The Slice Spring/Summer 2023

ISSUE 04 SPRING/SUMMER 2023

GOING OUT

SHOPPING

HERITAGE

XXXXXXXX

CULTURE

TOWER HAMLETS

STRIKERS WHO BLED FOR THE EAST END

Special Earth Issue FOOD SOVEREIGNTY

SUSTAINABLE FASHION CYCLING FOR A LIVING

Isle of Dogs Independence, What’s On this Summer, A Sikh family In Bow T H E S L I C E M A G A Z I N E .C O. U K

Applications for the next cohort of Community Journalism Fellows will open in May 2023.

Social Streets’ Community Journalism Fellowship is a funded six-month programme that provides early-career journalists with training in community journalism and the opportunity to write articles for one of The Slice’s online newspapers. Priority is given to people living in Tower Hamlets.

A P P LY AT S O C I A L S T R E E T S .CO/ S C H O O L

SCHOOL OF COMMUNITY JOURNALISM

470-480 Roman Road London E3 5LU admin@socialstreets.co

CONTENTS ISSUE 04 SPRING/SUMMER 2023

The write stuff

C

from the editor

ould you be the next Poppy Bootman? When Poppy, a local resident from Bethnal Green, first saw a copy of The Slice magazine at Gallery Café last November, she wrote to us asking if she could get involved. She had always wanted to write but hadn’t been able to break into the competitive world of journalism. By February she had enrolled in one of our Community Journalism courses and, a few months later, she had her first article published in print, The people daring to imagine a fairer food system on page 14.

As a social enterprise using journalism to strengthen the local community, Social Streets is committed to investing in the next generation of local journalists. By training people to write about their area, we are building a more representative local media and giving the local community greater control over the messaging within their neighbourhood.

Thanks to a generous benefactor from Mile End we have launched the Social Streets Community Journalism Fellowship. This will fund three students to take part in our Fellowship programme, a part-time training

scheme where Fellows join the team and have their work published in one of our four online titles, Roman Road LDN, Bethnal Green LDN, Whitechapel LDN and Poplar LDN. This will be our first step in creating the UK’s first School of Community Journalism. And I couldn’t be more chuffed that we are launching this in Tower Hamlets, a place that I’m proud to say has been my home for the last 25 years.

Can you tell which of our other articles in this issue have been penned by one of our Community Journalism students? You may be surprised. Our courses are small with lots of oneon-one time to help fast-track young emerging writers both personally and professionally. If you think you can guess, or if you want to apply to our funded Fellowship, we’d love to hear from you.

Tabitha Stapely Editor-in-Chief

COVER IMAGE SH OT BY MATT PAY NE

Inside this issue

CONTENTS

ABOUT US The Slice is an independent news and culture magazine for Tower Hamlets published by Social Streets C.I.C, a social enterprise building a new model of local journalism.

We are powered by our members who contribute to our content. We also provide opportunities in the creative and media industries to local people including trainee schemes.

Our online platforms include Roman Road LDN, Whitechapel LDN, Bethnal Green LDN and Poplar LDN. Want to be part of your local community? Email us at hello@theslicemagazine. co.uk.

MASTHEAD Editor-in-Chief Tabitha Stapely Commercial Assistant Ellie MacInnes Designed by Katie Wilde @Detailsbylil Published by Social Streets C.I.C.

CONTACT US TheSliceMagazine.co.uk Social Streets C.I.C 470-480 Roman Road London E3 5LU 020 3972 4988 hello@theslicemagazine.co.uk

FOLLOW US

04 / WHAT’S ON THIS SPRING/SUMMER 08 / CYCLING: STRADDLING THE CLASS DIVIDE 14 / A FOOD BLUEPRINT FOR TOWER HAMLETS 18 /AMY POWNEY ‘S SUSTAINABLE FASHION 20/ SEWING WITH STITCHES IN TIME 28 / STRIKERS WHO BLED FOR THE EAST END THE SL ICE  03

What’s On Dali Immersive Experience

01 JUN 20 MAR- 02 JUN

THE BOILER HOUSE

The Dali Immersive Experiences gives East Enders the chance to explore and interact with Salvador Dalí’s unique surrealist works.

Wandering through The Boiler House in Brick Lane the outside world fades as you stare in wonder at the artworks before you.

Ending on 2 June, the virtual-reality tour is not one to miss.

Visit Immersive-dali.com for more info.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra TROXY

Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s ethereal rock may be the best way to kick off summer.

Their soft, melodic sounds fit perfectly in this iconic East End venue and its historic, art-deco halls. The New Zealand psych-rock band are sure to excite and mellow their audience equally.

Visit Troxy.co.uk for more info.

17 JUN

Tom Middleton Presents Global Communications RICH MIX 23 JUN

KOBI NAZRUL CENTRE

Queer Footprints leads an event that will bring the power of London’s growing Bangladesh LGBTQIA+ community into a welcoming space. Hear talks from activists such as Mazharul Islam and Tashnuva Ferdousi at Tower Hamlets’ flagship Bengali arts and culture centre.

Young V&A reopening 01 JUL

YOUNG V&A IN BETHNAL GREEN

After a three-year transformation, the Young V&A will open in Bethnal Green. Previously the V&A Museum of Childhood, the revamped Young V&A will feature exciting installations and interactive experiences. This includes an ‘Imagination Playground’ and highlights of artwork from the V&A in South Kensington, from Hokusai to Keith Haring. Visit Vam.ac.uk for more info.

For electronic music vintage, you will not be disappointed by Tom Middleton’s two-man band, Global Communication. Middleton discovered worldrenowned musicians Aphex Twin and Jon Hopkins at the start of their careers so knows what makes an entrancing live set. His musical partner, Mark Pritchard, is an expert producer signed to record label Warp.

Visit Richmix.org.uk for more info.

Secretsundaze presents: Multi Multi HACKNEY WICK

A day festival in various Hackney Wick venues, Multi Multi offers dance music enthusiasts the perfect opportunity to enjoy tunes on their doorstep, right by the iconic Regent’s Canal. Venues such as Studio 94 and The Yard will provide a diverse array of sounds to fit your musical palette. Visit Secretsundaze.net for more info.

08 JUL

PH OTO S SU PP LIE D BY I N D I VI D UA L CON T RI B U TO R S

Queer Footprints: Building Bangladeshi Queer Power

TOWER HAMLETS

Laurie Kang

The Mikado

CHISENHALE GALLERY

WILTONS

Kang’s fascinating exhibition will be shown at a much-loved contemporary East End art space in Bow. In her work, Kang references biology, feminist theory and science fiction to stage mystical and awe-inspiring installations. Dealing with the theme of movement, the exhibition is sure to provoke hearts and minds.

Visit Chisenhale.org.uk for more info.

Sasha Regan’s All-Male The Mikado is a musical performance that touches on British politics but in a humorous and tuneful fashion.

Expect an unconventional, yet

thrilling adventure directed by Regan, known for creating laughs and thrills in abundance Visit Wiltons.org.uk for more info.

07 JUN - 01 JUL

01 JUN - 30 JUL

Tambo and Bones

THEATRE ROYAL STRATFORD EAST Tambo and Bones, part clown show and part hip-hop concert, offers a unique take on cultural hot points. The show is a satire on issues of our time, such as race and the collapse of empire. With

afro-futuristic themes and robots in the mix, it is hard to predict what could happen but it does not look like one to miss.

Visit Stratfordeast.com for more info.

16 JUN - 15 JUL

Lucy Orta, Traces: Stories of Migration NUNNERY GALLERY & CAFÉ

02 JUN - 27 AUG

Orta’s exhibition is in partnership with the London College of Fashion’s ‘Making for Change’, and explores migration histories woven into the cultural fabric of the East End. It will reflect the fascinating and exciting lived histories of our area through the medium of textiles.

Visit Bowarts.org for more info.

08 - 09 AUG

All Points East VICTORIA PARK

15 JUL

Matchwomen’s Festival BOW ARTS TRUST

The day celebrates the 1888 March Girl Strike and will feature talks from activists such as Jeremy Corbyn. There will be live bands, talks and a chill-out area for those with social anxiety. The festival borrows themes from the East End’s proud striking history to create an inclusive and inspiring space.

Search Eventbrite.co.uk for more info.

It’s a strong musical lineup this year with Stormzy, HAIM and Jungle on the bill. You will be able to enjoy vintage music just a walk away from your doorstep. Whether its a live band in the early evening or a ecstatic electronic set to close, All Points East will get you dancing the bank holiday away.

Visit Allpointseastfestival. com for more info.

 THE SL ICE  05

AFFORDABLE SUSTAINABILTY How Tower Hamlets is becoming a model for grassroots environmental change, proving that the cost-of-living crisis and the climate emergency can be fought side-by-side.

WORDS PO LLY NA S H

W

hen Londoners think of Tower Hamlets they might think of Victoria Park or Brick Lane. Or perhaps our Cockney heritage and diverse immigrant population jump to mind.

But our borough is also known for its economic inequality, where the deprivation of many neighbourhoods is thrown into sharp relief by Canary Wharf’s glittering skyline.

While the Council’s anti-austerity budget aims to tackle such extreme wealth inequalities, the climate emergency does not need to be viewed along these dividing lines.

With Tower Hamlets vowing to be a net zero Council by 2025 and a net zero borough by 2050, grassroots organisations are finding ways to tackle the seemingly opposing needs created by the cost-of-living crisis and the climate emergency, recasting sustainability as an achievable goal for all of us.

Noisy arguments over Liveable Streets schemes have dominated

T HE S L ICE  0 6

P H OTOG R A P H Y MATT PAY NE

discussions of the climate emergency in Tower Hamlets, but the perceived divide between gentrifying cyclists and working-class car drivers ignores the burgeoning group of delivery cyclists whose existence flies in the face of these divisions.

Zipping down Whitechapel Road’s cycle superhighway in their bright orange, green and turquoise uniforms, these gig economy workers are beneficiaries of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) that have emerged across the borough. This sector of cyclists cuts across class fault lines and symbolises the need and potential for compromise and cooperation.

It is during these times of division and plight that the pioneering spirit the East End comes into its own, as ever led by those at the grassroots finding creative solutions to tackle the cost-ofliving and climate crises side-by-side.

With over half of Tower Hamlets children experiencing food insecurity, an evolving group of activists, organisers, gardeners and cooks have

formed the Blueprint Architects, to find alternative systems of food production and fight for greater community access to land, which is hard to come by in our inner city residential areas.

Among these green-fingered pioneers is the Women’s Environmental Network (Wen), offering growing and cooking workshops in the Hub community garden in Poplar, and championing the key role that women can play in achieving equitable access to environmentally friendly food.

Contrary to the menu prices at some vegan cafes, Queen Mary’s Zero Waste shop in Mile End shows that a plant-based diet can be the cheapest way to feed your family. London’s largest zero-waste shop, it provides a tangible way to reduce your plastic consumption while putting the fun back into shopping with its ‘pic n’ mix’ style supermarket experience.

Drawing on our area’s rag trade past, eastern Tower Hamlets is fast becoming the country’s leading light in sustainable fashion. Innovative fashion hubs such as Poplar Works’ and The

TOWER HAMLETS

Drawing on our area’s rag trade past, eastern Tower Hamlets is fast becoming the country’s leading light in sustainable fashion.

Trampery Fish Island are incubating the UK’s future fashion designers committed to healing our beleaguered planet. And one day we’re sure to see them exhibited at the new fashionfocused V&A East, opening in 2025 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Though Mile End’s luxury sustainable fashion brand Mother of Pearl is unaffordable to most, its environmentally conscious vision and ethical supply chain are inspiring others to buy second-hand and waste less. Taking up shop under railway arches and in disused warehouses, Tower Hamlets is teeming with thrift stores like Mad Vintage in Mile End

where you can fill a whole bag for just £10, showing that sustainable fashion doesn’t have to come with a high price tag.

Silo, the world’s first zero-waste restaurant in Hackney Wick, has also had a trickle-down effect as more East End restaurants are catering to the demands of environmentallyconscious consumers. Cambridge Heath’s Flat Earth Pizzas sources local produce as part of its transparent supply chain, serving up creative meat-free pizzas and leading foraging walks to remind us that sustainability can also be fun.

So, while our everyday choices can sometimes feel insignificant in the face of the global climate emergency, the grassroots initiatives celebrated in this special Earth issue of The Slice magazine show the influence we have as a collective, which must cater for the many, not the few. 

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THE SL ICE  07

CYCL  Luciana, riding for two years, drops off a delivery to an apartment in Whitechapel.

WO R D S ALBE RT S O WE R BY- DAVI ES

T HE S L ICE  0 8

PHOTOGRA PHS MATT PAY N E

ING:

WHITECHAPEL

A MIDDLE - CLASS PROBLEM FOR WOKE WHEELERS

OR

A WORKING - CLASS CRISIS FOR A GROWING SECTOR OF CYCLE COURIERS THE SL ICE  09

Tower Hamlets’ class-dominated conversation about cycling is drowning out a bigger crisis surrounding the working conditions of Whitechapel’s growing flock of cycle couriers.

If you keep up with the news, you’d be forgiven for thinking that cycling is exclusively a fashionable commuting choice for gentrifiers or your dad’s favourite excuse to wear lycra.

RideLondon, the capital’s annual festival of cycling, has been mocked by former Hackney councillor, Jon Burke, as a ‘middle-class jamboree’.

The response to Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) schemes and plans for a ‘15-minute city’ where everything is designed to be within walking or cycling distance, has often pitted working people who rely on their cars against middleclass environmental campaigners such as George Monbiot or Extinction Rebellion.

The promotion of cycling is not only perceived as middleclass but as detrimental to working-class people. Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, has framed car reduction measures in terms of

Like taxi drivers, the workplace of these delivery cyclists is the streets. Cycle couriers spend 20 to 40 hours a week on the road, and sometimes more.

a class war where ‘the working classes are losing badly’.

At the heart of this dispute is an assumption that cycling is a predominantly middle-class leisure pursuit. In fact, no group spends more time cycling than working-class couriers for cargo bike delivery companies and food app delivery companies like Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat. Cycling couriers are a huge and burgeoning group of UK workers. Deliveroo alone provides work for more than 15,000 couriers in London. Though some use motorbikes and scooters, the majority use pedal bikes and e-bikes.

Zedify, a cargo bike delivery network with a hub in nearby Hoxton, has just secured £5 million in funding from Barclays, creating 120 living-wage jobs nationwide.

Like taxi drivers, the workplace of these delivery cyclists is the streets. Cycle couriers spend 20 to 40 hours a week T HE S L ICE  1 0

 Nurul, 25 from Bangladesh, built his own electric bike with help from his friend Faruk.

WHITECHAPEL

on the road, and sometimes more. This means they are at far greater risk of injury or death than commuters or those who cycle for leisure.

Speaking to food app delivery cyclists on Brick Lane, everyone felt safer on cycle pathways physically separated from traffic than on roads with no cycle lanes at all. Couriers spoke positively of the Cycle Superhighway 2 (CS2) on Whitechapel Road, and statistical evidence corroborates that the safest way to cycle is on a path segregated from traffic.

Tower Hamlets Mayor, Lutfur Rahman, promised in his manifesto to reopen all roads to cars and has begun reversing existing LTN and School Street schemes. He claims that LTN road restrictions are ‘moving congestion and pollution on to the most vulnerable residents [of the borough].’

His 2022 election campaign tapped into a perceived divide between wealthy gentrifying cyclists and working-class car drivers. Local residents campaigning against LTNs such as Mohammad Rakib consider these supposed wealthy cyclists as ‘urban colonialists’ who are pricing residents out of the borough and contributing to a form of ‘social cleansing’.

Critics such as Jane Harris from the campaign group Save Our Safer Streets accuse Rahman and Rakib of stoking a ‘culture war’ instead of considering the evidence.

The Equality Impact Assessment in April 2021 found that LTNs reduce injuries for all road users by around 70 per cent. A 2022 report commissioned by national cycling charity Sustrans found that LTNs also ‘reduce the overall number of car journeys taken’ and therefore improve air quality.

Cycle couriers are among the highest at risk of exposure to both air pollution and road accidents due to the hours they spend on the road every day for their work, breathing in exhaust fumes and weaving in and out of cars. They also tend to live in more deprived areas

where average annual concentrations of NO2 are 13 per cent higher than in wealthier areas.

As workers, their interests in car-reduction infrastructure such as cycling superhighways and LTNs converge with those of middle-class residents and commuters rather than those of working-class car drivers.

That’s not to say that louder middle-class voices should be allowed to drown out the specific concerns of delivery couriers.

Predominantly middle-class homeowners can afford to rent bicycle storage hangers on their own streets. But without access to safer locations, many cycle couriers have to store and charge their e-bikes indoors.

On Sunday 5 March, a fire caused by a Zoomo e-bike battery engulfed a three-bedroom apartment housing 18 people at Maddocks House in Shadwell. Tragically, one occupant, Mizanur Rahman, died of his injuries.

This is not an isolated incident. In March of this year, the London Fire Brigade issued a safety warning about "incredibly concerning" fires involving e-bikes in London, which they say has increased year-on-year by 80 per cent.

This underlines that to comprehensively address cycling safety in the borough, we need to consider wider factors such as in-work poverty, overcrowded housing, and a lack of easy-to-access council-provided cycle storage solutions.

But it’s not just the Council that is ignoring the welfare of cycle couriers. The Tower Hamlets Walking and Cycling Index 2021, commissioned by Sustrans, makes no mention of food app delivery couriers or their specific safety concerns.

The cycling culture war speaks to legitimate frustrations at the wider inequalities of Tower Hamlets life, but we should not let it cloud our judgment on cycling.

The safer streets that LTN campaigners are fighting for would be a welcome improvement to the working conditions of delivery cyclists. And it must not stop there.

Food app delivery couriers have some of the worst living and working conditions in the borough, and they are not sufficiently empowered to speak up about their conditions.

Local and national bodies with influence over cycling policy must redirect their attention towards helping these vulnerable workers.  Originally published on Whitechapellondon.co.uk

T HE SL ICE  11

PARTNER CONTENT

Queen Mary Zero Waste Shop: LONDON’S LARGEST ZERO WASTE SHOP OPENS IN TOWER HAMLETS

Are you ever frustrated by pointless supermarket packaging? Or annoyed when you have to buy a whole kilogram worth of lentils when you only need 250 grams?

These are shopping habits that we’ve come to accept when visiting our local supermarkets, but the Queen Mary Zero Waste Shop is handing control back to consumers, enabling us to cut down on food and plastic waste while sticking to a budget.

The largest zero waste shop in London and the only one in Tower Hamlets, the Queen Mary zero waste shop is located on Mile End Road, just beyond the park on the right-hand side of the street as you walk away from Mile End underground station towards Stepney.

Though it is part of the University campus, the shop recently opened a new door onto Mile End Road making it easier for environmentally conscious customers from Bow, Mile End, Stepney Green and beyond enter the shop directly from the street.

The store aims to break down barriers and change perceptions of zero-waste shopping which is often seen as expensive and inaccessible to customers accustomed to their supermarkets, who have yet to roll out adequate zero-waste options.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A ZERO WASTE SHOP? It’s a shop that enables you to buy all your store cupboard and household essentials completely package-free.

Customers can bring their own container or pick one up for free instore and pay by weight for the exact quantities they need.

From beans, pulses and lentils to environmentally friendly cleaning products, the shop’s varied vegan offering has everything you need to leave your kitchen fully stocked, with a few added treats thrown in for a shopping experience that you won’t find in Tesco.

According to store manager Mohammad Akbar, the vegan pick T HE S L ICE  1 2

and mix section is a favourite with customers young and old, because who ever said pick and mix was only for the cinema?

As you fill your containers with rice and pasta from the large food dispensers it’s hard not to be tempted by the smell of sustainably sourced ground coffee beans and freshly baked goods coming from the hot food and drinks counter. If you do get peckish be sure to try the vegan sausage roll which we hear is even better than Greggs’.

Much more than just a supermarket, the shop also provides vegan recipe cards, and recently held a competition to find a lunch recipe for one that used the least ingredients without sacrificing on flavour or nutrition.

‘We wanted to unlock the creativity that comes with cooking while being mindful of the planet,’ says Akbar: ‘It’s really amazing what you can do with so few ingredients.’

AND WHAT ABOUT THE COST? For many, the expense is seen as the main barrier to zero waste shopping, but Queen Mary’s shop is dispelling this myth one refillable bottle of oat milk at a time.

Due to the superior quality of products and ingredients, some items can be more expensive than big supermarket chains, but most zero waste solutions are actually cheaper in the long run.

Let’s say you want to make a red lentil soup for dinner (an idea for tonight perhaps?), instead of purchasing a 500-kilogram bag when the recipe only calls for a fifth of this, you are in control of how much, or how little, you buy and spend. Therefore, your daily spend will be cheaper and you won’t run the risk of your leftover lentils expiring and producing food waste.

As Akbar says: ‘Many people on a tight budget during the cost of living crisis have been attracted by the fact that they can buy the exact quantities they need.

‘Once they visit the shop and go through the novel experience of filling their containers and weighing their goods most people want to come back again. Lots of people who had never heard of zero waste shopping are becoming regulars!’ He beams.

Though many local shoppers are being won over by the shop’s customer experience and sustainable vision, with roughly one hundred zero-waste stores across the whole country, there’s still a long way to go to spread the concept of zero-waste shopping to more customers.

As awareness of the climate crisis and the damaging impact of single-use plastic grows, individuals now have the power to make simple changes to their shopping habits that make a big difference to our planet.

Paving a way to a greener planet and putting the fun back into shopping – showing supermarkets how it’s done – Queen Mary’s Zero Waste shop on Mile End Road brings a tangible way to immediately achieve a more sustainable lifestyle within walking distance.

You can find Queen Mary’s Zero Waste shop at 329 Mile End Rd, Bethnal Green, London E1 4NT. 

W O RD S P O LLY NA SH P H OTOG R A P H ZERO WA ST E SH OP

How Tower Hamlets’ first zero waste food shop on Mile End Road is changing consumer habits and letting us ‘pick and mix’ our way to more sustainable living.

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The people daring t food system i AMID THE CLIMATE AND COST OF LIVING CRISES, THE FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT COMMUNITIES OF TOWER HAMLETS HAVE ASSEMBLED AS THE BLUEPRINT ARCHITECTS TO REDESIGN HOW FOOD IS PRODUCED AND CONSUMED IN TOWER HAMLETS.

W OR DS POPPY B OOT MA N

T HE S L ICE  1 4

a ‘blueprint’ system where the food consumed is grown, harvested and distributed fairly for both its communities and the environment.

Food insecurity impacts poorer residents, working-class communities and people of colour the most severely, according to JustFACT, the umbrella network that formed the Blueprint Architects. Over the next five years, JustFACT will support the creation of new projects within Tower Hamlets that realise a food system that is supportive of these communities, which the Blueprint Architects will help select and inform.

The Blueprint Architects is a growing group of 20 to 30 activists and organisers, community gardeners and cooks, residents and local researchers from Bethnal Green, Whitechapel, Poplar and Bow, who are pioneering alternative systems of food production in Tower Hamlets.

A key principle of Blueprint Architects is to build upon existing local knowledge, which they do by facilitating group discussions.

‘A significant issue in Tower Hamlets is the lack of agency people feel in relation to food,’ explains Laurium Mompelat, Blueprint Architects’ coordinator, ‘which is why recognising how much wisdom local people hold is particularly important.’

The Blueprint Architects gather as a group to conduct research of Tower Hamlets’ current food system.

Coordinated by Mompelat, the Architects share their stories of food

“Growing cucumbers in our already cramped kitchens isn’t an option for a lot of us.” insecurity and efforts to change this, identifying the collective experiences of Tower Hamlet’s residents.

One Blueprint Architect embodying an alternative food system is Andy Philpott who volunteers at St Hilda’s Food Cooperative in Bethnal Green, a weekly shop that provides fresh, local and organic produce at more

PH OTO GR A PH S O F LI MBO RO UG H HU B BY S A I MA K HA LI D

W

hen you reach for a loaf during the weekly shop, what do you consider?

The grade of wheat used?

Where the flour was milled? Whether the grain was grown organically?

Yeah, unlikely.

Like most of us, price is the factor we are most compelled to consider. And in Tower Hamlets, with high levels of child poverty, food prices skyrocketing and the increasing cost of living ever more pervasive, it’s not just our daily bread at risk.

We are all told that the way our food is produced contributes significantly to climate change. However, living in one of the most food insecure boroughs, most of us can’t afford to think about individual climate food footprints, and we choose our weekly loaf based on its price tag.

But, what if nutritionally rich, environmentally-mindful, culturallyrelevant produce was available to everyone at prices we could afford?

Introducing the Blueprint Architects, a movement of Tower Hamlets residents that is envisioning

BETHNAL GREEN

to imagine a fairer in Tower Hamlets affordable prices. Not driven by profit, Philpott explains the shop is ‘an affordable lifeline to so many people providing a diverse local community with healthy and nutritious food that is plastic-free.’

Then there’s Rachel Hippolyte, the Education Manager at Spitalfields City Farm where she connects children to the land. She brings her experience of working with Tower Hamlet’s young people to the Architect group.

A Poplar resident who has also joined Blueprint Architects is Honufa Islam, a community gardener and volunteer.

She has campaigned in the past for 12 garden beds to be placed in her Poplar estate where mangoes, avocados and the Bangladeshi gourd, kodu, bloom.

While the infertile soils that kodu enjoy might be easy to find in London, the copious amounts of sun required for growth certainly is not. Honufa now shares her expertise in planting and knowledge of residential ‘rights to grow’ with other Blueprint Architects.

Similarly, Alannah Shafiq looks after a mushroom farm in Poplar and is excited to bring their knowledge of fungi to the group. They give workshops on how mushrooms can

help people redesign food-growing systems.

Seeds of Revoluton is the Blueprint Architect’s first publication of their research, which identifies the collective experiences of Tower Hamlets’ residents.

within the borough, particularly with those who do not have English as a first language and are often excluded from decisions by policy experts. They are also planning an art installation to communicate their work with the broader community.

Tower Hamlets’ Blueprint Architects represents a community’s realisation that a radical reimagining of our food systems has to happen to resolve our current poverty and environmental crises.

By taking action into their own hands to ensure decisions are rooted in residents’ knowledge, local needs are kneaded into policy, and vulnerable communities are protected, the Blueprint Architects hope they have the answer.

‘If this action is taken seriously now, what could our food system be in 2050?’ asks Mompelat. 

But, what if nutritionally rich, environmentallymindful, culturallyrelevant produce was available to everyone at prices we could afford?

A key finding is a need for community access to land. Like gold dust in London, gardens are not typical of East End homes. Growing cucumbers in our already cramped kitchens isn’t an option for a lot of us. Access to land is an important way to provide the community with food security.

Several of the Architects are already providing public access to land and growing spaces. Limborough Food Hub, a community garden and kitchen in Poplar, is one of them. The Hub is organised by the Women’s Environment Network (Wen) and offers growing and cooking workshops to locals.

‘Limborough Hub over the last couple of years has become a refuge for joy and celebration… We want it to be people’s happy place where everyone comes to enjoy nature, good food and friendships, whilst thinking about and having conversations around the impacts of climate change’ says Shaheda Aziz, Co-ordinator of the Limborough Food Hub. The second issue of Seeds of Revolution from the Architects will be published this summer. The report will include wider conversations

Originally published on Bethnalgreenlondon.co.uk

THE SL ICE  15

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SYMPOSIUM Symposium is a family-run restaurant, wine bar and deli, with a focus on Italian products and produce. It has an extensive range of organic, biodynamic, orange and minimal intervention wines alongside East London Brewery craft beers. Book us for a private party.

363 ROMAN ROAD, BOW, E3 5QR | SYMPOSIUMLONDON.CO.UK

TUCK SHOP Tuck Shop is a consciously curated grocer, butcher, bottle shop & cafe rolled into one. Join us for coffee and freshmade sandwiches at lunch, a wine or beer in the evening, before grabbing the best local produce around for dinner.

2 CASINGS WAY, FISH ISLAND, E3 2TH | TUCK-SHOP.CO.UK

VALERIAN SPICER Ex-international boxer, now a L2 England Boxing Coach and personal trainer, I offer one-to-one training and hold weekly boxing fitness sessions for all levels. Mile End and Bow area.

INFO@VALERIANSPICER.FITNESS | 07773020945 | VISIT THESPICERMETHOD.COM

07815 591279 | GREENSPACECOACHING.COM

JUNGLE ELECTRIC Fully vegan independent coffee shop serving amazing coffee, teas, cakes, smoothies, food and more! We hold live music and other live events. Follow on Instagram for events info, @Jungle.Electric. We are also available for private hire.

467 ROMAN ROAD, BOW, E3 5LX | JUNGLEELECTRIC.CO.UK

ONA’S BENTO SUSHI BAR An authentic cosy Japanese sushi restaurant on Roman Road. Order freshly-made sushi from the highest quality fish, tasty donburi dishes and delicious noodle soups. Admire the art of sakura and spiritual Torii-gate.

486 ROMAN ROAD, BOW, E3 5LU | INSTA @ ONA_BENTO_SUSHI

SNAP SNAP is a colourful, independent store on Roman Road, in the heart of East London. We sell contemporary greeting cards, and gifts including books, jewellery, candles, stationery, homewares, prints, frames, balloons and more.

Open six days a week.

465 ROMAN ROAD, BOW, E3 5LX | SNAP-STORE.COM

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NATURE GROUPS FRIENDS OF MILE END PARK The Friends of Mile End Park is a voluntary organisation for those who care about Mile End Park. We have monthly litterpicking sessions on the second Sunday of each month and different seasonal activities, such as bulb planting.

FOMEP.ORG.UK

CANAL CLUB COMMUNITY GARDEN We are a wildlife and food-growing community garden built by boat dwellers and the local community. We hold all kinds of events and gardening workshops and provide gardening tips and seed sharing. Volunteers welcome.

WATERLOO GARDENS, E2 9HP | TWITTER @CANAL_COMMUNITY

CRANBROOK COMMUNITY FOOD GARDEN Designed and built in 2009 by residents from Cranbrook Estate and surrounding areas, we offer Saturday activities where you can learn about organic gardening, food

The Slice is a magazine specifically for the London borough of Tower Hamlets.

GET IN TOUCH WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP TEAM TO BECOME A MEMBER AND DISCUSS PROMOTING YOUR BUSINESS TO A LOCAL AUDIENCE.

HELLO@THESLICEMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CLASSIFIED

DIRECTORY growing, composting and more with the guidance of experienced volunteer team members.

FACEBOOK @ CRANBROOK COMMUNITY FOOD GARDEN

EAST LONDON GARDEN SOCIETY The East London Garden Society is here to promote, protect, enhance and otherwise inform all like-minded gardeners on the wider prospects of gardening in a better environment.

We need others to be involved in whatever way they feel able to assist.

ELGS.ORG.UK

FRIENDS OF BETHNAL GREEN GARDENS We are a voluntary group of people who cares about Bethnal Green Gardens. We work with the local park authorities and other stakeholders to act as a ‘critical friend’ to protect the park’s biodiversity, air quality and local history.

FACEBOOK @ FRIENDS OF BETHNAL GREEN GARDENS

COMMUNITY GROUPS

ROMAN ROAD TRUST Working to improve the Roman Road area for the benefit of residents, businesses, and regular visitors in Bow, Mile End and Globe Town. Also transforming The Common Room into a brand-new community building for Roman Road volunteers needed.

ROMANROADTRUST.CO.UK

THE TRAMPERY The Trampery is a purpose-led enterprise dedicated to making business a positive force in society. Providing workspaces, venues and training in pursuit of their mission.

Visit them at Old Street, Tottenham, Republic, The Gantry, Poplar Works and Fish Island Village.

SOCIALS @THETRAMPERY | THETRAMPERY.COM

XR TOWER HAMLETS The Big One on the 21 to 24 of April 2023 is our chance to come together as one great movement of movements and tip the balance of power. Join us in demanding a fair society and a citizen-led democracy to end the fossil fuel era.

FACEBOOK @ EXTINCTION REBELLION TOWER HAMLETS

 CHISENHALE GALLERY 2 June - 30 July 2023: View Lotus Laurie Kang’s major new commission. Rooted in an enduring concern with the body and the forces that shape it, Kang references biology, feminist theory and science fiction to stage ambitious, sitesensitive installations. Wed-Sun 12-6pm.

64 CHISENHALE ROAD, BOW, E3 5QZ | CHISENHALE.ORG.UK

“We, Rivia Solutions, are a ŐƌŽƵƉ ŽĨ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞĚ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚĂŶƚƐ ǁŚŽ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ ŬŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞĂďůĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƌĂĐƚŝĐĂů ƐŽůƵƚŝŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ ĂĚǀŝĐĞ͘ tĞ ůŝŬĞ ƚŽ ƚŚŝŶŬ ŽƵƚƐŝĚĞ ƚŚĞ ďŽdž ĂŶĚ ƉůĂĐĞ ŚŝŐŚ ĞŵƉŚĂƐŝƐ ŽŶ ŽƵƌ clients”

INNER LONDON FOOTBALL LEAGUE The ILFL bridges gaps between different generations, areas, localities, nationalities, religions and backgrounds. The ILFL unites us all under the umbrella of football and does not see colour or creed.

SOCIALS @ILFLEXTRA | ILFL.ORG

ĐĐŽƵŶƚŝŶŐ ͮ dĂdž ĚǀŝĐĞ ͮ ŽŽŬŬĞĞƉŝŶŐ ͮ ŽŶƐƵůƚĂƚŝŽŶƐ MILE END BROWNIES We are a unit of Girlguiding UK in the Mile End area for girls aged 7-10. We teach girls that they can achieve anything they set their minds to. There’s something for every girl at Brownies, and plenty of moments she’ll never forget.

54 ERNEST ST, E1 4LS | GIRLGUIDING.ORG.UK

OXFORD HOUSE The beating heart of Bethnal Green since 1884! We have a daily performing arts programme, a great café, subsidised office space and wonderful spaces to hire including theatre, roof terrace and hidden chapel.

ϰϭϵ ZŽŵĂŶ ZŽĂĚ ĞƚŚŶĂů 'ƌĞĞŶ ϯ ϱY^

ϬϮϬ ϯϴϬϮ ϳϵϮϯ Ϭϳϵϴϴϲϰϵϱ ϴϭ ϬϳϵϵϵϳϱϵϮ ϭϮ

ŝŶĨŽΛƌŝǀŝĂͲƐŽůƵƚŝŽŶƐ͘ĐŽŵ ƌŝǀŝĂƐŽůƵƚŝŽŶƐΛŐŵĂŝů͘ĐŽŵ

DERBYSHIRE STREET, E2 6HG | OXFORDHOUSE.ORG.UK

THE SL ICE  17

A NEW DOCUMENTARY TRACES MOTHER OF PEARL DESIGNER AMY POWNEY’S JOURNEY FROM LIVING IN A CARAVAN TO CREATING SUSTAINABLE LUXURY COUTURE AND FIGHTING TO OVERTURN OUR WASTEFUL SHOPPING HABITS.

PH OTO GR A PH Y © MOT HE R O F PEA RL A N D FA SH IO N R E I MAG IN ED

W OR DS POL LY N A SH

T HE S L ICE  1 8

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SOURCED IN URUGUAY AND MADE IN MILE END:

AMY POWNEY’S SUSTAINABLE FASHION COLLECTION

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Not unlike our local boaties lined up on the Regent’s Canal outside Mother of Pearl’s fashion studios in Mile End, Amy Powney, 38, grew up in a caravan roaming around rural England.

Without water, electricity or heating, Powney’s off-thegrid upbringing is not what you’d expect from the creative designer of Mother of Pearl, a luxury fashion brand where it’s hard to find a T-shirt costing less than £75.

Powney never felt like she fitted into the fashion scene, but it was her unconventional childhood that exposed her to nature and sowed the seeds of her dream to create a sustainable fashion collection from field to garment.

A new documentary titled Fashion Reimagined tells Powney’s story as an outsider growing up in Lancashire to become Creative Director of Mother of Pearl.

After winning a cash prize for emerging designers in 2017, Powney embarked on her No Frills collection, making clothes with a minimal carbon footprint in a traceable supply chain using as few chemicals as possible.

The film follows Powney from European catwalks to Uruguayan wool suppliers, to the beating heart of the business in Mile End where Mother of Pearl moved five years ago, forced out of Aldgate by expensive high-rise developments.

Found across the canal from Acme studios and next to fashion designer Henry Holland’s former  Amy Powney. studio, Powney now finds herself in the heart of East London’s creative quarter, home to artists and makers since the early twentieth century.

One of the few ethical fashion brands in an industry swamped with greenwashing, there are moments in the documentary when Powney is pictured in her busy Mile End studio questioning whether her mission is even possible.

‘Without the big cash flows that large companies have it’s really complicated to keep up with wages while growing the brand and doing the right thing. It always comes back to the finances and that’s the truth of it,’ she says.

Sustainability is often associated with higher price tags because ethical, independent brands don’t have the buying power of larger companies, and this pushes prices up.

But according to Powney: ‘Sustainable fashion is about a mindset. We can all be sustainable consumers who buy fewer clothes, re-wear them, re-sell them if we fall out of

love with them and not buy clothes that we don’t need.’

Buying 90% of her children’s clothes from charity shops, Powney says the stigma surrounding second-hand clothing needs to change in the industry. But she accepts not everyone has the time to scour the racks of charity shops to find that rare vintage gem.

‘I’m not talking about the people on the bread line who are choosing between heating and eating. The people who can only afford to buy £1 T-shirts don’t have a large carbon footprint, they are the ones finishing all the food in their fridge and not turning their heating on.’

‘But if you can afford to buy lots of £1 T-shirts or even £5 T-shirts then you can buy less but buy better for the same cost. There’s absolutely no way that the person picking the cotton or spinning the cotton or making that £1 T-shirt is being paid a living wage.’

Fashion Reimagined reminds us of myriad shocking stats about the fast fashion industry, like how three in five garments made today end up in landfill. But it differs from other exposes by telling the story behind the impact and carving out an alternative route for fashion brands.

As well as inspiring people to make environmentally conscious wardrobe choices, Powney says that Mother of Pearl wants to share its learnings with other fashion brands.

‘It’s not like if I do better for the planet then I get a golden ticket to live on a planet that’s surviving.’ Says Powney: ‘We all live on the same planet and the way each individual lives is impacting that planet for us and our children.’

With Stratford’s V&A East opening next year, and Poplar Works’ sustainable fashion studios already paving the way for local designers, the resourcefulness of the East End is sure to provide fertile soil for more brands like Powney’s.

And her advice to other eco-warriors entering the industry?

‘Just start. Don’t feel overwhelmed by the task. Lay it out phase by phase, giving yourself weekly, monthly, and yearly goals.

‘It’s the same as if you’re setting out a fitness plan to go to the gym,’ says Powney: ‘A lot of people put it off but once you crack the surface and start to feel encouraged then you’re motivated to return. It’s human nature.’  Originally published on Romanroadlondon.com

THE SL ICE  19

Educating and empowering women through sewing for 30 years

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titches in Time began as an experiment to see if sewing could start conversations between strangers.

This small experiment in 1993 turned into the creation of the organisation's founding project 'Tapestry for the Millenium', consisting of 50 tapestries made by over 3,000 people.

Thirty years later, Stitches in Time is now a participatory arts and education charity with a social enterprise arm based in Limehouse Town Hall in Tower Hamlets and engages with over 2,000 people per year.

The late Diana England, the founder of Stitches in Time, began 'Tapestry for the Millenium' as a community art development project. England's vision was to create large textile pieces depicting the social and economic history of Tower Hamlets, made by the people who were living there.

In the making of these pieces, people were brought together, communities who wouldn't usually have the opportunity to meet, sew and engage with each other.

This project demonstrated the power of an inclusive space in which people could connect and create. This inspired Stitches in Time to continue providing a creative safe haven that could reach and support isolated groups such as women who are long-term unemployed or have not worked before, some of whom have English as a second language.

'We are always described as a family, a home away from home' says Esther Malvern, Office Manager at Stitches in Time. 'It's a place where they can be with friends and talk to other women, and build up trust to be able to open up about other things or ask for what they need in order to progress.'

Stitches' success is evident from the many member testimonies on their website, including: 'Stitches in Time has made me independent to come out of the house. I have been suffering from domestic abuse for 29 years. They have listened and helped me and given me emotional support'.

T HE S L ICE  2 0

Sewing runs a range of sewing-based projects that include beginner sewing classes, drop-in sewing socials, and pre-ESOL English classes. The support is holistic and expands to meet the varied needs of its members, from providing advice to signposting resources in the borough.

What makes Stitches special is not just what members are being taught, but the way in which they are being taught and what they are being offered beyond practical skills.

'Being able to come together and make together is a real kind of bonding activity and it means that participants can be involved as much as they want to be.' says Malvern.

'There is great pride felt in learning a new skill and showing off that skill to other people and this provides a ripple effect in terms of someone’s confidence and pride in themselves.'

FabricWorks is the training, production, and social enterprise arm of Stitches in Time. It

 Sustainable wheat bags for TOAST

W O RD S JA S D E V B HA K A R, P HOTO GR A PH S: ST ITC H ES I N T I ME

How Stitches in Time and its manufacturing arm FabricWorks are tackling isolation within the community and climate issues in the world from their hub at Limehouse Town Hall.

POPLAR

garment is the one that is already in your wardrobe and that it’s cheaper to fix a garment you already have than buy something new. We know that changing the general public's mindset will not happen overnight but it’s about encouraging more people to mend and alter' said Sutton.

FabricWorks takes commissions from artists, designers, and brands. In selecting its commissions, FabricWorks prides itself on only working with brands that share the same ethics and morals.

A false reality has been created by some manufacturers that you can have very cheaply made products in a short amount of time without sacrificing working and production standards, so  The sewing studio at FabrikWorks agrees on production Limehouse Town Hall times and costs at the outset. 'If a commission didn’t understand all those things, then we wouldn’t take on the commission,' said Malvern. began formally in 2014, matching the need for a LondonThe close partnership formed with brands based textile production service with the need to support allows FabricWorks to help their partners employment opportunities for women with an interest in understand the production processes and how sewing but with little or no work experience. they can limit the waste of their fabrics. 'We The team consists of nine full-time makers and four work closely with our brands to rework scraps people doing volunteer placements; and they are looking to create other projects, so they don’t end up in to expand. 'I am passionate about growing the team and landfills,' said Sutton. offering more opportunities', enthused Gracie Sutton, the These additional projects are also a great way Social Enterprise Supervisor at FabricWorks.

Being sustainable and ethical is at the core of FabricWorks. for FabricWorks makers to use their other skills apart from sewing such as hand embroidery. 'We It provides its members with flexible working arrangements want to give them an opportunity to use those and every item produced is costed at the London living additional skills in a way that is sustainable and showcases their skills,' said Sutton.

The high standards to which the FabricWorks team operates is exemplified by one of Sutton's favourite commissions, the creation of wheat bags for the brand TOAST. This commission took several months to complete, it provided work for 20 women and the experience of working with the team at TOAST was enjoyed by all.

When a commission is received and women get to work in their studio both Malvern and Sutton agree that the atmosphere is amazing with women's energy bouncing off one another.

'It’s not just about earning money, it is about the wage, agreed with the makers. sisterhood and confidence that comes with it' said As well as manufacturing, FabricWorks offers a mending Malvern. and alterations service helping to combat the 350,000 Going forward Stitches in Time and tonnes, around £140 million worth of used but wearable FabricWorks aim to expand their existing clothing that goes into UK landfills every year. projects, so they are able to provide much-needed 'We are passionate about sustainability,' says Sutton, 'and support and employment opportunities to more it’s not always about creating more clothing out there, it women. 'I think we are going in the right direction is also about repairing what you have and we were keen for that, and we need to keep doing what we are to offer that as a service to mend, up-cycle and bring new doing,' said Sutton.  pieces to life.'

Originally published on Poplarlondon.co.uk ‘We want to spread the message that the most sustainable

“Sustainability is not always about creating more clothing out there; it is also about repairing what you have.

And we were keen to offer that as a service: to mend, up-cycle and bring new pieces to life.”

T HE SL ICE  21

High Street HOME

ON THE

Discover the best independent shops and eateries near you.

1

EASTENDERS SNOOKER LOUNGE 82-88 MILE END ROAD, STEPNEY

In the corner of a small cobbled yard once home to celebrated 18th century explorer, Captain Cook, this snooker lounge is a friendly members club where everyone knows each other. Inside, the snooker lounge is all about soul, not sophistication. Beyond the bar reception area, there are two rooms; one has three pool tables, and the other has eight snooker tables. There’s no decoration and the windows are boarded up, so you can leave all your troubles at the door and get lost in the game from midday to midnight (they are open 12 hours a day).

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3

INCI 599 ROMAN ROAD, BOW

Perched on a corner of Roman Road, Inci orange storefront is hard to miss.

Like most convenience stores it is open seven days a week and even offers a home delivery service.

But here is where the comparison ends. As well as your daily groceries you’ll find products from around the world, everything from Chinese hot pot ingredients, and American Flamin hot Cheetos to Korean big-brand noodles. It’s also the place to find products going viral on social media platforms such as Blue Takies, Tajin seasoning, and Little Moon cakes. One thing is guaranteed, you will always leave with an impulse buy that puts a smile on your face.

Read the full review by Jasdev Bhakar on Romanroadlondon.com T HE S L ICE  2 2

UNIT 4, BOW BUSINESS CENTRE

Read the full review by Valmira Gkioni in Poplarlondon.co.uk

4

TOWER HAMLETS

BUN SUM

It feels almost like you are on a secret mission.

Tucked away in the unassuming Bow Triangle Business Centre, you’ll find Bun and Sum in Unit 4. Blink and you’ll miss it. Since opening in July 2021, this burger joint has taken Instagram by storm, largely for its L.A.-style smashed burger loaded with tasty sauces.

Order online or get 50% on the core menu when collecting in person. There is no place to sit and eat, so you’ll be eating it ‘tradie-style’ standing outside the unit in the industrial estate. The burger joint serves these amazing fully loaded baps daily from morning till almost midnight (11 am-11 pm).

Read the full review by Albert SowerbyDavies in Whitechapellondon.co.uk

Taste

LEILA’S SHOP 15-17 CALVERT AV., BETHNAL GREEN

Nestled down Calvert Avenue of Arnold Circus you’ll find a traditional greengrocer, its trestle tables stacked high with colourful produce and wide windows bordered with brown bags of flour. Celebrating its 20th anniversary as Leila’s last year, the building has a long legacy as a greengrocer’s. Albert Raymond first opened a greengrocer shop on this site in 1900, passing it down to his son who ran it until he died in 1966. Next door is a cafe that Leila started 13 years ago. Swirls of chalkboard lettering tell you what’s for lunch, which varies every day based on the seasons. Charmingly, takeaways can be packaged up in a tiffin tin, which are for sale in the shop.

Read the full review by Poppy Bootman on Bethnalgreenlondon.co.uk 

RECIPE FOR SHINDER BHAKAR’S MASALA CHAI (Makes two cups of tea) INGRE DIE NTS: • 200ml of semi-skimmed milk • 200ml of water • Two black cardamom pods • Six green cardamom pods • Quarter teaspoon of fennel seeds • 5cm of cinnamon stick • Thumb-sized amount of raw fresh ginger • Two plain black tea teabags (e.g.

Yorkshire Tea or Tetley Tea) ME THOD: In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil.

While the water is boiling, use a pestle and mortar to grind down the two black cardamom pods, the six green cardamom pods, and fresh ginger.

Add the crushed black and green cardamom pods, freshly ground ginger, fennel seeds, cinnamon stick to the boiling water. Turn down to a simmer. After a couple of minutes, add the teabags.

Leave to simmer for five to ten minutes (the longer you simmer, the stronger and deeper the flavour).

Place the milk in a separate saucepan and gently heat over a medium heat. Be careful not to boil.

Add the warm milk to the spiced water and stir gently.

After a couple of minutes of stirring, scoop up the ingredient using a strainer, squeeze the water out of the ingredients and pour the fragrant tea into teacups.

Enjoy the masala chai with traditional Indian snacks such as Bombay mix, or Jalebi, or even just a digestive biscuit.

Silo restaura  SILO’S HACKNEY WICK RESTAURANT

WHERE FINE DINING MEETS R A D I C A L E N V I R O N M E N TA L I S M  SIMPLE LEEKS

The Hackney Wick zero-waste restaurant symbolising sustainable environmental change while remembering that fine dining is supposed to be fun.

S

itting atop CRATE Brewery above the bustle of Hackney Wick you will find Silo Restaurant occupying a large white converted warehouse, looking over the canal boats lined up on the River Lee Navigation.

Opening in Hackney Wick in 2019, Silo has been hailed as the world’s first zero-waste restaurant, rejecting the notion of the bin and leaving no scrap of waste unused or uncomposted.

Led by chef Douglas McMaster, Silo is ambitious in its total rejection of waste and its innovative culinary techniques are a far cry from Roman

T HE S L ICE  2 4

Road’s trusty pie and mash with jellied eels.

The building’s lofty warehouse ceilings and exposed metal beams lend it that unmistakably ‘Hackney’ feel, though the spacious dining area is warmly-lit and the sound of cooking from the open-plan kitchen creates a homely background buzz.

The restaurant operates as much as possible on a closed-loop system, with plates made from upcycled plastic

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ant

 Minimal intervention wines from small producers

W O R D S PO LLY N A S H, P HOTO G RA PH S © S I LO

“98% of the food that comes through Silo’s doors ends up on customers’ plates, in some way...”

While no-waste cooking is on trend with diners increasingly expecting sustainable options, the likes of Silo’s fallow venison with a smoked long pepper glaze and celeriac leaf oil, is hardly going to be replicated by home cooks.

And very few restaurants are likely to have the resources or know-how to mimic Silo’s methods.

In the grand scheme of things, Silo is aware that one restaurant’s zero-waste mission makes little difference to the wider environmental impact of the food service industry, which accounts for 26% of greenhouse gasses caused by food waste.

But McMaster is driven by his belief that ‘ideas are powerful, and good ideas will flourish in the right environment with the right degree of openness. This is how we can make an impact.’

And, above all the restaurant’s ambitious environmental aims, it is the rich flavours and creative combinations of Silo’s impeccable plates that stick with you as you descend the steps down to the canal, back to a reality where Quavers are just a packet of Walkers crisps. 

review:

bags, lampshades fashioned out of seaweed, and the menu projected onto white-washed walls to save paper.

Unrecognisable from the hot-headed scenes of Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, Silo’s chefs move around the kitchen calmly, each focused on one of the 11 plates that comprise the restaurant’s seasonal tasting menu.

While diners can opt for vegetarian and vegan options, Silo intentionally doesn’t have an à la carte menu so it knows exactly how much produce it needs to minimise waste.

Through intricate processes of fermenting, reducing, caramelizing and smoking, 98% of the food that comes through Silo’s doors ends up on customers’ plates in some way, shape or form, compared to most other restaurants that waste about half of what they purchase.

The result is a truly unique dining experience, revolving around an everchanging menu where almost every plate contains remnants of another, as garums are adjusted, garnishes modified and creams altered depending on which ingredients are available.

Sitting at the restaurant bar feels a bit like getting frontrow tickets to a theatre production, with a view of the openplan kitchen fit with its own flour mill and open fire pit, lit up as if by spotlights on a stage.

So close to the action, on one occasion the chef casually handed us a plate of braised savoy cabbage across the bar, explaining the origin of every ingredient right down to the pine needles foraged from Victoria Park earlier that week.

Though Silo’s menu is always in flux, one dish they refer to as their ‘Quavers’ is a permanent fixture, and having tasted it, it’s easy to see why. Two large crisps made from surplus vegetable skins are glazed with a leftover vegetable treacle and topped with a cloud of frozen goat’s cheese that melts as it touches your tongue. This stand-out snack is a real delight.

Purple heritage carrots are doused in a rich chicken sauce made from the chicken wings from last season’s menu. And the restaurant’s starter and namesake ‘Siloaf’ sourdough is reincarnated as an ice cream sandwich drizzled in caramel syrup to finish the meal.

The dizzying complexity of the menu and the technical know-how required to achieve Silo’s zero-waste dream might sound like a radically serious setting for a relaxing evening. But the restaurant’s knowledgeable staff set a convivial and unpretentious tone, a hard task in a restaurant where the full menu plus drinks pairing will set you back about £125 per person.

In spite of the cost being a significant markup from the likes of Lanterna just across the canal in Fish Island, Silo is still a hot spot for Hackney Wick’s young and perenially cool clientele, drawn to East London for its many fine dining destinations and enterprising independent businesses.

Originally published on Romanroadlondon.com

T HE SL ICE  25

We believe that your home interior should be as individual as you. That’s why our dedicated team offers a full onsite measuring and estimating service for all the floor coverings and window dressings that we supply and expertly install.

Whether you need blinds, shutters, curtains, carpets, laminates, vinyls or woods our highly skilled craftsmen train for many years to provide the service your space deserves.

abbottsinteriors.co.uk | 020 89804158 | 470-480 Roman Road | London | E3 5LU

Denningtons is a family run business that delivers fresh, seasonal flowers from Bow, in the heart of London’s East End. Specialists in wedding design.

020 8981 1121 461 ROMAN ROAD, BOW, E3 5LX WWW.DENNINGTONSFLOWERS.CO.UK

RESIDENTIAL SALES • RESIDENTIAL LETTINGS • PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

EAST LONDON’S LEADING LETTINGS & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT AGENCY W J Meade have been operating in East London since 1953, and we have been in our flagship branch in Mile End for nearly 30 years. Whilst traditionally regarded as an Estate Agency, our Lettings and Property Management side of the business soon began making a name for itself, and is now recognised as a market leader for our awardwinning service.

What sets us aside from other competitors is where our core values derive from. As a family run business, we understand the importance of delivering a personable service. Rather than being directed to contact an automated mailbox, there is always some on hand to answer your call. We recognise that your property is probably your single largest asset, and so being able to answer all of your queries and reassure you on any concerns is always our top priority.

We pride ourselves on tailoring service packages that meet our clients’ needs, but they are based around three levels; Let Only, Rent Collect and of course Fully Managed.

Our whole business operation is now run from our flagship branch in Mile End, where our staff are based (rather than working from home). This way, if any client wishes to arrange a meeting or even just pop in to see the team, our accounts administrators, property managers and lettings negotiators will always find time to see you.

The demand to be able to rent in the Private Rented Sector has increased significantly over the past couple of years, and we are experiencing an all-time high for rental prices.

Whilst the start of the year is historically quiet, we have been seeing levels of business compared to the summer. If you have been thinking about letting your property out, there is no better time than now.

LANYARD COURT

EDICULE SQUARE

CARDIGAN ROAD

LICHFIELD ROAD

Although our business model has stood the test of time, we continually evolve and look at opportunities to enhance our service levels to clients. The hot topic since the turbulent times of the Pandemic has been landlord and rent protection.

Meet LETTINGS & the PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

HARIS MIAH Lettings Manager

KAROLINA KARCZEWSKA Property Manager

Whilst businesses are still recovering from the impact of the Pandemic, landlords are now facing further risks to rental payments with increasing costs of living.

As industry professionals, we are urging every landlord to ensure your rental income is properly protected and we are now able to offer this rent protection as part of our fully managed service. This enhanced package includes: Monthly rent paid for up to a maximum value equivalent to fifteen months of arrears, plus 3 months’ rent paid at 75% following Vacant Possession.

Legal expenses up to £100,000 to cover eviction costs if the tenant is in breach of their tenancy agreement or following an expired section 21 notice.

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‘NEVER MIND THEIR FINGERS’: THE STRIKERS WHO BLED FOR THE EAST END

The last year has seen wave after wave of strikes as teachers, transport workers and NHS staff walked out for better pay and conditions – and they have the East End to thank for their right to strike.

W OR DS G EORG E HAY E S

If you amble past Bow Quarter on a morning stroll just a short walk from Roman Road you may notice a blue plaque indicating where The Bryant and May Factory once operated in the 1800s. The charming gated community bears little resemblance inside or out to the prison-like conditions endured by 13-year-old girls exploited for a steady profit in the Victorian era.

London Docklands is now similarly a site of urban renewal, with lavish apartments overlooking a quayside abundant with well-off young professionals. The West India Quay is quiet, as it often is, but not as eerily so as in the summer of 1889 when strikes brought the port to a standstill. But these binary silences signify entirely different moments in time.

You could be forgiven for passing by Langdale Street in Shadwell without a moment’s thought. The street sign is accompanied not by a historic plaque, T HE S L ICE  2 8

but a barely attended notice board. Sometimes our remarkable history is hidden, because in 1939 an unlikely alliance between Jewish garment workers and dockers, facilitated by a German anarchist, sprung up to combat draconian landlords of the Langdale Mansions.

The years 2022 and 2023 have seen a relentless wave of strikes; indeed the 1 February 2023 was the biggest day of industrial action in more than a decade. Teachers, university staff and civil servants were among tens of thousands who walked out for better pay and conditions.

How many though realised that their right to strike was thanks to uprisings from the most downtrodden in London’s East End? The Match Girls Strike of 1888, where young girls and women protested conditions at Bryant and May Factory, demonstrated the crucial role of East End women in industrial action. Scores were disfigured by cancerous ‘phossy jaw’ after exposure to white phosphorous, routinely had their pay arbitrarily docked and worked 14-hour days. ‘Never mind your fingers’ was as far as safety advice went, so East End women took matters into their own hands.

Activists Annie Besant and Herbert Burrows rallied a walkout of 1,500 workers and forced management to abolish fining practices. Yet, the cancer-causing substance remained in use until banned by the White Phosphorus Matches Prohibition Act in 1908. Twenty years after the strike, progress had been too slow but the heroic deeds of the match girls set a crucial precedent for effective, organised action rooted in the East End. The Match Girl Strike was the first time an

unskilled workers union successfully walked out for better pay and working conditions in London.

The city-wide Great Dock Strike that followed in 1889 was inspired by the match

TOWER HAMLETS

girls’ success. Picture a docker and you think of a burly, self-dependent man. But the actions of the East End’s young girls showed longshoremen the power of industrial action. Class unity was another decisive factor in the 100,000-strong strike that established the Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Labourers’ Union as a force for change.

Despite the solidarity between dockers and women, a divide between East and West London remained.

Gentile tailors in the West and their Jewish counterparts in the East End did not see eye to eye until 1912 when forced together during ‘The Great Unrest’. Jewish tailors had been known as scabs for taking the work of their striking West End counterparts, but peace was brokered by the unlikeliest of figures.

Rudolf Rocker, a German anarchist, convinced Whitechapel’s Jewish garment workers to unionise. Rocker spoke before 8,000 people at Mile End Assembly Hall and two days later 13,000 tailors walked out in the largest East End strike since the match girls.

Three weeks later, East and West End tailors won shorter hours, improved sanitary conditions and their factories became closed shops.

Jewish tailors in Whitechapel later took in starving dockers’ children showing that humanity had triumphed over factionalism.

Though the dockers, many of whom

PHOTOG R A P H S LEF T GR EAT DOC K STR IK E 1 8 8 9 RIGHT JE W ISH TAILOR S IN ‘ THE G R E AT UN R E ST ’ OF 1 9 1 2 BELOW MATCH G IR L STR IKE OF 1 8 8 8

were Irish, did not achieve the same gains as Jewish tailors that year, a crucial alliance had been established. IrishJewish communities came together once more to combat Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists at The Battle of Cable Street in 1936.

THE MATCH GIRL STRIKE WAS THE FIRST TIME AN UNSKILLED WORKERS UNION SUCCESSFULLY WALKED OUT FOR BETTER PAY AND WORKING CONDITIONS IN LONDON. Just two years after the Battle of Cable Street, renters took up the striking mandate. In the summer of 1939 tensions at Langdale Mansions reached their limit. Frustrated renters demanding repairs and rent reductions turned the blocks into a de-facto base. Barbed wire and guards were imposed to keep landlords out, but bailiffs got access. The police moved in with brutal force and tenants had to defend themselves with saucepans, rolling pins, sticks and shovels.

In stepped the Stepney Tenants’ Defence League (STDL), which sent thousands of members to stand with tenants at Langdale Mansions. Landlords ceded to reduce rent and make crucial repairs. Despite the victory, repressive legislation came 18 years later with the 1957 Rent Act that removed almost all private rent caps.

Despite such laws scuppering labour movements throughout history, the saucepan-wielding Shadwell renter epitomised the East End’s spirit of endurance; the willingness to bleed and a refusal to be cowed when confronted by the jackboot. Not only that, but the helping hand of groups such as Stepney’s STDL ensured working people were given the support they deserved.

As you walk around your neighbourhood you will likely notice the array of classes, ethnicities and cultures. In our dense borough, culturally diverse shops are huddled together and often lie atop one another. The patter of myriad languages and dialects down the Roman, from Bengali to Cockney, is what defines our area.

You may ask, how are we able to cohabit so well in the East End? Our valiant striking past, where East Enders from all walks of life stood up for each other, has played a significant role in forming the close community you see today. The East End served as a beacon of strength for industrial action, from Shoreditch to Stepney, from Whitechapel to Bow, and continues to do so. Originally published on Romanroadlondon.com

THE SL ICE  29

ROMAN ROAD

B

ow Sikh couple Jagmohan and Shinder Bhakar speak about blending Western clothing with their own, viewing their neighbours as an extension of family, and why equality for all can start by sitting on the floor together.

Jagmohan Bhakar, 67, and his wife Shinder live in one of the Victorian terraced houses just off Roman Road in Bow. Bhakar came to Bow from Ambala in northern India in 1967 after his dad moved over.

Shinder was born in Edinburgh in the mid1950s and moved to Bow after she and Jagmohan married in 1976. Theirs was an arranged marriage, something which they decided not to do with their own children.

They are both largely retired and spend their time attending the Gurdwara Sikh Sangat on Campbell Road. Jagmohan volunteers for the Bow Food Bank and recently ran the Hackney half marathon to raise money for charity. Shinder is less mobile nowadays but spends her time helping look after her extended family.

In keeping with their culture, Shinder moved into Jagmohan’s family home when they married. Four daughters and one son were born and brought up in Bow and went to Olga Primary School. The family of seven lived with Jagmohan’s parents for most of the children’s childhood.

How do you celebrate your culture?

J: We live in the same way as we would do in India, but also respect the culture where we live. We pray five times a day: the first prayer in the morning, Japuji; the evening prayer of thanksgiving, Rehras; and also Sohila, a nighttime prayer. We do these, but only if we remember!

S: When our children and grandchildren visit we encourange them to pay their respects to their grandparents by giving a small prayer to their photos in the living room.

When the grandparents were alive,

This is Home:

of our elders. Now, times have changed and we’ve all started wearing Westernised clothing, but it doesn’t make me sad because we do wear our own traditional clothes as well. If it’s a granddaughter’s birthday, I’ll give her a present but also some material and tell her I’ll get it made up so she can wear it sometime.

And sometimes I’ll go out with trousers on and a long top but always with a scarf, but not put it over my head.

It is to cover yourself out of respect.

How should we bridge cultural divides?

J: I think it is a lot better now. I don’t think it is anything like it was at the time when I first came to the East End and Enoch Powell made the ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech just after I arrived. A lot of the Sikh community left the East End, some to Romford, or further to Colchester, depending on how deep their pockets were! But we stayed in Bow. Now, people are more understanding and accept each other.

We have a close-knit neighbourhood.

All of the neighbourhood – we know quite a lot of them – they are part of the wider family. So, we are there for them and I’m sure they are for us.

S: I go to the Zacchaeus Church [a community project based at the Methodist Church on Approach Road].

A lot of people go there and that’s one way of getting to know different people, different cultures. There’s crocheting, there’s painting, and lunches. You just meet and mix with different people.

What does the East End mean to you?

J: Everything because I’ve lived here all my life. East Enders are friendly and understanding of each other because most of us are working class, so most people understand each other, but also we can have our own differences too.

S: Our family is here and we have everything we need here; Stratford and the markets. This is our home.

T HE S L ICE  3 0

Originally published on Romanroadlondon.com

W O R D S V IC TO R I A M I LLE R

the children would have touched their grandparents’ feet.

The Bhakars celebrate Diwali as well as Christmas, though Diwali is one of their main winter festivals.

The Bhakars’ children and grandchildren all gather in their home. Shinder will light candles and everyone will dress up, putting on their sparkliest clothes. Presents are handed out in a Diwali version of Secret Santa.

What meal means home?

J: At the Gurdwara, Parshad is made. It’s a sweet semolina pudding, and made every time you go there to welcome people.

S: You take a ball of it in your hand, and you sit on the floor to show that everyone is equal. We mostly do home cooking; I buy most of my spices for cooking in the Pakistani shop opposite to The Albert pub. Sometimes we have fish and chips.

Favourite item of clothing?

S: I’ve always worn the more traditional clothing; salvar, kamees and dupatta [salvars are trousers and it is worn beneath the kamees, a dress top].

These are worn with a dupatta which is a scarf. You have to wear the three. You can’t go out without your scarf because you’re supposed to cover your head.

We still do cover our heads in front

P HOTO G R A PH © S OCI A L STR E E TS C . I .C .

JAGMOHAN AND SHINDER BHAKAR, Sikhs in Bow

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