Enjoy an hour of free- owing cocktails as the golden sunlight kisses Boisdale’s Members’ Terrace at this event, featuring libations made with Hine Cognac. Jun 17, 5.30pm, £35, boisdale.co.uk
Where?
Throughout the estate Canary Wharf
EVENT | Pride In Wellness
Enjoy talks, taster sessions, wellness experiences and workshops as Canary Wharf Group collaborates with Out & Wild Events + Proud Events in June. Jun 26-29, times vary, free, canarywharf.com Where?
| Family Gaming
Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Place
Indulge in the rst of a series of all-ages video gaming on the Wharf’s Summer Screens. First comes Just Dance 2024, then Mario Kart 8 Jun 14, 15, 1-4pm, free, canarywharf.com
Welcome to issue 138 of Wharf Life. This issue is all about evolution, whether it’s the arrival of Brother Marcus in Reuters Plaza, the appointment of a new artistic director at The Space, plans for more changes at Third Space or a new restaurant at The Stratford, it’s all go in east London...
How craft beer, fusion food, co-working and board games have all come together to create a 21st century community pub at Badger Badger in Deptford 28
How chef Daisuke Shimoyama is using re as an ingredient at Kokin
Reimagining Dagenham, we catch up with Hill and Peabody’s scheme 34 15
on the radar
And another announcement for Wood Wharf – it really is all happening down there. Stratford Italian success story, Signorelli, is expecting to open a branch in Canary Wharf in June. Expect a popular spot from the bakers and baristas signorelli.co.uk
Free lm showings are returning to Canary Wharf’s Summer Screens in Canada Square Park from June 3. Expect plenty of classics such as Forrest Gump, Dirty Dancing and Cats alongside more recent releases Wicked, Inside Out 2 and Yesterday canarywharf.com need to know
25
Get ready for the arrival of Columbus’ agship at St Katharine Docks
26
We catch up with The Space’s new artistic director and coCEO to nd out what plans are afoot at the Isle Of Dogs’ leading arts institution. Spoiler alert, panto...
TRIED + TESTED
Ok, ok, I can’t really blame Acai Berry for my idiocy here. I was feeling disgustingly smug having made it to an early exercise class and wanted something suitably healthy for breakfast. You know, the kind of thing that might enrich your gut biome and ll it full of tiny dancing gibbons and brightly-coloured birds of paradise that encourage the blossoming of a carpet of ora all the way down the colon in some kind of joyous digestive Disney unfurling. Somehow in my wellness fantasy, I failed to grasp that AB sells its Amazonian wares in iced form and so, despite
The Rio Bowl costs £9.50 and comes topped with a variety of sliced fruits and granola
the early morning sunshine, I was hit with brain freeze and sensitive teeth the minute I took my rst mouthful from my Rio Bowl (£9.50).
Doubtless the superfood did me some good. Perhaps a few tiny primates were pursuaded to take up residence in the far reaches of my stomach – there were decent quanties of strawberry, banana and granola, after all.
But somehow this iced breakfast just jarred with my idea of a healthy treat. Next time I’ll be hunting down some porridge.
Jon Massey
doing the deals
get more for less on and around the Wharf
50%
You’ll need to move fast, but Bar Lina is o ering half price drinks during its soft launch in Crossrail Place from June 4-7. Book via the Canary Wharf app canarywharf.com
£45
30 subscribe to our Wharf Whispers newsletter and get our content in your inbox fortnightly
How Now Gallery is set to welcome three displays on the built environment
Try three classes at Arc Community in Crossrail Place for £45. Expect guided sessions with sauna and cold plunges. Passes are valid for 30 days after purchase arc-community.com
MAY I HELP YOU WITH YOUR LUGGAGE?
Rio Bowl
Acai Berry Canada Place
write me words you don’t know you need
to our FREE Wharf Whispers newsletter and get our content in your inbox fortnightly
noun, fake, from Latin
While this term may mean ninth in Latin, we’ve decided to hijack it and bring it into English as a word for the money won’t be paid in addition to your salary if you fail to return to the o ce regularly. Flexibility schlexibility...
noun, real, from Modern English
Somewhat invented, this is a word for a hypothetical conversation a person plays out in their head over and over again, perhaps one about what you’re going to say to your boss when you don’t show up to the o ce on weekdays...
While ravenous, bitey infected zombies terrorised Canary Wharf in 28 Weeks Later, viewers can now relax on the sofas of Everyman at Crossrail Place to take in the latest ravages of the rage virus. With bookings being taken from June 19 (for an 8.30pm screening) fans can see Danny Boyle’s latest horror and how Jodie Comer, Aaron TaylorJohnson, and Ralph Fiennes cope. Tickets cost £21.40
Back for an eighth year, the sporting charity pop-up will be in place from July 10 until August 10 with pay-to-play slots costing £15 per person for an hour. Bookings are set to open in June. Companies should also start planning for corporate contest The Beach Volleyball Championships on July 31. As ever, proceeds from all events go to support Action For Kids
see
or
£7.67
Daily cost of a Third Space membership when spread over a year, which includes access to both the brand’s Canary Wharf and Wood Wharf clubs and all classes
Third Space has added a Reformer Pilates studio overlooking Canada Square to its extensive array of facilities in Canary
delivering constant
how Third Space never stands still in its mission to boost its offering across the Wharf
by Jon Massey
Muscles can be trained by progressively overloading them. In response to the greater weight or number of reps, the body is prompted to respond – growing in size, strength and capability.
It’s an apt analogy for Third Space’s approach to its offering. The last time I sat down with David Burrow, senior general manager at Third Space Canary Wharf, Europe’s largest luxury health club, was about to embark on a major renewal project.
Changing rooms were refitted, showers replaced, saunas and steam rooms upgraded, lighting boosted and tweaked, flooring improved and training areas refreshed with new equipment
including weights and cardiovascular fitness machines.
But seemingly the Canada Square club has barely taken a rest before plunging into its latest round of upgrades. It’s a case of going straight into the next set.
“We’ve converted the space at the front of the club, which used to be The Pearson Room, into a beautiful Reformer Pilates studio,” said David, who is in his ninth year managing the club.
“It overlooks the wonderful grass square through floor-toceiling glazing, which really adds something to the class experience – it’s a design feature.”
The conversion is in response to demand. Reformer Pilates, which makes use of spring-loaded beds to resist or support an individual’s movement, is booming right now, with businesses popping up across the capital. The latest studio doubles the club’s provi-
sion at its main Canary Wharf site – both spaces a response to the demand seen since launch at its nearby Wood Wharf branch.
“We knew it was going to be popular, but the demand is incredible,” said David. “We run classes every hour, on the hour in all three of our studios and we’re also expanding our programme throughout our other clubs beyond the Wharf because it’s what our members want.
“There’s a waiting list for almost every session. What’s been key for us is having the right quality of instructor.
“As a piece of apparatus, Reformers are pretty standard but having someone with the right level of experience is what keeps people coming back. The success of Reformer Pilates at Third Space has been driven by our instructors and they are absolutely continued on Page 6
Wharf and Wood Wharf
Reformer Pilates sessions, like all classes at Third Space, are included in the cost of membership
from Page 5
sensational. They are all different and deliver their own style of training but at a level of quality our members expect.
“We provide high end Reformers, but it’s the teaching that’s incredible and helps members be the best version of themselves, while feeling they can really connect and progress.”
The square-facing studio isn’t the only addition to the front of the club. Next door is a lounge space that’s also proving popular.
“In response to flexible working we’ve tried to create a place where people can find a happy medium between using a laptop and socialising,” said David.
“We’ve got soft-seating areas for people to relax and have conversations, and we’ve got a breakfast bar where people can work.
“It’s been another hugely popular addition and soon we will open a balcony area off it that people will be able to use too.”
Perhaps the most substantial change in recent weeks at the venue has been the reopening of the venue’s spa, now with a very clear focus on recovery. Open to both members and non-members alike, it’s a tranquil space away from the more intense areas of the club.
David said: “We’ve changed it from something more traditional into a Recovery Spa for regeneration and renewal.
“We do all the things you’d expect such as facials, aesthetic treatments, massage and acupuncture, but we’ve also added new features such as Cryotherapy, Red Light Therapy and a Vibroacoustic Bed. We test all of these things thoroughly before making the decision to include them in our offering.
“We’re always sceptical. I went to try the bed and it was a really fascinating sensory experience. In the middle of the afternoon I was wide awake, thinking there was no way it would make me fall asleep. But I got on it, switched it on and a minute later I was out.
“There was a tap on my shoulder 25 minutes later and I woke up. It’s a very clever tool and you can have different programs with different frequencies, depending on what your aim for the session is.
“The benefits of good sleep are so enormous and people are increasingly aware of that. You need rest and repair time to function properly and this bed helps people access that.
“Another thing that can help people in many different ways is our new Cryotherapy chamber that can take up to two people.
£100
Third Space is currently giving new members at Canary Wharf their £100 joining fee back as club credit to spend on its products and services such Natural Fitness Food, personal training, Recovery Spa treatments and more
by Jon
Image
Massey
Third Space Recovery Spa’s Cryotherapy chamber can take up to two people
Third Space’s David Burrow
Scan this code to nd out more about Third Space Canary Wharf
Third Space Recovery Spa o ers a range of treatments aimed at boosting the wellbeing of members following a workout as well as more traditional aesthetic services
Wellness – feeling better and being better – is so important to people and I think that’s a good thing – the right direction of travel in our industry
David Burrow, Third Space
“They step into a space chilled to -85ºC and it shocks the body into simulating recovery with a euphoric feeling that’s incredible.
“It’s short – you can go in for three minutes and your skin temperature drops significantly. It can be challenging, but you come out feeling great. The demand for that and cold plunges is increasing everywhere and it’s a must if we’re going to provide an area where people can recover and regenerate more effectively.
“Wellness – feeling better and being better – is so important to people and I think that’s a good thing – the right direction of travel for our industry.”
Speaking of the future, these changes are far from the end of the story, with competitive exercise concept Hyrox inspiring the next move.
Left, Third Space now o ers wholebody Red Light Therapy, which aims to promote faster muscle recovery, improve skin tone, foster better athletic performance, boost sleep, and reduce in ammation
“We’ve got another project that will almost double the size of our free weights area, adding on a Hyrox studio – the first gym to have a space dedicated to the sport,” said David. “Although the contests are about sport and the drive to achieve, there’s a huge communal element to it, so competitors are both doing better physically and feeling better because you have that community there. The process of change is non-stop and we’re constantly reviewing feedback from our members and data on what they use. Some people love the dynamism of a Yard WOD at peak time in Canary Wharf. Others prefer something more chilled.
“What we want is an offering that allows everybody to be the best version of themselves.”
key details
Third Space membership for The Wharf including full access to its Canary Wharf and Wood Wharf clubs currently costs £230 per month. Group membership including all sites excluding Mayfair costs £279 per month, with an all-club deal costing £305.
Members receive 25% off their Recovery Spa booking included with membership. You do not need to be a Third Space member to use the spa with sessions available to book online. Go to thirdspace.london for more information
Images by Third Space
as Brother Marcus throws wide its doors in Reuters Plaza, we catch up with the men behind the restaurant
by Jon Massey
For Wharfers who’ve been around the sun a few times, catching its rays on the terrace with a pint of bad lager outside The Slug And Lettuce in Reuters Plaza was an essential – if oft messy – rite of passage.
Tucked away to the right of the main exit from Cabot Place and Canada Place shopping malls en route to the Jubilee line, it was an ever-present temptation – a detour via dependable, if not luxurious debauchery. Swept away in the project to refresh the building above – now YY London, soon to be home to unicorn Revolut – the space it once occupied has been in chrysalis mode for a few years just waiting for May 28.
Coinciding with the publication of this paper, it’s now that Brother Marcus spreads wide is metaphorical butterfly wings to welcome Wharfers through the doors
Both Tas and Alex initially embarked on artistic careers before becoming involved in hospitality. Alex trained as an actor and trod the boards in the West End, notably in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Noel Coward Theatre. Tas spent about four years in Edinburgh, “taking my photography career incredibly seriously”.
But freelance cycles of boom and bust saw both drawn to the world of food and drink. A journey working for various businesses eventually led them to Balham and the opening of the first Brother Marcus.
“We had about £10,000 we’d got together for a street food truck,” said Alex. “But we managed to get a cafe opened on that budget, building almost all of the furniture ourselves in Tas’ garden in three days.
“Due to the lack of money, we worked with a guy in Georgia over Skype to build a website. I continued on Page 11
for all to enjoy
– taking this prominent corner of the estate from the ridiculous excesses of the Slug to the sublime of its future.
Founded the best part of a decade ago by three school friends – Tasos Gaitanos, Alex Large and Arthur Campbell – the incoming brand now operates across six sites with branches in Spitalfields, South Kensington, Borough, Angel and Covent Garden.
Spearheading that growth are Alex and Tas, with Arthur having since stepped away from the business, although not the friendship. Connection is important and any significant time spent with the co-founders makes it clear where their priorities lie.
“We’re in a people business and that’s the end of it,” said Tas. “We have one rule. Our job is to bring joy to our guests, but you can’t do that without bringing joy to the whole team and everyone needs to be on board with that. That’s how we’ve created something that resonates with people.”
Years since the first Brother Marcus opened its doors in Balham. The group now operates six sites in London, including Canary Wharf
Food and drinks at Brother Marcus are inspired by the flavours of the East Mediterranean, with all-day dining options to suit Canary Wharf workers, residents and visitors
Images by Brother Marcus
Cost of the mezze deal at Brother Marcus, which sees staff work to understand customers’ preferences before serving up a feast of dishes
School friends Alex Large, left, and Tasos Gaitanos co-founded Brother Marcus, a restaurant group which has just opened its sixth branch in Canary Wharf
Like Brother Marcus’ food, the look of the Reuters Plaza venue has been inspired by the East Med, with design by Finch Interiors
from Page 8
remember the first customer’s face. He wanted porridge, but we had to say it was off the menu. We were our own suppliers, pushing a shopping trolley down the high street from Sainsbury’s.
“But that first day was awesome, even though we’d barely slept for three days.”
Tas added: “We opened on the Thursday and immediately realised we needed to employ five more people. By the Saturday we had 45-minute queues, not because they were long but as a result of it taking us so much time to serve people.”
Things have come on some distance since 2016, with Brother Marcus’ Canary Wharf restaurant the group’s largest to date with 90 covers inside and a further 84 on its expansive outdoor terrace, complete with retractable roof.
So what will it be serving up amid the terracotta, wicker pendant lights and textured curves?
“We’re all-day dining, so we go from breakfast and lunch to dinner – everything is inspired by the East Mediterranean region,” said Tas.
“In the mornings we have breakfast pittas, with fillings like double crispy bacon or kofta and egg. They come with labneh, kasundi relish and are sprinkled with za’atar.
“Then, if you want to be really indulgent, we have larger dishes that we also serve during brunch at weekends. There’s a fried chicken rosti dish that can have halloumi, bacon and sausage added to it.”
Alex added: “These are all served with speciality coffee and, at weekends, amazing cocktails –when we offer two for £20. If you want to go mad, you can, or you can just have a quick breakfast.”
While accurate, rapid service is essential at breakfast time, Brother Marcus promises a more sedate, indulgent pace at lunchtimes for those who prefer to take things easy. Its menu features meat, seafood and vegetables grilled over charcoal on skewers, a wide selection of mezze and “rip and dip” pitta bread with freshly made dips.
“Creating Brother Marcus has involved a lot of research, a lot of trips to the East Med,” said Tas. “There’s a huge element of curiosity and exploration that goes into it.
“I’m from Cyprus, my mum’s English, my dad’s Cypriot but I was born in Crete, so I feel Cretan. I came to school in England, which is where I met Alex and
Arthur – I understand what you get when you share culture and food.
“Every time we do one of these trips, it’s about trying a bit of this and a bit of that and then working out how we frame the flavour in a London context. We want to do that with our food, but also with our spaces. When you’re over there, the textures you see on the walls might be anything from 800 to 2,000 years old, so we have to ask how we can bring those colours – that feel – to a restaurant in Canary Wharf.”
Alex added: “What’s happened with this site in Canary Wharf is that we’ve been braver, as we’ve grown up with this brand.
“We’ve been more confident in using what we’ve discovered and what we love, rather than by playing things safe. We’re also really excited about the outdoor seating area, where people can drink, and it’s going to be our best by a long way and should open in the first week of June.”
Throughout our conversation, it’s clear both Alex and Tas are passionate about sharing the things they enjoy – something reflected in the act of breaking bread over mezze in one of their restaurants.
“One thing that’s been undeniably an integral part of our brand is having open kitchens and bars – a passion for ingredients and for making everything in-house,” said Tas, whose favourite dish on the menu is the lamb kofta skewers.
“There’s a real love for the quality and output of the food and beverages we want to deliver.
“We want to blur those boundaries between where the guests are sitting and where the chefs are working to gives customers the feeling of what it means to be part of the action of a restaurant.
“I think we’ve got the layers of that really nicely. If there are no barriers between me, the chef and the food, then that’s brilliant.
“We’ve got this amazing mezze for £42 per person, so if people don’t want to decide, they can put their trust in our team members and we’ll curate the experience –find out what they like and dislike and then try to overfeed them so they leave satisfied and in a better place than when they arrived.”
Alex, who has a weakness for the brand’s cod’s roe taramasalata – “it’s the real deal” – added: “One of the great things about our concept that lines up with this area is that, if you want to come to dinner and spend £30 to £40 a head, that’s possible.
“Equally, if you want to come and spend £100 a head, you can do that as well. That works for the wide variety of people who work, live in or visit Canary Wharf.
“The area had been on our radar
Every time we do a trip to the East Med, it’s about trying a bit of this and that and then working out how we frame the avour in a London context Tas Gaitanos, Brother Marcus
for a while, but it was always the case that is didn’t feel quite right before.
“Canary Wharf has developed so much in recent years, it’s incredible now. As soon as this site at YY London came up it felt like we’d fit in. Sustainable expansion is key and hospitality and growth are enemies.
“We’ve learnt some serious lessons over the years – you have to protect the quality of what you’re doing.”
In addition to food, Brother Marcus will offer a range of drinks including a wine list where half of the bottles for sale at the restaurant come from the East Med.
“When you come to our restaurant, the menu has got to tell a story, so the drinks also need to do that,” said Tas. “We wouldn’t be doing our guests a service if we just offered classic gin-and-tonics.
“We’re a creative company, so we do twists on classics – we work with seasonal ingredients, and we do things which differentiate us from other places – we’re proud of that.”
Which just leaves one final story to tell, perhaps best served with a glass of rose on the venue’s terrace. Brother Marcus is named for one of Alex’s twin siblings. Alex’s tales of Brother Marcus’ gregarious scrapes became so frequent the name stuck and a brand was born. Perhaps Brother Ben will get a venture in future.
key details
The latest branch of Brother Marcus is located on the lower floor of YY London in Canary Wharf’s Reuters Plaza.
Taking bookings from May 28 for its soft launch, the restaurant is open from 7am-11pm, Monday to Friday, from 9am-11pm on Satudays and from 9am-9pm on Sundays. Full service is set to begin from June 3. Go to brothermarcus.co.uk for more information
Scan this code to nd out more about Brother Marcus
Image by Jon Massey
Interior images by Brother Marcus
Venues to consider for a Summer Social listed over the next four pages – get those diaries out and start planning...
Relax on the water beside Harbour Quay Gardens at The Boathouse
Find more ideas for your Summer Socials on Page 14
No 35 Mackenzie Walk
Mackenzie Walk
No 35 Mackenzie Walk is a lively bar and restaurant – the perfect spot for large scale breakfast or brunch events, seated three-course dining or drinks receptions with DJ and substantial canapés or finger food. With a dedicated events team on hand to help organise your event, they have tried and tested menus and packages to suit all occasions.
The large bar and extensive south-facing waterside terrace makes it a perfect summer party destination.
Max Capacity 90 seated, 300 standing reservations@no35mackenziewalk.co.uk
why Canary Wharf is the ideal place to plan your Summer Socials as the warmer weather sets the mood...
advertisement feature
Canary Wharf is built on connections, creating a community of people and organisations with opportunities to come together, grow, evolve, discuss, create ideas and make things happen.
Central to bringing people together are event spaces and experiences, offering a variety of unique venues for every occasion. From large team meetings and
putting into action go outdoors stay local
>> When the sun starts shining, it’s time to head outside and Canary Wharf has some amazing venues with outdoor space to arrange an alfresco meet-up...
The Boathouse
Harbour Quay Gardens / Wood Wharf
Inspired by intimate speakeasies and chic Parisian jazz clubs, The Boathouse boasts modern facilities, stylish décor and a large rooftop area with ample seating.
Max Capacity - 25 seated, 200 standing bookings@boathouselondon.co.uk
The Parlour
Park Pavillion / Canada Square
workshops to corporate parties, private dining, team bonding and more, we’ve got the space and the opportunities to showcase, engage, impress and bring people together.
Looking for the right location for your next event? Explore these pages for inspiration...
Scan this code for more Summer Socials inspiration
This is a gorgeous bar and restaurant perfect for both daytime and evening events with its large terrace.
Max Capacity - 200 seated, 550 standing info@theparlourbar.co.uk
Humble Grape
Mackenzie Walk
This venue boasts more than 400 artisan wines on its list, innovative cooking in its kitchen and private hire spaces.
Max Capacity - 90 seated, 120 standing events@humblegrape.co.uk
Feels Like June at TRIBE Hotel in Wood Wharf
Hawksmoor Bar
Water Street / Wood Wharf
The water-level floating bar and events space offers a variety of different options including a beautiful outdoor terrace.
Max Capacity - 300 standing woodwharf@thehawksmoor.com
BrewDog
Churchill Place
Whether you’re planning a business meeting, private party or special celebration, BrewDog Canary Wharf is ideal. Max Capacity - 310 seated, 510 standing canarywharfbar@brewdog.com
GoBoat
Churchill Place
Enjoy a team social with a difference aboard your own self-drive boat, cruising the waters around Canary Wharf. Boat Capacity - 8 ahoy@goboat.co.uk
Emilia’s Crafted Pasta George Street / Wood Wharf
Walking into this venue is like entering a bustling trattoria in Italy’s Emilia Romagna region, with all the plentiful food and drink options one would expect. There’s also an alfresco space for outdoor dining.
Max Capacity - 60 plus 24 seated outside hello@emiliaspasta.com
Vertus Edit
Union Square / Wood Wharf
>> For Summer Socials that stretch into the night, why not book a place to stay and cut out the commute in the morning?
TRIBE Hotel
Water Street / Wood Wharf
With 312 rooms set across six floors, this venue also boasts a 24-hour, free-flowing ‘Social Hub’ plus dining and event destination Feels Like June which can seat up to 220. Rooms To Book - 312 reservations.canarywharf@ mytribehotel.com
Opened in March, Vertus Edit offers guests a choice of 378 studios across two buildings in West Lane with rooms ranging in size from 200sq ft to 301sq ft. Each comes with a fullyequipped kitchen, dining space, comfy double beds, super-fast wi-fi, and a bright bathroom with a walk-in shower and complimentary toiletries.
Guests can enjoy shared spaces, including a lush garden lounge and landscaped terrace, co-work, gym, meeting rooms and private dining rooms. Rooms To Book - 378 reservations@vertusedit.com
No 35 Mackenzie Walk in Canary Wharf
Summer Socials - Advertisement Feature
Find even more ideas for your Summer Socials on Page 23
fine dining
>> Food is at the heart of a good celebration and Canary Wharf offers an extensive range of options for group bookings, ideal for team lunches or larger gatherings
Blacklock
Frobisher Passage
Nestled beneath the train tracks of the North Dock in Canary Wharf, Blacklock is perfect for group dining, serving up sharing plates of chops, succulent steaks and plenty in between.
Max Capacity - 120 seated canarywharf@theblacklock.com
Brasserie Marceline
Water Street / Wood Wharf
Planning an event? French cuisine specialist Marceline has the perfect space for it. Choose from the elegant main dining room, their waterside terrace, or semi-private and fully private dining rooms.
Max Capacity - 400 standing events@marceline.london
Din Tai Fung
Crossrail Place
A Taiwanese restaurant and bar where award-winning Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings meet group dining perfection. There’s even a private space that can accommodate up to 16 guests.
Max Capacity - 130 seated canarywharf@dintaifung-uk.com
Caravan
Reuters Plaza
Located in the heart of Canary Wharf, sitting alongside Konstantin Grcic’s iconic Six Public Clocks artwork, Caravan Canary Wharf delivers superb all day dining. Max Capacity - 150 seated events@caravanrestaurants.co.uk
Dishoom
Water Street / Wood Wharf
Nestled in a little corner of Wood Wharf, Dishoom brings to life the glittering-shimmering, big-business, metropolitan scene of ‘70s Bombay. Perfect for groups. Max Capacity - 40 on terrace reservations@dishoom.com
Hawksmoor Wood Wharf
Water Street / Wood Wharf
Hawksmoor’s dedication to flavour and ethical sourcing has seen the venue achieve the highest rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association. The venue boasts a 150-cover restaurant, a 120-cover bar and private dining room for up to 20 guests
Max Capacity - 150+ seated woodwharf@thehawksmoor.com
Kricket
Frobisher Passage
Tucked beneath the DLR in Canary Wharf, a reimagined space combines new and unique design. Kricket offers a vibrant setting for groups. Known for its modern Indian food, the menu is perfect for sharing.
Max Capacity - 80 seated events@kricket.co.uk
Roe
Park Drive / Wood Wharf
Set across three stunning floors with a wrap-around terrace, Roe offers event spaces overlooking the water – perfect for private dining or special occasions.
Max Capacity - 250+ seated events@roerestaurant.co.uk
Mallow
Water Street / Wood Wharf
This 100% plant-based restaurant in the heart of Wood Wharf serves seasonal, sustainable food, inspired by cuisines from all over the world. The first floor is available for private hire, with movable seating to assist in creating memorable gatherings.
Max Capacity - 100+ seated canarywharf@mallowlondon.com
Patty&Bun
Park Drive / Wood Wharf
This is your one stop shop for an epic team lunch, boozy bash or even full venue hire for something more bespoke. The team can tailor menus
and packages to help your event run with ease.
Max Capacity - 60 seated canarywharf@pattyandbun.co.uk
Wahaca
Park Pavillion / Canada Square
Wahaca brings the vibrant energy of Mexico to Canary Wharf. Available spaces include a bookable private terrace bar overlooking the park and exclusive venue hire.
Max Capacity - 180 seated canarywharf@wahaca.co.uk
The Ivy In The Park Canada Square
The venue offers a range of options for group bookings including two private dining spaces decorated in vivacious botanical style. The first floor is also available for hire.
Max Capacity - 50 seated events@theivy-collection.com
Roka
Park Pavillion / Canada Square
Roka Canary Wharf offers several versatile spaces for your events. The dining room features elegant interiors and a central robata grill, for dining groups of up to 60 guests or 120 when hired exclusively.
Max Capacity - 120 seated infocanarywharf@ rokarestaurant.com
Scan this code for more Summer Socials inspiration
Caravan Canary Wharf is located in Reuters Plaza
Dining at Dishoom
track, next-generation electric karts, and an exclusive bar and lounge area, K1 Speed is the perfect choice for your next event.
Max Capacity - 150 sales@k1speed.com
Fairgame
Fisherman’s Walk
Clays
Cabot Square / Wren Landing
Take a shot at a fantastic interactive experience and make Clays your target for a guaranteed fun-filled event that everyone will love. All packages include unlimited gameplay in private or semi-private shooting pegs, fully loaded with delicious food and premium drink options. Set in a spectacular cocktail bar where you can enjoy dancing and post-game celebrations all in one place.
Max Capacity - 330 events@clays-group.com
>> Action-packed gatherings are an increasingly popular option for groups looking to add an extra layer to their events. Check these Canary Wharf options out...
The Cube Charter Street / Wood Wharf
Combining intense physical and mental skill, The Cube pushes the boundaries of immersive gaming. Based on the Bafta-award winning TV gameshow, players must master balance, speed and judgement across seven games.
Max Capacity - 440 groupbookings@bookthecube.com
to do after hours
>> Summer Socials need not end early evening – Canary Wharf has plenty of venues where the party can go on into the small hours...
Soma
Frobisher Passage
A modern and minimalist take on the classic speakeasy, Soma serves drinks inspired by the Indian subcontinent and beyond. In 2022, Soma Soho, the sister to the brand’s new Canary Wharf bar, was voted Best Bar at the GQ Food And Drink Awards. This is a hidden gem – elegant and understated – just waiting to be discovered, a favourite of those in the know.
Max Capacity - 50 standing canarywharf@hovarda.london
Hovarda
Water Street / Wood Wharf Hovarda, the iconic Aegean restaurant and bar that’s already turned heads in Soho, has arrived on the Wharf and it’s everything you’ve been waiting for. Nestled in the trendy Wood Wharf district, this isn’t just a place to eat – it’s an experience.
Max Capacity - 250 standing canarywharf@hovarda.london
Pitch Wharf
Churchill Place
Pitch Wharf is a dynamic, multifunctional venue with a stunning waterside terrace, designed to host events of all sizes. Guests can enjoy everything from virtual golf games and Mario Kart in their immersive bays to roulette and shuffleboard, creating a unique blend of energy and competition.
Max Capacity - 400 events@pitchldn.co.uk
K1 Speed
Cabot Place
K1 Speed is one of the UK’s most trusted corporate event providers, offering an exhilarating indoor go-karting experience in Canary Wharf. Featuring over 500m of
Pergola On The Wharf
Crossrail Place
Pergola On The Wharf is a botanical waterside Eden, grown for naturally good times. Flooded with natural light via floor-to-ceiling windows, strewn with vines and ferns, the indoor space is home to two bars, a beautiful open kitchen and a private dining room.
Max Capacity - 700 standing events@incipio-group.co.uk
The Alchemist
Reuters Plaza
The Alchemist Canary Wharf is a creative cocktail bar and restaurant with theatre and immersive experiences at its core. Cocktails include serves that change colour, smoke and even levitate. The food menu takes influence from South East Asia and the Americas with playful versions of much loved dishes.
The vibrant location has live DJ’s throughout the weekend, playing disco house, classic house and soulful tracks.
Max Capacity - 300 standing reservations@ thealchemistbars.com
Brera Lounge
Cabot Square
Located next to the fountains in Cabot Square, Brera Lounge offers a captivating escape. Guests are
Classic fairground games, reimagined. One unique, immersive experience. This is the funfair… exactly like you don’t remember. With games and drinks packages starting from just £41pp, get in touch with the team now to discuss your next event or social.
Max Capacity - 600 events@wearefairgame.com
Electric Shuffle
Cabot Square / North Colonnade
Bringing together groups of up to 350 guests can be a hassle, but it doesn’t have to be. Electric Shuffle’s high energy tournaments are the ultimate team-building activity that’s sure to make you the hero of the office party. Located in the heart of Cabot Square, their venue features two stylish bars, 10 cutting-edge, digially enhanced shuffleboard tables, and vibrant interiors, perfect for turning good nights into great ones.
Max Capacity - 350 standing bookings@electricshuffle.com
invited to indulge in the flavours of authentic Italian pizza, expertly crafted cocktails, and the calming ambiance of premium shisha beside rushing water.
Max Capacity - 200 seated tasso@italika.co.uk
The Cocktail Club
Cabot Square / Wren Landing
The venue benefits from a large, open-plan space with eclectic interior design and a large outdoor terrace. Have Champagne roaming on trays for your guests’ arrival and why not surprise them with a couple of immersive circus acts. Expect swinging lamps and a large range of cocktails.
Max Capacity - 200 standing info@thecocktailclub.com
Scan this code for more Summer Socials inspiration
Boisdale Of Canary Wharf
Cabot Place
A lively restaurant and music venue serving modern British food, comprising of the UK’s largest whisky bar, a garden terrace, the Hine bar, a cigar lounge and library, overlooking Cabot Square with the City’s skyline in the distance. There are multiple spaces available for private hire within the venue. Max Capacity - 250 seated reservations@boisdale-cw.co.uk
COMING SOON
Canary Wharf never stands still and Mediterranean venues Barbarella and Brother Marcus at YY Londonplus Lina Stores in Crossrail Place will soon be opening their doors to offer further options...
Pitch is located right on the dock
Boisdale Of Canary Wharf
The terrace at Fairgame
The buzz and hype around AI reminds me of the .com bubble 25 years ago
Chris Ezekiel, Creative Virtual
virtual
viewpoint
by Chris Ezekiel
I’ve recently returned from a two-week trip to Dubai – part business and part holiday. I attended two conferences, the Dubai AI Festival and the Arabian Travel Market. It’s pretty incredible what’s happening in the Gulf. The vast investments made in infrastructure, tourism and hospitality over the years are well known, but a similar scale of investment is now being directed towards technology, and AI in particular.
The Gulf and Dubai speci cally, has become an attractive destination for both AI startups as well as established companies. Dubai’s tax and o ce incentives are highly attractive and there is a pool of young, skilled technical and business talent.
The country’s government announcement of an AED2billion hyperscale data centre to support the AI industry, made at the Dubai AI Festival, further shows the regional commitment to position the UAE as the global hub for AI innovation and investment.
The buzz and hype around AI reminds me of the energy of the .com bubble of 25 years ago. Back then, many companies went down the route of adding .com or ‘e’ to their brand or products.
In the same vein, today many businesses are adding AI into their brand names, products, and narratives, even though what many of these companies are o ering falls short on the tech front.
The number of startups joining the AI gold rush is, of course, exciting and there is great innovation happening around the world. However, it is more than likely that over the next year or two we will see those with a useful product being acquired by larger companies to strengthen their AI capability, while many more will simply disappear.
The media and business euphoria that drove the crazy investment sums during the .com bubble years, is also driving investments in AI. Companies without proven business models and without customers are raising substantial amounts of money with venture capitalists happy to oblige to ensure their stake in the supposed future.
For our part, I’m pleased to announce Creative Virtual’s partnership with the World Travel Group to bring our chatbot and voicebot technology to the travel, tourism and hospitality sector.
With our hybrid approach to human and AI-generated content, we allow organisations to precisely de ne their own AI roadmap and dictate the pace of adoption.
From a personal perspective, it was great to spend some family time enjoying some of the amazing activities Dubai has to o er tourists and visitors.
observing the
Chris Ezekiel is founder and CEO of customer engagement solutions specialist Creative Virtual based at Canary Wharf’s Cabot Square
Image by Aleksandar Pasaric
Chris’ trip to Dubai has given him fresh perspective on AI
Limehouse - Wapping - Whitechapel -
Price of a ticket to go on board Nao Santa Maria at St Katharine Docks during her visit to London
The Nao Santa Maria travels the globe inviting visitors to learn about Columbus’ agship
Scan this code to nd out more about booking a tour
how St Katharine Docks is set to welcome Nao Santa Maria to London, a replica of Columbus’ agship
by Jon Massey
In fourteen hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue and he did it aboard La Santa María De La Inmaculada Concepción – the largest of three vessels used in the rst expedition he led across the Atlantic Ocean. East Londoners are shortly to get a chance to walk in the explorer’s footsteps when a replica of his agship docks in the capital from May 29
until June 8. Launched in 2018 by the Nao Victoria Foundation, the vessel has been constructed to exact original dimensions, albeit with modern navigation and communication equipment.
Inside she is furnished with either genuine or reproduction artefacts with her interior including the captain’s cabin, holds, crew, and working areas for visitors to explore.
Her design, thought to be one of the most in uential in the history of shipping,
includes four masts able to hold 3,250sq ft of sail with more than two miles of rope used in her rigging. She’s set to arrive around noon.
key details
The Nao Santa Maria is set to sail up the Thames on the morning of May 28, weather permitting. She will then be open for tours from May 29 until June 8. Tickets are available to book online and cost €6 per person. For more information go to fundacionnaovictoria.org
coming into
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
GIG | National Playboys
Audiences can expect brooding sonic stylings from this Scottish, post-punk out t. Tracks feature surrealistic storytelling and blunt honesty. Jun 15, 7pm, £8, thegeorgetavern.london
Where? Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping
STAGE | Potty The Plant
This show stars a singing, talking, tap-dancing potted plant in a hospital where Dr Acula prowls the corridors. An adult comedy musical. Jun 24-28, times vary, from £8, wiltons.org.uk Where? The George Tavern Whitechapel
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Where? Half Moon Theatre Limehouse
Join poet Simon Mole and musician Gecko for a family show lled with verse, rap and songs all about the prehistoric beasts of yore. Jun 19-21, times vary, £8, halfmoon.org.uk
catch this
Inspired by My Little Pony and computer games, The Living Tombstone are set to bring their upbeat rock pop and electronic dance beats to Troxy on June 4. Doors are 7pm with tickets from £35.81 troxy.co.uk
Scan this code to nd out more about the band and book tickets for the gig at the Limehouse venue
KIDS
The Great Big Dinosaur Show
Image by Nao Victoria Foundation
how The Space will enter its third decade under the guidance of artistic director Matthew Jameson
by
Jon Massey
Opened in 1996, The Space has spent nearly three decades hosting theatre and arts performances on the Isle Of Dogs. Born of a dream dreamt by the late Robert Richardson – who also had a hand in creating the Roundhouse in Camden – the venue spent 19 years under the care of Adam Hemming who took over the reins in 2005.
ow a new era has o cially dawned. Matthew Jameson has been named permanent artistic director and co-CEO of The Space, after a year as interim director following Adam’s departure.
With nearly six years at the venue, he brings with him a wealth of experience as deputy director. Now he’s looking ahead.
“It’s always been a pipe dream of mine to run my own venue, but I never thought I would actually become attached to one,” he said.
“It’s the distance between a long-standing fantasy and reality. While getting to where I am hasn’t been like writing a goal down on paper and saying it would happen, looking back, I can see it’s the path I was going to take. It’s got me here and I’m really glad about that.
“My background is as an actor and performer who then fell into writing because there were things I wanted to see on stage that weren’t being written. Then I got into directing because people weren’t directing my work, so I thought I would give it a try.
“I came to The Space because it’s a wonderful place to be and I wanted to help others to work and make the opportunities for them that I’d had. I stayed with the venue and learnt all the things on the job which have got me to this position. I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity, it’s been like a lengthy apprenticeship.
“While I remain the custodian of The Space and the wonderful things that happen in this beautiful venue, there is a sense I’m no longer holding the fort. There’s a feeling of freedom and liberation – it’s great to take control and see what we can do in the future.
“There’s a certain giddiness in
Years since The Space opened its doors on the Isle Of Dogs, o ering theatre and arts programming for locals
We’re still nding new ways to use the building. It’s grand enough to be epic and do the big things and small enough to share profound intimacies
having the title of artistic director which goes beyond my functional role. I’m responsible for directing the art in this building and that’s a job that mingles with the the ghosts, the shadows and the memories of all the things I’ve seen in this room over the years.”
Among Matthew’s ambitions for the venue are two key pillars, ensuring its programme is accessible, enjoyable and relevant to a local audience and also a focus on presenting a varied offering.
“People are likely to see a return to the original roots of The Space,” he said.
“It was established as a multiform arts centre that had room for all forms of expression with a particular focus on music. We already have a series of recitals and we’ll be looking to make greater use of our Steinway baby grand in future.
“We’d never want to lose our identity as a theatre, but looking at regional venues you see a depth and breadth of programming that’s pretty inspirational.
“There’s room for all sorts of things under this roof – cinema nights, our regular symphonic metal goth nights and things we’ve never tried before.
“Now seems like a fantastic time to try them. I think it’s interesting people yearn for communal activities – I don’t know what subcultures we’ll be welcoming but, in a place like London, if you build it, then audiences will come to you.
“Our patron, Sir Ian McKellen has called this one of his favourite performance spaces in the world and I agree with him. Even after three decades we re still finding new ways to use the building. It’s grand enough to be epic and do the big things, and small enough to share profound intimacies.
“At The Space you’re never more than 10 metres from the performers, you get that connection with someone who is baring their soul in their performance and giving you something wonderful.
“I think the immediate thing for me is making sure we’re listening to the communities, to the people of the Isle Of Dogs and east London – ensuring we know what it is they want to see on our stage, and that we’re representing them.
“I’m very conscious that a lot of people at the moment, who may be sceptical or hesitant to come to the theatre, should see it as an art form that can be daft, silly, wonderful and cheerful as well as gloomy, dark and highfalutin.
“I’m not saying we shouldn’t present the more serious work, but there is a duty to remember the light, the hope and the positivity we can bring.
“I’m going to tease the word ‘panto’ – something we haven’t
previously embraced, but traditionally its a genre that’s all about making local jokes and engaging people who live in the area.
“We’re going to do something bright, something fun. There might be something to think about too, especially for the parents, but it will be something joyful whether you’re a regular theatregoer or watching a show on stage for the first time.
Right now, Matthew and the rest of the team at the venue are simply looking forward to The Space’s summer programme.
He said: “I keep looking at it and thinking it’s a really wonderful mixture.
“There are things which are about the state of the nation and the world, plus stories I wasn’t aware of dealing with things like religious mania and indoctrination.
“The jewel in the crown of our artistic vision for this season is going to be The Yourspace Festival, which we’re hoping to turn into a regular fi ture.
We re starting off with a weekend in July, turning The Space over to local community groups – people we’ve worked with before – and inviting them back to do whatever they want.
One of my first acts as artistic director will be to give control of the stage to the people.
“Other highlights include Lobster Pot, which is a play about domestic terrorism that’s also a comedy and a show called Lavvies featuring cast members from Grange Hill who recently got back in touch and have collaborated on a piece set in a ladies’ loo.
“Then there’s Snoligoster, a folktale from the Florida swamps, captured and shipped to east London and so very many more.”
key details
The Space is located on Westferry Road and is easily accessed from Canary Wharf via D7, 135 and 277 buses, which stop right outside the venue. It’s a 10-minute walk from Mudchute DLR.
The performance hub features a packed programme throughout the year while The Space Bar to the rear of the venue serves up food and drinks daily to all-comers.
It’s currently open 5pm-11pm, Monday to Thursday, noon-midnight on Fridays, 10am-midnight on Saturdays and 10am-10pm on Sundays, with plentiful brunch options at the weekend. Go to space.org.uk for more information
Scan this code to nd out more about what’s on at The Space
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
EVENT | Pop Dinnertime
Where?
Poplar Union Poplar
Poplar Union is set to host a dinner with guests invited to connect with the community. Supported by The Felix Project and E5 Bakehouse. Jun 12, 6pm-10.30pm, donations, poplarunion.com
Where?
The Space Isle Of Dogs
EVENT | Heart And Home Showcase
Featuring poetry, zines and performances from LGBTQIA+ artists, this evening of entertainment will include talks from Stonewall Housing sta . Jun 18, 7pm, free, space.org.uk
Where?
Theatreship South Quay
Queen Kaltoum. Jun 17, 6.30pm, £9.96, theatreship.co.uk
back
Poplar Union is set to launch Cotall Street Market in June and is currently seeking traders for regular Saturday spots. Expect food, drink, music, arts and crafts in support of the arts and community centre poplarunioncom
Scan this code to read
Image by Jon Massey
SCREEN | Sapphic Cinema
Abi Asisa presents this showcase featuring a screening of Kenyan lm Ra ki and a performance by Moroccan Italian singer songwriter
our interview with Nahimul Islam who is leading on the entrepreneurial project
Matthew Jameson, The Space
Matthew has been named permanent artistic director and co-CEO at The Space in Westferry Road
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
GIG | Iain Mackenzie Duo
Where? Corner Corner Canada Water
The principal male vocalist with Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra, Ritz regular and BBC Big Band soloist heads to Canada Water for a special show. Jun 22, 5pm-8pm, free, cornercorner.com
Where?
The Albany Deptford
EVENT | Sound Is Now
Pat Thomas, Orphy Robinson, Alan Wilkinson and Otto Willberg join sound activist Charles Hayward for an investigation of possibility. Jun 26, 8pm, from £10, thealbany.org.uk
COMEDY | Maddening
Where?
The Pen Theatre South Bermondsey
Psychiatrist Dr Benji Waterhouse bills this as a bookin-progress show as he road-tests tales from the ward ahead of his appearances in Edinburgh. Jun 11, 18, Jul 2, 9, 11, 7.30pm, £14.25, thepentheatre.com
ash back
This is founder of Crumbs And Munch, Rita Law, who rst took up baking after lockdown trapped her in the UK during a career break. Today she’s looking to grow her banana bread-based business through markets crumbsnmunch.co.uk
Scan this code to read our interview with Rita and discover her pop-ups at Surrey Quays
Years since James Ross and Calum Mackinnon opened Badger Badger on Deptford High Street
James says the inclusion of games at Badger Badger recalls the history of the pub, where activities such as Bar Billiards were once common
Image by Jon Massey
how Badger Badger blends drinks, food, games and more to welcome in the wider Deptford community
by Jon Massey
It s about four or five different things all smooshed together, but somehow it works really well, said ames Ross. The co-owner of adger adger in Deptford is talking about everything game Twilight Imperium his preferred tabletop entertainment of late, albeit one that necessitates a full day off with sessions lasting up to 14 hours to actually play.
owever, he might very well have made the statement about the south-east London venue he and business partner Calum ackinnon opened five years ago.
Today it s a heady blend of striped mammals, apanese street food, craft beer, board games, cocktails and co-working, all smooshed together across two con oined commercial units in a prime location on Deptford igh Street. On the afternoon I visit, its tables are strewn with laptops as day obs are serviced.
Later, drinkers and diners will roll in and occupy the venue s left side, while those seeking amusement, side uests, magic and strategy will head right, to a room lined with shelves holding some 800 board games alongside a horde of trading cards, paints and other hobby paraphernalia. There s more in the basement, apparently.
When talking to ames you get a sense that adger adger s success and its current form have come as something of a pleasant, perhaps serendipitous surprise to its creators.
I m not one to be fond of the future or regret the past, he said. Initially the idea was ust to do a pub. We did lots of walking around London, finding spaces we uite liked the look of.
We walked past this building and found the last tenant had been evicted. They d sub-let the space to some gangsters who were running a brothel in it. We found lots of things while clearing it out pairs of high heels, an inflatable. At that time Deptford was already seen as really cool a few businesses were doing really well and it had a good feel to it.
The train links are insanely good and the architecture on the igh Street is great. It has a really strong, lovely community with lots of local businesses. We were after a site near a train station that was the gameplan.
We have very loyal customers – whenever I walk in I’ll recognise 50% of them. We’ve created a community pub, albeit one that’s a bit unusual
James Ross, Badger Badger
While Calum had embarked on a hospitality career post study initially working for hotels and restaurants before making the switch to pubs ames tried his hand at sales but found himself indifferent at it and certainly not enthused . e took a year out to write a sci-fi novel.
Then I needed money because I d spent all my savings and went to pull some pints at The itre in olland ark, which is where Calum was working, said ames.
We both worked our way up at various venues and wound up running a place called irth arvel And aud in Walthamstow for a company called Antic, which was like the wild west.
It was one of these old people s palaces a cinema and we had a lot of control. It was great fun, we had a bar, a theatre and a restaurant. y that time I was thinking of going into business with Calum, so the long rein they gave us was good practice.
The duo managed to ride the waves of pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, opening adger adger in October 2020, inviting some friends to oin them with a board game offering when the neighbouring unit became available after a few months, doubling the pub s si e.
They then went on to other things, so we took over the gaming and now we have this weird hybrid of craft beers, gaming, co-working and events, said ames, who lives in Deptford.
We always wanted a small line in cocktails and good wine. With the food, we could have done classics like fish and chips, but we couldn t uite bring ourselves to do it.
Rotherhithe - Deptford - Bermondsey
Above, Badger Badger in Deptford High Street serves Japanese-American fusion food, craft beers, wines, cocktails, workspace and o ers 800+ board games
● While the name Badger Badger has multiple in uences, it owes a debt of gratitude to Badgers, an animated meme by Jonti Picking (Mr Weebl), from 2003 featuring hype-building mushrooms and a terrifying snake. It was itself inspired by Whig eld’s Saturday Night, apparently
Instead we offer grilled yakitori skewers and salad bo es, bao buns and dishes such as tiger fries and kimchi bha is. It s American- apanese fusion meat and fried food, an idea our chef ran with.
After Covid, we also thought people might still be working from home, but that they might get bored with their own four walls, so we launched co-working.
Deptford is uite an artistic area so there are lots of people who can t afford a gigantic flat but would like somewhere to come and work. eople s needs have changed from the old days when pubs were four deep at the bar. They want a more varied social life and that s why we ve had to diversify a bit. We have very loyal customers now. Whenever I walk in, I ll recognise half the people in
adger adger we ve created a community pub, albeit one that s a bit unusual.
It s a healthy business and that s why, nine months ago, we opened a second site in West orwood, which also has a lovely high street. We re doing very much the same thing over there and hopefully that too will build over time.
key details
adger adger Deptford is open 10am-11pm, onday-Thursday, 10am-midnight on Fridays, noon-midnight on Saturdays and noon-11pm on Sundays. The hours are the same for the West orwood branch. oth venues run regular gaming events and L T IA socials with full listings online. Go to badgerbadger.org for more
take a breath
by David Lefebvre Sell
One of the most important things in any relationship is knowing when to get out of it. Some people jump as soon as things start to get di cult and never get the opportunity to work through the normal disappointments and miscommunications that happen in such pairings.
Others stay far too long in bad relationships, wasting their time and maybe their chance to nd something better. A helpful framework for this is Attachment Theory, which outlines the various tendencies people have in relationships, and how they interact.
But I’m not going to get into the weeds of some psychological theory today, I want to address an experience that is very common and can be deeply traumatic – abandonment.
You’ll probably have heard of abandonment issues at some point, but what do they look like and what can be the causes?
I should pause for a moment and o er a trigger warning here, abandonment can have traumatic causes and we might try very hard to not think about those events.
Ultimately, I believe it’s helpful to face up to the losses of our past and the uncertainty of the future– preferably with a full belly and a nice cocktail in hand, maybe not on your Wednesday commute.
Sometimes there is a literal abandonment, sometimes a bereavement and sometimes an emotionally distant parent. There can be many early life experiences that might a ect our ability to be able to trust in relationships.
The result might be that we cycle through relationships too quickly, without forming strong bonds. We might cling to unhealthy relationships or sabotage good ones, possibly because there is a deep belief that we are unlovable.
People with abandonment issues might need constant reassurance or be overcome with jealousy and suspicion.
All of these behaviours can make sustaining relationships much more di cult and feed into the experience of abandonment.
Working through these issues can take time, a lot of therapy, and a heroic amount of patience from a partner. It’s often helpful to know that the cause is not some sort of personal aw, but a reaction to broken bonds in our childhood.
Follow @davetheyogi on X and Instagram and @DavidLefebvreSellYogaAndPsychotherapy on FB
Scan this code for information about David’s work as a transpersonal counsellor and psychotherapist
David Lefebvre Sell is a Greenwich-based psychotherapist and Yoga instructor who teaches at Third Space in Canary Wharf
Groups will present showcases as part of the London Festival Of Architecture Takeover at Now Gallery
David says relationships can be impacted by abandonment issues
The London Festival Of Architecture Takeover is set to bring exhibits to Greenwich Peninsula in June.
The event will feature displays from Citizen Architects, Black Females In Architecture (BFA) and Somali Architecture (SA), marking their inaugural participation in the LFA.
As host venue, Now Gallery is also taking part for the rst time and will showcase Earth, Memory And The Spaces We Inhabit: Matrilineal Legacies In Contemporary Architecture by the BFA in its main space.
Visitors will also encounter Top Down Bottom Up! Collective Action For The Just City by Citizen Architects and Architecture And Migration by SA. Visit for a deep dive into the ideas behind the built environment.
key details
The London Festival Of Architecture Takeover is set to run at Now Gallery on Greenwich Peninsula from June 6-29.
The gallery is open from 10am-6pm, Tuesday-Friday, 10am-5pm on Saturdays and 11am-4pm on Sundays. It is closed on Mondays. Entry is free with slots available to book online.
Go to nowgallery.co.uk for more information see this Now Gallery
Scan this code to nd out more about the exhibition
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
It may be 25 years after Disco 2000 suggested we all meet up, but now fully grown and back with a new album the Common People are back on tour. Jun 13-14, 6pm, from £56, theo2.co.uk
STAGE | The Magic Flute Opera Greenwich presents its rst production sung entirely in German with Mozart’s work “brought to life with a fresh, imaginative interpretation”. Jun 20-22, times vary, £23.50, greenwichtheatre.org.uk
Greenwich Yacht Club is set to host its annual sailing race in aid of the RNLI’s Tower Lifeboat Station on June 1. Late entrants from Thames clubs may still be able to sign up for the event, which starts at 9.30am greenwichyachtclub.co.uk
Scan this code to nd out more about the event, which sees yachts sail to Erith and back
STAGE
Image by BFA, Somali Architecture, Citizen Architects and Johnny Miller
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
CLUB | Ellen Allien
Where? Fold
Canning Town
Join the DJ for extraterrestrial techno beats and dance through the night with alternative sounds delivered by Lo-Low. Expect a slice of Berlin invading east London. Jun 27, 11.59pm-6am, £17.28, ra.co
Where?
Excel London
Royal Victoria Dock
EVENT | Business Travel Show Europe
Bringing together approved buyers, suppliers and innovators from across Europe, this event has been a beacon for travel pros for more than three decades. Jun 25-26, 9.30am, registration, excel.london
EVENT | Royal Wharf Summer Fete
Where?
Royal Wharf Park
Royal Wharf
The annual fun day returns with live music, family entertainment, tness classes, kids’ workshops, street food stalls and a waterfront craft market. Jun 28, 11am-5pm, free, eventbrite.co.uk
show support
Charity Newham All Star Sports Academy is set to host a networking and fundraising dinner at Brick Lane Music Hall on June 18 in celebration of 20 years working with young people locally – nd out how to get involved... nassasports.org.uk
Scan this code to nd out more about the event, although tickets are going fast so move quickly
how Lendlease and The Crown Estate have come together to split the risk on six of the former’s real estate developments
by Jon Massey
Aseismic shift in ownership over six major property schemes has taken place. Lendlease recently entered into a 50-50 joint venture with The Crown Estate (TCE) worth 24billion, effectively reducing its risk on the projects in London and irmingham by half.
These include Stratford Cross, Thamesmead Waterfront and the expansive Silvertown scheme in Royal Docks.
“Our partnership with TCE will create an industry leading alliance that is expected to unlock value within our high- uality U development portfolio, while accelerating the release of capital for the group, said Tony Lombardo, group CEO of Lendlease.
With our e pertise in delivering city shaping urban regeneration projects, the joint venture aims to deliver positive outcomes for our shareholders, communities and partners.
Dan Labbad, chief executive of TCE, added With strong support from local and national government, we look forward to working with Lendlease and others to realise the potential of these projects to create obs, stimulate growth and positively impact lives, while also generating income for the U .
As a country, we face challenges to unlocking growth. To support this, we need to spark investment in sectors like science, technology, and housing, alongside deep collaboration across communities, government, and the private sector.
“This joint venture is an example of how TCE is harnessing its mandate to act in the U s long-term national interest, supported by new investment powers, and stepping up its ambition to support inclusive growth for the nation.
The two men are not strangers Dan used to work for Lendlease as its global head of construction before taking charge of TCE and working on this deal.
So what does all this mean?
Essentially Lendlease releases some of the money it s had tied up in the developments and lowers its exposure to the U market.
TCE, for its part newly unleashed by the Crown Estate Act 2025 with new borrowing and investment powers adds a 50 stake in some 10million s ft of workspace and the potential to build around 26,000 homes.
That stake technically belongs to the monarch, although TCE s net
The joint venture includes Thamesmead Waterfront, below and Stratford Cross, above
We look forward to working with Lendlease to realise the potential of these projects to create jobs, stimulate growth and positively impact lives
Dan Labbad, The Crown Estate
profits are paid to the Treasury in lieu of the crown s commitment to fund the operations of government.
Over the past 10 years, the cash raised from the estate has amounted to more than 4billion, although some of that has gone back towards funding the sovereign through an annual grant called the Civil List.
In celebration of the deal, chancellor of the e che uer, Rachel Reeves said We are pulling every lever to grow our economy so we can put more money in people s pockets, boost home ownership and make ritain a global hub for life sciences through our plan for change.
This includes creating the right
environment for organisations like TCE and Lendlease to partner, helping us to unlock capital to get ritain building and get ritain growing.
Minister for investment, Baroness Gustafsson, added: “This is yet another strong endorsement of the U s investment environment and our thriving real estate sector as this government has committed to get ritain building again.
“This pipeline and the creation of additional research labs across the U , will be a massive boost for our world-leading science, innovation and technology sectors, all key growth sectors in our upcoming modern industrial strategy.
Included in the deal are significant chunks of east and south-east London. The Stratford Cross site, beside cultural hub East Bank, has three plots of land slated to provide more than 1.6million s ft of commercial space when built.
Much punchier is centrepiece to the regeneration of Royal Docks, Silvertown, with 60 acres set to see 6,300 homes delivered alongside 1.3million s ft of commercial space. The plans include the redevelopment of long-derelict industrial landmark
Sites in east and south-east London that are covered by the joint venture deal
signed and
Millennium Mills, as well as a new bridge across Royal Victoria Dock, better connecting the area to the Eli abeth Line and E cel London at Custom ouse.
Dwarfing even this pro ect and still very much at the planning stage, Thamesmead Waterfront e tends to some 250 acres with the potential to deliver 11,000 homes and 880,000sq ft of commercial space.
While nothing has been agreed, the development could see an e tension to the DLR built under the Thames from Gallions Reach and around 2km of riverbank landscaped and developed.
In short, TCE and Lendlease could well wind up being responsible for 17,300 new residential properties and 3.78million sq ft of commercial space.
To put that into conte t, that s a third more business space and 13,700 more homes than Canary Wharf s Wood Wharf e pansion.
TCE, a body established by an act of parliament, is tasked with growing the value of the monarch’s property holdings for the wider benefit of the nation.
The Crown Estate ill came into law in January 2025 with the aim of modernising the organisation’s
investment and borrowing powers in line with its strategy and core duties. That includes allowing it to borrow funds to further its objectives.
Lendlease is an Australian real estate business with an international investment business.
In recent years it’s sought to turn its focus back to its home country, announcing in May last year that it would sell off its construction contracting operations in both the UK and US.
That announcement did not, however, include ending its UK investment functions.
key details ou can fi nd out more about the deal and the various developments in east and south-east London it aff ects on both Lendlease and TCE s websites.
Go to thecrownestate.co.uk or lendlease.com for more information
Scan this code to nd out more about the deal
An artist’s impression of the Silvertown scheme
Baroness Gustafsson, Dan Labbad, Tony Lombardo and Rachel Reeves at the signing of the deal
Images by The Crown Estate / Lendlease
how chef Daisuke Shimoyama uses flame, smoke and charcoal to give Kokin’s dishes depth and resonance
by Jon Massey
The calm interior of Kokin – a restaurant recently opened on the seventh floor of The Stratford hotel in E20 – somewhat belies the elemental forces at work in its kitchen.
The soft light that streams through full height glazing falls on the gentle greens and greys of its furnishings. There’s a lot of exposed wood and playful music in the air.
But sit with chef Daisuke Shimoyama for a while and it quickly becomes clear this is a place of contradictions. It’s a space tailored to fine dining, but one he’s determined to make accessible and welcoming to locals.
is food is e acting, but honed on primal flames, smoke and charcoal. He’s softly spoken and polite, but there s passion smouldering beneath the surface.
“I started working in my uncle’s restaurant in anagawa, apan, when I was 13 years old, washing dishes, said Daisuke, whose family were widely involved in the hospitality sector, selling kitchen equipment.
“In the beginning I wasn’t really interested in cooking. I watched my uncle and my family making food, but I was more into playing computer games.
“At the start I didn’t like working in the restaurant. My uncle was very strict and would wake me at 6am to go to the fish market. I didn t like the smell, but gradually I got used to it.
Then a few years later, I found myself really beginning to enjoy it. I went on to work in many different kinds of restaurant big hotels, small places and when I was 27 years old, I oined Ryugin in Tokyo, which completely changed the way I thought about everything.
Now recognised by Michelin with a ma imum three stars, Ryugin had Daisuke working gruelling shifts that would begin on Saturday mornings and finish on Sunday evenings. He relished it. While on this fresh path, he immersed himself in Kappou and aiseki cuisine, mastering intricate techniques such as processing massive eels and filleting poisonous puffer fish. e also trained as a professional sake sommelier, before setting out to
explore the world.That journey eventually led him to London where, 14 years ago, he oined Michelin-starred Umu in Mayfair as sous-chef, before rising to become the restaurant’s head chef.
I learnt a lot, working in apan not ust about food, but also about mindset, said Daisuke.
While I was at Umu, I also decided to pursue my own vision of street food on my days off via a venture in Brick Lane.
This was selling apanese comfort food, katsu, tempura and rice and I did that for si years, before launching my own restaurant, annah, at County all in central London.
The venue combined a wide range of influences from Daisuke’s experiences growing up in rural Gunma to his time in Tokyo and London.
“I really loved cooking there, he said. “But we were serving Omakase tasting menus at £125 or £185 for eight or 11 courses. Sometimes that can take three hours. It’s wonderful, but it s a commitment.
Starting price for a lunch set menu at Kokin in Stratford, available from noon-2pm, Tuesday to Sunday
“With this opportunity at The Stratford, I really want to make something more approachable. I’ve completely changed my style again – it’s something I’ve always done, actually.
“Kokin serves food that’s in some ways similar to annah, but it’s more approachable and here I m using fire and charcoal really as ingredients in the cooking.
“These are primitive things. For me, fire reminds me of when I was a child, it s full of memories. It really adds something aromatic to the food.
“We’ve only just opened so there hasn t really been time yet, but I want to be out on the floor talking to guests at their tables about the food – I love to make customers happy. I want this to be a place where local people feel comfortable coming and to welcome them as friends. Of course, business is important, but community is essential.
As for the food, dishes are available a la carte or via set lunch menus. There’s a strong focus on
Daisuke tends the re at Kokin, located on the seventh oor of The Stratford Hotel, above centre
Images by Kokin
A selection of dishes served at Kokin
playing with
Using re in this way, for me, gives greater depth to the dishes. I’m always working with the smoke and heat and watching
Daisuke Shimoyama, Kokin
seafood, but with the smoke of apple and cherry wood running throughout the creations. There’s a clear drive to offer twists and unexpected combinations to keep everything fresh too.
We serve bluefin tuna from Portugal, for example,” said Daisuke. In fine dining, chefs generally only use otoro, the fatty belly of the fish. ut we also present akami, leaner cuts and chutoro, which both offer different, subtle flavours.
“We’re also using the kama, the collar of the fish, cooked for around three hours at a low temperature – it’s similar to a steak in some ways and comes bone-in. I want to introduce people to unusual cuts – we also deep-fry the tail.”
Ably supported by long-term colleague, Shukyee Chow, Daisuke and the team are as uietly stoked as their fires to welcome as many people through Kokin’s doors as possible. The restaurant takes its name from the Japanese terms for past and present – an intentional reference to the comparatively “primitive” fire that sears its way through the venue’s menu and the modern techniques found in its dishes.
“We have many modern pieces of kitchen equipment in the restaurant world – convection ovens, for example,” said Daisuke. “It’s very easy for chefs, there’s no need to spend three hours cooking something on a flame.
ut using fire in this way, for me, gives greater depth to the dishes. I’m always working with the smoke and the heat and watching because every piece of fish is different and needs to be carefully observed.”
key details
Kokin is located at The Stratford hotel in, well, Stratford. The restaurant is open from noon-2pm for lunch and from 5pm-10pm for dinner from Tuesday to Sunday and is closed on Mondays. Go to kokin.co.uk for more details
Scan this code to nd out more about Kokin
Stratford - Bow - Hackney Wick
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
EVENT | STL X Split Street Party
Where? Fabwick
Hackney Wick
Promising “a huge summer day party” details are sketchy on exactly what will occur, but those attending can expect some gorgeous beats. Jun 28, noon-10pm, £12.50, fabwick.co.uk
Where?
Sadler’s Wells East Stratford
DANCE | Until We Sleep East London-raised Botis Seva and his company, Far From The Norm present a vision of wandering warriors enduring a pitiless testing ground. Jun 24-28, 7.30pm, from £15, sadlerswells.com
OPENING | V&A Storehouse
Where?
V&A Storehouse Here East
The rst of the V&A’s two new east London sites in Stratford is set to launch this month, holding more than 500,000 works in its collection. From May 31, daily, free, vam.ac.uk
catch this
The London College Of Fashion is currently hosting Fashioning Frequencies, an exhibition of work by designers in an attempt to explore the way that garments can transmit more than style. Free to see at East Bank arts.ac.uk
Scan this code to nd out more about the exhibition and the creatives who have contributed work
Chef Daisuke Shimoyama has opened a new restaurant in Stratford specialising in multi-course kaiseki cuisine avoured with ames and smoke
Image by Jon Massey
Sudoku
How to play
To complete Sudoku, ll the board by entering numbers one to nine such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.
More to play
You can nd more Sudoku puzzles and a wide selection of other brainteasers available to download for free at puzzles.ca
Notes
crossword
Down
1. Conditional bitumen almost makes money (6)
Take a break from that phone Across 1. Annoying start to round of golf (3,3) 4. Racy flavour? (6)
whether you’re cryptic sleuth or synonym solver in it for quick wins, this should satisfy
Cryptic Quick
Entrails (6)
Smoothed (6)
9. Circular radical (13)
10. Combustible canine in the grate (7)
11. Excited by the PA system? (5)
12. Find what to glean if you’re obtuse, acute or right (5)
14. Hirsute legatees, we hear? (5)
18. I damage the TV logo (5)
19. Sounds like the rascal’s burden collapses (7)
21. Theatre performers play in coal mines? (3,10)
22. Mixes up my call without fuss (6)
23. This plaster adds up, but is it painful to use? (6)
Last September we rounded up some of the Brother Marcus gang and headed to the ancient port city of Heraklion, on Crete’s idyllic north coast.
Last September we rounded up some of the Brother Marcus gang and headed to the ancient port city of Heraklion, on Crete’s idyllic north coast.
Last September we rounded up some of the Brother Marcus gang and headed to the ancient port city of Heraklion, on Crete’s idyllic north coast.
With loads of skewers on the Canary Wharf menu, we knew we had to head straight to the source for inspiration.
With loads of skewers on the Canary Wharf menu, we knew we had to head straight to the source for inspiration.
Read more inside
Read more inside
With loads of skewers on the Canary Wharf menu, we knew we had to head straight to the source for inspiration.
Read more inside
Searching for Skewers
Heraklion, Crete
Brother Marcus Founders Alex & Tasos
Tas, Brother Marcus co-founder
The secret to a cracking skewer really comes down to the quality of the produce. At Brother Marcus Canary Wharf, we’re dishing up our oregano-rubbed pork skewers with a cucumber and spring onion salsa, for a bit of freshness, and a dollop of labneh.
BROTHER MARCUS CANARY WHARF
We’re using pork shoulder to get the right amount of fat. Seasoning is key - you need a healthy whack of salt, finished with oregano, to get the right caramelisation.
Last September we rounded
some of
With loads of skewers on the Canary Wharf menu, we knew we had to head straight to the source for inspiration.
more inside
Ready to try some for yourself? Scan & book your table.
up
the Brother Marcus gang and headed to the ancient port city of Heraklion, on Crete’s idyllic north coast.
