BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE HOWARD DE WALDEN ESTATE AND THE PORTMAN ESTATE
P.34
THE TEAM BEHIND THE HART ON WORK DRINKS, MARKET GARDENS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBS
P.14
THE INSIDE STORY OF KUDU’S JOURNEY FROM PECKHAM TO MOXON STREET
P.22
A PERSONAL TOUR THROUGH THE OLFACTORY UNIVERSE OF PERFUMER H
Marylebone Journal marylebonejournal.com
Marylebone Village marylebonevillage.com
Instagram: @marylebonevillage
Twitter: @MaryleboneVllge
Portman Marylebone portmanmarylebone.com
Instagram: @portmanmarylebone
Publisher LSC Publishing lscpublishing.com
Editor Mark Riddaway mark@lscpublishing.com
Advertising sales
Donna Earrey 020 7401 2772 donna@lscpublishing.com
Contributors
Lauren Bravo
Ellie Costigan
Clare Finney
Orlando Gili
Viel Richardson
Design and art direction Em-Project Limited mike@em-project.com
Owned and supported by
The Howard de Walden Estate 23 Queen Anne Street, W1G 9DL 020 7580 3163 hdwe.co.uk
annette.shiel@hdwe.co.uk
The Portman Estate 4th Floor, One Great Cumberland Place, W1H 7AL 020 7563 1400 portmanestate.co.uk rebecca.eckles@portmanestate.co.uk
MARYLEBONE JOURNAL ISSUE NO.112
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE HOWARD DE WALDEN ESTATE AND THE PORTMAN ESTATE
Published November 2025
3
HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE
Events, exhibitions, film, music, shopping, talks, theatre and walks
ISLIMYE
The co-founder of Bleur on art, activism and the importance of diverse and inclusive art spaces
PROFILE: PATRICK WILLIAMS & AMY CORBIN
The couple behind Kudu on crossing the river, learning from a legend, and sharing the true meani ng of a braai
MAKING SCENTS
The Journal enjoys an intimate tour of the Perfumer H olfactory universe in search of the perfect fragrance
Food, style, home, wellbeing a nd healthcare
The team behind The Hart on the importance of pubs, the allure of a warm welcome, and the joy of growing their ow n ingredients
NICK WAKEMAN
The founder of Studio Nicholson on the blending of menswear and womenswear and the natural osmosis of trends
An accordion-style sketchbook that offers fine-art quality in a practical form
Ayo Akinolugbade, centre manager at The Feathers Marylebone
Our Marylebone Christ mas wish list
Cover: The interior of The Hart pub on Blandford Street
HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE EVENTS EXHIBITIONS
FILM MUSIC SHOPPING TALKS THEATRE WALKS
MUSIC
20 NOVEMBER, 7pm
JEWISH MUSIC FROM THE HELLENIC REGION
The Hellenic Centre 16-18 Paddington Street, W1U 5AS helleniccentre.org
Cantor Assaf Levitin and pianist Naaman Wagner explore how the rich tapestry of Jewish musical heritage has been shaped by the Hellenic world, from Sephardic ballads to contemporary compositions.
MUSIC
18 – 21 NOVEMBER, 7pm ROYAL ACADEMY OPERA: CARMEN
Royal Academy of Music Marylebone Road, NW1 5HT ram.ac.uk
With a lush score and instantly recognisable arias, Carmen follows a fiercely independent woman whose passion ignites obsession and jealousy, leading to tragic consequences. The Academy’s opera department presents a new production directed by Harry Fehr.
1. Assaf Levitin and Naaman Wagner, The Hellenic Centre
2.
3.
on the phone) by Mia Wilkinson, Mandy Zhang Art
EXHIBITION
UNTIL 22 NOVEMBER
DING YI: THE ROAD TO HEAVEN
Lisson Gallery
67 Lisson Street, NW1 5DA lissongallery.com
Named after a painted scroll used in ritual practices, Ding Yi’s exhibition draws on his travels through the Yunnan region of southwest China. It features intricately carved basswood panels, mineral-pigmented canvases and works on traditional Dongba paper.
EXHIBITION
Four young London-based artists, Katja Farin, Jacob Freeman, Michael Gao and Mia Wilkinson, present a group exhibition of diverse, highly distinctive works united by their strangeness and sense of transgression.
UNTIL 22 NOVEMBER WHERE ALL THE WILD THINGS ARE Mandy Zhang Art 16 Seymour Place, W1H 7NG mandyzhang.art
THEATRE
UNTIL 23 NOVEMBER
VOILA! THEATRE FESTIVAL
The Cockpit Gateforth Street, NW8 8EH thecockpit.org.uk
Returning for its 12th run, the Voila! Theatre festival presents boundary-pushing work from across the continent of Europe, bringing together a rich array of languages, ideas and influences to present a colourful tapestry of theatrical performances over a three- week period.
MUSIC
23 NOVEMBER, 7.30pm ELIAS STRING QUARTET: BEETHOVEN
Wigmore Hall
36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP wigmore-hall.org.uk
Elias String Quartet starts a season-long Beethoven cycle with a programme that includes the composer’s firstever string quartet, and one of his last, the monumental Op.132, with its sublime Hymn of Thanksgiving to God of an Invalid on his Convalescence.
Elias String Quartet, Wigmore Hall
Ring Ring Pussy (it’s your mummy
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EXHIBITION
UNTIL 24 NOVEMBER
ひろしま/HIROSHIMA
Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation
13/14 Cornwall Terrace, NW1 4QP dajf.org.uk
Marking the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, this exhibition by three Japanese women artists, Ishiuchi Miyako, Fujioka Aya, Sasaoka Keiko, shifts its gaze to another side of the city: the personal, the ordinary and the everyday.
TALK
25 NOVEMBER, 6.30pm
AUSTIN OSMAN SPARE: ARTIST & SORCERER
The Brown Collection 1 Bentinck Mews, W1U 2AF glenn-brown.co.uk
Author Phil Baker gives a talk on the colourful life and irreducibly strange art of Austin Osman Spare, from Edwardian enfant terrible, occultist and “darling of Mayfair” to a largely forgotten man in a south London basement.
EXHIBITION
This mini retrospective honours the late, great French - American photographer Elliott Erwitt, who died in 2023. It celebrates the warmth, wit and humanity of his work, from unforgettable dog portraits to wry street scenes, to candid shots of historical figures.
21 NOVEMBER – 7 MARCH
ELLIOTT ERWITT: LAST LAUGH
Atlas Gallery
49 Dorset Street, W1U 7NF atlasgallery.com
TALK
26 NOVEMBER, 6pm
LOUISA TREGER X VINCE BOOK & CHAMPAGNE EVENING
Vince
87 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QU eventbrite.com
Novelist Louisa Treger reads from her book The Paris Muse, exploring the story of artist Dora Maar and her destructive relationship with Picasso. As well as sipping on champagne, ticketholders will enjoy exclusive discounts at Vince.
MUSIC
27 NOVEMBER, 6:30pm COMPOSER IN RESIDENCE: ACADEMY MANSON ENSEMBLE
Royal Academy of Music Marylebone Road, NW1 5HT ram.ac.uk
The Academy Manson Ensemble brings to life the distinctive sound of Finnish composer Lotta Wennäkoski, whose innovative approach to contemporary chamber music blends intricate textures and bold sonic explorations.
Belgian artist Tony de Wolf is considered a modern master of still life painting. Bringing a sense of cool-ness to the historic tradition of Flemish still lifes, he incorporates the reflective surfaces of modern kitchen worktops and tableware into his complex compositions.
EXHIBITION
UNTIL 28 NOVEMBER
BOOKMORPHS:
ARTISTS’ BOOKS FROM GREECE & THE UK
The Hellenic Centre 16-18 Paddington Street, W1U 5AS helleniccentre.org
This interactive exhibition brings together books, journals and book-related artworks by 44 visual artists, curators, publishers and theorists, celebrating books as both texts and tactile objects.
3. Lotta Wennäkoski, Composer in Residence, Royal Academy of Music
4. Red Currants with Silver by Tony de Wolf, Thompson’s Gallery
SHOPPING
The boutiques, specialist stores and cafes of one of London’s most picturesque streets are joining forces to offer a Saturday afternoon of Christmas shopping. Enjoy in-store drinks, exclusive offers and creative workshops, soundtracked by a roaming choir and brass band.
29 NOVEMBER,12-6pm CHILTERN STREET CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DAY portmanmarylebone.com
THEATRE
UNTIL 29 NOVEMBER
THE WANDERERS
Marylebone Theatre 35 Park Road, NW1 6XT marylebonetheatre.com
Abe is a novelist living in Brooklyn with his devoted wife, Sophie. Esther and Schmuli are newly married members of a Hasidic Jewish community. One couple seemingly free, the other seemingly fenced in. Neither happy. This play by Anna Ziegler explores the nature of love, belief and trust.
EXHIBITION
UNTIL 30 NOVEMBER ECTOPLASMIX
Gallery of Everything
4 Chiltern Street, W1U 7PS gallevery.com
From 19th century illustrations and unseen albums of seance excretion to curated contributions from psych-curious contemporary artists, this eye-opening exhibition traces the enduring artistic influence of otherworldly energies and extra-terrestrial goop.
MUSIC
30 NOVEMBER, 12pm
RESOUNDING SHORES: THE PALE AND THE PURPLE ROSE Royal Academy of Music Marylebone Road, NW1 5HT ram.ac.uk
As part of the Resounding Shores series celebrating 17th century English masterpieces, the Academy Baroque Soloists perform the magnificent Purcell ode known as The Yorkshire Feast Song, alongside other masterpieces of Renaissance polyphony.
THEATRE
In Soviet Moscow, 1956, wearing a yellow tie is an act of rebellion. Dancing to jazz could cost you every-thing. This new musical explores the lives of the ‘stilyagi’ –young people who chose colour over conformity and music over safety.
1 – 7 DECEMBER BOOGIE ON THE BONES The Cockpit Gateforth Street, NW8 8EH thecockpit.org.uk
MUSIC
29 NOVEMBER, 6pm
MAURIZIO BAGLINI
Bechstein Hall
22 Wigmore Street, W1U 2RH bechsteinhall.com
Acclaimed Italian pianist Maurizio Baglini presents a selection of solo piano works by Chopin, Liszt and Schubert. This intimate performance includes three movements from Sonata D894 in G major, the last of Schubert’s sonatas published during his lifetime.
MUSIC
5 DECEMBER, 7.30pm HANDEL’S MESSIAH
St James’s Spanish Place 22 George Street, W1U 3QY orionorchestra.org.uk
Orion Orchestra, which gives some of the country’s most promising young musicians a chance to bridge the gap between music college and their professional careers, performs Handel’s epic masterpiece within the beautiful setting of St James’s Spanish Place.
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1. Chiltern Street Christmas Shopping Day
2. Maurizio Baglini, Bechstein Hall
3. Untitled (1925) by František Jaroslav Pecka, Gallery of Everything
4. Boogie on the Bones, The Cockpit
5. Waldstein Trio, The Hellenic Centre
6. New Quebec Street Christmas Community Evening
MUSIC
6 DECEMBER, 7pm
STEPHEN JOHNSON AND THE WALDSTEIN TRIO
Bechstein Hall
22 Wigmore Street, W1U 2RH bechsteinhall.com
The Waldstein Trio, winners of the 2022 Cavatina Chamber Music Competition at Wigmore Hall, join with composer Stephen Johnson to perform his 2024 work Unquiet Sleepers, a quintet inspired by ghost stories.
MUSIC
13 DECEMBER, 7pm HER VOICE: THE WOMEN OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
The Hellenic Centre 16-18 Paddington Street, W1U 5AS helleniccentre.org
The Waldstein Trio celebrates the extraordinary legacy of female composers from the 19th century to the present day, showcasing women who composed against the grain of a male-dominated musical tradition.
SHOPPING
10 DECEMBER, 4-6.30pm NEW QUEBEC STREET CHRISTMAS COMMUNITY EVENING portmanmarylebone.com
An evening of Christmas carols and shopping within the welcoming, characterful confines of New Quebec Street. Together with the festive music, enjoy experiences and offers in the street’s shops and restaurants, while raising money for Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity.
Q&A: AURÉLIA ISLIMYE
The co-founder of Bleur on art, activism and the importance of diverse and inclusive art spaces
Interview: Vi el Richardson
Image s: Anad Singh
Q: Together with your co-founder Ana Aguirre, you started Bleur after growing disillusioned by traditional art-buying routes. What had the barriers been?
A: When I first tried to buy art, the biggest barrier I encountered was the huge array of choice and the lack of human connection. I had some disposable income to spend on a piece, but every gallery I entered felt intimidating and exclusive. Where was the artist’s voice, their story, the understanding of their process? Bleur began there. Ana, an artist-curator herself, shared my drive to open up the art world. Since she joined Bleur’s journey, we’ve been reimagining it as an opendoors space, inclusive of artists, audiences and collectors.
Q: You describe Bleur as an ‘independent art label’ rather than a gallery. Why is that?
A: We’ve always struggled with the word ‘gallery’. It carries a weight that
never quite fitted what we wanted Bleur to be. Traditional galleries can feel transactional, but we’re more about the collective element and opening spaces for conversation through art. We’re a collective where artists support each other and have the freedom to create without pressure to produce. In that way, it’s much closer in spirit to an independent record label than a salesroom: a space that nurtures talent rather than just selling work.
Q: Bleur Gallery & Studios has popped up on Baker Street, combining a gallery space with artist studios. How does seeing artists on site change the experience for visitors?
A: For me, art has never been something static or ornamental. It’s a lived experience, something made, shaped and shared in real time. Having artists working in the same space as the gallery lets visitors see that process unfold.
It removes the distance between the finished piece on the wall and the human behind it. People can talk to the artists, ask questions and feel part of the creative rhythm. That sense of openness makes our spaces feel alive and constantly evolving, just like the art itself.
Q: Your Baker Street space invites visitors to stay and lounge. Why?
A: Most galleries aren’t designed for people to stay. You come in, you look and you leave. We want people to relax, have a conversation and feel at home, surrounded by art. The design came together through collaboration, with amazing support from brands like Mude Studios, Viccarbe, Grow Tropicals, Wilkhahn and Kvadrat, so the space itself is a collective effort: people working together to create something inclusive. When you walk in, we want you to feel that sense of community immediately. People come for the art but stay for the conversation.
Q: What brought you to Marylebone?
A: We’re here thanks to Westminster Council’s Meanwhile On programme, as well as the generosity of The Portman Estate. For an independent gallery like ours, a space on Baker Street would never have been possible, so for the estate to provide it is wonderful. It feels special to bring art to such a busy, central street. We want to return artists to public view, putting creativity into public places. It’s art as part of everyday life rather than something hidden away.
Q: Increasing diversity is one of the stated aims of Bleur. How do you encourage this?
A: The key to increasing diversity is figuring out why other spaces aren’t attracting a diverse pool of people. For example, galleries can often be very unwelcoming to women with babies or young children. We want to make it easier for them to
come in and feel included. It’s the same for any category of diversity –figuring out what barriers people face, physical or cultural, and removing them.
Q: What has your own experience been as a woman in t he art world?
A: The art world is still a very white male-dominated space, so stepping into it as a woman – and just as importantly as an outsider – hasn’t been easy. There has been some progress, but it can still feel closed. And while you hope for solidarity, it’s not always there. That’s something we’ve tried to change within Bleur. We keep the structure flat and everyone’s voice matters. It’s about creating the kind of environment I wish I’d found more of: collaborative, open and supportive of diversity.
Q: How do you support creative development while using art as a forc e for change?
A: Those two things are completely connected. Supporting artists means giving them space to talk about what matters to them, whether that’s social and environmental justice or their lived experience. From the start, activism has been part of our DNA, using using art as a force for change to start conversations. We want to show that art can exist beyond the studio and make a real difference.
Q: What would success look like for Bleur in the next few years?
A: We want us to keep pushing art forward, working with a wider pool of artists, collaborating on more campaigns and connecting with more people. We’d like to open more spaces like this one, places where art and everyday life overlap. If we can keep creating spaces that feel open, human and alive with ideas, then Bleur will be what it was always meant to be.
BLEUR GALLERY & STUDIOS
62-64 Baker Street, W1U 7DF bleurart.com
MUSIC
13 DECEMBER, 7.30pm HAROLD LÓPEZ-NUSSA & ANDRÉ DA SILVA Wigmore Hall
36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP wigmore-hall.org.uk
Harold López-Nussa follows in the footsteps of the great Cuban piano masters, while André Da Silva has roots in the rich Brazilian tradition of seven-string guitar. Together, the duo navigates different worlds of jazz with spontaneity and freedom. 3.
EXHIBITION
UNTIL 20 DECEMBER
CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION
Cube Gallery
16 Crawford Street, W1H 1BS cube-gallery.co.uk
This group exhibition features Cube’s regular artists, such as Eva Ray, Jack Frame, Kathleen Walsh and Jin Eui Kim, as well as guest artists including Anna Boss, Dan Ablitt and Yuliya Martynova. The show includes a feature wall showcasing smaller artworks around the £1,000 mark.
4.
1. Aurélia Islimye, co-founder of Bleur
2. Bleur on Baker Street
3. Harold López-Nussa, Wigmore Hall
4. Jessica Cooper, Cube Gallery
MUSIC
20 DECEMBER, 5pm
HANDEL’S MESSIAH
St Marylebone Parish Church
17 Marylebone Road, NW1 5LT stmarylebone.org
In the beautiful setting of the parish church, St Marylebone Festival collaborates with Waterperry Opera Festival to perform Handel’s masterpiece, with soloists, full orchestra and the Choir of St Marylebone Parish Church conducted by Bertie Baigent.
EXHIBITION
2 – 23 DECEMBER
ANDREW MACARA: JOURNEYS THROUGH LIGHT
Thompson’s Gallery
3 Seymour Place, W1H 5AZ thompsonsgallery.co.uk
Based in Derbyshire, Andrew Macara is known for vibrant, colourful paintings that capture the joy and spontaneity of everyday life. This solo exhibition of new works was inspired by the artist’s travels in Greece, France and Wales.
SHOPPING
8 – 24 DECEMBER
ANNA + NINA AVOBAR
TAKEOVER
Avobar
60 Chiltern Street, W1U 7RB avobar.co.uk
This Christmas Anna + Nina are joining forces with their neighbours at Avobar. Anna + Nina’s homewares will be sprinkled around the cafe, and drinks will be served in the brand’s iconic mugs. Both will be offering special discounts inspired by the collaboration.
THEATRE
Michael McKeever’s hit off- Broadway play makes its UK premiere, directed by Alan Souza. An unflinching look at the nature of love, it explores the relationship of Daniel and Mitchell, whose seemingly bright future is shaken by a sudden crisis that tests the strength of their devotion.
4 DECEMBER – 10 JANUARY
DANIEL’S HUSBAND
Marylebone Theatre 35 Park Road, NW1 6XT marylebonetheatre.com
Daniel’s Husband, Marylebone Theatre 2. Love’s Triumph, Royal Academy of Music 3. Elaine Mitchener, Wigmore Hall 4. Barbican Quartet, Wigmore Hall
5. Merry Marylebone
MUSIC
EVERY SUNDAY, 11.30am SUNDAY MORNING CONCERTS
Wigmore Hall
36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP wigmore-hall.org.uk
Wigmore Hall’s Sunday Morning Concerts offer the perfect way to ease into the week’s most relaxing day: an hour of beautiful music followed by a cup of coffee or a glass of sherry. Highlights in the coming months include Orsino Ensemble’s performance of Pavel Haas’s Wind Quintet, German pianist Schaghajegh Nosrati’s explorations of Bach and Alkan, and Barbican Quartet’s pairing of Ravel and Szymanowski with the poems of Rebecca Clarke.
MUSIC
10 JANUARY, 7.30pm
ELAINE MITCHENER: ARE ‘FRIENDS’ ELECTRIC?
Wigmore Hall
36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP wigmore-hall.org.uk
Artist in residence Elaine Mitchener is joined by fellow sound explorers Shamica Ruddock and Pat Thomas to celebrate new work for voice and electronics, including five new compositions and an aural experience based on her Solo Throat album.
SHOPPING
Throughout December, many of the retailers and restaurants of Marylebone Village will be offering special Christmas promotions and online events as part of the Merry Marylebone campaign. For updates on a multitude of offers, visit the Marylebone Village website or follow on social media.
UNTIL 31 DECEMBER
MERRY MARYLEBONE Marylebone Village marylebonevillage.com
EXHIBITION
18 NOVEMBER – 31 JANUARY
TONY CRAGG
Lisson Gallery
27 Bell Street, NW1 5BY lissongallery.com
Born in Liverpool, Tony Cragg is one of the world’s foremost sculptors. Including the latest in his Incident series, alongside recent pieces from related bodies of work, this solo show revolves around upright forms that resemble standing figures or columnar pillars, abstracted by a process of hand carving.
MUSIC
1 FEBRUARY, 12pm FRENCH SCENES IN PURCELL OPERAS: LOVE’S TRIUMPH Royal Academy of Music Marylebone Road, NW1 5HT ram.ac.uk
Academy Baroque Soloists are joined by musicians from the Conservatoire de Paris to explore how Purcell drew on the operatic works of JeanBaptiste Lully to create some of the most iconic episodes of Restoration theatre.
Under the inspired direction of Rinaldo Alessandrini, Concerto Italiano performs the madrigals of Monteverdi, offering revelatory interpretations of the composer’s music, rooted in the colours of the Italian language.
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EXHIBITION
Caravaggio’s 1602 masterpiece Victorious Cupid, never previously been seen in public in the UK, is presented with two ancient Roman sculptures that, more than 400 years ago, were part of the same collection in Rome’s Palazzo Giustiniani.
26 NOVEMBER – 12 APRIL
CARAVAGGIO’S CUPID
The Wallace Collection
Manchester Square, W1U 3BN wallacecollection.org
MUSIC
21 FEBRUARY, 6pm
COUPERIN’S LEÇONS DE TÉNÈBRES
St Marylebone Parish Church 17 Marylebone Road, NW1 5LT stmarylebone.org
Scored for sopranos and organ, French Baroque master Francois Couperin’s Trois Leçons de Ténèbres offer a focal point for an evening of organ improvisation, plainchant and candlelight, reflecting on the destruction of Jerusalem and pleading for salvation.
THEATRE 16 JANUARY – 28 FEBRUARY CABLE STREET
Marylebone Theatre 35 Park Road, NW1 6XT marylebonetheatre.com
Fresh from two sold-out runs at the Southwark Playhouse last year, the musical Cable Street takes us back to October 1936, in the heart of the East End, when Oswald Mosley’s fascists started to march and hundreds of Jews, Irish workers and communists united to block the road.
2.
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EXHIBITION
26 NOVEMBER – 22 MARCH
SWORDS OF LUCKNOW
The Wallace Collection
Manchester Square, W1U 3BN wallacecollection.org
This impressive collection of five northern Indian swords, all of them adorned with intricate enamel and goldwork, offers a unique window into the splendour of 18th and 19th-century Lucknow, a vibrant centre of power, artistry and cross- cultural exchange.
EXHIBITION
UNTIL 8 AUGUST
HOI POLLOI
The Brown Collection 1 Bentinck Mews, W1U 2AF glenn-brown.co.uk
Curated by Glenn Brown, this exhibition brings together paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures from the 16th century to the present day, including his own distinctive works. It explores how artists through the ages have represented, resisted or reimagined the ordinary man.
1. Cupid as Victor by Caravaggio, The Wallace Collection
Sword (detail), late 18th or early 19th century, The Wallace Collection
Hoi Polloi by Glenn Brown, The Brown Collection
JOURNEY THROUGH THE JOURNAL
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Tashkent Nim-Suzani, Uzbekistan, circa 1840, 1.85m x 0.93m
IN PROFILE PATRICK WILLIAMS & AMY CORBIN
The couple behind Marylebone’s new Kudu restaurant on crossing the river, learning from a legend, and sharing the true meaning of a braai
Words: Clare Finney
Images: Patricia Niven
Weather. Transport. North versus south of the river. These are the prevailing small-talk topics of anyone who has lived in London for more than a year. Yet while the first two subjects find most people aligned – “could be better” or “never been worse” depending on TfL and meteorology –the last is liable to lead even the most amicable of Londoners down a polite but unstoppable warpath.
The mere idea then, that a restaurant born and raised in Peckham, in the city’s south, could up sticks and move across the Thames to Marylebone seemed unthinkable to many south Londoners I spoke to. “Kudu!? In Marylebone?!” they cried, as if this were a tropical bird being thrust into the frozen north rather than a nice restaurant serving cocktails moving to W1. I for one was delighted. From my home, the schlepp to Peckham is exactly that: a schlepp, involving two tubes and an overground (and probably a change in weather). Yet after eight years, three restaurants in the same neighbourhood, a marriage, two young children and a south London home, I was still surprised by Patrick Williams and Amy Corbin’s decision to move their cool, South African-inspired concept acros s the river.
Could they recreate the vibe that made the original Kudu, Kudu Grill and Curious Kudu some of London’s buzziest and most beloved dining and drinking destinations? Would their staff be as fun, friendly and – well, South African, as those who had made their Peckham places so enjoyable? Would they still be serving that bread – the one warm in a skillet, speared with a fork and smothered with bacon butter? These questions and more filled my mind as I turned onto Moxon Street and approached their new site, painted ember red with soft white curtains shielding diners from the outside.
Inside, though, it feels strangely familiar. The lights are low, the furnishings are in soft, autumnal tones, and South African artworks and textiles adorn the walls. “We wanted to merge the different Kudu brands into one cohesive look,” Amy explains. “The grill was quite masculine, and Curious Kudu was quite feminine, and we wanted to bring it all together.”
Indeed, one of the key factors fuelling their move was the desire to unite their three restaurants under one roof. “Some days Amy and I would be running between all three, all at once, and it was exhausting. This is a very big ship,” Patrick joins in, gesturing around the expansive dining room, complete with open
bar. “But it’s better for us to steer one big ship than multiple small ones, and our staff are excited about finally being all together on one site.”
Turns out I was foolish to fear there’d be new recruits: the Kudu team are far too tightknit to abandon ship just because it’s moved its mooring. “We brought over everyone except two people, which was amazing,” Patrick says, and not just from a recruitment perspective. “We’d sponsored quite a few people from Africa to come over, and when they arrived they didn’t know many people. It was like we’d created this little family, that genuinely loved to hang out.”
Kudu didn’t just provide friends and colleagues, however, invaluable though those are to new arrivals from overseas. “I knew how hard it could be to move. My first six months here were very challenging,” Patrick says, recalling his own move from Cape Town in 2014 to work as a chef in Robin Gill’s London restaurants. Patrick’s country of origin has its own food scene, and very good it is too – but it’s highly seasonal and far more laid back than it is here in London. “This city is a different animal,” he laughs. “Even on the tube, you can see how wired people are. That change of pace is the biggest adjustment, so
We were in our twenties when we opened Kudu. Now we’re in our thirties, this feels like a reflection of us as we are today. It’s exciting.
we set new people up with a month of free housing and help with bank accounts – like a welcome pack – to make the transition as pain-free a s possible.”
With so many of their staff having managed the move to London from South Africa, the hop from Peckham to Marylebone was not the great culture shock some were anticipating. “They have distinct characters, for sure,” Patrick observes of the areas. “Peckham is edgy, artistic and young, while Marylebone is very sophisticated. People here know what they want, which helps us drive our standards harder – but both have a great sense of community.” Their esteemed neighbours, Rococo Chocolates, La Fromagerie and The Ginger Pig, have all popped in to say hello, invite the team for tastings or gift some ingredients. “Rococo dropped off a bag of truffles for Amy, so I went round with some biltong,” Patrick smiles. “It’s still a neighbourhood area, like the area we’ve come from and love. It’s just slightly more elevated.”
And it is right for where they are in their lives. The couple are in their thirties now, and the move to Marylebone feels apt. It’s a little more chic. It’s a little more challenging. “We were in our twenties when we opened Kudu, and Peckham was well suited to us then,” says Amy. “Now we’re in our thirties, this feels like a reflection of us as we are today. It’s exciting.” There’s a circularity to it, too. Amy’s father, Chris Corbin, was one half of the renowned
Peckham is edgy, artistic and young; Marylebone is very sophisticated. People here know what they want, which helps us drive standards even harder.
Corbin & King partnership, among the finest restauranteurs London has ever seen. In partnership with Jeremy King, Chris was responsible for the golden age of The Wolseley, Brasserie Zédel and The Delaunay, among many others. One of the restaurants they opened together, Fischer’s, is just around the corner from Kudu. “I remember my dad and Jeremy going to see the building before they opened,” says Amy. “I remember him talking about having this feeling which we had when we looked at this place for Kudu.” With Chris and Jeremy having lost control of their restaurant group in a buyout that was forced in all but name, having the next generation of Corbins open a new restaurant here feels quietly momentous. “I remember signing the lease and thinking – wow,” Amy recalls. “It’s nice to be back in Marylebone a s a family.”
Has her dad been in? “He’s been in every day since we opened!” they laugh. Like actors, some restaurateurs don’t like to mention lineage, but Patrick and Amy are proud and grateful to Chris for all he has taught them over the years. “It would be mad not to use that knowledge. Chris had been there, done that – and I think he enjoys it, now it’s in a different capacity,” Patrick says. “We couldn’t ask for a better mentor. Some of our customers remember him from Fischer’s and like to chat to him when he comes in. He holds that story and he wants to be part of our journey. He still has that love for it.”
Of course, Kudu is a far cry from Fischer’s, which is inspired by the Grand Cafes of Vienna in the 19th century, not the melting pot of South Africa. Though ‘melting pot’ has become something of a culinary cliché in recent years, South Africa “really is a melting pot,” says Patrick. As well as being home to a multitude of African tribal groups, “most of Europe touches it in some way,” he continues. “Dutch, English, Portuguese – then in Durban, where I’m from, there’s one of the largest Indian populations outside India. In Cape Town it is more Malaysian. So as a creative influence, it’s great.”
Then there’s the braai, whose burning wood I’m already beginning to smell as we speak – though as Patrick reminds me, braai isn’t so much a fire as a culture. “It’s ritual. It’s about community: about neighbours, friends, family,” he enthuses. “South Africa is so troubled in so many ways, but having a braai brings people together. It’s a real occasion. Everybody brings something.” Not sausages and burgers, Amy adds, recalling how Partrick had laughed at the British barbecue when he’d first witnessed one, but “whole food. A whole joint,
a whole fish, a whole chicken – it’s not just big hunks of red meat.” Contrary to misconceptions around South African cuisine, it’s much bigger than beef, and vegetarians and pescatarians will find plenty to love in Kudu.
“It’s flavourful, impactful food,” Patrick goes on, “and every family has their own signature dish or spices.” Just as different homes in north African countries will have their own blend of ras el hanout and different homes in India will have their own garam masala, so each South African has their own braai spice. But Kudu is not a braai restaurant. “We have a very manicured fire. It is temperaturecontrolled,” he says, citing as an example their use of charcoal to lend a subtle, sweet smoked flavour to the maple syrup they use in a blue cheese dish. But the culture of making fun, flavourful, accessible food is totally there. “It’s refreshed South African. It’s familiar, but different.”
It’s not fire dining – and it’s not fine dining. “I’ve done that, of course, but it’s not what I enjoy cooking or even eating these days,” says Patrick. Nor is it the traditional dishes that South African expats dining at Kudu for first time often expect. “They come in asking for the true classics, because it’s a
South African restaurant. But once they experience it, they enjoy it,” he smiles – which is just as well, given the number of fellow countrymen he’s met in Marylebone. “We would describe it as a European restaurant with South African flavours and influences.”
It’s a useful and tempting summary for the people of Marylebone who never ventured to Peckham when Kudu was there –which will be most Maryleboners, I observe, given Londoners’ reluctance to cross the Thames. This is true, Patrick and Amy agree – though they point out that they have been surprised and touched by the number of their Peckham regulars who have made the journey ‘up north’ since they opened.
“Most people have been very encouraging,” says Amy. “They understand that hospitality is hard right now, and this was an amazing opportunity for us and our restaurant family. They want to support us.” Perhaps Kudu is the exception that proves my transportweather-river rule; or perhaps it is, like the braai, a bridge that can unite cultures and communities in delight and deliciousness.
KUDU 7 Moxon Street, W1U 4EP kuducollective.com
South Africa is so troubled in so many ways, but having a braai brings people together. It’s a real occasion. Everybody brings something.
MAKING SCENTS
The Journal enjoys an intimate tour of the Perfumer H olfactory universe, complete with expert insights into the perfumer’s craft and a painstaking search for the perfect fragrance
Words: Mark Riddaway
Images: Rich Stapleton, Joao de Sousa
Ask me to summon up a vision of hell and it would look – and smell – not unlike the perfume section of a large department store. That migrainous assault on the senses as soon as you walk through the door. The disorientating layout. Bright lights, tinny music, shiny surfaces. And the clouds of saccharine scent rolling from the stands of a dozen brands, mingling into an olfactory stew and sticking to your hair and clothes like fag smoke in a pre-2007 pub.
Stepping into Perfumer H on Crawford Street is – and I cannot stress this enough – not like that.
Perfumer H was born in 2015 after Lyn Harris, a true auteur of modern fragrance, decided to create a more personal platform for her talents following the sale of her previous venture, Miller Harris. For years, this small building on a modest Marylebone street was everything: HQ, office, laboratory, shop. As Perfumer H grew a devoted following, the bulk of the retail business moved to a busier spot on Chiltern Street, but Crawford Street has remained Lyn’s creative hub. The shop is still open to the public on Saturdays, but through the rest of the week one of its functions is to host the brand’s By Appointment Only service – private sessions led by Lyn’s lab assistants, designed to provide insights into the perfumer’s craft and help participants find their perfect fragrance. That’s what I’m here for.
I’m greeted by Montana, an effortlessly charming Australian
who arrived here last year from Melbourne after “cold emailing” Lyn. “We didn’t have Perfumer H in Australia, but Lyn had formulated the first five scents for a brand that I was familiar with,” she explains. “And I was like: ‘Whoever did this, I have to work with them.’”
Montana sits me down in a stylish seat in a space filled with natural tones and calming alignments, serves me tea, and trades easy small talk. Then the experience begins. What unfolds over the next hour reminds me of a wine tasting. I know a good wine when I drink one, and I kind of know what I want, but struggle to articulate my preferences. Tell me stories of the terroir and the maker and guide me through the flavour notes, and it all makes perfect sense, for a few hours at least. This work along similar lines, but without all the spitting.
On the wall beside us, Lyn’s fragrances, in their beautiful, handblown glass bottles, are organised in five rows, each representing a particular ‘family’ of scents: citrus, floral, rose, wood and amber –an approach to categorisation developed in France in the early 20th century. One notable aspect of the setup is that sex is not a factor. Here, there’s no ‘for him’ or ‘for her’, just people with their own personal foibles and preferences.
At the far left of each row sits one of Lyn’s ‘Icons’. These five
scents, as well as being some of her most popular creations, offer a gateway for those like me who, when presented with the question “what do you like?”, are inclined to look a bit blank and mumble incoherently. The Icons help establish some of the key characteristics of each family, thus making the narrowingdown process easier.
Based on my initial mumblings, we start with Leather, part of the fern family – a group of fragrances with something of the forest about them. Before Montana has even opened the bottle, my brain is already firing – an inevitable consequence of the distinctive language of Perfumer H. The names of big-brand perfumes tend to be rooted in abstract nouns: obsession, scandal, fantasy. Dramatic words whispered by famous actors over po-faced ads. Most of Lyn’s scents, by contrast, draw their names directly from the material world: Tobacco, Fig, Rose, Saffron, Smoke. Evocative names whose simplicity belies the sophistication of their creation. Personally, I have no clue what obsession smells like (unhealthy, I would think) but show me a bottle with the word ‘leather’ printed on the label in capital letters and my nostrils will be instantly primed, expecting the earthy, oily richness of the vintage 70s jacket I wore every day for about a decade.
Except that when the testing strip passes my nose, it doesn’t quite smell
Smell is such a silent sense. There are almost no words that exist purely for scent, so we have no choice but to borrow language from other senses.
Lyn works in a classical French way, but she’s put an English twist to it. She bleeds out of the lines. It’s that tradition, but a bit rebellious.
like that. More polished, less grimy. Leather, but not that leather. This is as it should be. Lyn’s approach isn’t about mimicking smells; it’s about capturing something much more personal, translating the smells lodged in her own mind in a way that recreates a feeling, a moment, a whole tableau, not just a generic substance. Impressionist painting in perfume form. Led by my responses, we work through a variety of fragrances. As well as outlining their composition and seeking my responses, Montana describes some of her personal impressions in ways that lean poetic. The Gold fragrance, she says, “is the last little bit of light setting over a city; this sliver of light before we’re shrouded in darkness”. Rain Cloud “is like wet flowers after rain. It has a delicate sweetness. It’s a scent of humidity; warm, sultry, pleasant humidity.”
This isn’t the rote language of a brand book. “I always take Lyn’s stories and what’s inspired her, of course, but I think it’s best to share your own reflections too,” says Montana. “I always encourage people to tell me what they think. There’s no right or wrong. Your experiences of the world are informed by your own senses. Mine are different.”
The scenes she conjures reflect the artistry at the heart of the brand, but they’re also just a really good way of exploring the smells. Without
Lyn Harris at work in her Crawford Street studio
simply listing the components –cardamom seed, cedarwood, iris, lavender, sandalwood – it’s hard to describe a scent without recourse to metaphor. “Smell is such a silent sense,” Montana explains. “There are almost no words that exist purely for scent, so we have to borrow language from ot her senses.”
After reaching the stage where the pile of discarded test strips is becoming unwieldy and I’m starting to forget what I liked and didn’t, we narrow my preferences down to three: the aforementioned Leather; the quiet, discreet Indian Wood; and Vetiver, a punchier selection from the fern family, named for a perennial grass that grows in the humid marshlands of the tropics. Montana sprays a little of each onto my arms. I have another sniff, then we wait. Fragrances smell different after settling on the skin, as their chemistry responds to the heat and composition of the body. “Things like the pH make a difference. Some people’s skin brings out the sweeter, warmer notes in something, sometimes it emphasises the acidic.” The scents themselves also evolve, driven by the relative volatility of the individual components. “Ingredients like citrus and florals are the most volatile, and they dissipate most quickly,” explains Montana. “You might see bergamot used as a top note in woods and ambers. Those top notes are like the introduction to the fragrance; once they fade,
you’re left with heart notes and base notes – things like vetiver and labdanum and resins, natural fixatives that draw the rest of the ingredients to the skin.”
While the scents settle in, we make our way to the small laboratory at the back of the room, where Sarah-Lou, another of Lyn’s lab assistants, has been quietly mixing her potions. On the longest wall of the lab sit hundreds of brown-glass bottles of various sizes, exuding the vibes of a medieval apothecary. Contained within them are the vast arsenal of individual ingredients that form the fragrances. These are supplied by Robertet, a company founded in 1850 in Grasse on the French Riviera, the historic cradle of French perfumery. It was there that Lyn worked and studied as a young woman, gaining the foundations of classical perfumery that provide a framework for her creativity. “Lyn works in a classical French way, but she’s put an English twist to it,” explains Sarah-Lou. “She bleeds out of the lines. It’s that tradition, but a bit rebellious.”
On the lab’s lower shelves are the ‘naturals’ for which Robertet is famed. Created from fruits, roots, spices, woods, resins, flowers and other products of our environment, these fit into two categories, defined by the method of extraction. ‘Essences’ – essential oils – are extracted through steam distillation. For ‘absolutes’, the raw
material is washed with an alcohol solvent, which captures some of the more delicate molecules, yielding a richer scent. Some raw ingredients – rose, for example – can provide both an essence and an absolute. “The rose essence tends to have a bit more of a citric, green, buddingrose quality,” explains Montana, “whereas the absolute is a bit more intense.” For other materials, capturing a useable essence is impossible because the key scent molecules are too delicate.
Some of the nat urals appear in multiple versions, based on the source of the raw ingredient. To illustrate, Montana has me smell some vetiver from Haiti –delicate and hay-like – then some vetiver from Reunion, the same plant but somehow deeper, darker a nd earthier.
Both the beauty and the challenge of natural ingredients is their capacity for variation, depending on the source, the season, the soil, the prevailing weather, and a thousand other factors. “Naturals can vary from batch to batch,” says Sarah-Lou. “I think Charcoal is a really interesting fragrance for that because the cade and the birch tar can both vary so much.”
On the shelves above the naturals are the aroma chemicals and synthetics, which provide greater consistency and stability. Synthetics are, as the name suggests, a creation of biochemistry. Aroma chemicals sit somewhere between the two –
derived from natural materials, but with hard science applied to isolate individual scent molecules from the jumble of elements. We take a sniff of eugenol. “This is a scent molecule found in clove –when you smell it, you’ll think of clove immediately,” says Montana, as a blast of concentrated cloviness smacks my nostrils. “But it’s also something that in nature you would find in basil and fennel, in much smaller concentrations.”
Not so long ago, naturals appeared to have had their day: too expensive, too volatile, too inconsistent. Perfumers were being taught to smell them for inspiration but turn to synthetics to reconstruct their scent. When Lyn made her way as an independent perfumer, her unusual embrace of naturals became a hallmark, and that’s still the case today. She is not, however, an absolutist – any ingredient, natural, aroma chemical or synthetic, is ripe to be harnessed in pursuit of the scents in her head.
That pursuit is no simple task. Sarah-Lou shows me the formula of a scent she’s been mixing for Lyn. There are 35 ingredients, with each quantity presented as a proportion of the whole. Some are big, some are miniscule, their presence testament to the painstaking artistry of the perfumer’s craft. An ingredient could, says Sarah-Lou, “be like an accent on a letter – tiny, but enough to change things in the subtlest of ways.”
The time has finally come to choose. While Montana and Sarah-Lou wait patiently for my verdict, I spend an inordinate amount of time sniffing myself, before suddenly becoming deeply self- conscious. What did you today? I sniffed myself for ages while two women watched. “That’s very normal here,” reassures Sarah-Lou. “Very normal.”
I do some more sniffing indoors, then, at Montana’s prompting, head out onto the street for some alfresco sniffing, the fresh(ish) air of which seems to reset the nostrils. By
OLFACTORY FARMING OUR CHRISTMAS PICKS FROM MARYLEBONE’S PERFUMERIES
ROSE WITH INSECT PERFUMER H
The essence of Perfumer H’s latest eau de parfum is captured perfectly by its name: a classic floral subverted and enriched by spicy notes of sandalwood and birch, like a black beetle crawling through the colourful petals of a bouquet. perfumerh.com
LE PARFUM AGNÈS B. AGNÈS B.
As part of her brand’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Agnès b has created two new fragrances in collaboration with perfumer Isaac Sinclair. Le Parfum is composed of white
now, the Leather has rounded out into something musky and warm. The Indian Wood is sweeter, spicier, quieter. The Vetiver – verdant, slightly mossy – is objectively lovely but smells absolutely nothing like me, as if I’m wearing someone else’s clothes. Turns out, deep down I am a Leather man. That’s what comes home, enveloping me in its warm, comfortable scent like that long-lost jacket. Just nowhere near as grimy.
One of the small range of exquisite colognes that gave the brand its name, recreated last year from the original formulas to celebrate 35 years. A cool and invigorating blend of mandarin, lemon and orange flower. cologneandcotton.com
SUNSPEL OAK WOOD
SUNSPEL
Created for Sunspel by Lyn Harris, this clean, modern eau de parfum takes inspiration from the English countryside. Top notes of bergamot and neroli fuse with cedarwood and camomile, with a relaxed finish of sandalwood. sunspel.com
UNSPOKEN GESTURE
JORUM STUDIO
An exciting new arrival on Marylebone Street, Jorum Studio is a small, independent fragrance brand led by Scottish perfumer Euan McCall. Typically inventive, Unspoken Gesture is a comforting extrait de parfum with soft, skin-like salinity and a tender heart of rice and sweetened cardamom, almond and mimosa. jorumstudio.com
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THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS
Introducing the people behind central London’s vital charities and community organisations: Ayo Akinolugbade, centre manager at
The Feathers Marylebone
Interview: Mark Riddaway
Images: Orlando Gili
I was born in Nigeria and left at the age of 13 to move to Stevenage. It was a nice little town, a good place for family, but it was hard at first. I’d come from a very different culture. At school, everyone had their own groups. I remember at lunchtimes sitting down on my own on the football pitch, watching all these groups, not being part of any of them, and not really understanding what was going on. I sometimes think about what my life would have been like if we’d had a youth club like The Feathers. It would have changed everything.
I’m fortunate: I settled in, I found my way, found my feet, went to university, got my master’s degree and worked my way into a profession I love. My aim now is to help young people here find their way too.
The world is so quick to judge teenagers, especially when they see them on the streets. Don’t get me wrong, some of them are there for mischief, but most are there because there’s nowhere else to go. If you grow up in a small flat, five siblings, no space, no garden, mum’s working three jobs, dad’s working three jobs, you’ve got so much energy to burn but nowhere to burn it, where do you go? You go to the streets. But if you live round here, you can come to T he Feathers.
We’re open seven days a week for any young person aged eight to 18. We’ve got outdoor spaces, a football pitch, a music studio, a brand-new gym. We’re currently raising money to build a boxing gym as well. We do arts and crafts, homework clubs, self-defence classes. Some of our activities the young people are immediately excited by, others they learn to love. Cooking, for example – during the summer, we had cooking classes. Everyone was shocked by how much they enjoyed the experience. They absolutely owned it: “Get out of the kitchen, this is our space!” Afterwards, mums and dads were like: “What have you done to my child? They’ve started cooking their own breakfast!” Most of us take these things for granted, but a lot of young people don’t know how to make toast or boil an egg. There’s no shame in that – circumstances at home mean parents don’t have the chance to expose them to it –but we have the time and space to fill those gaps.
Our goal is to help young people become adults. Whatever we’re doing with them – even if it’s just a game of football – we’re working on their social skills, life skills, communication skills. How do they interact when they’re outside, how do they interact with each other when they’re here? We’re encouraging them to understand and accept different cultures. Lots of them have settled here from other parts of the world and we help them find their place – the kind of thing that would have been so good for me when I was a kid. We’re guiding them down >
If you grow up in a small flat, five siblings, mum’s working three jobs, dad’s working three jobs, you’ve got so much energy to burn but nowhere to burn it, where do you go?
the right path, trying to stop them falling into the wrong hands. Do they recognise the signs of being groomed? Do they know what abuse and neglect look like? These things are so important in a community like ours.
In the school holidays, we do outdoor trips and take them to do amazing activities like horse-riding. I remember when I was about 16, I went on a work placement, and as a reward they took us to Silverstone, to the MotoGP racing. It was amazing. I still remember that day so vividly. I think I’ve still got the helmet stickers we were given! That’s the feeling I want the young people here to have – the sense that there’s more to the world than what they see around them.
Many have never left the city before. Take them out into the countryside and the first thing they’ll say is: “There’s no signal! What’s the wifi password?!” For the first hour, that’s all they care about. Then you get a campfire going and everyone’s talking, playing games, and it completely changes their mindset. It’s about giving them the opportunity to be away from the life they know and really be themselves. Young people can be very closed up, but when you take them out of their familiar surroundings you often see a di fferent side.
A lot of what we do is about giving those young people a platform for their voices to be heard. Problems come when they don’t feel in control of their own direction, when they feel shut down all the time. That’s when the trouble starts, because they feel so lost. Society needs to be kinder to young people and respect them more. Yes, they can be loud, they can get things wrong, but they’re all just trying to find their feet. When you trust them and give them responsibility and purpose, they’re the most amazing people you could ever imagine.
We need to trust them and earn their trust. Some of our kids have a lot going on at home, some are being exposed to real harm. Building an environment where they feel they can talk to us is so important. You’d be amazed what something as simple as a game of pool can do, how many conversations come through creating that connection. We’re always alert to signs – have they worn the same clothes over and over, are they hungry, are their moods different, are they being picked up by people we don’t know? – but it’s when we’re able to have those conversations that we can start getting them the help they need. We have staff who are qualified as designated safeguarding leads, and we work closely with the family hub and referral team at Westminster Council.
For some young people, music is the only way they can communicate openly, which is one reason why our music studio is so important. They might not want to talk, but they’ll speak through lyrics, through rapping or singing. I think it’s really important for us not to neglect what
comes out of that. They’re talking about their life, about their feelings, about what they’re going through at home. You hear some of the lyrics and you think, wow, okay, it’s probably time for us to sit down together.
The Feathers has been a youth club since 1934, so 91 years. There are parents and grandparents in the community who passed through here years ago. Our goal now is to increase our engagement with every age group. There are adults who need space and support as much as their children do. For example, our new gym, which they can use during the day. My degrees are in sports science, and I started my career working with gyms and sports centres, so I know the impact that exercise can have on both physical and mental health. We want to make it accessible to everyone, particularly local women.
We also have a community cafe every Thursday afternoon and we get about 30 to 35 parents coming in. They cook, they sing, they talk, they share food. A lot of mothers are raising children on their own with very few resources and that can be very isolating, so having that sense of purpose and connection can be really important. We want to make that bigger and more frequent. We’re also planning to start a food bank. For many parents here, food is a constant challenge. It’s hard to imagine how heavy it is when you have kids at home and barely enough food to feed them. We want to ensure that, at least before Christmas, families can have a goody-bag to take away from here – things they can cook over the holiday period when we’re closed.
It shouldn’t be on us to fill those holes, but if places like The Feathers don’t do it, who will? There’s a growing recognition of the importance of youth clubs, and a few more government grants are now coming into the sector, but we’re still reliant on external fundraising, on the generosity of donors like The Portman Foundation. Every year, we get invited to parliament to speak about what young people and their families want and need, but nothing much changes.
Massive shoutout to all the youth organisations across the country and globally doing fantastic work. This job isn’t easy. It involves long hours and mental resilience. Youth workers are undervalued and underpaid, but we do it because we want to make a difference in our community. We do it for the love of the young people. We want to see them grow and thrive. When we see that happen – and at The Feathers we see it all the time – everything else is worth it.
THE FEATHERS MARYLEBONE
12 Rossmore Road, NW1 6NX feathers.charity
A CLOSER LOOK
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FOOD »42 BOARD REPORT
Patricia Michelson of La Fromagerie on putting together the perfect Christmas cheeseboard
STYLE »46 Q&A
Nick Wakeman of Studio Nicholson on the blending of menswear and womenswear and the natural osmosis of trends
HOME »60 ANATOMY OF A DESIGN
Federica Vaglio of Fabriano on a sketchbook that offers fine-art quality in a practical form
Left to right: James Gummer, Philip Winser and Olivier van Themsche, co-founders of Public House
Q&A: JAMES GUMMER & PHIL WINSER
Two of the co-founders of Public House, the group behind The Hart, on the importance of pubs, the allure of a warm welcome, and the joy of growing their own ingredients
Interview: E llie Costigan
It started with a conversation many of us will no doubt have had during the Covid-19 lockdowns: the importance of a good local pub. Back then, with the simple pleasures of pints, peanuts and conversation suddenly not an option, the pivotal role pubs play in our communities became stark ly apparent.
For James Gummer, the pub he pined for was The Pelican on All Saints Road in Notting Hill. Sadly, it didn’t survive the pandemic. Around the same time, his old friend Phil Winser came back from a stint in New York. The pair decided not to simply mourn their favourite local but do something about its closure. After roping in a third friend, Olivier van Themsche, to bring his expertise to the business side of the operation, they went on to revive The Pelican, then set up Public House group.
Three years on, their portfolio has expanded to include The Hero in Maida Vale, The Fat Badger in Notting Hill, The Bull in Oxfordshire – a countryside outpost near James and Phil’s hometown –and their latest venture, The Hart on the corner of Marylebone’s Chiltern and Blandford Streets. They’ve even set up their own market garden, butchery programme and design studio. Needless to say, they don’t do things by halves. And when we sit down to chat on a grey October day a mere three days after The Hart’s opening, it’s clear what drives them is a genuine love of hospitality, food and, most importantly, people.
Q: With The Pelican – and every pub since – you’ve tried to capture the essence of a really good local. What does a ‘good pub’ mean to you?
Phil: A good pub feels like an extension of your home. That means using it in multiple ways: whether it’s popping in by yourself for a quick drink and having a chat with the bartender, celebrating your birthday with friends, or coming in for dinner.
James: It always starts with the people. The common thread in every decision we make is that we work with people we’d happily have a pint with. If we do that, chances are the locals will want to come and have one here too. You also have to consider the neighbourhood, which shapes what the pub becomes.
Q: What considerations did you have when opening i n Marylebone?
James: There are lots of offices in the area, which means the clientele is different to our other pubs. Afterwork drinks are a big part of British office culture, which is why the ground floor feels a bit more like a boozer than some of the others. It’s also affected the menus. We’ve tried to think about what people want to eat at lunchtime, for example – so having plates that are a complete dish, as you might not want to share if you’re coming in with a colleague. We’ve also got a number of dishes that can be out quickly, like chicken and anchovy salad or kedgeree. Phil: It’s only when you get to know an area properly that you can really adjust things to fit what the neighbourhood needs, so we will carry on making tweaks as time goes on. But what a neighbourhood Marylebone is. We feel lucky to be on this corner of Chiltern Street, which has got so many incredible characters. One of the most enjoyable things for us is getting to know all the different people who make an area tick, and it’s been so interesting getting to know Chiltern Street. People are really proud to live or work here and they really identify with it. It’s an amazing thing to have such a sense of belonging.
Q: You named the pub after the family that owned it in the 1800s. Why’s that?
James: It’s slightly cheesy, but we know we’re only temporary custodians of this building. We named it after George Hart as a nod to the fact that we’re just
a footnote in the history of this building. Everyone has different memories of a pub within its lifecycle. It would be a really lovely thing to find people who love our version of it.
Phil: Before we took it on, the site was empty, which was a sad thing to see. When a pub closes down, people really miss it – it’s the heartbeat of an area, in a way that restaurants and shops usually aren’t. We hope that people come to feel that same sense of ownership of The Hart.
Q: Opening five pubs in just three years is no small feat, particularly in the current climate. How have you managed, or perhaps sidestepped, the challenges facing so much of the hospital ity industry?
James: We’ve grown quickly, but we’ve definitely experienced the same challenges as everyone else. It’s a difficult time for hospitality –the cost of sale is getting higher and at the same time people are more pinched in terms of what they’re able to spend.
That said, it’s also a really exciting time to be in this industry. Demand is huge – some of the hardest reservations to get in London are pubs. They’re superbusy, energetic, high-quality, fun places to be. That’s also meant we’ve been lucky enough to attract some incredible people to work with us. People don’t go into hospitality for the money; they do it for the love of food and drink and the social side – to create spaces that people want to be in. We’ve put together a team who are genuinely passionate about what they do, and I think that really translates to our guests. You’re greeted by someone who is genuinely happy to see you.
Q: Other than a warm welcome, what can people expect when they come to The Hart?
James: As Phil mentioned, the downstairs is more of a boozer,
though you can eat there. The full menu is available at lunch and we’ve got lots of bar snacks. Being able to stand or sit and just have a drink is a core part of what a pub is, in our opinion. The second and third floors are dining spaces. We’re really passionate about food and, as with all our sites, we use British ingredients – a lot of which come from our growing programme. It’s a very nostalgic British menu that hopefully reminds you of the sort of things you ate growing up, like bubble and squeak and hash browns.
Phil: Sourcing great, seasonal
“Before we took it on, the site was empty, which was a sad thing to see. When a pub closes down, people really miss it – it’s the heartbeat of an area, in a way that restaurants and shops usually aren’t.”
produce is a huge part of what we do. Other than a few ingredients and things like spices, it all comes from the UK. We know all our producers. Our philosophy is to find the best ingredient and do as little to it as possible, so our dishes are very ingredients led. It’s classic pub food, but not quite so heavy.
Q: Tell us more about the growing programme. What prompted it?
Phil: We have a relatively large market garden down near The Bull and we’re now working with four other gardens locally. We’ve just launched a butchery programme,
too, where we’re buying whole carcasses and breaking them down to use every part. It’s mainly pigs, but we’re moving into beef and lamb in the new year. The reason for that is, UK food production is really suffering as an industry. We’re losing a lot of incredible producers –not just farmers, but cheesemakers, bakers, all kinds of trades are disappearing. One of the big driving forces is distribution, which is set up for large-scale systems. Smaller producers can’t get into the mainstream systems because they can’t afford to sell products at cheap superma rket prices.
We want to work with small producers and buy direct – partly to support them, but also because the produce is incredible. Most of what you get in supermarkets comes from southern Europe or further afield, so it’s sat in trucks for days, sometimes weeks. All that time it’s losing freshness. When you use local growers, it can be picked in the morning and served in the pub that afternoon. And the quality is just incredible, so delicious. The economics work too, as there’s no middle man.
James: From a chef’s perspective it’s also so interesting. As a head or sous chef working long hours and doing lots of prep, you can lose that connection with the ingredient. When we started growing our own produce at The Bull, we saw a change in our chefs; when you pick the vegetables you’re going to be using that day, it reminds you why you fell in love w ith cooking.
Phil: We’re about to sign on two other market gardens, one of which is run by somebody who had previously retired because they couldn’t make ends meet. It’s really exciting to be able to support people in that way, even on a small scale. It’s the same with the butchery programme: farmers really struggle to sell all the different cuts of the animal and are forced to push down the price. We realised that, in a pub, you can use the whole animal in lots of different ways – ribs, steaks, mince on toast. Doing deals directly with farmers and buying and using the whole animal is really economical, as well as educational, for us and the team. It’s been a really fun thing to get involved in.
Q: Growing, butchering, cooking, interior design, writing menus –you’ve really got your hands full! What drives you?
James: When you open your first pub, by default you’re involved in absolutely everything. You don’t outsource, you roll up your sleeves
and get your hands dirty because it’s your place, and you love it. You work with people you know, call in a few favours and make it happen. As you grow, things inevitably become more structured, but we’ve tried to hold on to that hands-on approach. It’s why Phil still leads all the design through our in-house studio, and why we run a growing programme with our head grower, Thomas. Because we love it, genuinely –every side of the business. We love bringing the team together, writing the menus, designing the spaces and getting to know people. Being there
ourselves to greet our guests. We’re doing it for the love of pubs.
Q: What are your hopes for The Hart?
James: If in a year’s time we’re seeing the same people come in for a drink after work on a Friday, or coming in to celebrate their birthday, or have a work lunch with their team –whatever it might be – I think we’ll be pretty happy.
THE HART
56 Blandford Street, W1U 7JA thehartw1.com
Maset
Melody Adams, the restaurateur behind long-standing and much-loved Spanish restaurants Lurra and Donostia on Seymour Place has done as much as anyone in recent years to set the tone for Marylebone’s dining scene: quality ingredients, simple but flawless cooking, and a complete absence of pomposity. Her latest venture, Maset, follows in the same vein, but drawing its flavours from a different corner of the continent: the Occitan region of southern France. Set within Chiltern Street’s lovely red-brick terrace, a vibrant all-day Mediterranean dining experience, showcasing top-tier, seasonal produce from both land and sea.
MASET
40-42 Chiltern Street, W1U 7LQ maset.london
NEW ARRIVAL NEW
A GLASS APART
Laurent Fauve, owner of Le Vieux Comptoir, on a unique Normandy cider that challenges preconceptions about what the drink can be
Interview: Vi el Richardson
I first encountered Domaine Dupont’s Cidre Réserve at least 15 years ago, but I still remember the impression it made on my nose and palate. It was wonderful. This is not the kind of cider people are familiar with. Domaine Dupont has been making calvados and cider in the Pays d’Auge, Normandy, since the 1700s, working with nutrientpoor soil that forces the trees to produce smaller, more concentrated fruit. This cider is organic with a blend of 60 percent bittersweet apples and 40 percent acid apples which are harvested between October and November when the fruit is at perfect maturity.
What makes this cider truly distinctive is the way it is produced. After a double fermentation with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks, they transfer it to the oak casks used in the making of their calvados. It stays there for six months of slow maturation, absorbing the complex flavours: vanilla, sweet spices and that distinctive calvados warmth. The result is something deep and s ophisticated.
The final cider has a beautiful gold colour with orange glints and fine bubbles. It is really lovely on the nose –think about an apple compote, with layers of vanilla and a mild spiciness. On the palate, it delivers caramelised apple flavours with prune notes and citrus highlights. What’s special is how it maintains
the fresh acidity of good cider while gaining this unusual complexity from the barrel aging.
There is no added sugar, which completely changes how it works with food. Forget the classic assumption that cider belongs with dessert. This pairs beautifully with poultry, white meat, fish, or classic Normandy cheeses like camembert and Pont- l’Évêque. The acidity cuts through rich dishes, while the barrel notes complement roasted flavours. It even works wonderfully as an aperitif. It has won gold medals in France and beyond, but production has been kept small so we only ever have a limited allocation.
We have a dedicated following of customers who’ve been drinking it for years. It’s wonderful to bring something unexpected to the table, to see guests’ surprise when they realise cider can be this sophisticated. Cidre Réserve challenges all your preconceptions about cider. It is a genuine gastronomic drink with the complexity to stand alongside many wines. This represents cider at its best – a true expression of Normandy terroir with the refinement to be taken seriously in any conversation.
LE VIEUX COMPTOIR 26-28 Moxon Street, W1U 4EU
levieuxcomptoir.co.uk
ANATOMY OF A DISH
TAGLIOLINI AL TARTUFO
Masha Rener, head chef at Lina Stores, on a simple, comforti ng pasta dish
Interview: Clare Finney
In a nutshell
Our tagliolini al tartufo is one of the most loved dishes at Lina Stores — 30-egg-yolk tagliolini with black truffle, butter and Parmigiano Reggiano DOP. It’s comforting, elegant and wonderfully simple, letting the ingredients speak for themselves.
The inspiration
This dish pays tribute to the great pasta traditions of northern Italy, especially Piedmont, where tajarin – eggrich tagliolini – is a staple. In Piedmont, black truffles are a seasonal treasure, and pairing them with pasta and good butter is the purest expression of local craft. At Lina Stores, we wanted to bring that tradition to London, made with care and time-honoured technique.
The purpose
We let simple, high-quality ingredients take centre stage – the rich pasta, the earthy truffle, the creamy butter, the sharp cheese. It’s an invitation to slow down and enjoy. Over time, it’s become a guest
favourite and a signature dish in our restaurants, because it’s both comforting and refined.
The technique
We make our pasta by hand every morning, just as Lina did when she first opened her deli on Brewer Street in 1944. Each batch of tagliolini dough is made with 30 egg yolks, giving the pasta its vibrant colour and delicate texture. It’s rolled thin, cut into fine ribbons, then cooked until al dente. The pasta is gently tossed in melted butter, then finished with black truffle and cheese at the last moment, so the aroma stays intact.
The secret
It’s all about restraint. With a dish this simple, every ingredient and every step matters. We use the freshest eggs, real Parmigiano Reggiano DOP and the best truffles we can find.
Patricia Michelson, owner-founder of La Fromagerie, on putting together the perfect Christmas cheeseboard
Interview: E llie Costigan
The first thing to do when putting together a festive cheeseboard is think about who you’ll be enjoying it with – their likes and dislikes. You want a balance of styles and strengths. It’s good to offer a few familiar flavours but also give them the chance to explore something a little more adventurous – that’s where the fun really starts.
Five to seven cheeses is an ideal number to enjoy a range of tastes and textures, milk styles and terroir In that case, 30g per person is enough. If you’re serving just one or two cheeses, then I’d say around 50g per person is needed. Our cheese room has more than
150 cheeses to choose from, but my personal choices this year are all about celebrating the rich diversity of pasture-fed herds, offering milk rich in all the nutrients of the terrain on which they’ve grazed.
Brightwell Ash
Made by Fraser Norton and Rachel Yarrow using milk from their own herd of pedigree Anglo Nubian goats in Carmarthenshire, Wales, this ash-coated goat’s cheese is fresh and tangy with a crumbly texture. It’s aged for 21 days at the farm, but we like to age it for a further week in the controlled temperature and humidity of our cheese room, to bring out the more complex flavours and encourage the white bloom.
Gorwydd Caerphilly
This semi-hard, traditional-style Caerphilly, made using traditional rennet, has a superb natural crust, which feels soft and velvety to the touch. It’s made in Hewish, Somerset, with pasteurised cow’s milk and has that familiar crumbly texture, yet tastes fresh and creamy, with lovely earthy, mellow tones. It’s very versatile, too, so if you have any leftovers you can use it in cooking. I really like it crumbled over veg.
Vacherin Mont d’Or
Cheesemaker Vincent Tyrode achieves a perfect rind on every Mont d’Or he makes – pale salmon
pink with speckles of white. A truly seasonal cheese, available only in the winter months, it has a luxurious creamy texture with a complex flavour: saline and vinaceous, with notes of creme fraiche, nuts, mushrooms and bacon. Smoky, resinous notes come forward as you eat towards the spruce bark casing. It can be enjoyed lightly baked, but the most perfectly ripe wheels reserve their greatest subtlety and complexity for when they’re eaten at room temperature.
THE ACCOMPANIMENTS
Biscuits should be kept simple, with a nice snap for texture. Layer the cheese on top, rather than spreading it, so you enjoy both cheese and biscuit. Fruits should be apples and pears. At Christmas, I like to add dates – though don’t go too mad on exotic fruits, please! I love the crunch of walnuts with goat’s or blue cheeses and unskinned almonds with gruyere or washed-rind cheeses.
We always have quince paste in the cheese room, but we also have damson paste and at Christmas, a guava paste from Portugal. A compote of winter fruits is also a nice addition, but if you’re wanting chutney on the table, please make sure it’s made with cider or white wine vinegar. The strong, sharp taste of malt vinegar is not a good match for cheese – or wine, for that matter.
“This is a celebration of the diversity of pasture-fed herds, with milk rich in the nutrients of the terrain on which they’ve grazed.”
Beaufort
Ch alet d’Alpage
Beaufort Chalet d’Alpage, like other high-mountain cheeses, benefits from the milk of cattle that have grazed on clean, unpolluted pastures, studded with aromatic flowers and alpine flora. Made in Savoie with unpasteurised cow’s milk, it is pale gold in colour and smooth to begin with, but cracking as it ages. It has a lovely nutty flavour, almost sweet, and never becoming abrasive on the tongue a s it matures.
THE WINE
During the festive period, port seems to rise to the occasion: I love a tawny port – a 10 or 20-year aged from Quinta de la Rosa is a favourite. There’s a savoury edge to the warmth of the wine which is perfect with cheese. I also like a dry white Burgundy or Rhône. Their wonderful aromas and deep flavours with fine acidity cuts through the richness of cheese. A Bordeaux is also a classic pairing – a St Emilien or Margaux would fit the bill for a diverse cheeseboard selection. Controversially, I also love champagne with cheese. If you choose one that has a lovely brioche warmth with an earthy fruity burst, you’ll be very pleasantly surprised! We chose the Louis Martin for that very reason. It pairs beautifully with Beaufort or Colston Bassett.
Colston Ba ssett Stilton
Hailing from Nottinghamshire, Colston Bassett is one of the last stilton cheeses to be made using the traditional hand-ladling process, a method that preserves the structure of the curds, resulting in a deep and richly textured cheese. It has a rough, pitted, grey crust, which needs daily brushing to keep the ‘cheese mites’ under control. The blue mould is introduced at a slightly later stage than usual, meaning the cheese itself gets a little kickstart in maturing before the veins start to thread their way through, imparting a delightful, spicy blue tang. Deliciously nutty and rich.
Old Groendal
Made by the Groendal company in Roselare, Belgium, this cheese is traditionally called Brokkeloud Roeselare, but they decided to create an easier name for the Englishspeaking market! Using pasteurised milk from a single farm, which has been making cheese for more than two generations, each wheel is matured for at least 18 months. The flavours are full bodied and mature, with a little sharp caramel edge, while the texture is dense with a lovely crystallisation and some creaminess breaking down. A perfect cheese for beer.
LA FROMAGERIE
2-6 Moxon Street, W1U 4EW lafromagerie.co.uk
Q&A: NICK WAKEMAN
The Studio Nicholson founder on her lifelong love affair with fabric, the blending of menswear and womenswear, and the natural osmosis of trends
Interview: Lauren Bravo
Nick Wakeman had been altering men’s clothes to fit her body for years when she realised there was a gap in the market. “I had this 10-piece wardrobe of jackets and shirts and Levi’s that I’d fiddled around with,” she says. “I thought, maybe this is a starting point for a brand.”
The year was 2010 and the result was Studio Nicholson, a collection of staple pieces “carefully engineered for the ultimate modular wardrobe”. In the years since, the label has quietly thrived – something Wakeman chalks up to accessible price points, a steadfast avoidance of (most) trends and a devotion to function over fashion.
Hers are clothes for grown - up tomboys and well-groomed lumberjacks. Design nerds and uniform dressers with flair. Clean lines, neutral palettes and impeccable tailoring leave room for playful silhouettes and elevated details. But for all its minimalist cool, Studio Nicholson is sensual too – fabric comes first, and the in - store experience is designed to be tactile, not intimidating. Case in point is the brand’s third London store: an airy atelier in a Georgian townhouse on Marylebone Lane, which opened in May. “I have always had a natural affinity with this area of London,” Nick declared
at the time. “This neighbourhood has such a strong cultural identity and international appeal, yet there’s a tight-knit local community, so there’s always been a feeling of closeness and familiarity… Studio Nicholson has lots of friends in Marylebone.”
Studio Nicholson has friends in lots of places. This year saw the brand launch three new collaborations to celebrate its 15th anniversary, with British wet-weather stalwarts Mackintosh, contemporary Japanese outfitters Beams Plus, and POTR by heritage Japanese accessories brand Yoshida&Co. But while copycats abound and more labels clamour to collaborate, there’s no diluting the DNA for anyone. “That’s been the secret to the success of Studio Nicholson: not bending, not doing anything differently,” she says. “I’m a stubborn mule and I’m not going to change.”
Q: You’ve said that when it comes to clothes, “everything must feel natural and not at all tortured.” What’s the secret to clothes that feel natural?
A: I guess it’s 30 years of experience in knowing which fabric will work in which garment, how we wash it, how it falls, how it moves – all those things. More than anything, it’s got to have maximum ease. I find some clothing to feel tortured, like a square peg and a round hole. For example, if you’re trying to make a suit out of some tulle. ‘Overdesigned’ is another way to describe it. I like to know when to put the pencil down.
Q: So to be truly stylish, does it have to be comfortable to wear?
A: I like to think about how clothes feel. Is a fabric going to feel glorious against your skin, or is it going to irk you all day? I just want everything to move beautifully. The best way to describe great clothes is that they move exceptionally well. You always notice the people wearing great clothes when they’re
moving, don’t you, not when they’re sitting down. And people move differently when they’re wearing clothes they feel good in.
Q: You began by altering menswear to fit women, then in 2017 you launched a menswear line because your womenswear was being bought by so many men. Do you think we’re moving towards fashion being unisex, or will gender always play a part?
A: I guess it depends on your perspective, but personally, I like womenswear to fit women and I like menswear to fit men. Our bodies are entirely different. However, saying that, I only wear menswear… but I wear it in such a way that it doesn’t really look like menswear. So I guess that’s my crossover! And you know, I do love men in dresses.
Q: You take a fabric-first approach, prioritising the material you use over everything else. Is that the way you’ve always designed?
A: Always. When I was a child, I used to choose the fabric and my mum would make my clothes, so it comes from there. It was 1973 onwards, so I was probably choosing some crazy floral prints. But never pink! Even then. Never, ever pink.
Q: There’s still a lack of pink in your collections. But what are your favourite fabrics to work with now?
A: So many. Any fabric that’s extremely expensive, as my product developer will tell you… that doesn’t always wash with them! But we have a roster of Italian mills who we’ve worked with for 20 years. We don’t go to them anymore, they come to see us. I have a fabric person who selects on my behalf, and he is very well-briefed. He knows exactly what I like.
Q: So are we talking natural fibres only?
A: No, we use a lot of synthetics too. A lot of man-made fibres are exceptionally brilliant – TENCEL,
viscose, triacetate. And combining manmade and natural fibres is a really good way to stabilise fabrics, so they perform better. Wool with some poly in it, for example, is a really good way to stabilise wool.
Q: Studio Nicholson publishes care guides online to help customers look after their clothes properly, and help them last longer. Do you think we’ve lost that knowledge?
A: Yes. I think we have, probably because we don’t have to in this world. It’s so easy to buy new clothes all the time, if they’re really cheap. That’s the t ruth of it.
Q: This year you’ve launched several collaborations. How do you choose which brands will make a strong collab?
A: We work with brands that align with our own philosophy and principles. Yoshida&Co.’s quality has always been amazing – I bought my first bag from them in 1992. And Mackintosh is a British brand so that was an easy one; they also stand for exceptional craftsmanship and manufacture. And then Beams Plus I used to work with a very, very long time ago, so they’ve been part of my Japanese family for years. But my brand manager offers me about 25 brands for potential collaboration
“Great clothes move exceptionally well. You always notice the people wearing great clothes when they’re moving, not when they’re sitting down. People move differently when they’re wearing clothes they feel good in.”
a day! It’s all about cherry-picking the right ones.
Q: Tell us more about your relationship with Japan. What makes Japanese design so special?
A: It’s their attention to detail. They’ll get a magnifying glass out on a garment to make sure it’s correct, and I respect that. The first time I went to Tokyo was in 1998, and I went from grimy east London to this impeccably tidy city, which completely blew my mind. In some ways it still does, every time I go. But when I first went, there was nobody speaking English. It was completely unspoiled.
Q: Japanese denim is having a real moment in Marylebone just now. Is Japan leading the way when it comes to textiles?
A: Not just Japan. I think there’s lots of very interesting fabric development out of Italy too, out of England even. There are some really great heritage mills in England that are still going.
Q: Could we see another golden age for Made in Britain clothes manufacture?
A: I doubt it, to be honest. We’ve been around the block on this for decades, and unless the government is actively supporting the British
industries of making cloth or making fashion, it’s never going to work.
Q: What’s your relationship with trends? Is it possible for a designer to completely ignore trends, or do they have a way of seeping in through osmosis?
A: Exactly that. You can’t escape it. You walk down the street and see someone in a great pair of trousers and you’re like, wow, okay – they could be vintage, they could be anything, but if your eyes are always open, it just happens. But I ignore 90 percent of it, that’s the secret. I don’t look at shows, I’m not interested in what other people are doing. It’s more cultural and social trends that interest me. Asking: how do we want to live? It’s not necessarily about fashion. And like any designer, we’re always thinking about who we’re designing for. You have to, or you can’t create anything. We’re always thinking: who is this woman? Who is this man? What’s he doing? Where is she going? We have all these lofty ideas about what kind of life they have.
Q: Speaking of lofty ideas, how do you feel about the rise of ‘qu iet luxury’?
A: I don’t get it. Suddenly everyone’s labelling everything. A pair of jeans is a pair of jeans! Good is always good.
STUDIO NICHOLSON
94 Marylebone Lane, W1U 2PZ studionicholson.com
BELTS
The 90s are back – in fashion and music, if not in economic buoyancy – and they’ve brought their belts with them: belts that stand closer to art than necessity, designed not so much to strap in as to stand out. As ever, Marylebone has some of the best, and of the best quality too. Their style is on trend but their materials are enduring, capable of seeing you through this particular 90s revival and beyond it to the next one, when it inevitably comes around again a decade or so down the line.
SOFIE D’HOORE VENICE BELT MOUKI MOU, £185 moukimou.com
A sharp black metal buckle contrasts starkly with this belt’s strap of 100 percent soft white nappa leather, like a button-shaped lump of coal on a freshly made snowman. It’s a striking, but pleasing combination that’s typical of Sofie d’Hoore, a Belgian fashion designer known for her unexpected colour palettes and strong lines. Lean into her aesthetic by pairing with a black skirt or trousers and a jumper in a dazzling shade.
MUNTHE SOLINA BELT KJ’S LAUNDRY, £110 kjslaundry.com
A statement belt from Munthe, a brand established in Copenhagen in 1994 as a more artistic, craft-based alternative to the contemporary fashion industry. You could guess as much from the slightly Art Deco buckle, and the quality of both the material – 100 percent leather – and the make. As the word ‘statement’ suggests, the Solina belt is more for show than securing your trousers, but beyond that it is incredibly versatile.
LISA BELT SEZANE, £60 sezane.com
Described as icy red, and for good reason: this Sezanne number encapsulates winter. Made from 100 percent bovine leather, its width and hue lend it perfectly to securing cream mohair cardigans or long, taupe trench coats. The buckle – made from zamac, finished in gold – is striking, but classy: this being the raison d’etre of one of London’s most covetable Parisian brands.
MARYLEBONE RING COX & POWER, MADE TO ORDER coxandpower.com
ELASTIC BRAIDED BELT FURSAC, £160 uk.fursac.com
WOOL JUMPER WITH FLOWER DETAIL SANDRO, £289 uk.sandro-paris.com
CORDUROY TROUSER SUNSPEL, £275 sunspel.com
PAUL SMITH LOVES BARBOUR OVERSIZED WAX JACKET PAUL SMITH, £479 paulsmith.com
SANDERS HARRY SUEDE CHUKKA BOOT TRUNK CLOTHIERS, £310 trunkclothiers.com
IFFLEY POCKET T-SHIRT THE WORKERS CLUB, £55 theworkersclub.co.uk
CHILTERN STREET
CHILTERN STREET
CHILTERN STREET
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DAY
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DAY
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DAY
SATURDAY 29 NOVEMBER 12PM - 6PM
SATURDAY 29 NOVEMBER
12PM - 6PM
SATURDAY 29 NOVEMBER 12PM - 6PM
AVE MARIA
Suzannah Crabb, founder of Suzannah London, on the perfect dress for any special occasion
THE LOOK
The Maria dress is unequivocally my favourite piece this season. I adore classic navy blue for its year - round versatility. A core tenet of my philosophy is ensuring that investment pieces can be effortlessly transformed for various occasions, and the Maria dress embodies th is perfectly.
I discovered its exquisite fabric during a visit to an embroidery mill in Italy. It features delicate thread - work bows embroidered throughout the cloth. The original swatch was designed in a very fragile pink, but I immediately envisioned it in our signature deep navy blue to subtly temper its sweetness. The mill kindly re-wove a trial of the fabric in navy, and I instantly ordered the meterage needed to bring the dress I had in mind to life – I truly fell in love with it. The lining, crafted from pure silk satin which feels incredibly luxurious against the skin, is intentionally shorter than the outer dress, creating a playful,
semi-sheer effect that adds to its charm.
I recently wore the Maria dress to a friend’s 50th birthday party in Mayfair. For that occasion, I chose to keep accessories minimal, as the dress itself felt like enough of a statement without being overtly extra for someone else’s celebration. However, had it been my own party, I would have embraced more elaborate silver or gold earrings – I particularly love the Cascata tassel earrings from Sonia Petroff – paired with a chic, linear met allic clutch.
For a daytime event, the Maria dress works beautifully with elegant millinery. Last year, one of the racing presenters wore it to Royal Ascot, styling it with our Toulouse straw boater. To arrive at an event in such a pretty, lightweight dress without fuss, I would layer it with a sophisticated cashmere coat. I have one from Isabel Marant that pairs perfectly, lending an air of understated
elegance and taking away any overly precious feel.
This look perfectly encapsulates the Suzannah aesthetic: timeless elegance, exceptional craftsmanship and versatile design that empowers women to feel chic a nd confident.
SUZANNAH LONDON
10 New Quebec Street, W1H 7RN suzannah.com
Exceptional Nursery in London
We provide a nurturing environment where children feel as happy, relaxed, and comfortable as they are at home.
Join the Maryam’s Nursery family! With locations in Marylebone, Paddington, Borough, Tower Bridge, and Finchley, we’re now enrolling. Scan the QR code to schedule a private tour or learn more.
NEW
Soeur
Most English people can confidently recall around 10 French words – either foodstuffs or the basic vocab taught in the first few weeks of year seven. On that basis, you will know that ‘soeur’ means ‘sister’. It’s a name that fits this French fashion brand perfectly: simple, unpretentious and rooted in the unshakeable power of sorority. The company was created in 2007 by sisters Angélique and Domitille Brion, with their first store arriving in the 6th arrondissement of Paris the following year. Theirs is a perfect partnership: Angélique takes care of the business side, while Domitille handles the creative direction: timeless, elegant, very Parisian, with a muted palette, androgynous shapes and high-quality fabrics. The sisters are now bringing Soeur’s quietly confident aesthetic to Marylebone, with a flagship store opening on the high street. Designed by French architect Gilles Viard, its offering includes ready-to-wear, leather goods, footwear, jewellery and eyewear.
SOEUR
76 Marylebone High Street, W1U 5JU soeur.uk
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Making the switch to Rendall & Rittner has never been easier.
Rendall & Rittner is a highly accredited multi award-winning managing agent with 35 years’ experience in providing a high-level and value driven service to many of the most prestigious buildings and clients in London. We have always championed professionalism, accountability, and a resident-focused approach to management.
Working in close partnership with building owners and residents, we take the critical role of professional property management very seriously in safeguarding and enhancing the lives of those who rely on us, particularly in today’s heightened regulatory landscape.
We would be delighted to arrange a call or meeting at your convenience to discuss your building’s specific needs and how our expertise can support you. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch for a no obligation review of your current property management provider.
Federica Vaglio, product manager of Fabriano, on an accordion-style sketchbook that offers fine-art quality in a practical form
Interview: Viel Richardson
Requirement
With the design of this notebook, the idea was to break away from the constraints of traditional formats. Bound pages can restrict the flow of ideas, forcing them into a rigid order. An accordion structure offered the freedom I was looking for. It can stretch into a panoramic landscape or unfold as a seamless sequence of thoughts. At the same time, it needed to remain a practical sketchbook, hence the compact 11.5cm × 16cm format. It’s small enough to always have at hand but opens up to reveal a surprisingly expansive surface. The paper was, of course, of primary importance. This was the first of our products to use Cromia – a mould-made paper created with 50 percent cotton fibres. Strong, light and reliable, it has a textured surface that stays soft to the touch. It bridges a gap left by many sketchbooks by bringing fine-art quality into a practical, everyday form.
Inspiration
The format draws on one that has supported storytelling for centuries. Its name, Leporello, came from Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Leporello is a servant who carries a concertina-folded catalogue of his master’s adventures. In one of the opera’s most famous scenes, he unrolls it before Donna Elvira, revealing an endless narrative. That sense of continuity fascinated me – a single strip that could hold countless stories. In the 19th century, the same format appeared in Victorian travel albums, where panoramic city views and landmarks were presented as continuous journeys. I loved how these objects became both keepsake and story. Simple in form yet adaptable, it can be read like a book, displayed as a cinematic sequence or even framed as a print. For Fabriano, it felt the perfect way to connect tradition with contemporary practice; a format that gives artists the freedom to set panoramas, sequences and experiments side by side.
Process
Creating each book is an exercise in precision and balance. Every Leporello is folded and assembled by hand, a delicate process that ensures the structure remains strong, yet is flexible enough to open and close repeatedly without wear. Minor variations between notebooks are not flaws but subtle signs of individual craftsmanship. At the centre of this process lies the Cromia paper, the production of which closely mirrors traditional papermaking –hand-intertwining the fibres creates exceptional stability and a rich tactile quality. Before its release, the paper underwent extensive testing in our laboratories. We worked with dry media such as pastels and chalks, then with acrylics and light watercolour washes, refining the surface until it performed perfectly. Feedback from trusted artists guided those refinements and the colour palette was shaped through that same collaboration.
Materials
Every material was chosen with two goals in mind: quality and responsibility. The paper is designed to endure. Its colours resist light and its texture grips dry pigments while welcoming light washes without distortion. I wanted the Leporello Cromia to encourage freedom, to let artists mix techniques and explore without restraint. The covers were designed to protect. Their rigidity shields the accordion structure while providing a stable surface for working anywhere. I chose Imitlin paper to wrap them, embossed with a fabric-like texture that gives strength and refinement in equal measure. The elastic band completes the form – a small but vital detail that keeps everything neatly together for travel or everyday use.
Environmental care is the second aim that guided our choices. The paper is acid free, lignin free and produced without optical brighteners. It is entirely vegan, made without animal-derived sizing. These considerations ensure the notebook reflects craft, quality and respect for the environment that inspires it.
Philosophy
Fabriano’s story began in 1264 and that heritage remains at the heart of everything we do. To work within a tradition spanning centuries is inspiring, but what keeps Fabriano alive is our constant pursuit of innovation – the belief that craftsmanship must evolve to stay relevant. By uniting our history with the needs of today’s creative world, this notebook embodies that balance. By reinterpreting mould-made paper in a contemporary, portable form, we created something both deep rooted and forward looking. It celebrates craftsmanship while supporting modern creativity, reflecting the same curiosity that has guided Fabriano for generations.
FABRIANO BOUTIQUE
43 Marylebone High Street, W1U 5HE fabrianoboutique.com
Tekla
If it’s possible for something to be simultaneously cool and warm, Tekla is exactly that. Established in Copenhagen in 2017, this Danish home textiles and lifestyle brand is known for its elevated modern aesthetic, but the form that takes – furnishings, bedding, sleepwear and towels made from the very highest quality fabrics – exudes pure warmth and comfort. Tekla’s approach draws heavily on art and architecture, taking inspiration
from the likes of British designer John Pawson, French architect Le Corbusier and Canadian-American painter Agnes Martin, with products designed to be as functional, durable and comfortable as they are beautiful. The brand is now arriving on Marylebone High Street, with its first London store opening in late November.
TEKLA
10 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4BT teklafabrics.com
Our Marylebone Christmas wish list
LINEAR PENDANT WITH CORTEZ PEARL COX & POWER, FROM £2,850 coxandpower.com
SWEETHEART CARD HOLDER ANNA + NINA, £39.95 anna-nina.nl
GIRAFFE BLUE ASSORTED SOAP ORTIGIA, £54 ortigiasicilia.com
LUCY WILLIAMS KNOT EARRINGS MISSOMA, £98 missoma.com
BOOKS
Recommended by the team at Veranda Books
How To End A Story: Collected Diaries, 1978-1998 by
Helen Garner
Leo says: “Years, inevitably, end on a reflective note, and there is much reflection but zero navel-gazing in this fascinating collection published earlier this year from Australia’s greatest living writer. Spare, honest and wry, this is a book to read slowly, while contemplating what lies ahead in 2026.”
Heap Earth Upon It by Chloe Michelle Howarth. Emily says: “Atmospheric, creepy and tense. A perfect read for those long winter evenings!”
The Duke by Matteo Melchiorre, translated by Antonella Lettieri
Alison says: “Immerse yourself in this sweeping novel set in Vallorgana, high in the Dolomites. When a feud unfolds between the ‘duke’ and his neighbour, the centuriesold balance starts to tip, as the whole village becomes embroiled. Power, privilege and the past are all in question in this glorious, satisfying read – to be enjoyed with a glass of red.”
VERANDA BOOKS verandabooks.com
RESCUE IN REGENT’S PARK BY ADAM BETHLEHEM DAUNT BOOKS, £15 dauntbooks.co.uk
The Ginger Pig’s evening butchery classes take place within the Moxon Street store. The classes, each one devoted to a particular category or cut of meat, consist of a butchery demo and a hands-on practical, followed by a two-course feast and wine pairing. Guests get to take home a generous amount of meat, which they’ve prepared during the class. Vouchers for these classes are valid for a full year after the date of issue, making them a perfect gift for any meat lover.
THE GINGER PIG, £195 – £225 thegingerpig.co.uk
2-CUP TEAPOT MUD AUSTRALIA, £138 mudaustralia.com
SHOE BAG TRACKSMITH, £50 tracksmith.com
SENTEI GARDEN SCISSORS NIWAKI, £32 niwaki.com
FELT COASTERS LABOUR AND WAIT, £4 EACH labourandwait.co.uk
STONEWARE MONO PATTERNS COASTER SET CAROLINE GARDNER, £28 carolinegardner.com
David Mellor’s stainless steel tableware collection has grown greatly from Corin Mellor’s original cafetiere design, featuring an ever-expanding range of complementary pieces. The latest additions include a storage canister, a one-litre water pitcher, and this pleasingly tactile, heavyweight bottle opener, which is also available in gunmetal.
DAVID MELLOR, £36 davidmellordesign.com
BOTTLE OPENER
IMMUNE RESPONDER
Professor Gideon Lack, founding director of the Allergy Centre of Excellence, on breakthroughs in the treatment of paediatric allergy
Interview: Vi el Richardson
Q: What drew you into the field of paediatric allergy?
A: Early in my training in New York, a 16-year-old boy arrived in the emergency department too far gone to resuscitate. This young, fit individual had suffered a cataclysmic reaction after eating a peanut. It was tragic. I wondered, how could something like this happen? Around the same time, we started seeing children with HIV presenting with allergic problems. It was clear that the immune system was at the heart of these sometimes life-threatening conditions, yet the field was still under-explored. Paediatric allergy felt like the place to focus, because so many of the allergies that plague people for life begin in childhood.
Q: What is the difference between an allergy and an intolerance?
A: Food allergy is a very specific response by the person’s immune system, whereas an intolerance is usually caused by the body’s inability to process a component in a certain food. There are two kinds of food allergy. There are food allergies where the immune system produces allergic antibodies when the person comes into contact with the allergen in the food. That triggers the release of histamine and other chemicals, with the result ranging from mild itching in the mouth to very severe, life-threatening symptoms such as
anaphylaxis. There’s also a more delayed form of allergy, caused by a different arm of the immune system, which can cause reactions such as diarrhoea, constipation, and reflux. There may be a genetic predisposition towards allergies in general, but you’re not born with a food allergy. You develop it.
Q: Do allergies present differently in children compared with adults?
A: In very young infants, the behaviour can be quite different. When babies are allergic and taste the food, they refuse it. In a sense, they feel something unpleasant is happening, so food aversion or refusal is one of the first symptoms we see. There are other reactions that babies and children tend to get more than adults. For example, the first manifestation may be behavioural changes. The babies or children may become irritable, tired or listless. And parents very often notice this without realising what it could mean.
Q: You helped develop the dual allergen exposure hypothesis. What does that suggest is a root cause of food allergies?
A: For decades we believed that food allergy was caused by early consumption of foods when the immune system was too immature. We even recommended avoiding giving peanuts to babies. The dual allergen exposure hypothesis says exactly the opposite. The key is that allergies develop when babies are exposed to foods through broken skin from eczema, dry skin or just the naturally thin skin of newborns – but not through eating. If parents are eating peanut butter and touching the baby, peanut molecules can penetrate the skin. The immune system treats them as hostile invaders and mounts an allergic response. But if the baby eats those foods during the critical window – from about four months of age onwards – the immune system learns to tolerate them. It’s the combination that matters: skin
exposure without oral exposure creates allergy, while early eating prevents it. So, if the whole family is eating peanuts, eggs and sesame, but the baby is being deprived of these foods, they’re only getting the dangerous skin exposure. This risks the development of the allergy.
Q: Your LEAP and EAT studies changed how the medical world approaches allergy prevention. What did they reveal?
A: They completely reversed decades of medical advice. These studies showed that the early introduction of peanuts can prevent the development of allergies by 80 to 90 percent. In the UK, about 15,000 babies every year will develop a peanut allergy. Preventing 80 percent of those cases over 10 years would prevent peanut allergy in 120,000 children. The studies also revealed this works for all children – those with severe eczema, mild eczema or no eczema at all. But the timing is critical: introduction should start at about four months of age, certainly by six months. For every month you delay, you lower the chance of preventing the allergy. The most fascinating finding was that this principle applies to treatment too. We used to insist allergic children avoid every trace of their allergen. Now we’re using controlled exposure to build tolerance, and in some cases even switch off the allergic response.
Q: Oral immunotherapy (OIT) will be unfamiliar to many people. What does it involve?
A: Oral immunotherapy gradually builds tolerance to an allergen. We start with milligrams of the food protein, supervised in the clinic. Then the child takes that tiny dose daily at home. Every two weeks the child comes to the clinic to increase the dose, building up over months until they can tolerate about 300 milligrams of peanut protein –roughly 1.5 peanuts.
For peanut allergy, there’s an approved medication from age four, which is a standardised >
“We previously believed
that food allergy was caused by early consumption of foods when the immune system was too immature. The dual allergen exposure hypothesis says exactly the opposite. ”
OIT can be the difference between successful treatment a nd a tragedy.
Q: No treatment is risk free. What are the main risks associated with OIT?
peanut flour in precise doses. For younger children, we use peanut puffs, starting with crumbs and teaching parents exact measurements. We can now do this for cashew, walnut, hazelnut, sesame and persistent egg, milk or wheat allergies. In younger children we can sometimes desensitise two or three foods in combination under a single protocol.
Q: Why is it so important that families do not attempt OIT on their own?
A: What we must avoid is parents giving their allergic children small amounts of food on their own, to ‘test’ the situation. That can easily develop into an emergency. OIT is only safe with specialised instruction, both in clinics with the facilities to treat allergic reactions, plus a 24/7 telephone support line when continuing at home. There are strict ‘golden rules’ after each dose. We also select foods strategically. For example, in Thai families where peanut is a staple in the diet, we prioritise peanut. In other cultures, it might be cashew or sesame. Without this structure – precise dosing, medical backup, emergency protocols and family education – attempting OIT is very dangerous. The difference between DIY attempts and medical
A: Allergic reactions are expected during OIT. You’re putting an allergen into the mouth, so you will get symptoms. Most are mild to moderate, like itching or hives. Some will have mild anaphylactic responses, with a tight chest or wheezing. Very occasionally these will be more severe and require immediate adrenaline via an auto-injector into the outer thigh. Families must always carry two auto-injectors. The golden rules are absolute: no exercise or hot baths for two hours after dosing, and never give the dose when the child is unwell. These aren’t suggestions – breaking them can trigger severe reactions. Parents must also recognise escalating symptoms: when antihistamines are enough versus when to inject adrenaline. This family education is a critical part of t he treatment.
The younger we start, the safer it becomes. One to four-year-olds generally have an easier process with fewer side effects. But there’s no such thing as risk-free OIT. This is why family education and constant communication with the medical team a re essential.
Q: How are food allergies diagnosed, and how do you prevent the process from being too stressful for children?
A: We will take a history, but the backbone of diagnosis is blood tests or skin tests. Skin tests aren’t painful as they do not break the skin or draw blood. Young infants tolerate it well. Toddlers are trickier because they don’t like having their arm held still, but it’s quick. For all testing, we work to minimise stress. Parents stay close, we explain everything, and we move at the child’s pace when possible.
One blood draw can test for multiple allergies – all tree nuts,
for example. Sometimes the tests aren’t conclusive, so we do a food challenge: incrementally giving the food over several hours. These tests only take place in the clinic with a fully trained paediatric emergency tea m on standby.
Q: What other new treatments give you the most optimism?
A: We’re entering an exciting period. We now have monoclonal antibody medications licensed in the US for treating multiple food allergies. It’s an injection every two to four weeks that protects against all your allergies. It is a well-known medication and we’re using it in some patients, though it’s not yet NICE-approved for food allergies on the NHS.
New small molecules are being developed as twice-daily pills that will prevent allergic cells from triggering reactions and we’re developing safe vaccines with individual peanut proteins that are small enough not to trigger reactions but able to switch off the body’s rejection response. There is also a ‘peanut patch’ that delivers protein through the skin to desensitise the immune system, and that’s close to being licensed. What excites me most is having options. Not every treatment suits every patient. These advances mean we can offer families real choice, not just: “Avoid the allergen forever.”
Q: What drew you to the Harley Street Hea lth District?
A: It has a long history of distinguished doctors, surgeons and paediatricians. It is central, well connected and home to other specialists we work closely with, making it highly convenient for patients. Our centre will also bring together related specialties, such as dermatology and allergy, under one roof – another reason this district was the perfect fit.
ALLERGY CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE 10 Duchess Street, W1G 9AB allergycentre.co.uk
Take away the stress of diabetes
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WEYMOUTH STREET, MARYLEBONE VILLAGE, LONDON W1G
A unique opportunity to acquire a lateral apartment having an area of approximately 1,864 sq ft (173 sq m) located on the second floor. The apartment has the added benefit of original features, underfloor heating and passenger lift.
The property features an entrance hall, a separate kitchen, a spacious double reception room, three/four bedrooms, including a master bedroom with views over Weymouth Mews and an en-suite bathroom, along with an additional shower room. This period building is ideally situated on the south side of Weymouth Street, at the junction with Portland Place, in the heart of Marylebone Village.
Leasehold
£3,150,000
NEW CAVENDISH STREET, MARYLEBONE VILLAGE, LONDON W1G
A refurbished three bedroom apartment in the heart of the Marylebone Village located on third floor flat (with passenger lift) has been extensively refurbished to provide generous living accommodation.
Comprises master bedroom with en-suite shower room, two further bedrooms, family bathroom, separate fully fitted kitchen and stunning double aspect lounge / dining room with wood flooring.
Bond Street and Baker Street underground stations together with the shopping facilities of Marylebone High Street are within close proximity. The open spaces of Regents Park are also nearby.
Unfurnished
£2,150 PER WEEK
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