The South Londoner - November 2020

SOUTH LONDonER November 2020

Issue 2

raising the bar High quality cocoa beans, no child labour, fair prices for farmers - the Bermondsey chocolatier shaking up an industry

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contents

november 2020

About us Our flagship publication, the Southwark News, launched in 1987 and is now London’s only independent, paid-for newspaper.

Contents

We also publish the Greenwich and Lewisham Weekender every week.

5 Home Secretary Peckham’s new crazy golf course

We created the Bermondsey Biscuit and Rotherhithe Docker in 2018 with support from sponsors including Sellar, Grosvenor, British Land, and many more local businesses.

& other outings

8-9 Local Faces London’s first craft chocolatier

We’ve been based in the old Biscuit Factory in Bermondsey since 1994.

11 Family

We are proud to be a London Living Wage employer.

Halloween family fun at Copeland Park

13-17 Food & Drink Foodie news, dining out at Yummy Cow

We use 100% recovered paper from the Ortviken papermill in Sweden, a green energy provider who use biofuel instead of oil and provide heat for 10,000 single family homes.

& a new café for SE16

20-36 Shop local for Christmas Butchers, bakers, candlestick makers & more

Editor

Laura Burgoine

Deputy Editor

Cara Cummings

Design

Lizzy Tweedale, Dan Martin, Aurelio Medina

Marketing

Tammy Jukes, Clarry Frewin, Lorraine Wood, Liz Gold, Katie Boyd

Media Partnerships

Anthony Phillips

Finance

Emrah Zeki

Managing Directors

Chris Mullany and Kevin Quinn

37-38 Taking care of business The companies who

braved a pandemic launch

42 Love letter to South London Bermondsey fashion

CONTACT us

designer shares his secret hotspots

Email southlondonermag@gmail.com Phone

020 7231 5258

Twitter @southlondonmag Website www.thesouthlondoner.co.uk

Printed by Ilif fe Print Published by Southwark Newspaper Ltd

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lest we forget Support the Mayor’s campaign by displaying this in your window

www.southwark.gov.uk

november 2020

HOME SECRETARY  Credit: Adama Jalloh & Hamed Maiye

The local line-up for your diary Cara Cummings

AI WEIWEI: HISTORY OF BOMBS

AN ODE TO AFROSURREALISM The Horniman Museum’s latest exhibition sees two exciting south London artist-photographers collaborate for the first time. Hamed Maiye and Adama Jalloh’s work explores contemporary relationships with spiritualism and reality through a Black British lens, and promises thoughtprovoking takes on mythology, identity and symbolism.

The Imperial War Museum punches above its weight with its exhibitions, and this latest from China’s most famous artist-activist is no exception.

An immersive, site-specific musing on conflict and migration - “our human capacity for destruction”, in Weiwei’s words - History of Bombs is the unmissable landmark centrepiece of the IWM’s powerful Refugees season.

100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ. Free; book in advance via horniman.ac.uk

IWM London, Lambeth Road, SE1 6HZ. Free. Book via iwm.org.uk

PLONK COMES TO PECKHAM

LIVE MUSIC RETURNS AT LOCKDOWN TOWN

London’s most bonkers crazy-golf-and-arcadegame aficionados have launched a new course at Peckham Levels - and it’s their biggest yet. Expect floor to ceiling ball lifts, huge ramps and jumps and a retro arcade stuffed with pinball machines, retro video games, foosball tables and more, all decked out in Plonk’s signature tiki vibe. Ideal for ignoring winter.

Dust off the dancing shoes: live music is back in London Bridge! After a gig-less summer, Lockdown Town - London’s first immersive music experience - promises no less than FIVE in one night, in a journey from 1950s rock and roll back to 1918 ragtime. With dressing up encouraged and period food and booze throughout, it’s a concept as mad as the year we’ve all had. Go all in.

Floor 4 Peckham Levels, 95A Rye Lane, SE15 4ST. Thurs-Fri, 4pm-10pm; Sat-Sun, 12pm-10pm. £15

One Night Records, Wardens Grove, SE1 0HT. £52. Book via onenightrecords.com

p

Credit: Nobbby Clark

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INSIDE OUT MULTI-ARTS FESTIVAL Southbank Centre’s innovative 3-month season of streamed events continues, bringing unmissable cultural moments to your living room. Highlights this month include John Cleese sharing his secrets on creativity, an exclusive post-award discussion with this year’s Booker Prize winner, and a special session with Black Lives Matter co-creator Alicia Garza on how we can all help to build a better world.

Various dates; tickets from £5.

Southbankcentre.co.uk

CANDLELIT CONCERTS AT SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL London’s most beautiful cathedral - we’re not biased, honest - hosts a series of special concerts by candlelight this month. Book early to enjoy a magical evening of Schubert’s Trout Quintet, British cello sonatas or Vivaldi’s Four Seasons performed by top chamber musicians London Concertante.

Nov 7, 14 and 28. London Bridge, SE1 9DA. From £26.46; book via cathedral.southwark. anglican.org

GP Practices in south east London will soon be taking part in research called the SUMMIT Study The SUMMIT Study is being run by University College London (UCL) and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH).

asked to give a blood sample and fill out a questionnaire.

The study is entirely voluntary and you do not have to take part.

Who will be invited?

UCLH researchers are organising the appointments for the study

People aged between 55-77 who are registered with participating GP practices in south east London.

What is involved?

If you are eligible, your GP will send you an invitation letter in the post, with a phone number to call.

Depending on your responses to some questions over the phone, you may be invited to attend a Lung Health Check.

At the Lung Health Check, you may be offered a scan of your lungs (called a CT scan), be

For this to happen, participating GP practices will securely share the names and addresses of potentially eligible individuals with UCLH researchers.

The study team will invite people and coordinate study appointments. They will keep the details of everyone they invite for up to 10 years, to collect important health-related information and help develop future health services.

Strict security measures will ensure your information is kept safe and confidential.

What do I do now?

Invitations will be sent out over the next year.

If you receive one and you would like to take part, contact the phone number included with the letter.

If you do not want to receive an invitation and you do not want UCLH researchers to have your information, please phone 0808 196 2286 or email uclh.summitstudy@nhs.net .

Opting out will not stop you being invited for other NHS appointments.

Further details are available at www.summitstudy.co.uk

V3 JUL2020

CORONAVIRUS CASES ARE RISING ACROSS SOUTHWARK FOLLOW PUBLIC HEALTH ADVICE WHEREVER YOU GO Keep 2 metres apart from people you don’t live with

Wash your hands regularly Wear a face covering in indoor public spaces, unless you’re exempt LOCAL COVID LEVEL

Don’t socialise in groups of more than 6 Take extra precautions if you need to visit vulnerable people

HIGH ALERT

Only socialise indoors with people you live with or those in your bubble

You can socialise outdoors with people who are not in your bubble or household in groups of up to 6

Travel less

LOOK OUT FOR SYMPTOMS New, continuous cough

Work from home if you can

High temperature

Loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste

GOT SYMPTOMS? STAY AT HOME AND GET TESTED Request a test online at

nhs.uk/coronavirus KEEP SOUTHWARK SAFE

Southwark Public Heath Southwark News ADVERT v1.indd 1

22/10/2020 12:44

local faces

“If we’re going to challenge structures, why not change them all?”

Cara Cummings

London’s first craft chocolate maker talks beans, bars and the dirty secrets of the cocoa trade

A

s Black Lives Matter protests swept the UK this summer, Amarachi Uzowuru received an unexpected DM. “Someone quite high profile in the chocolate world had messaged to ask how I was feeling,” she recalls. “They said they’d never thought about diversity before, ever. I didn’t know whether to be angry or sad. Then the penny started to drop - I’m used to being the outsider. You’ve got hundreds of chocolatiers in this country, but I know only one other person of colour. You have to really look at that and say: what’s going on?”

The founder of Lucocoa, London’s first craft chocolate company, isn’t one to mince words - or shy away from a challenge. Amarachi (“call me Ama”) taught herself how to hand-make chocolate from scratch in just six months, crushing cocoa beans with a rolling pin and taking their shells off in her spare room with a hairdryer to perfect the “nasties-free” luxury treats she realised were missing from British confectionery. Five years later, Lucocoa has won legions of fans - and scores of awards - with its intricately flavoured, small-batch produced chocolate in which bespoke roasted cocoa beans star.

“Chocolate is like wine and coffee: different regions create different flavours,” Ama explains. “But we don’t talk about that. It’s like a hidden secret. Big brands aren’t keen on letting you know what proper chocolate actually tastes like, because the quality of the beans they’re using isn’t great, they don’t care whether they’re farmed properly and many don’t pay growers the right price. That really pushed me.”

The former Comic Relief campaigner turned

Willhemina Wonka has been on a mission to shake up chocolate with her bean-to-bar creations since launching Lucocoa in 2015. Ama’s come a long way from those early back bedroom experiments - she now has a factory shop in Bermondsey’s Spa Terminus - but her founding principles remain the same: no refined sugar, top quality cocoa beans, fair prices for farmers, and speaking out about the ethical hypocrisy of “brands that bang on about ending child labour and paying people properly, without doing anything about it.”

“I’m a bit of an activist,” Ama admits. “My background is in politics and campaigning, so it would have been really odd if I suddenly ditched that and started using beans with child labour in their supply chains. It’s the same with refined sugar - I couldn’t do it, knowing what I knew from a nutritional perspective.

“The fine chocolate world wasn’t very welcoming, initially. But it doesn’t do me any favours being quiet, hoping no one notices. It’s about not doing more damage.”

For chocolate is a deceptively dark business.

An estimated 1.5 million children work in cocoa production in Ghana and Ivory Coast, the West African countries that produce two-thirds of global supplies. Nearly twenty years after “big chocolate” brands pledged to end child labour, a recent US government study found the practice is actually rising in the region. The average cocoa farmer’s income, meanwhile, falls well short of the World Banks’ extreme poverty line of $1.90 per day. Some struggle on just 75p, according to Fairtrade figures.

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november 2020

“It makes me really angry,” says Ama. “A lot of big companies go into these communities and say: this is what we want, and this is what we’ll pay. Take it or leave it. It all spirals from that if you’re not paying farmers properly, they can’t invest in labour or equipment. They have to hire cheap labour instead, and that’s often kids.

Sometimes they’ve been abducted and sent out to work. All those people in Ivory Coast and Ghana not being paid properly creates a vicious cycle. When we talk about kids in the supply chain, it’s African countries being exploited and having to cut corners.

“As a company, we might be small but we want to work out what our position is in changing that.

There’s no point us saying to huge brands: ‘make better chocolate’, because that’s not in their business interest. So we have to.”

Ama sees the global reckoning of the Black Lives Matter movement as a long-overdue opportunity for widespread shifts. “I feel like now is the time, whilst the world is questioning a lot of things, to start breaking the old system in order to reform it,” she says. “If we’re going to challenge structures, why not change them all?”

And true to form, whilst that awkward DM encounter brought home the personal reality of imbalances in her industry, Ama is focused on the bigger picture. “The scene is not diverse at all - but that’s because we haven’t explored what ‘diversity’ means yet,” she stresses. “It means more than one thing. Equity for farmers. How much people are getting paid. Who’s making decisions, and about

local faces

what? Who’s leading the narrative?”

Longterm, Ama plans to tackle those issues head on by opening a Lucocoa farm in Nigeria, where the government is keen to grow its cocoa business.

“You’ve got two ways of doing it,” she says simply.

“The same way as now, where it’s not sustainable, organic or fair. Or you can try to break that model to make it sustainable, organic and fair.

“It sounds like a massive challenge: so I’m going to have to do it,” she laughs. “Nothing is impossible.”

In the meantime, what can chocolate lovers do to make sure treats pack an ethical punch? Demand more, Ama urges. “Ask where the cocoa is grown and who’s involved in the process,” she advises. “Of course, sometimes you can’t be arsed; but there’s no badge or sticker you can just whack on a packet, unfortunately.”

You can also pop into Lucocoa’s HQ for a chat with the visionary herself. Just don’t call her that.

“That’s reserved for really special people!” Ama cringes. “I’m just trying to challenge the status quo. We’re such a connected global world - people realised that during lockdown - and it sounds really hippy to say that we should all love each other, but there’s ways of doing it. You can impact certain things. You don’t have to take on the whole world, but if you take on a little bit of it at least you can say ‘I tried’.”

p Lucocoa chocolate bars are made from scratch over a period of three days, using only rare Criollo and Trinitario cocoa beans from Haiti, Belize, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, and sweetened with unrefined coconut sugar and Peruvian fruit lucuma. Bars start from £2.50.

Lucocoa Chocolate is at Arch 3 Spa Terminus Business Park, SE16 4EJ. www.lucocoachocolate.com

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november 2020

family

Autumn fun for the whole family Cara Cummings

p Credit: Saf ron f Photo 2018

CLASSICAL CONCERTs

PRE-TEEN THEATRE

WOoodlands walks

Little ones love music? Tune in for a special concert from the Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment’s TOTS series, streamed in partnership with the Southbank Centre and designed especially for two to five year olds to learn about instruments, sounds and music making. Sessions are always lively, so bring clapping hands and singing voices!

If being out of school for five months has left your pre-teen struggling with routine, Positive Transitions could help. Designed by Theatre Peckham in partnership with award-winning charity Body & Soul, the fortnightly sessions use drama and wellbeing activities to support 10-13 year olds readjust to school, manage anxiety and boost selfesteem and teamwork skills.

Explore Sydenham Hill Wood in all its autumnal glory during this guided stroll with The London Wildlife Trust. Enjoy games and activities based on discovering trees, spotting animals and learning the incredible history of the wood, before warming up with a hot drink.

Available for Southwark residents only.

5 November, 7.30pm.

Tickets £4-£7, book via oae.co.uk

5, 12, 19 and 26 November, 4.30-5.45pm. Theatre Peckham, 221 Havil St, SE5 7SD. Free; reserve via theatrepeckham.co.uk

15 November, 10.30-3.30pm.

Free, donations welcome.

Book via wildlondon.org.uk

BROOM CUPBOARD antics

FORBIDDEN FOREST CINEMA

UNICORN’s free theatre

Artist Anna Bruder and poet Arji Manuelpillai set up their immersive theatre and art company A Line Art to encourage creative play for children and their families. The duo’s utterly charming online TV series Broom Cupboard is stuffed with interactive games, playalong craft activities, stories and music. New 5-minute episodes are released every Monday, and they’ll even showcase viewer creations in the Broom Cupboard Gallery...

The enterprising folk at Copeland Park and the Bussey Building are giving their Halloween Forbidden Forest pop-up cinema a family friendly twist this month, with special screenings of The Goonies on Sunday 8 November, and Hocus Pocus both on Sunday 1st and a parent and baby showing on 5th November. We’re assured the woodland wonderland will be fully de-spooked in time for family adventures…

Until 30 November. Recommended for ages 3-7.

Free; watch via alineart.co.uk

Various dates. 133 Copeland Road, SE15 3SN. From £22; book via copelandpark.com

The UK’s leading theatre for young audiences won’t be opening the doors of their London Bridge HQ until next spring, but their digital programme more than fills the gap in the meantime. A seriously impressive - and entirely free - range of shows for all age groups are available to screen at home this month, including theatrical readings of Roald Dahl’s The Twits, Philip Pullman’s ‘deliciously gruesome’ adaptations of Brothers Grimm tales, and online performances created by young people themselves.

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Various dates. Watch via unicorntheatre.com

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food & drink

Wake up and smell the coffee Laura Burgoine

C

offee and dessert hotspot Bru has opened its first café south of the river, in Canada Water, with a baptism of fire amidst constantly changing Covid-19 restrictions.

“We pushed to get it done during the pandemic.

It’s a beautiful store,” Marketing and Operations Manager Junaid says.

The fifth outlet in the group (after Leicester, Walthamstow, Harrow and Cardiff -with a Reading branch opening soon), this is the first in the group that’s not on a High Street.

“It’s a very residential area and fortunately we were able to open and serve customers indoors during the lockdown, when there were lots of local residents and people working from home looking for a bit of normality,” Junaid continues.

Bru offers a range of different products for allday dining and occasions. The core product is coffee, which is a unique blend of handpicked speciality Arabica beans from Brazil, El Salvador and India.

Ethically sourced from the finest coffee growers of South America and Asia, the signature blend is a full-bodied espresso with a naturally sweet caramel flavour. Bru’s blend is balanced and rounded with a muted acidity. As a milk-based coffee, Bru’s blend is sweet, creamy and rich, complemented by dark chocolate flavours. The cafe also boasts over 20 types of looseleaf tea.

Gelato and sorbet is made by hand in Bru’s own facility. “The benefit of that is full control and autonomy over production and supply. One of our most popular flavours is virgin mojito, which we sell all year round. There’s also raspberry and passionfruit. With the gelatos, we chop and change flavours every season, and they’re also used as a base for all our milkshakes,” Junaid says.

Desserts are very popular, with waffles, Poffertjes (Dutch pancakes), and cookie dough on the menu.

There's also freshly prepared bagels (including an egg, cheese and turkey bacon breakfast option), and a grilled cheese that’s on a whole other level than a traditional toastie. For former city workers missing their Buddha bowls, the café has Bru food bowls with rice, salad and chicken, as well as vegetarian and vegan options.

Breakfast offerings include porridge in rose and pistachio, vegan raspberry and coconut porridge, and apple crumble flavours.

“When you walk into a Bru, you know it’s a Bru because of the variety of products, the ambience and the environment,” Junaid says.

Currently, Bru is open every day from 8am-8pm.

Unit 1, 24 Quebec Way, SE16 7LF.

p

Bru Canada Water owner Barry McCaughley

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food & drink

november 2020

SMOKE & SALT GO STEADY Curing connoisseurs Smoke & Salt have opened their first permanent restaurant in Tooting, after four years of nomadic pop up wanderings - and none of the magic has been lost by settling down.

Co-founders Aaron Webster, previously of Dinner by Heston fame, and Deuxave alumni Remi Williams continue to flex their smokingcuring-preserving muscles with dazzlers like smoked chalkstream trout, roasted pheasant breast and savoury pastel de natas so good you’ll (almost) swear off the original.

Bitesize Cara Cummings

THE DAIRY: RESURRECTED

115 Tooting High Street, London, SW17 0SY

Still devastated by the closure of beloved Clapham eatery The Dairy? Throw off your mourning habit: the family run gem has reopened in Bermondsey. Resplendent in a gorgeous new space on Tower Bridge Road - and with a sparkly new name, The Bermondsey Larder - the team’s commitment to quality, directly-sourced British ingredients shines brighter than ever in dishes like tartare of Farmer Tom’s Hereford rump, and butterflied Willie’s mackerel. Beg, borrow or squeal for a table.

153-157 Tower Bridge Rd, London SE1 3LW

SLOW RICHIE’S COMES HOME

BRIXTON KITCHEN WINNER OPENS FIRST RESTAURANT Supperclub queen Adejoké ‘Joké’ Bakare won the amateur section of last year’s Brixton Kitchen contest with her sensational West African cuisine - and the chance to join Market Row’s permanent residents. Chishuru’s menu is a joy to behold, with treats like Ekuru (ground black beans and toasted watermelon seeds served with fermented pumpkin pesto) and slow-cooked lamb shoulder. Perfect for a winter pick-me-up.

9 Market Row, Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8LB

Richie and Alex Calver are about to make a lot of local carnivores very happy indeed - the Peckham brothers have opened their first restaurant, serving up signature burgers and sauces all proudly made in south London. If you loved the meaty monsters the guys perfected during their residencies at Camden Market and Brick Brewery, prepare to feel a whole new level of emotion for ‘The Beef ’, topped with honey-glazed pork; ‘The Black’, featuring black pudding and cheese; and ‘The Haggis’, crowned with Scotland’s finest.

KOREAN POWER CHEFOUPLE LAUNCH IN LONDON BRIDGE

18, Peckham Rye, London, SE15 4JR

COFFEE and basketball

Woongchul Park and Bomee Ki met whilst training at Le Cordon Bleu School in Holborn - and boy, are we glad they did. The husband and wife duo have opened their first restaurant, Sollip, in London Bridge, and it’s a coolly sophisticated delight. Spinning European flavours with a Korean twist, feasts like beef short rib with black truffle rice and savory daikon tarte tatin are served on hand-made ceramics sourced from Korean artists. With a phenomenally well priced wine list and a grocery shop by day, it’s good enough to move in to.

Fans of Ronseal-inspired names, take note: a brand new shop and bar that does exactly what it says on the tin has opened in Peckham.

Coffee & Cocktails - told you - promises locally supplied java by day and caffeinated cocktails by night, all within an event space featuring live DJs, slam poets and yoga classes from south London creatives. Oh, and a basketball court. Because why not?

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november 2020

food & drink

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Book this restaurant immediately Cara Cummings visits Herne Hill’s Yummy Cow for an exclusive first review

I

s there anything more thrilling than finding a fantastic new restaurant on your doorstep? Yes: doing so in 2020.

Covid has been cruel to hospitality. Opening a London eatery was tough enough before the world imploded, let alone in Year of the Plague’s Q4 when the state-sponsored bacchanalia of Eat Out to Help Out feels long gone, replaced instead by grimly puritancial 10pm curfews and the start of a second lockdown. For a chef to even think about setting up shop in the current climate is like the Titanic’s head of health and safety taking one look at that iceberg and going: nah, I reckon we can get a bit closer. Much like said scenario, opening a restaurant today takes stone cold balls.

Which makes it all the more joyous to see a new south London venue not only throwing open its doors, but absolutely smashing its offering out of the park.

The bravery of the team behind Yummy Cow has paid off, handsomely: this restaurant is good.

Really, really good. In fact, with its warm service, brilliant, generous food and a wine list you’ll want to spend a lot of time with, Yummy Cow is exactly the restaurant we need for now. It should be prescribed as an apocalypse antidote for anyone on the brink; so all of us, basically.

We rolled up to Yummy Cow in the heady pre-Tier-Two-but-still-curfewed days when eating indoors was legal - remember that? WILD - and London had the air of the last days of Rome as everyone rushed to do their debauching by 10pm sharp. (What exactly happens after 2200 hours, nowadays? Do chefs turn to stone? Are Ubers really pumpkins? I couldn’t possibly comment I’m always outside by 9.59, officer.) With HM government’s fun limit looming, we did the right thing: ordered hard liquor at once.

Yummy Cow’s cocktail menu holds the first clue to its quiet brilliance. Short, yet somehow covering all bases and with room to spare for an intriguing wildcard - chilli margarita with pineapple and yuzu, more on this later - it’s a window into the philosophy of founders Nanden, Vinny and Rod.

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The trio met working at legendary Brixton haute haunts Naughty Piglets and Mamalan, and share Sri Lankan and South American roots. Dashes of that background peep through amongst Yummy Cow’s sharing plate-style dishes, in which seasonal British ingredients are given a bold international spin. At first, the menu reads like a fever dream - “Fried gnocchi with coconut salsa and paneer, guys? Guys…?” - but rest assured: embrace the madness, because you won’t want to wake up.

Back to that margarita, which arrived larger than expected - a pattern for the evening - and promptly left me speechless. Actually: my friends wish it had, because for the next twenty minutes all I could do was breathlessly carp “THIS IS SO DELICIOUS” whilst they tried, and failed, to change the subject.

Again, a pattern for the evening.

Every dish that followed matched that dazzling intro, and some. Beef croquettes the size of cricket balls that somehow still felt airy. Pitch perfect pork chops served with bonkers-sounding fermented cabbage, korean bbq sauce and shrimp powder that again, somehow, just sang. A plate of aubergine with pickled shimeji mushrooms and miso that made me want to roll around naked on a forest floor. Raw beef with coffee mayo - coffee mayo! on homemade Keralan flatbreads even brought a vegetarian at our table tumbling off the meat-free wagon. By the time our desserts of doughnuts with chocolate mousse and ‘Drunken Grapes’ (shan’t spoil the surprise) arrived, we were ready to move in.

Perhaps it was the Blitz spirit in the air.

Perhaps it was the faultless service of Vinny, London’s smiliest maitre’d. Perhaps it was the hot pink dining room… No, hang on, it wasn’t that. The only tiny, miniscule critique you can level at Yummy Cow is that sitting in the back room can feel a little like having dinner inside a giant raspberry sorbet. But who cares when everything else is this good - and this good value? We ate (and drank, woops) like kings, all for less per head than you’d expect to pay at a high street chain.

So consider this a public service announcement of the rare, easy to follow kind: book Yummy Cow immediately and get down there after lockdown.

119 Dulwich Road, SE24 ONG 020 7274 6409 www.yummy-cow.business.site

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CHRISTMAS Shopping

The Snowball Effect A Cratchit Christmas or a party of six? How to shop local, after one turkey of a year…

MEAT AND GREET

Jingle Bells

O’Shea’s butchers' in Bermondsey home deliver to all London households within the M25, with free range and organic beef from South West Ireland and their own farm in Perthshire, and lamb sourced from the three Ridings of Yorkshire East, North and West.

Arch 14, Apollo Business Park, Lucey Way, SE16 4ET www.osheasbutchers.com

Bells and Sons prides itself on being a modern butchers' with classic values. Offering free home delivery for locals (minimum spend £25), Simon Bell and co have got all your Christmas needs covered.

For starters, there’s pigs in blankets (£4.25 for 12 pack) and 16 bite-sized sausage rolls for £8.99, which you can cook at home.

The Bermondsey butchers' are selling John Howe free-range turkeys from Tenterden in Kent (from £12.95 per kilo), free-range geese, English herb fed chicken, pheasant, free range duck and partridge. Whole turkeys weigh in at 4-5kg, which feeds 8-10 people (but you only need to cater for six plus leftovers!) Secure your turkey with a £20 non-refundable deposit. You can also find handmade

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stuffing made from free range pork, made on the premises for £3.50.

Other meats on offer include home cooked ham in traditional plain or honey roast, English free range lamb, Aberdeen Angus beef, free range pork and handmade sausages.

Bells and Sons also offer a selection of delicatessen foods, sourced from all over the world, like Italian cold meats, Portuguese bread and a wide range of cheeses.

Open up until Christmas Eve (8:30pm-3pm).

Bell and Sons, 13a Market Place, SE16 3UQ. Phone: 0207 394 1125. bellandsonsbutchers.co.uk

november 2020

CHRISTMAS Shopping

A MONTH OF SUNDAES

the bean scene

SEAFOOD FOR THE SOUTH

Monmouth started roasting and retailing coffee in 1978 in the basement of their shop on Monmouth Street, Covent Garden, using old fashioned, direct-flame machines. In 2007, having opening another shop in Borough Market, the coffee connoisseurs moved into three converted railway arches in Bermondsey.

Monmouth’s current home is in Spa Terminus where they have roasting, tasting and office spaces.

In great news for dessert lovers, the Ice Cream Union now does home delivery. Choose from 36 ice creams, 13 sorbets, and 3 vegan ice creams.

They deliver next-day throughout London Zones 1 & 2, Monday to Saturday, all year round.

Arch 3, Discovery Estate, St James’ Road, SE16 4RA Phone: 020 7232 3010 www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk

OLIVE BRANCH

Moxons in East Dulwich offers a nationwide home delivery service of fresh fish, shellfish, smoked fish and store cupboard goods.

The Lordship Lane fishmongers have over 25 years of experience and select the finest fish from all around the British coast and Billingsgate market every day. Order by 11am for next day delivery (open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am-5.30pm).

Unit 1, Discovery Business Park, St James’s Road, SE16 4RA

Hailing from the Peloponnese, Marianna Kolokotroni started Oliveology as a stall in Borough Market in 2009. She joined the foodies of Spa Terminus with a warehouse in 2014.

The company imports produce from small, artisan farmers who use minimal intervention and natural methods to ensure high quality. All the products are vegan and most are organic.

Oliveology originally specialised in importing olive oil, olives and olive leaf tea. Now they’ve expanded their range to include honey, pulses, pasta, herbs and olive oil soap.

149 Lordship Lane, SE22 8HX. Phone: 020 8299 1559.

Email: online@moxonsfreshfish.com moxonsfreshfish.com

Unit 4, Voyager Business Estate, Ness Street, SE16 4RP. oliveology.co.uk

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A modern butchers with classic values in the heart of Bermondsey. We pride ourselves with serving free range meat, poultry and game sourced directly from farms in the UK to ensure fresh and delicious meat every time.

@bellandsonsbutchers

0207 394 1125 13a Market Place Bermondsey, London. SE16 3UQ

Taking Christmas orders now!

At Bell & Sons this Christmas we look forward to making your Christmas dinner one to remember ( for all the right reasons!).

HE LLO WI NTER 1 86 B ellenden Ro ad

www.formse 15.com

Scan to see our festive brochure or visit our website

www.bellandsonsbutchers.co.uk

november 2020

CHRISTMAS Shopping

New kids on the block introducing the new arrivals to Brixton Village

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Disrupt Space - the Black arts agency established to represent emerging visual artists will also be joining the markets this November. The agency was founded in 2019 by Paul Reid, former founding Director of the UK’s first national Black heritage institution, Black Cultural Archives, and Legacy Gala Lifetime Achievement Award winner in the category of Leading Black Excellence (Cultural Custodian).

Disrupt Space manages artists through their curated events programme, connecting them to collectors and those passionate about Black art.

S

ix new shops and restaurants are opening their doors in Brixton Village this autumn. A thriving destination for shopping, eating and cultural events, the Village is also partnering with the Black Cultural Archives to deliver food from the markets’ restaurants directly to visitors of the heritage centre through Tablesnappr. Archive visitors can scan a QR code and order food from: Black Bear Burger, Fish Wings & Tings, The Joint, Cheese & Fizz, Jalisco, Okan, and Senzala.

Japanese restaurant Okan, which is already a resident of the market, is branching out with a new homeware concept store. Founder Moto Priestman, who introduced the UK to Osakan cuisine 20 years ago with a stall on Brick Lane and later a small kitchen in a jazz club in Camberwell, has created a unique store for visitors to peruse her carefully curated homeware collection that celebrates Japanese craftsmanship.

Rudie’s Jerk Shack’s new Brixton Village outpost will mark its third site, run by husband and wife team Matin and Michelle Miah, who bring their unique and authentic take on Jamaican cuisine to Market Row with a 50-cover restaurant split across two levels, with indoor and outdoor table service.

Named Deliveroo’s ‘Restaurant of the Year’ in 2019, Bristol-based Oowee Vegan opens its second London site. Starting out in 2016 as a pop-up sandwich kitchen in Bristol, founders Charlie and Verity saw their venture rise to huge success, leading to two permanent restaurant openings - Oowee Diner and Oowee Vegan. South London diners can now enjoy their American diner-style dishes, including the Beyond Meat burger, vegan fried ‘chicken’, and sriracha ‘shrimp’ loaded fries.

South-London based charity Resole, set up by Moosa Nsubuga, will finally have a permanent base to donate trainers to the homeless as well as disadvantaged youths at risk of gang violence and drug abuse. What started as a side project initiated by Moosa and his friends to provide high-quality footwear to the homeless has become an all-encompassing initiative, working with local councils and youth centres across

Oowee Vegan

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Stems Wilder, an ecologically influenced florist, will sell fresh cut-stem and dry flower designs, consciously arranged to show off the natural beauty of our planet’s flora. The humble Brixton Village studio will bring the local area up to date with the latest floristry trends, delivering unconventional flower types and colour combinations. In-store, customers will find beautiful vases, ceramics, greeting cards, candles, flower presses and prints created by (mostly female!) independent makers. Stems Wilder will also be offering workshops where budding florists can learn to work with fresh-cut and dried flowers, creating handtied bouquets and wreaths.

Rudie's Jerk Shack

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p

Stems Wilder

three cities - London, Birmingham and Manchester - and culminating in a total of 1300 pairs of trainers distributed over the Covid-19 lockdown period, with a total value of £140,000.

Resole

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In light of updated government guidelines, the market has continued to implement social distancing and hygiene measures across all new venues alongside Brixton Village’s wider signage, entry posters, floor markers and informational wayfinding to help visitors navigate safely around the marketplace.

Follow @brixton.village on Instagram or visit brixtonvillage.com

CELEBRATING THE FESTIVE SEASON Come along to Castle Square to join the festivities, with our fabulous tree and ‘herd’ of special visitors!

Meet Santa !

Free opportunities to meet Santa, with social distancing measures in place, on the following dates: 5th and 6th December 12th and 13th December 19th and 20th December With 26 local traders, Castle Square is perfect for grabbing that extra Christmas present, party outfit, festive beauty treatment or new hair style.

And, while you are with us, grab a bite to eat at one of the delicious cafés and restaurants serving international food locally.

Easily accessible, Castle Square is located just 5 minutes walk from Elephant and Castle tube station and directly opposite Elephant and Castle train station. castlesquarelondon.com

AS03474 CSQ Xmas News Ad_250mmx300mm.indd 1

28/10/2020 14:02

november 2020

SAY CHEESE

CHRISTMAS Shopping

Artisan cheesemongers Neal’s Yard Dairy sells around 550 tonnes of UK and Irish-made cheese a year. At any given time, there’s 50 tonnes of cheese at their temperature-controlled “urban cave” maturing facility.

They ship to Australia and America, have an online store and three brick and mortar shops in London: the flagship in Covent Garden, Borough Market and Bermondsey. www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk

The Mons family cheese business started in 1950s France before the next generation joined in the '80s and began bringing the family’s cheeses across the Channel. Mons Cheesemongers opened in the UK in 2006 at Borough Market, sourcing traditionally made Continental and British cheeses and ageing them in cellars in London and on the Cote Roannaise. They now have shops in Bermondsey, East Dulwich, and stalls at Borough Market and Brockley Food Market.

Not to forget the vegans, Palace Culture makes fermented plant based cheese from organic cashews and almonds for all your platter needs this yuletide. Palace Culture started life in a family kitchen in Crystal Palace, when Mirko Parmigiani made it his mission to create a delicious dairy-free cheese that his lactose intolerant son could enjoy. This led to Palace Culture’s first stall at Crystal Palace farmers’ market and then an HQ at Spa Terminus.

https://mons-cheese.co.uk

www.palaceculture.co.uk

Bhanuprasad Rao has run East Dulwich institution The Cheese Block at 69 Lordship Lane since it opened its doors in 1991. The deli stocks specialty European and British produce and hundreds of cheeses from around the world, many handpicked

by Bhanuprasad himself.

69 Lordship Lane, SE22 8EP

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SMITHFIELD MEAT MARKET Europe’s largest meat market right on your doorstep

top quality meat at unbelievable prices turkey • poultry • game • pork • lamb • beef offal • sausages • bacon • halal • provisions open to the trade and the public all year round 2am to 8am Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays)

CHRISTMAS TRADING HOURS

Monday 14th to Friday 18th December – 1am to 9am Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th December – 1am to 8am Monday 21st to Thursday 24th December – 1am to 9am Nearest Underground stations — Farringdon or Barbican.

Car parking available in the West Smithfield car park, EC1A 9DS

SMTA, 225 Central Markets, EC1A 9LH tel: 020 7248 3151 email: info@smithfieldmarket.com

www.smithfieldmarket.com

Peckham’s Festive Market 2 weekends, 50+ traders a day 12&13, 19&20 December, 11am-6pm

Pexmas Emporium// 25+ Boutiques a day 16,17&18 December, book a time slot online, exciting ticket options!

Pop Up Shop// featuring bestsellers from all our traders Open on site 12-20 December 11am-8pm.

Online Store // permanent virtual shop launching soon Join mailing list for exclusive offers and updates.

Copeland Gallery, Copeland Park, 133 Copeland Road, Peckham SE15 3SN Find out more at www.pexmas.com and on

@pexmas

Horniman Museum and Gardens is open for all Book your free Museum ticket in advance at horniman.ac.uk Enjoy your visit to the Museum and Gardens Follow distancing guidance at all times Wash hands and observe other safety measures

Forest Hill

CHRISTMAS Shopping

WILD THINGS

november 2020

Go hunting for wild mushrooms, truffles and exotic fungi… in Bermondsey at The Wild Room.

Units 18-19 Apollo Business Park, St James Road, SE16 4ET. www.thewildroom.com

FRESH PRINCES

Sourcing specialist produce primarily from England, Italy and France, Puntarelle and Co supplies food lovers from across London at their Bermondsey railway arch. The owners previously worked at Borough Market, and later in Druid Street with the legendary Tony Booth, who for decades supplied many of London’s top chefs including Jeremy Lee, Jamie Oliver, Mark Hix, Gordon Ramsey and many others. puntarelle.co.uk

THE BREAKFAST CLUB

Hedie Howells makes homemade granola in an arch at Bermondsey’s Spa Terminus. Honey and Husk, which comes in three flavours: oat and nut, quinoa and buckwheat, and spiced mulberry, is stocked in delis and farm shops, as well as restaurants and cafes across London including the Shangri La hotel in the Shard and all the Ivy restaurants. www.huskandhoney.co.uk

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Brixton Village Christmas Gift Guide

Brixton Village Market Row & Granville Arcade Coldharbour Lane, Brixton London SW9 8PS

Instagram @brixton.village Facebook Brixton Village Official Website www.brixtonvillage.com

Opening hours Monday 8am–6pm Tuesday-Sunday 8am–11:30pm (Please visit government website for local guidelines)

CHRISTMAS Shopping

november 2020

THE DRINKS LIST

Fatty's Organic Winter Spiced Orange Gin is the ultimate winter G&T, with bitter Seville orange, cinnamon and nutmeg spices perfectly combined to create a balanced gin which is warming on the palate.

All of Fatty's products are 100 percent organic and Soil Association accredited, from the alcohol grain to the botanicals, they are free from chemicals, pesticides and GMOs, which creates a much cleaner and smoother spirit. Even the ink on the bottles is organic and environmentally friendly.

Enjoy with a light tonic and garnish with an orange peel and cinnamon stick, for the perfect serve. Fatty's Organic Winter Spiced Orange Gin is £45. www.FattysOrganicSpirits.com

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THIS

UP THE APPLES & PEARS

The only cider-maker on the Bermondsey Beer Mile, Hawkes was founded by Simon Wright, and is now stocked in pubs all over the UK, Byron Burger, Honest Burger, Marks and Spencer and Whole Foods. The magic happens under two railway arches in Druid Street.

The apples – Gala and Braeburn varieties, sometimes a bit of Bramley - come from Kent and are ‘gradeout’ apples, which is shop talk for the apples that supermarkets reject because they’re imperfect or too small to sell. If not used for juicing, these apples usually end up being thrown out.

Deptford hotspot Little Nan’s is bringing the party to you with DIY cocktail party boxes home delivered all across the UK. The boxes include all the ingredients you need to make 12-18 drinks, and include party cups, gold straws, pick n mix, and mystery gifts. Get festive with the ‘All I want for Christmas is you’ party set: £62, includes 18 vodka cocktails.

Hawkes Cidery and Taproom, 92 Druid Street, SE1 2HQ. Phone: 0203 903 8387.

Arches 13-15 Deptford Market Yard, SE8 4BX. little-nans-bar.myshopify.com

Alcohol and confectionery innovators Smith & Sinclair create Alcoholic Cocktail Gummies, Alcoholic Dippers and Cocktail F.I.Z.Z, Edible Fragrances, and even ‘Trump Sucks’ alcoholic lollipops (launched in response to President Trump’s ban on federal money going to international groups that perform or provide information on abortions; all profits raised go to the International Planned Parenthood Federation). www.smithandsinclair.com

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support your local cinema! a catford mews membership will get you: free cinema tickets throughout the year discounted cinema tickets 10% off all food and drinks find out more about each membership type and join the membership scheme at our box office or online at catford-mews.co.uk/membership join the club and support your local cinema today!

find us under the big black cat at catford mews shopping centre 32 winslade way, catford se6 4ju - or online @catfordmews

Refugees: Forced to Flee Until 24 May 2021

Life Jacket Price? Leaving everything.

What horrors would force you to leave everything for the chance of a better life?

Come face-to-face with the people behind the headlines. Explore 100 years of refugee experiences and find out what forces ordinary people to make the extraordinary decision to flee.

Visit IWM London.

Refugees: Forced to Flee | Until 24 May 2021 Book your free ticket IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM LONDON Lambeth North

Elephant & Castle and Waterloo

Refugees: Forced to Flee features research projects supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council

Londonist

‘Packs an emotional punch’ The Daily Telegraph

november 2020

CHRISTMAS Shopping

WORLD WINE WEB

OF ALL THE GIN BARS, IN ALL THE WORLD

Go wild this festive season and unleash Animal Spirits. Based in South Bermondsey, the new gin is the brainchild of virologist and WSET Level 3 connoisseur Dr Lukas Radosa and immersive theatre producer Eva Liparova. Lukas is responsible for the recipe - holding a PhD in microbiology from Humboldt University in Berlin, and Eva -a directing graduate from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and currently producing an immersive show at Royal Opera House- creates the characters.

Three years after dreaming up the idea in their local gin bar, 214 on Bermondsey Street, the duo is launching GIN01 - The Rabbit, made with ethically sourced organic juniper from a primeval forest (Bialowieza forest - a UNESCO World Heritage site) and distilled with corn spirit, cardamom, Sichuan green pepper, mint, orange peel, magnolia berries, angelica, Kazbek hops and two secret botanicals. The result is a perfectly balanced, full-bodied London Dry Gin of subtle sweetness and a long, lasting finish.

Available for pre-order now. £37.50 at www.animal-spirits.com The new world wine warriors at Specialist Cellars (founded by Melanie Brown of the Laundry in Brixton) have picked the best of the best, bringing a new world wine tasting experience to your own home. Carefully curating a 2, 3 and 6 pack that could be a perfect gift, or the perfect night in!

You'll receive bottles inspired by the classic varieties and styles of wines produced from the old world. This pack will unearth your inner wine warrior and instantly improve your winestreet-cred. Each wine will come with its own intuitive tech sheet and facts - turning you into an aficionado in no time. Know your vegan from your organic and your Sauvignon from your Sancerre.

The best bit? The last on the tasting agenda is presented blind, designed to really test your skills.

Wines included feature a mix of bubbles, white & red.

Bermondsey's Cloudwater Brew Co has the perfect Pale Ale for both everyday moments and special occasions, whether it's conversation with friends or quiet relaxation after work. The Pale Ale aims to provide balance between bold flavour and easy drinkability. It's full of rounded tropical fruit flavours with a soft, juicy finish and low bitterness.

Price: £3.75. Buy it online at: https://shop. cloudwaterbrew.co or from 73 Enid Street, SE16 3RA. Phone: 020 7064 8444.

Trinity 25 is a lighter style of gin (25 percent ABV) created by branding expert and Lib Dem councillor for Surrey Docks ward Nick Johnson.

The tipple is made from 100 percent English grain spirit and infused with juniper and a trinity of botanicals: cardamom, black pepper and coriander seeds. It’s made in Clapham by Thames Distillers and is based on Bermondsey’s rich history of spice warehouses.

2 bottles £29 3 bottles £39 6 bottles £69

www.spiritofbermondsey.com

https://specialistcellars.co.uk

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advertorial

Christmas in Streatham

A

fter a difficult year for everyone, InStreatham hopes to make the area feel festive and vibrant as the nights draw in.

Christmas is a time to come together with those we treasure most. It’s a time for sharing and creating memories. For retailers in particular, Christmas is a crucial time for their success - a strong Christmas trading period can counteract a poor year. Even though Christmas will look different this year we still hope as many of you as possible will enjoy shopping and staying local and we hope to encourage our community to come together to celebrate Streatham and support their independent businesses this winter.

For the last few years we delivered the annual Christmas Light Switch-On with Santa’s Grotto and a celebrity guest which regularly attracts over 500 visitors to the area and kick-starts the festive season on Small Business Saturday. Although we may not be able to bring you a Christmas Lights Switch-On show this year that doesn't mean we won't make sure Streatham is lit up to bring plenty of much needed festive cheer. We are delighted to still bring you the Streatham Festive market on Babington plaza with COVID-19 restrictions in place. You'll find stalls selling local products from tempting seasonal treats and delightful Christmas gifts.

As well as the sparkle during the darker hours, the Streatham Christmas lights, which are installed, maintained and funded by your local businesses will be up as usual, bringing some brightness to the winter evenings! Although we won’t be having a live

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november 2020

advertorial

Last year's events p Switch-on event, we’ve kept the tradition of having a Streatham celebrity switch on the lights along with Father Christmas and the Mayor of Lambeth, in a pre-recorded event that will be released on our website.

The three Streatham Christmas trees will be up at their usual location - Streatham Hill station, Babington Road and Streatham Common by the end of November and our Streatham Book of Christmas will be published soon, sharing our best ever gift guide and including all the Christmas events and activities taking place in Streatham over the festive period.

We’ve also planned some extra features,

including an exciting Christmas window competition and a Christmas trail for the family.

Be the judge of Streatham’s shop fronts this festive season; when we ask the public to vote for their favourite Christmas window display through our social media poll. The family festive trail will consist of winter characters to be spotted in shop windows along the high road to win a prize at the end. Trail maps will be available to download or print at home via instreatham.com.

The full festive programme for 2020 will be announced on our website over the coming weeks and please keep an eye on our socials for more details soon!

Last year's events p

The businesses in Streatham wish you a safe and Merry Christmas!

CAN YOU COMMIT TO BEING A HIGH ROAD HERO THIS CHRISTMAS? Support independent businesses by shopping local.

• SAVE MONEY, SAVE LIVELIHOODS • CREATE JOBS, STRENGTHEN THE LOCAL ECONOMY • BE SUSTAINABLE! 35

@ INSTREATHAM WWW.INSTREATHAM.COM

CHRISTMAS Shopping

click & collect Christmas dinner

Put your feet up and leave it to the professionals this Christmas! The Pear Tree in Greenland Place is cooking up Christmas Dinner roasts for collection, and is also open for Christmas Day, serving a three-course lunch.

On the menu Half Turkey (feeds 4 people): £125/ Whole Turkey (6 people): £195 Whole Goose (6 people): £225 Whole Duck (2-4 people): £80 Whole free range chicken (2-4 people): £60 Leg of lamb (6 people): £125 Rib of beef (6 people): £175 Roasts are served with Goose fat roast potatoes, honey roast vegetables, shredded Brussels sprouts with bacon, apple & red cabbage slaw, gravy,

If you find yourself hosting small Christmas catch-ups at home throughout December, why not impress your guests with DIY burgers? You can make your own Honest Burgers indoors with the new ‘Honest at Home’ kits, which give you all the ingredients you need to make a signature Honest Burger at home. Each kit includes British chuck steak and rib cap patties from the Honest Butchery, British Cheddar slices, dry cured smoked bacon rashers, Burger buns from Honest’s friends at The Bread Factory (gluten free also available), Honest Kitchen red onion relish, Honest Kitchen pickles and an Honest tote bag. You also get a portion of the addictive rosemary salt to season homemade chips.

The kits were first available in a limited number during lockdown as part of Honest Burgers’ extensive charity and fundraising work, when 1000 burgers were sold with all funds split equally between charities that Honest felt were in particular need through the peak of the pandemic crisis: Landworkers Alliance, Hospitality Action and Trussell Trust. The initiative raised nearly £9,000, alongside over 8000 meals that Honest made and

then donated to local food BURGERS banks and hospitals.

FOR As the only burger BUBBLES company in the UK with their own butchery, these burger kits are the only of their kind that replicate the quality and consistency of the eat-in restaurant experience. You can also watch cook-a-long recipe video with co-founder Tom to create the perfect burger .

Co-founder Tom Barton said “Online retail for restaurants was born through lockdown and the support we’ve seen from our customers has been mind-blowing. Thanks again to all those who’ve helped our industry get through these tough few months.”

The kits are £30 for four burgers or £21 for two, are available from the Honest website, and are delivered nationally by DPD (delivery cost included). Kits are delivered two days after ordering, and should be consumed the day they arrive. www.honestburgers.co.uk

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cranberry sauce (poultry) or mint sauce (lamb) or Horse radish (beef ).

Additional Sides (all £7.50) include Pigs in blankets, Sage and Apple Stuffing Cauliflower cheese, Roast potatoes, Honey roast vegetables, Apple and Cabbage Slaw.

The Pear Tree is also selling cheese hampers (£50) from the Cheese Merchant, including Westcombe Cheddar Tunworth, Cropwell Bishop Stilton, Driftwood, Dorset Quince Paste, Miller Damsels Buttermilk Biscuits and Miller Damsels Wheat Biscuits.

The Christmas Feast Catering Menu is available from 20 November until December 25. Final orders must be made and paid for by December 20.

The Pear Tree at Greenland Place, Yeoman Street, SE8 5ER. Phone: 020 7237 6171. www.thepeartreekitchen.co.uk

november 2020

business

“This has been the greatest test imaginable” p

Cara Cummings

“People are much more resilient than they give themselves credit for”

What’s it like launching a business as a pandemic hits - or even during the fallout? These three entrepreneurs found out firsthand.

p

Brixton Castle is at 2-6 Atlantic Road, SW9 8HY

Owner David French

D

avid French opened Brixton Castle, a productivity-focused co-working space on Atlantic Road, in February.

'It was quite a journey to our first opening day. Two years to raise the money, six months to negotiate the lease, six months of fitting it out - and then we opened for just a month. Initially, it was great. We had about 40 people working here by mid-March. Brixton is such a brilliant place, but it’s overlooked in terms of a work location; people have been wanting something like what we’re offering for quite a long time. The office is purpose built to a high standard, with things like sound-reducing meeting rooms, super fast broadband and custommade desks to make the best use of the space. But by the 23rd - when lockdown was announced there was only one person left. I sent him home and we shut the doors for six months.

'At first, I thought it was hysteria. Then as I watched people leave and not come back, I got hysterical myself ! I went and bought all the tinned food from Tesco, which seems mad to remember now.

'I didn’t think it would last the whole of the summer; I don‘t think many people did. I was always optimistic because our offering is exactly what the post-Covid world needs: nice space with all the amenities that you’d get in a central

37

London office, but on the doorstep so you can avoid public transport. But that optimism reduced when lockdown just went on and on.

'We reopened on September 1st. I think Boris telling people to stay away from the office again was the straw that broke the camel’s back for many.

People had been incredibly resilient in working from home for six months, but the thought of doing it for another stirred them to want an alternative. Our mantra even before COVID was always: delete your commute, work closer to where you live. That seems to have been adopted by much of London now - it doesn’t make any sense for people to go into central, even more so now.

'We’ve made the Castle Covid secure with space between desks, additional cleaning rosters and perspex partitions. There’s a huge mix of people here now - some are from central offices that have been disbanded and they can’t face working from home anymore. We’ve got various entrepreneurs and freelancers, all doing super interesting things.

It’s a really inspiring atmosphere. Plus, everyone’s so delighted to be out of the house! They’ve decided it’s better for their mental health - and their backs than being stuck working from their sofa.

'There’s always curveballs when you run a business, and all entrepreneurs need to be flexible.

This has been the greatest test imaginable; but that’s like a funfair for an entrepreneur! I feel I can deal with anything now. People are much more resilient than they give themselves credit for. We’ve all just got to get on with it.' www.brixtoncastle.com

business

november 2020

“Now with a second lockdown, we’ll do what’s best for London”

C

loé Duchalet opened independent organic grocery Sans Store with her partner, Max, in Forest Hill in August 'We opened on August 17th this year. My partner Max was an account manager for a tech company in the city before lockdown, and I’m a secondary school teacher! We always wanted to create something together - and then lockdown happened. Max was furloughed and thought: “Instead of looking for another job, I may as well focus on starting a business like we’ve been talking about for three years.” I was going into school once a week to look after key workers’ children, so I had more time too. We started to look at places at the end of April and have never looked back. We got the keys for Brockley Rise in mid-July and opened within 23 days.

'We never thought we’d start a business during a pandemic. Max was going to quit his job at the end of this year anyway, so it was a blessing for us to have that time. Having to stay near your home meant that people were shopping more locally, and we realised that has a big impact. Even not getting in the car and walking instead… We thought, this is great! We’ve been living here since 2012 so we know the community and what people want.

We know there’s a demand for the products we sell, because we wanted them ourselves. It all just

aligned in these crazy times.

'It’s brilliant to be up and running. I’m still only there in the evenings and weekends, so Max is mostly running it by himself. We’re open every day at the moment. It’s hard work, but we’re loving it. We’ve had such great support from locals, and people coming from across south London and even further beyond.

'The local community has been so positive.

People have been amazing at spreading the word with neighbours, friends and family. It’s so supportive, especially knowing that it’s so difficult right now.

'The people make this area special. I can’t really put my finger on it but it feels like home, even though I’m originally from France. It just feels safe, with such a lovely atmosphere.

'Since opening, we have a real sense of togetherness; a responsibility, and wanting to help. We’re gearing up towards Halloween and Christmas and we just hope we can stay open and keep doing what we’re doing. Now with a second lockdown, we’ll do what’s best for London. We’ll have to adapt. If it means doing collections and deliveries, we’ll work our way around it. We’ll be resourceful.

'In the new year we’d like to try and sell zero waste personal care and household products.

That’s something we’ve always wanted to do. We’re waiting to get our alcohol licence, too; that’s our next step, hopefully before Christmas. We want to build a community - and connect people - where we love living.'

 Cloé Duchalet opened independent organic grocery Sans Store with her partner, Max, in Forest Hill in August

“It helps to know that things can turn on a dime”

M

artyn White opened Herne Hill vegan restaurant Peachy Goat in February, with childhood friends and co-owners Ollie and Luca Sechi.

'Peachy Goat has been a long project in the making. Ollie and Luca’s parents had a small Sardinian restaurant when we were kids, so those seeds were always there. We always spoke about a restaurant of our own; the kickstarter for actually doing it was us all being vegan. We really believe in it. We’re not political about it, and we don’t claim we’re 100% right - we just felt the benefits for ourselves and saw the trend taking off and thought: we can do this.

'It was emotional when we finally opened. The response was amazing. Even in the first week, we saw people coming in repeatedly; that made us so happy. Although we were running on empty after all the building work, we were doing all the shifts ourselves. We were knackered, but what we’d put together was working and people seemed really positive. We were planning how to have a lie-in when lockdown was announced.

'It was surreal, realising we’d have to shut. We didn’t think it would go on for that long, so we were naive in that sense. As two weeks started to look like months on end, things started to feel

more negative. We were concerned about our staff, whether or not we could keep them on; Ollie, Luca and I hadn’t paid ourselves yet through PAYE so we weren’t individually eligible for furlough. We didn’t know if we could pay our own rent, having put all our money into the business. We tried to stay positive but it was a bit hairy, for a couple of months.

'Starting our burger takeaway service really helped. Mentally, it was great to have conversations with people, seeing that everyone was ready to come and support us again. Although we’re in London, it feels almost like a village - people know what’s happening in the area and check out what you’re doing. People seem desperate to support us and were really concerned about whether we’d reopen. It motivated us to keep going in the darker times, from a human perspective. There’s no sugar coating that it’s a negative situation, but it’s not all doom and gloom when people want you back.

'We definitely had to bounce back. Being best friends, we had the energy to do that. The energy is becoming more and more necessary with new measures looming. It’s taught me that you can make changes quickly and people will support your decisions. When it feels like everything’s in a spiral, it helps to know that things can turn on a dime if we stay positive and look after ourselves and our staff. We’ll fly again. We’ll laugh about it one day. ' www.peachygoat.com

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Peachy Goat co-owners Martyn White and Oliver Sechi

The Mathnasium Method™

“Children don’t hate maths. They do hate being confused and intimidated by maths. With understanding comes passion and with passion comes growth – a treasure is unlocked.” ―Larry Martinek―

For more than a decade, the Mathnasium Method™ has transformed the way children understand and appreciate maths. Larry Martinek, creator of the Mathnasium Method, has spent 40+ years designing, developing and refining this approach based on his extensive experience teaching maths to children. In your local Mathnasium centre located on the Lordship Lane, we build maths knowledge upon what they already know - this helps them learn quickly and boosts their confidence right away.

How It Works

Our proprietary method consists of three key components which are closely monitored and adjusted to address each child’s learning goals: Assessments: Students start by taking a customised assessment which pinpoints their needs, allowing us to meet them where they are and take them where they need to go. These assessments continue throughout their Mathnasium instruction to ensure progress and skill retention.

• The Mathnasium Method™ is based on 40+ years of research and testing.

• Comprehensive assessments pinpoint strengths and weaknesses.

• Helps children catch up or get ahead.

• Boosts marks and test scores.

• Compatible with, and complementary to, school education.

• Homework help available each session.

We never set homework.

• Independent studies prove our results.

Mathnasium of Dulwich 020 8299 1171 • mathnasium.co.uk/dulwich 354 - 356 Lordship Lane. London, SE22 8LZ dulwich@mathnasium.co.uk

Customised Learning Plans: We then design a customised learning plan for teaching the concepts the student needs to master and use a combination of proprietary materials and instruction techniques to ensure your child masters these concepts.

Specially Trained, Caring Instructors Who Teach: Mathnasium’s specially trained instructors implement the learning plan and work with each student to ensure they master the material. All teaching takes place during the Mathnasium session and we don’t assign homework.

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The traits of a La Retraite girl Formidable Talent – Courageous Spirit – Determined Minds – Irrepressible Potential – Boundless Ambition

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hese are the qualities our girls develop to broaden their minds, create opportunities, open doors and excel in their academic studies. Every girl is empowered to be aspirational and bold; to be powerful and successful; to achieve these traits: The Traits of a La Retraite Girl.

Outstanding standards of teaching, traditional values coupled with an innovative education, an enriching student experience, inclusive Catholic

ethos and a pledge to prepare students for their future underpins our offer to every girl. To find out more about the Traits of a La Retraite Girl and to join our lasting legacy of successful young women, visit our website to arrange a tour or a call with a member of our leadership team.

Outstanding education and life-defining experiences for ambitious young women

LOVE LETTER

How would you describe south London - and south Londoners?

Eclectic, diverse, vibrant, busy. Ambitious, too: there are a lot of businesses here that aren’t as big as many in central London, but sure give them a run for their money. South Londoners need to be our own bosses; we want to create something in our name that will outlive us.

Have any local celebrities been an inspiration in chasing your dreams?

Ian Wright, John Boyega and Joe Gomez are extremely inspiring, and a constant reminder of how far one can push oneself.

november 2020

A love letter to south London Cara Cummings

B

orn and raised south of the river, Randell Sergeant founded premium outerwear company Serran London in 2013. His team produces handcrafted, sustainable textiles from a studio factory in Bermondsey. The dapper designer talks us through his favourite south-of-the-river spots and hidden gems...

What was growing up in south London like for you?

Growing up in Brockley was adventurous, back in the time when playing on your street corner was normal - bicycles, scooters, roller skates, you name it. My dad invested time in showcasing my siblings and I different aspects of London, from architecture to city landmarks. We’d go on long evening drives and stop to take in the spectacles - the different bridges that connected south and north, the sea of ambient lights so far spread that pictures couldn’t do it justice... All of it has definitely shaped who I am today.

Where do you shop for clothes and homeware yourself?

I enjoy browsing craft markets like Greenwich and Spitalfields. There are always designs and ideas that blow me away. Creative vision shouldn’t be purely linked to the field you end up developing in, but rather collaging the randomness of your external experiences - something south London can give in abundance.

I’m not much of a shopper. A lot of why I began making my own clothes was because I either couldn’t afford or wasn’t finding quality clothing elsewhere. At Serran we make clothes to last, both through their high quality and timeless style. I feel like in the world of fast fashion, craftsmanship has dimmed; I hope that we can push a new appreciation towards quality bespoke pieces and British craftsmanship.

What’s the one place activity on our side of the river that everyone should try at least once?

For adrenaline, TeamSport Go Karting in Docklands; or for a calmer educational experience, the Tower Bridge tour. Plus, the National Maritime Museum, the Greenwich Peninsula Golf Range and climbing the O2.

Burgess Park always manages to surprise me with its beauty. It’s truly a community park - everyone who lives in the area knows how important this patch of green is when living in the heart of the metropolis. It’s Southwark’s lungs.

Top restaurant and bar tips?

Ganapati is my absolute favourite restaurant south of the river. The décor is simple but the food is exceptional - try the mangalam fish, it’s exquisite!

Q Bar & Kitchen in Beckenham is another gem.

If you’re in the mood for a takeaway, Jerk Scene in Catford can never go wrong.

My favourite south London bar has to be Frank’s Cafe in Peckham. Nothing beats a south London sunset, and Frank’s has the best of them all. I spend a lot of time in Greenwich - we have a market stall there - and the Cutty Sark is also great. It’s very small and cosy, with open fires; great for catching up with friends and family after a long week.

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FOUNDATION DIPLOMA, HNC, HND AND DEGREE

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SEE AHEAD WITH AN ADULT ACCREDITED COURSE at MORLEY COLLEGE LONDON

L A EV C E C L ES 3 S IN TO C L H UD E I N

ENTRY TO LEVEL 2

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ESSENTIAL SKILLS

DEVELOP YOUR LIFE TOOLS

ENGLISH & ESOL MATHS DIGITAL SKILLS For courses that take place at the Waterloo, Stockwell and Lewington Centres.

APPLY NOW! 020 7450 1834

lines open 10am – 12pm and then 2pm – 4pm

FUND YOUR ADULT EDUCATION JOURNEY WITH AN AFFORDABLE

ADVANCED LEARNER LOAN*

£30,000

There is a way to fund your course that is NOT dependent on income, does NOT require a credit check and your repayments only begin when you are earning over £26,575.

£26,575

* For eligible Level 3 to 6 qualifications at Morley College London

Payment threshold

Your income

Repayments would be approximatly £25 per month.

Repayments are set at 9% of your income above £26,575 — so if you make £30,000 a year, your repayments are 9% of £3,425 which is roughly £25 per month.

Your repayments automatically stop if either: you stop working or your income goes below the threshold.

If you take an advanced learner loan to fund a Level 3 Access to HE Diploma, and then go on to complete a degree in the same subject, your advanced learner loan will be written off.

CALL 020 7450 1889 TO APPLY NOW!