The South Londoner - January 2021

SOUTH LONDonER January 2021

From Brixton to the bar How DĂŠvante Gravesande-Smith went from Myatts Field Estate to becoming a barrister

Issue 4

contents

January 2021

Contents

About us

5 Better times ahead in 2021

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

We are proud to be a London Living Wage employer.

Bearpit karaoke, Goldfrapp at Royal Festival Hall, and London’s biggest beer festival in Rotherhithe

6-7 Local Faces

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

We also publish the Greenwich and Lewisham Weekender every week.

Dévante Gravesande-Smith shares his story: from Brixton estate to barrister

8-11 New Year, New You

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

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.

The ultimate workout round-up and the beauty industry’s latest little helpers

14-18 Food and Drink Bitesize news from your favourite

neighbourhood restaurants, bars and cafes, and the power-couple changing up health drinks with collagen, charcoal and CBD.

21 A woman for all seasons Editor

Laura Burgoine

Deputy Editor

Cara Cummings

Design

Lizzy Tweedale, Dan Martin, Aurelio Medina

Marketing

Tammy Jukes, Clarry Frewin, Lorraine Wood, Katie Boyd

Media Partnerships

Anthony Phillips

Finance

Emrah Zeki

Managing Directors

Chris Mullany and Kevin Quinn

Gardening tips for the month ahead from Peckham horticulturalist and herbalist Jackie Power

22 A love letter to south London

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The founder of the UK’s first sake brewery Kanpai London can’t get enough of

Copeland Park, Persepolis, Monkatsu, the Coal Rooms and Hop, Burns and Black!

CONTACT us Email southlondonermag@gmail.com Phone

020 7231 5258

Twitter @southlondonmag Instagram thesouthlondoner Website thesouthlondoner.co.uk

Printed by Ilif fe Print Published by Southwark Newspaper Ltd

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January 2021

Bearpit Karaoke returns to Vauxhall pleasure gardens After a year stuck inside with nowhere to belt out your favourite tunes but the bathroom, Bearpit Karaoke’s summer 2021 stint looks set to be the ideal outlet for undiscovered Mariahs and wannabe Meatloaf ’s to strut their stuff. Having become an urban legend in Berlin, where crowds gather in Mauerpark every Sunday to cheer each other on and take turns on the mic, Bearpit will take over Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens once again this summer for the ultimate outdoor karaoke party. Bring your best vibes - one helluva lol is guaranteed.

139 Vauxhall Walk, Lambeth, London SE11 5HL. Free. www.beinvauxhall.com/bearpit

Spring in London’s official best parks Guess which boroughs topped the latest Parks for London report? That’s right: Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark nabbed first, second and third place, knocking the rest of the capital - well, out of the park. There’s no better time to enjoy the great south London outdoors than spring, so dust off your wellies and get exploring our prize-winning green spaces as they wake up from a long winter.

HOME SECRETARY

2021 Reasons to be cheerful Cara Cummings

After a rocky 2020, there’s plenty to look forward to in south London this year. Get diarising these awesome events and make the most of life on the best side of the river!

Romeo & Juliet starring Prince Charles (kind of) A brand new retelling of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers was supposed to wow National Theatre audiences last summer - but we all know how that turned out. (Thanks, Covid.) Undeterred, director Simon Godwin has transformed his take on the timeless tale into a made-for-television film. Jessie Buckley (Chernobyl, Wild Rose) and Josh O’Connor (yep, from The Crown) still star, with the National’s Lyttleton theatre temporarily transformed into a studio for the recording. Keep an eye out for this eagerly-anticipated release on Sky Arts during spring.

Brew//LDN moves to south London London’s biggest beer festival is back for a bumper 2021 edition - and this year, the smorgasbord of all-thing craft brewing will take place at Printworks in Rotherhithe. With beer from more than 150 independent brewers, plus craft ciders, wine, spirits, top street food and live music throughout, May 2022 might just be the best long weekend ever.

Tickets from £13.50 via brewldn.com

Lambeth Country Show back for 2021

Goldfrapp - on Southbank

Brockwell Park’s brilliant, bonkers town-meetscountry annual blowout is back for a 2021 outing that, if previous years are anything to go by, promises to be the biggest free family festival of the year. More than 120,000 attend every year; expect that record to be broken this summer. If you’ve never been, picture a traditional country show complete with sheep, homegrown vegetable competitions and a programme of owl displays - plus two mega stages of live funk, soul, Afro-beat and reggae music, with bars and street food throughout. Deliciously, inimitably mad.

Multi-platinum selling mega groovers Goldfrapp will stage two epic shows at the Royal Festival Hall in April, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their debut studio album Felt Mountain. Dance music doesn’t come much better than the bangers this legendary duo are behind, so get booking pronto for what’s sure to be an unmissable gig.

April 2-3. Tickets from £47.50 via southbankcentre.co.uk

July 17 and 18, Brockwell Park.

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local faces

From Brixton to the Bar Cara Cummings

“

As soon as I wanted to do this, I met barriers.

Career advisers suggested “people like me” couldn't become barristers. I vividly remember teachers making a mockery of me. If I didn’t have my family, I could have ended up in a totally different way. It just takes one or two people to say: “don’t do that” and the trajectory of your life changes.”

As Dévante Gravesande-Smith describes his adolescence, you realise the significance of the professional photographs he had taken to mark being called to the bar. The beaming 24-year-old in new legal robes isn’t just celebrating the end of his studies - he’s triumphing over a lifetime of unfairly stacked odds.

The grandson of West Indian migrants and a former resident of Brixton’s notorious Myatts Field Estate, synonymous with gang warfare and deprivation throughout his childhood, Dévante has faced the kind of hurdles all too shamefully common for young people of his background in Britain. And he’s quietly, determinedly skewered them all.

Speaking from his mum’s home just days after being called to the bar - “It’s still surreal!” - the softly spoken south Londoner is grace and charm personified. But doubt this brightspark’s mercurial drive at your peril. “I’ve always preferred people to underestimate me,” he grins. “I take it as a challenge: go ahead that it’s not possible for me to achieve,

Growing up on one of south London’s most notorious estates, no one believed Dévante Gravesande-Smith could become a barrister.

As he celebrates being called to the bar, Dévante shares his story - and how he plans to change the world. because it is. If I’d followed the goalposts other people set for me, I’d be a totally different person.

I focused on what I wanted to do, stuck to it and it paid off.”

Unwavering determination comes, Dévante says, from his DNA. “It was tough for people to find their feet in Britain,” he says of his family’s struggle to assimilate, “but my mum and her parents had that tenacity from early on. It’s generational, that grit.

Never give up. Never stop trying.”

Dévante’s early memories of life on Myatts Field are halcyon - a bubble of supportive community spirit where everyone helped out and mum served up big Caribbean feasts for the neighbours. “But it started changing when people felt left behind and

without opportunities,” he reflects. “That's where you get gang culture: people falling by the wayside and not knowing their place in society. That’s when problems seep in.”

The estate’s darker side began to emerge. “I remember next door neighbours getting raided,” Dévante says. “People used to be stabbed. You’d hear doors being kicked down. In some ways it inspired me, because I was aware of the criminal justice system from a young age. As I grew up, I saw the police abuse their powers, too - the bad side of the London Met.” As his sense of the world took shape, Gordon Brown’s 2010 election loss sparked a crisis for Dévante that would change his life. “I felt like my

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side of the country, how I viewed Britain and how my family did, was rejected,” he remembers. “And I felt really scared at the prospect of a new Prime Minister - I thought, my gosh, we’re going to be left behind and forgotten about. What can I do? Get into parliament and change the world!”

Realising that David Lammy, Chuka Umunna and Sadiq Khan - “MPs that looked similar to me” - had all been lawyers before becoming politicians, Dévante’s course was set. He joined the Labour party at fourteen, devouring law news and researching cases in his spare time. But bullying became a regular experience. “Whenever people got their chance, it was: ‘Barrister? That'll never happen!’” Dévante recalls. “I was laughed at. It was drummed into my head that people like me don't aspire to those things.”

The hurdles didn’t lower after Dévante left school.

In the UK, student loans are available to cover law degree fees - but the professional qualification required to practise as a barrister afterwards, which can cost up to £19,000, must be self-funded. The socioeconomic barrier hit Dévante hard.

“It’s horrible,” he says. “You can get good grades, be aspirational, but if you don't come from a wealthy background the door is closed. Many of my university peers couldn’t pursue the career further because they didn’t have the funds.”

January 2021

local faces

Dévante and his family worked multiple jobs to raise the money and start his dream career. But once again, an obstacle: the profession’s crushing lack of diversity. According to the Bar Standards Board’s latest report, more than a third of British barristers went to private school.

There are fewer black people at the bar than population demographics warrant, and not a single full-time judge from a BAME background sits on the Western Circuit, the geographic bar region covering Britain’s south and south west.

“It's been very uncomfortable at times,” Dévante admits. “But I’m glad I’m here to occupy the space, make a change and make people realise that they can too. I’ve had my fair share of racial undertones, passive aggression, microaggressions. But I love the profession. I’ve had to fight to get where I want to be - a few silly comments and people turning up their nose wouldn’t do much to me. If people like me just hang on in there, it will be a better place in the long run.”

Last year, politics once again made their mark on Dévante’s path. George Floyd’s death and the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests that followed affected him deeply. “But if I’m totally honest,” he says, “it wasn't a surprise. It’s not new for the black community: these were conversations I had with my parents as a kid in an urban area. I knew very early on that I couldn’t behave in certain ways if I was stopped by the police. I had to not come across aggressive in public, because someone may think you’re going to rob them. “[Floyd’s death] was the straw that broke the camel's back and made everyone aware of the issues we’ve been screaming about for a very long time. It was upsetting, but the world needed it to wake them up, smell the coffee and realise this is an issue that affects everybody.”

Now the young barrister is on a mission to empower others from non- “traditional” backgrounds to pursue law, using his own experiences as a guide.

Since sharing his celebratory posts, he’s been overwhelmed by the response.

“I’ve had messages from people from all walks of life; a lot from the black British community,” he explains. “I didn't think it would have that sort of impact. That’s when I realised: maybe little me, and my story, might actually make a difference to somebody else. It sounds bizarre, because I’m young and it’s happened so fast - but I feel a sense of responsibility to show the next generation that their dreams are achievable.”

That’s the point: Dévante’s journey shouldn’t be a “story”. It shouldn’t be remarkable that a black boy from a south London estate joins one of the most elite professions in this country. But until that trajectory ceases to be newsworthy, Dévante will share his story to inspire others.

Is he a future Prime Minister in the making? “I would hope you can expect big things from me,” he deflects with a chuckle. “I just want to empower others and advocate for the voiceless. Simple as that.

If I can, I think I've done my job.”

Follow Dévante on Instagram and Twitter at @deardevante

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new year, new you

New Year New You

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fter the year that was, who could say no to a bit of help from a cosmetic magic wand?

Rest assured, you’re in safe hands with East Dulwich A&E nurse turned advanced aesthetic nurse practitioner Lauren Turner.

Lauren opened her own medical clinic on Lordship Lane last September, after working in different salons across London for the last few years while studying (and becoming a member of the Aesthetic Complications Expert Group and also the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses).

“I do injectables like Botox, dermal fillers, skin tightening, and skin boosters like Profhilo, which have become popular recently with celebrities like Millie Mackintosh and Amanda Holden,” Lauren says.

Already proving popular are fat dissolving injections, which reduce stubborn pockets of fat in specific areas, and Emsella incontinence treatments, which are particularly helpful for post-natal Mums and people on chemo therapy.

“You just sit on a chair in your tracksuit bottoms for 30 minutes and that’s the equivalent of 30 minutes of Kegel exercises. In four sessions, incontinence can be completely cured,” Lauren says.

“Most of my clients are in their 30s and

Cara Cummings

40s; they want to look natural not like they’re Instagram filtered! Every time I get a new product, I test it out on myself first.”

Lauren offers a free consultation where you can chat through what you’re looking for. “I like to get to know my clients so I invite them in for a cup of tea and a chat. Not everyone just needs one thing. About 90 percent of people require a set of treatments so we make a plan to achieve the goal they want.”

Aesthetics by Lauren Turner is at 133 Lordship Lane, SE22 8HX. Phone: 020 8226 3800. www.aestheticsbylaurenturner.com

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new year, new you

January 2021

Treatments on offer: BOTOX

Botox –Botulinum Toxin- injections are used to treat the dynamic wrinkles mostly on the forehead, frown lines and crow’s feet. Normally these injections last approximately 3-4 months.

FAT-DISSOLVING INJECTIONS

With Fat Dissolving Injections using Deso face and body, the sodium deoxycholate is very effective at removing stubborn fat and can be used on both the face and body. Treatment length and dose is usually different per patient due to the differing amounts of vials required per session to achieve the desired results.

DERMAL FILLERS

Dermal Fillers are injections of hyaluronic acid used to enhance areas of the face such as lips, cheeks, chin, jawline and also underneath the eye in the tear trough area.

NATIONAL MEDICAL WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMME

PROFHILO

Used in the face or neck -or both, this involves a high concentration of hyaluronic acid underneath the skin in specified beauty aesthetic points to produce collagen and elastin. Two initial treatments are required and the follow up treatments are usually 4-6 months apart.

This is for those struggling to lose weight or people classed as clinically overweight or obese despite trying exercise and dieting. A thorough consultation is required to discuss suitability.

EMSELLA INCONTINENCE TREATMENT

SUNEKOS

Sunekos is a cocktail of amino acids and high strength hyaluronic acid injected into the face and neck, depending upon areas of concern and stimulates the fibroblasts in the skin to produce collagen and elastin which helps with fine lines and wrinkles and also tighter, firmer skin. Initially, a course of 4 treatments are required a week apart. For the eye area, only 2 initial treatments are required to help with dark circles and eyebags.

LEAP-Winter-with-us_SouthLondoner-1-tel.pdf

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CM

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The treatment of urinary and stress incontinence using the only FDA approved non-surgical technique. Sitting fully clothed on the Emsella chair for 30 minutes for approximately 4-6 treatments can be life changing and cure incontinence in 95% of cases.

16/12/2020

14:29

For fun, free learning activities, meeting other parents and ways to be more healthy and active, we can help: LEAPLambeth.org.uk/WinterWithUs

t 0794 770 977 /LEAPLambeth @LeapLambeth 9

new year, new you

Ten workouts to get 2021 off to a running start Cara Cummings

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MCP Manor, SW1 Victoria

“BEAST YOUR BODY. EXORCISE YOUR MIND” is the tagline of this class from Manor, designed to get participants comfortable with being uncomfortable. They’re not kidding: individual failings mean group penalties during MCP’s four classes - Yard Work, Gas Tank, Strongman and Strength - and unexpected endurance tests are introduced with the ring of a bell. You have been warned. mymanor.london/mcp; prices vary.

84 Gillingham St, SW1V 1PX.

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UN1T London Bridge

Take teamwork to the next level at UN1T, where classes rely on group dynamics and every member’s performance counts. 12-week programmes rotate between 4-week blocks focused on strength, conditioning and mobility, with the cycle constantly repeated to maximise performance. Perfect for those who need regular gym buddies for motivation. un1t.com/london-bridge; prices vary.

140-148 Borough High St, SE1 1LB.

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FLYING FANTASTIC Peckham

Experience the thrill of upside down workouts at London’s premiere aerial fitness studio, where you can try your luck at everything from aerial yoga to trapeze classes, and even HIIT-inspired conditioning sessions in Flying Fantastic’s state-ofthe-art studio. Training facilities are also available for professional aerial artists. flyingfantastic.co.uk; prices vary.

1 Bellenden Road (in Lidl car park), SE15 5BA.

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January 2021

new year, new you

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BOUNCE AND BURN Frame, Victoria

Fancy a truly sweat-inducing workout, with none of the joint strain of standard exercise? Try this endorphin-focused class at Frame, where you’ll use a mini-trampoline for 25 minutes of hard cardio followed by 15 minutes of body conditioning.

Bounce and Burn promises a natural high that will last for throughout the day.

Moveyourframe.com; £16.

4 Bridge Place, SW1V 1JZ.

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Feel ready to try a hybrid class of weighted, bodyweight, HIIT and yoga-inspired exercises with the added challenge of attempting them all in a 30 degree room? This class at Mindset’s ‘total wellness’ centre is for you. Water is mandatory and you must be able to train in hot temperatures.

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AMRAP Gymbox, Elephant and Castle

mindsetfit.co.uk; from £10.

1 Lower Marsh, SE1 7NT.

This pre-work endurance workout doesn’t mess around. For 45 minutes every Tuesday morning, you’ll be challenged to complete as many reps as possible - with a speed rap soundtrack to keep you in the zone. If you like your mornings sweaty, Amrap is ideal.

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F45 Sites across south London

gymbox.com/gyms/elephant-and-castle; membership options vary.

Unit 7, 38 New Kent Road, SE1 6TJ. 6.45am.

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Arriving in the UK from Australia in 2017, F45 has taken over London with its sports science informed workouts designed to unify the body’s muscle groups. Each 45-minute session combines highintensity interval training (HIIT), circuit training, and functional training - i.e. mimicking everyday movement - in a balanced blast that will shape you up in no time. Choose from cardio, resistance, hybrid or recovery-focused sessions in a range of formats.

RIDE 45 Psycle, Clapham

The signature class from London’s leading spin workout franchise blends high-intensity cardio, muscular strength training and choreographer group moves — all to a killer playlist designed to lift you with the energy of the room. Ideal for a truly mind-body experience that’s as close to raving as training can get.

F45training.co.uk; prices vary across studios

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psyclelondon.com/pages/clapham; prices vary.

82-84 Battersea Rise, SW11 1EH.

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SUNSET Mindset, Waterloo

THE FOUNDRY Vauxhall

With its extensive equipment range, ex-military and ex-professional athlete coaches and unique trainerled group programmes that target specific fitness goals, The Foundry has been called one of the best gyms in the world by leading fitness commentators.

With classes, small-scale personal training and an 8-week Team Transformation on offer, this gym is for you if dedicated, bespoke and down to earth brilliance is what you’re after.

RESHAPE 1Rebel, Southbank

If you’re looking for the ultimate full-body workout, 1Rebel’s now-iconic Reshape class is for you.

Combining quickfire rounds of intense treadmill sessions with dynamic weights sequences, each 45-minute session can burn up to 700 calories.

Gruelling, but worth it.

foundryfit.com/vauxhall; prices vary.

5 Beaufoy Walk, off Black Prince Rd, SE11 6AA.

1rebel.com/uk; package prices vary.

7 Upper Ground, SE1 9LP.

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HE LLO WI NTER 1 86 Bellenden Ro ad

www.formse15.com

Learn Kempo Jujitsu Self Defence Why not keep fit while learning to defend yourself?

Classes held at The City Of London Academy Sports Centre 240 Lynton Road Bermondsey SE1 5LA On Mondays, Tuesday and Fridays 8-9.30pm Beginners welcome, 1st lesson free. Beginners classes starting on Monday 4th January, Tuesday 5th January and Friday 8th January Covid 19 restrictions apply. Instruction By Hanshi Browne 9th (Degree Black Belt) PHONE NOW AND RESERVE YOUR PLACE 07767 207227 Email: kenpojitsu@aol.com Web: www.selfdefencelondon.co.uk

All-inclusive artist studios with access to printmaking, ceramics, carpentry and gallery

We are a Community Interest Company (CIC) www.arthub.org.uk @ArtHubLondon

South East London

food & drink

Bite size ZIA LUCIA ZOOM SOUTH

Cara Cummings

Just when you think south London’s pizza options can’t get any more on point, another gift from the gluten gods is announced. This time, it’s Wandsworth’s turn to wax lyrical with thanks: dough dignitaries Zia Lucia are opening their first below-the-river outpost on Old York Road. Their 48-hour fermented dough is the stuff of legend across north and west London - now, you can choose between their range of handmade bases (traditional white flour, wholemeal, gluten-free or a vegetable charcoal black base) for brilliant eats like the Ortolana with tomato, mozzarella, courgettes, roasted peppers and olives, or the Paperon de’ Pep(p)eroni with tomato, mozzarella, spianata spicy salami and roasted peppers.

356 Old York Road, London SW18 1SS. zialucia.com

RUDIE’S JERK SHACK ROCKS UP TO BRIXTON MARKET If you’re a Caribbean food fan, you’re probably already a bit in love with Rudie’s. Prepare to fall even harder: husband and wife team Matin and Michelle Miah have opened their biggest restaurant yet in Brixton Village. Jamaican “real jerk” dishes are front and centre at the new 60-cover site, where meat and fish are marinated for 24 hours before being slowly smoked over charcoal in a steel drum.

Enjoy with lashings of rum punch and Rudie’s signature laid back vibe.

Unit 10, Market Row, Brixton, London SW9 8LB. rudieslondon.com

‘80s INSPIRED SUPPER CLUB, ANYONE? Pun fans, this one’s for you: an ‘80s inspired new offering from Pop Brixton called - wait for it - Only Food and Courses. Yep. The name might be a joke, but the menu here is a seriously interesting prospect. Proudly nostalgic, but with a contemporary twist on classic British dishes, duck eclairs, crab scotch eggs and lobster doughnuts are all apparently waiting in the wings. So too is a daily supper club featuring a 4-6 course tasting menu, inspired by culinary trends from the ‘80s and ‘90s, that will change every week. Lovely jubbly.

49 Brixton Station Rd, Brixton, London SW9 8PQ. onlyfoodandcourses.co.uk

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January 2021

Fancy creating your own tailor-made glamping escape?

Local duo set up exciting new travel venture..

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fter months of being surrounded by tales of companies collapsing comes a glimmer of hope that new businesses can be launched amidst such difficult times.

Peckham and Dulwich based co-founders of Kymani, Cheryl Carroll and Olivett Asare witnessed, like many others, the events industry in which they had both worked for over 20 years collapse overnight in March. They say that in times of struggle come great innovations and so it was that they decided to join forces to launch a new business combining their vast experience in the events industry and their love of camping and the great outdoors. Kymani was borne out of a shared frustration of having experienced how difficult it is to find luxury glamping sites for large groups.

Imagine being able to get your nearest and dearest together and bring them to a sociallydistanced, luxurious glamping site for a tailormade, stress-free break. Located in a number of stunning spots from Suffolk to Hampshire, Kymani will offer you just that. Each site is hired out on an exclusive basis so that you can book the entire place to yourselves for a really special getaway. Most special of all, you are able to tailor-make your trip through an easy-to-use app taking the fuss of planning away. No more ‘what are we going to do when we get there’ or ‘who is

doing the shopping’ scenarios.

Kymani takes the hassle out of organising any celebration or gathering. Every aspect from food, and beverage to décor, entertainment and activities can be pre-booked; think fullystocked bar, sunrise yoga, art classes, woodland foraging… and each party member will have access to the Kymani Concierge app allowing them to pre-order and pay for personal extras if they choose. The onsite guest relations team will be available throughout to make sure all goes according to plan and to meet any other requests.

Each beautiful 6-metre bell tent has 2 comfortable double beds, bedside tables, woodburning stove (and wood), sofa, hanging candelabra and reading lamps, boot-rack, ample storage, full-length mirror, rugs and mats. All bedding/linens, a power pack and charge points are included. Hot showers, real toilets and a magnificent giant Tipi with banquet table, lounge, games area and library are also part of the deal.

New Year Prize Giveaway worth £3,950 for you and 19 friends! tit pe m co

ion

Enter by visiting www.kymanigetaways.com and entering your details using the code SOUTH1 before 22/01/2021. The winner will be notified on 25/01/2021 Contact information – www.kymanigetaways.com marketing@kymanigetaways.com 07713 910 917

Prices range between £75 - £99 per person per night and includes healthy, delicious and locally sourced breakfast and dinner.

Book now at www.kymanigetaways.com

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food & drink

BERMONDSEY STREET’S LATEST LUCKY CHARM Bermondsey Street has a brand new bar and restaurant with one of the best names we’ve heard in a while: The Last Talisman Drinking House and Asian Grill. Expect playful cocktails mine’s a Ghost Negroni with Talisman gin, suze, sake and vermouth, ta - and a menu featuring ‘Grilled Cheese’ made with crispy beancurd skin, mixed cheese and spicy tomato ketchup powder, and the obscenely delicious-sounding ‘Siu Mai Mini Burger’ of pork, prawn and miso butter.

You’ll also find a separate tropical cocktail bar, Mala Madre, inside along with art exhibitions and DJs whenever we’re allowed to finally dance again. That’s more like it, 2021.

171-173 Bermondsey St, Bermondsey, London SE1 3TQ. thelasttalisman.com

ANDANZA ARRIVES IN LONDON BRIDGE London Bridge just got a whole lot more delicious, thanks to the geniuses at The Rose pub who’ve opened an absolutely banging Basque-inspired tapas restaurant - well, bang opposite said pub. And boy, what a team they’ve popped into the kitchen at Andanza itself. With a head chef from Marylebone mega-spot Lurra and a master carver from Brindisa, you know you’re in for some sweeeeet small plates.

Go for the pork tenderloin with manchego cheese and chipotle aioli, stay for (several portions) of the Basque-style cheesecake.

66 Weston St, Bermondsey, London SE1 3QJ. andanza.co.uk

DEPTFORD’S ULTIMATE PUB South Londoners, please ask yourself the following: “Have I been to Badger Badger yet?”

If the answer is no, that needs to be remedied.

At once. Combining killer craft beers, some of the best Japanese street food you’ll find in London - seriously, order the smoked pork belly with plum sauce glaze then try and claim otherwise - and more than 100 board games available to rent as you eat, Badger Badger should be where you spend a lot of this year.

139-145 Deptford High Street, London, SE8 3NU. badgerbadger.org

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January 2021

food & drink

“How great it would be to open the fridge and have a drink ready for all the different challenges life throws at you?”

Cara Cummings

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an and Emily Watson launched health drinks company BumbleZest in 2017 from their south London kitchen. The duo’s all-natural concoctions target the challenges of modern life and push boundaries with ingredients like collagen, charcoal and cannabidiol CBD. Dan and Emily tell The South Londoner how they turned the corporate grind into a brilliant business, and why a simple smile could be the key to wellbeing this year…

What did you both do before BumbleZest was born?

Dan: I'm a qualified chartered surveyor. I previously worked in commercial property in the city and then went on to run my own residential property development company; I experienced high levels of stress and anxiety in this line of work which, along with other health issues, led me to develop BumbleZest.

Emily: I worked in marketing and advertising agencies on some exciting brands including Sainsbury’s, BSkyB,

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NowTV, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home... There was a constant buzz and I loved working alongside all the fun, creative personalities. However the role involved very long hours and was very fast paced.

What gave you the idea for the business?

The long hours, commuting and the general lifestyle we were both living in London started to take a toll our health. We weren’t sleeping well and drinking too much coffee and alcohol, plus developed anxiety and high levels of stress. We had a cupboard bursting with different ingredients so that we could make concoctions of drinks at home - we were drinking particular recipes at different points of the day for varying functions. Instead of having a coffee in the morning we drank boosting Matcha, Moringa and Ginseng drinks; if we wanted to relax after a hectic day we’d create something herbal with Lavender and Chamomile. We thought how great it would be to open the fridge and have a drink ready for all the different challenges life throws at you.

Continues overleaf

food & drink

january 2021 Tell us about the philosophy behind BumbleZest, and how that translates into the drinks themselves.

We want to be 100% transparent with our customers. That’s why we let the ingredients do the talking on all our packaging. We pride ourselves on packing each bottle and can with as many unusual, premium, functional ingredients as possible. You won’t find a BumbleZest drink with a base of apple juice and just a splash of ginger or cayenne pepper each of our drinks contain up to 9 different natural ingredients, all which we source from around the world.

Some of your recipes are very unusual. Where do you get your inspiration from?

The initial inspiration is from reading everything and listening out for any new emerging health trends in the UK and abroad. We love to keep ahead of the curve when it comes to new amazing ingredients, it’s what we’re passionate about. We initially come up with the function we want the drink to be suited to - for example helping you unwind - and then comes the fun bit of bringing together an unusual mix of ingredients. We do a lot of trial and error mixes in our kitchen at home to come up with a recipe which we think works from a functional point of view, but also tastes great too.

What made you decide to experiment with adding CBD to some products?

CBD was such a buzzy ingredient over in America and other places, we could just see it exploding.

We also read a lot of genuine reviews from regular CBD takers and listened to how they said it had helped them. Being a small and dynamic company, we can make decisions and turn things around quickly, so we jumped on it and added CBD to our most suited drinks. We believe we are the first company in the UK to bring out a Light CBD Tonic Water. Reactions from customers have been great!

What are your top health and wellness tips for 2021?

Health is at the forefront of everyone’s minds across the globe at the moment, both mentally and physically - being conscious of your own body, reading its signs, treating it kindly and eating and drinking well. But equally important is being aware of your friends and family, plus people in your community who might need a helping hand. This could be as little as a smile in the street passing someone, arranging to go for a walk with a friend who is single and has been more alone in the last year than they ever have been, or having a quick check in call with a relative.

Finally: what does the future hold for BumbleZest?

We have some exciting new mixer recipes up our sleeves... Watch this space! www.bumblezest.co.uk | Instagram: @bumblezest

18

Southwark News Lockdown ADVERT v1.indd 1

06/01/2021 11:17

January 2021

Home turf

A woman for all seasons Jackie Power is a horticulturalist and herbalist who lives in Peckham

D

ecember began with low temperatures bringing the first taste of winter. Conditions often get milder towards Christmas as rain and south westerly winds move in. However, weather patterns are more unpredictable and forecasts seem less reliable.

Bright, cold sunny days are ideal for working in the garden. Currently, the ground is water logged and so it’s not possible to do much digging or planting this month. Raking leaves, tidying and pruning fruit and other deciduous trees are key tasks that can be done.

The winter Solstice fell on December 21st, the astronomical start of winter and shortest day -

when the northern hemisphere is farthest away from the sun. Now that Solstice is passed - daylight hours will gradually begin to lengthen.

There are three plants, steeped in folklore and mystery, which are the focus of the festive season – Holly, Ivy and Mistletoe.

Mistletoe is the traditional plant of midwinter with significance at Christmas. It bears white berries around the winter Solstice and is an ancient symbol of immortality. This mysterious plant grows as an evergreen parasitic shrub and can appear on almost any deciduous tree but seems to prefer oak and old apple trees. Mistletoe is a shrub that chooses where it wants to grow – it is not easy to propagate.

Ivy is a hardy, vigorous evergreen climber with an interesting folklore history. The ancients used the leaves for the poet’s crown and it is a symbol of fidelity. This plant is dedicated to Bacchus (Greek God of wine). Ivy can live for hundreds of years and reach tree-like proportions with tough woody stems resembling branches. The custom of decorating the house with ivy dates back to pagan times.

Holly has year-round interest and is usually seen as a large shrub – but over time it will grow into a handsome tree with distinctive shiny dark evergreen leaves, small white flowers (in May) and blood red berries in winter. Holly grows well in shady areas and the birds love it. Folklore associated with Holly predates Roman times, but it is known that the Romans gave branches of Holly to family and friends during the Festival of Saturnalia - a holiday celebrated at winter Solstice around the third week in December. Holly is traditionally meant to bring protection and good luck. The Druids believe that Holly brings foresight in times of hardship and sacrifice – and is a sign of better times to come.

Deck the halls with boughs of Holly!

Happy New Year and happy gardening!

21

THE LAST WORD

january 2021

What made you want to set up your business in south London?

My husband and I have lived in Peckham for the last decade, so it was a natural choice to keep our passion in our own vibrant neighborhood.

We couldn’t imagine doing something as mad as setting up the first sake brewery anywhere else!

Copeland Park in Peckham is full of creatives and people following their passions, which is endlessly inspiring. You learn so much from bouncing ideas around. We love hosting lots of tastings and collaborating with other small businesses for projects, like ceramicists for sake cups or beer breweries for interesting hybrid brews.

What are your top south London eateries?

Monkatsu in Dulwich for fresh sushi and crunchy katsu or Coal Rooms in Peckham for the ultimate Sunday lunch. Persopolis (Peckham) is an emporium you just want to dive deep into – they have a small selection of tables at the back of the shop with a super interesting Persian menu and you can’t help but leave with a bagful of baklava.

A love letter to south London Cara Cummings

L

ucy Wilson set up Kanpai, the UK’s first sake brewery, with husband Tom in 2016. The couple create innovative small batch drinks using traditional Japanese techniques at their Peckham taproom and HQ. Brew pioneer Lucy shares her top south of the river tips - including where to find the capital’s crunchiest katsu, and which heritage spot beats them all for curing a hangover...

“At Kanpai our neighbours are a church, a gym, a tattoo artist and a Nigerian kitchen. The buildings are covered in stunning graffiti. That cultural mix is South London: that’s our home and that’s what we love”

Have any fellow south Londoners been an inspiration in chasing your craft sake dream?

We have to give a big shout out to Hop, Burns & Black. They backed us from the start, when it was still pretty much a homebrew project. They hosted our tastings in their store and were our first local stockist. Their success shows that good quality drink brings a lot of happiness to a lot of people!

How has south London changed since you’ve lived and worked here?

South London is constantly evolving, but not in a complete gentrification-overload way as it’s still laced with its heritage. Yes, there are more flat whites than you can shake a stick at, but you can also go to Manze’s and get your pie and mash on a hangover. (Note: sake doesn’t give bad hangovers, promise!).

How would you describe south London - and south Londoners - in a nutshell?

At Kanpai our neighbours are a church, a gym, a tattoo artist and a Nigerian kitchen. The buildings are covered in stunning graffiti. That cultural mix is South London: that’s our home and that’s what we love.

Favourite south London pub?

Finally: what’s the one thing on our side of the river that everyone should try at least once?

Is it too biased to say Kanpai’s taproom?!

Whichever side of the bar I’m on, I always find interesting people to chat to over some origami and fresh sakes. It’s such a relaxed vibe – exactly what we hoped to recreate from Japanese izakayas (informal Japanese bars).

For something you wouldn’t expect in deep South London, try out Chislehurst Caves… Who knew there was such a network and history under our feet?

Where do you shop in south London?

When it comes to clothes, I spend most of my time in very ‘practical’ gear that can get messy! I don’t buy new things often; when I do, I might browse the stores on North Cross Road in Dulwich, or scout the rails of vintage pop ups that come to Copeland Park in Peckham. When it comes to homeware, Myles from Home in Dulwich have curated an amazing shop full of beautiful things you didn’t realise you need! A great mix of vintage and new. My favourite shop, though, has to be Khan’s on Rye Lane – a one stop shop with no frills and bargain prices!

22

Ship Captain Travels the World — with Maths in Tow From navigation to fuel calculations, maths is essential to sailing the sea Ah, the romance of the sea. It beckons us from the time we’re young. Children play captain (or pirate), imagining swashbuckling adventures, colorful foreign ports and exotic new cultures.

Young people typically abandon their dreams of the sea for more practical pursuits, but not Robert Quick.

ARTIST

Quick did start his career typically enough: With a bachelor’s degree in international politics/ business, he held positions in advertising, publishing and food brokerage. But the skills he learned about wind velocity and navigation during a short stint in the Canadian Air Force never left him and in 2004, he decided that yachting was his future. By 2015, he had obtained his Yacht Master Unlimited license, certifying him to traverse the seas as captain. Now hired to skipper pleasure cruises or to carry cargo, he sees the world from the wheelhouse or the deck. It’s a cool career, one that sparks intrigue even in adults. We asked Quick about his life as a captain and the role that maths plays.

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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.

• 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.

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We never set homework.

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

ONLINE +

IN CENTRE

CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING

Real Christmas trees can be recycled using your garden waste collection.

The Nice List

We produce more waste over Christmas than any other time of the year.

Please do your bit for the environment by recycling the following items:

Simply remove any decorations and the plant pot or stand and place your tree next to or inside your garden waste bin or garden waste sack.

Alternatively, if you are not subscribed to the garden waste service, both real and fake trees can be brought to the Reuse & Recycling Centre off Old Kent Road. Please ensure that all decorations and stands are removed. For more information on recycling your Christmas tree, please visit southwark.gov.uk/greenchristmas

Glass bottles and jars

Food and drink cartons e.g. Tetra Paks

Food tins and drink cans

Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays

Go green this New Year!

Fight festive food waste

Paper and cardboard

Donate excess food to your local food bank or community fridge.

For more information on fighting food waste, please visit southwark.gov.uk/greenchristmas

Planning a New Year’s clear out?

Recycling is the gift that keeps on giving; give a second life to your pre-loved items and bring them to the Reuse and Recycling Centre off Old Kent Road. Here, you can dispose of a wide range of unwanted household items, such as old clothes, broken fairy lights, electronics and batteries.

Opening times: 8.30am to 4.30pm Open all year round except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Residents using vans to bring items to the centre will need to book in advance.

The Naughty List

Most of us in Southwark recycle, but are we doing it right?

These festive items cannot be recycled:

✗

Glitter and foil wrapping paper

✗

Polystyrene and bubble wrap

✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

Tinsel

✗ ✗ ✗

Plastic bags and film

Baubles Glittery Christmas cards Christmas crackers

Ribbons and bows Food wrappers and packets