
Eliza Frost
Dr Jordan Faulkner, the founder and lead injector at Allo Aesthetics, has been nominated for three awards at The Aesthetics Awards 2025. This event is dubbed ‘the Oscars of Aesthetics’. Dr Jordan has been listed as a finalist for ‘Rising Star of the Year’, ‘Best Injectables Result’ and, with training company Interface Aesthetics,‘Best Independent Training Academy’.
Book now at: www.alloaesthetics.co.uk Contact us: info@alloaesthetics.co.uk
Address: Derma Consult Skin Specialist Clinic, Unit 1&2, 16 Crucifix Lane, London Bridge, SE1 3JW
Padel Box opens in Bermondsey
Eliza Frost
BROTHER
CO-FOUNDERS
CHARLIE AND TERRY WILLIAMS ON BEING ‘PADEL OBSESSED’ WITH THE SPORT THAT IS ‘LIKE TENNIS –BUT A LOT MORE FUN’
Padel Box Bermondsey opened this January and has been designed as a welcoming, social space to meet and play the sport.
Brothers Charlie and Terry Williams co-founded the new facility, which includes five indoor padel courts, a coffee shop (partnering with roasteries to bring delicious blends), with seating areas, a mezzanine and a balcony where you can enjoy a drink with a view of all the courts.
There’s also a fully stocked bar of local beers and craft cocktails, a Pro shop to buy Padel gear, a workroom for meetings and calls, and a Bose sound system installed throughout.
The whole space has also been designed with wheelchair accessibility in mind, too.
Padel is one of the “fastest growing sports in the UK”, say Charlie and Terry, and “there is good reason for this”.
They say: “Padel is incredibly easy for beginners to pick up, and as such it lends itself to a sociable atmosphere.
“It’s a bit like tennis, but a lot more fun, because the learning curve is gentler, the court is smaller, and the game adapts to the ability of the players. The whole sport revolves around community and socialising with others.”
Charlie and Terry’s family have been “Padel obsessed for years”, they say.
Enthused by the social nature of the sport, Terry had his heart set on opening their own Padel place. Charlie had worked in property development financing, so put these skills to good use finding investors.
Together, they found this Bermondsey location and set about transforming the disused industrial space.
Finding a home in Bermondsey, Charlie and Terry explain how they engaged with the architects – who specialise in renewable projects by retrofitting existing buildings rather than starting from scratch – to transform the Victorian building into Padel Box.
“The actual build has not been without its challenges,” they say. “A Victorian building lends itself to quirks such as wonky floors, whereas Padel courts need to be pristine and perfectly level.”
But the vision has come to life, of creating a “vibrant urban atmosphere” in which to play Padel.
“Our design aimed to balance the dynamic energy of the courts with relaxed social spaces, and facilitate
our customer’s desires for a fun and sociable sporting experience in London,” they say.
And add how the location is well connected around south London: “Being so near to South Bermondsey train station, those working in the office in London Bridge can pop down for a lunchtime game, and those communities around south east London can get to us easily on a bike or the train.”
The brothers also explain how they have already connected with many of the local businesses, who have been “instrumental” in the development of Padel Box.
“As locals ourselves, we love the community across south east London – especially those pockets of community revolving around exercise and sports, such as the climbing walls and fitness studios so easily accessible,” say Charlie and Terry.
“All that south east London was missing was a Padel club.”
On building the Padel community, Charlie and Terry explain how exercising together, in a fun way – like through Padel – is a good way to stay active.
“There’s so much scientific research about how combining a social setting with a physical activity leads to better mental and physical wellbeing,” they explain.
“People love combining exercise and banter – it’s motivating, and you’ll come out of it happier and you’ll be back for more.
“Whether that’s a yoga class or a Padel game, it’s always easier with someone else.”
And Padel lends itself well to being a sociable sport, so they wanted a space that would help “facilitate the community building aspect”.
They say: “It’s always so nice to grab a coffee or a drink with a friend after doing some exercise, so we wanted to provide a really welcoming, beautiful environment for people to do that in.
“Same with the workroom – in this scenario, we felt people are trying to squeeze exercise into their hectic schedules, let’s help to make everyone’s lives easier and more convenient if we can.”
At Padel, anyone can pay to play, but “if someone is really passionate about the sport”, they can become a member.
A membership gets you further advance bookings for courts (ensuring the first pick of your favourite times to play) as well as “a few nice perks like court discounts, shop discounts, free hire and merch discounts”, they explain.
You can also access coaching, this “allows players to learn proper technique, improve their game faster, develop a more tactical understanding (very important in competitive Padel!) and, ultimately, lead to an even more enjoyable and successful playing experience at any level”, say Charlie and Terry.
At Padel Box Bermondsey, one of the coaches is Ethan Bardo who is ranked number 9 in the UK.
“Watching someone at that level of skill is fascinating –and he’s an incredibly concise, insightful teacher,” they add.
And if you are thinking of trying Padel for the first time, the advice from the brothers is that “if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, join an ‘Intro to Padel’ session or a ‘Beginners Social’, which are fun, accessible and exciting ways into the sport”.
Padel Box Bermondsey will have lots of these sessions on the weekly timetable, run by coaches.
British Wharf, Ilderton Rd, Rollins Street, SE15 1EP www.padelbox.club
Goldfinch creates ethical kitchens and furniture of outstanding quality and provenance. We take great pride in our craft, understanding the intrinsic role furniture plays in our homes and businesses. Our furniture is made to live life with you, built to last and created to be admired. We are a subsidiary of London Reclaimed, an employment charity established in 2011 with a passion to help young people who struggle to step up into employment.
If you’re looking for the finest handcrafted kitchens and furniture, then please do get in touch.
From the Bank to the Bar
Michael Holland
Pamela Hallam was born in Guy’s Hospital to proud parents Joe and Rebecca Hallam who lived in Webster Road, SE16. “The Jamo was on the corner of our street,” Pam says as an opener.
Joe was a painter and decorator for the old London County Council, while Rebecca did “little bits and bobs” locally that included cleaning jobs, shifts in Peek Freans, and a job in Shuttleworth’s, the chocolate factory, which meant regular bags of the legendary broken biscuits indoors and a constant supply of chocolate for the household, too. Very handy for Pamela, the only child.
Pam’s first school was Alma, where she enjoyed “sums, writing and reading, and bunking off to play on the bombsite”.
Out of school hours, Pam and her friends would play skipping, rounders and two-balls up the wall. All in the confines of Webster Road due to the strict boundaries set by her mum, who also wouldn’t allow Pam to attend any local youth clubs.
“She was a nightmare,” reveals Pam as she gives
a fierce impression of Mrs Hallam: “You do not go out of sight, you do not go round that corner, you play here!”
Pam didn’t mind that much because there were lots of kids to play with in her street. “My mate opposite had a big shed in her garden where we could play housey,” she remembers with a whimsical glint in her eye.
Aged 11, Pam moved on to Walworth
Comprehensive when it was brand new and improved her English and maths: “I didn’t like PE but I did like hockey,” she claims.
Plus, she was now able to leave the confines of her street and go to local parks with friends: “I liked Patterson and Southwark Parks.”
Family holidays and weekends were often spent at their caravan in Monkton, a Kent village with easy access to Herne Bay, Whitstable, Margate and Ramsgate.
“We spent a lot of time down there,” Pam recalls. “Especially during school holidays.”
Rebecca and Joe Hallam
to Kent was fun for the young Miss Hallam. She rifled through her box of photos to find one of her and mum on dad’s motorbike and sidecar. But as Pam outgrew the sidecar, they purchased a Morris Minor.
The love of maths and English got Pamela a GCE in both and took her straight into a job at Barclays Bank on Borough Road “where you had to start at the bottom doing dogsbody work”.
The young Pamela Hallam now had a few quid and could be found at the local hotspots of the day: The Fellmongers, The Fort, The Jamo, The Colleen Bawn and The Bridge House near the bank that she would sometimes frequent after work.
“I used to love The Foresters ‘cos it was so lively, so friendly and so happy and always full and everybody knew everybody, and there was never any trouble in there…You could get drunk just on the aura of it,” claims the young banker who could never reveal to her teetotal mum that she had been anywhere near a pub!
“I’d stay over at a mate’s and go home in the morning with a hangover and hope I didn’t look too rough,” she confesses like a naughty girl.
The Blue was always a favourite place for Pam: “I loved walking round all the stalls and having breakfast in the caffs… I also had a part-time job in Thorowgoods the furniture shop doing the accounts.”
In 1970, Pam married and had two lovely daughters, Samantha and Donna, although the marriage didn’t last. It was also the year that her beloved father died while on holiday in Spain.
In the bank, Pam got to know a lot of the local publicans who were customers, and she would often visit their pubs. “I used to watch ‘em joking and laughing with the people, but there was one that stood out, Eugene Ward, an amazing Irishman with ginger hair who had the Albert Arms near the Elephant, who talked me into doing a few nights behind his bar.”
Over time, Eugene trained Pam up to know all there was about the pub game. “I really enjoyed it, and from then on I always wanted a pub of me own – I
didn’t want to be a barmaid, I wanted me own pub! I wanted to be that person laughing and joking with customers,” she says. But the bank job paid the bills.
Another Barclays customer, Dave Griggs, who had a local printing firm that employed a lot of staff, would ask Pam to supply him with all the right notes and coins he needed for the weekly pay packets. This went on for some time and Dave would take Pam for lunch as a thank you.
Lunches turned into dinner dates, they eventually became a couple and Dave adopted Samantha and Donna.
Pamela worked her way up to being in charge of standing orders and direct debits and stayed at Barclays for over 20 years: “It was having to get the girls ready for school, off to school and picked up later that took its toll, so I left.”
But Pam became bored. She tried various parttime jobs, but none satisfied, while all the time, at the back of her mind, was the dream she had of running a pub.
Dave realised this and said: “If that’s what you want to do, do it.” So, they bought their local pub –The Old Manor House on Bush Road.
Pam was happy. She was the perfect host and was loved by all her customers. “One day,” she begins, “Dave says, ‘Why don’t we get married?’ So that’s what we done.”
Running the Manor was a great five years for Pam: “The people in that pub were the most friendliest, helpful, nicest people I’ve ever met,” she remembers nostalgically.
But this time, it was Dave who couldn’t get the work-life balance correct and wanted to go back to printing and leave the hectic pub life behind. “He wanted to live in a home, not a pub.”
The Griggs moved out of Bermondsey, the girls grew up and gave Pam and Dave four grandchildren, and they all live around Welling these days.
Sadly, Dave passed away in November 2024 and Pam finds solace in having had “a good life, where I met some amazing people and made some wonderful friendships… I don’t think I could ask for anything more.”
Travelling
Baths to beat all others
Debra Gosling
This is a tale of mystery and intrigue. Let me explain. Bermondsey resident Arthur Burgess lived on St James’s Road, next door to The Sultan pub. Throughout his life, he kept diaries, two of which I have the privilege of owning. They detail all the comings and goings of everyday life in Bermondsey in the 1920s.
In one entry, he is filled with admiration for the Bermondsey Central Baths on Grange Road, which were opened in 1927. Arthur’s diary reflects his admiration for this new structure, put up and paid for by Bermondsey Borough Council. He commented that it is “a palace of marble and stained glass. It beats all others”.
Despite being fatally ill, Arthur managed to walk down to the sparkling new baths on Grange Road. His diary entry from 27 September 1927, a short while after the official opening, is a precious fragment of time.
The baths had a ballroom, a cinema, refreshments, exhibitions and piano recitals. There were pram sheds and, in later years, kids’ shows put on by the Labour Party, where boards covered the water and chairs were put on top. They must have been strong boards with all those happy kids singing along to pantomime songs and jumping up and down on them!
The council wanted only the best materials used for this wondrous palace of clean. The baths were lined with Marbello, a man-made marble. All the fittings were teak and brass – and it was imperative that no less than 75% of the unskilled labour came from the Bermondsey and Rotherhithe labour exchange.
There were two huge stained glass windows that looked down on the swimming baths; one was an aquatic scene and the other featured a galleon.
At the time of opening, there was much criticism by the media of Bermondsey Borough Council wasting money. Yet, I think Arthur gives us the real story – these
high-tech, luxurious baths were very much appreciated by the residents.
A regular user of the baths recalls her experience of bathing there in the late 1940s; of lavender-scented steam clouds and the luxurious warm water, with more upon request. A real treat from the arduous task of filling and emptying a tin bath at home.
In 1956, an “Aeratone” Therapeutic Bath was installed, which eased symptoms of arthritis, lumbago, fibrositis, high blood pressure and depression.
Besides personal health and hygiene, the baths also had washing machines, so an army of housewives would arrive with prams loaded up with laundry bundles. This was a time before domestic washing machines, where laundry was done on a scrubbing board with a bar of Sunlight and plenty of elbow grease, so the baths were a real luxury.
It was quite the social scene where gossip could be exchanged while socks and shirts tumbled away. The soap powder provided was that nose-tingling Parazone.
Stained glass also adorned the Turkish baths and around the doors of the entrance and lobby. My friend Pauline remembers those stained glass windows, remarking how beautiful it all was – and also the stern attendant standing at the exit with her hand open, waiting for the soap to be returned!
Arthur’s diary entry got me started: what happened to those windows after the baths’ demolition? I went on a seeking mission.
The beautiful half-moon aquatic scene featured here is now in an old people’s home in Dulwich. It is fantastic but, try as I might, I’ve failed to discover who the artist was, only that William Morris Ltd of Westminster installed it. This was not the William Morris of Arts and Crafts fame but a small family company.
Whoever did design them had a poetical air about them; the fish virtually swim to you out of the glass in sinuous grace. There are bubbles, seaweed and a wonderful aquatic palette.
The other half-moon window, that of a galleon, has disappeared, despite my enquiring with what seems like a thousand different agencies. It can be seen in the photo which was taken as the baths were being completed. It did not get damaged during the war and was in situ until it was all dismantled (due to rust from all that steam apparently). It is about thirty feet across. Where is it?
Currently, I wander around the public buildings of Southwark in the hope of finding this missing piece of the jigsaw. If someone knows its whereabouts, please put me out of my misery!
Second class pool ©Southwark Archives
Bermondsey Central Baths ©Southwark Archives
Fish window ©Debra Gosling
Arthur Burgess ©Debra Gosling
