What’s on, new & happening in your Urban Village
July 2019
Next issue out 1 September
Born and Bread in SW6
We just love this tag line from new Fulham Bakery “Bridge Baker” who opened their doors on Wandsworth Bridge Road at the end of May; makes a welcome change to the estate agent that was previously there, especially as there is another one directly opposite!
This neighbourhood bakery and café has been set up by local resident Gauri Nafrey. They make everything on site from scratch using natural ingredients and traditional baking methods and also bottle their own jams. They offer a selection of hand-made sandwiches and salads for lunch, the buffalo mozzarella, pesto and tomato went down very well with both 20 and 80 year old Fulham locals alike. We enjoyed a freshly baked slice of quiche with a carrot and beetroot salad and a super green smoothie and managed to resist the homemade cakes and gingerbread men …for now!
We love the interiors, brick walls painted white, wooden shelves and tables including a lovely large community table in the main window that looks onto Studdridge Street.
Urban Village LDN is looking forward to trying Bridge Baker’s hot brunches in the future, the additional items that have been added to the menu since their soft launch and we hope they’ll be gluten free options but congratulations we like what we see so far Bridge Baker!
Urban Village LDN paid for this meal
Arthur’s - Bar and restaurant opens
Another newcomer to Wandsworth Bridge Road! Arthur’s is billed as a diner and Urban Village LDN headed to this new venue for lunch one Sunday. Arthur is a charming host and swiftly introduced himself which put us at ease and made us feel more welcome after the slight kerfuffle on arrival; our table not being reserved although we had booked it a week prior.
This new addition is a grown up affair - even a teen Fulhamite found the menu quite hard to navigate - and although the food was delicious we wouldn’t recommend if you’re dinning en famille unless you’re with littles who you can take food for. The Breakfast menu looks superb and a lot more child friendly. A great way for Dad’s on duty to spend the morning with the kids before heading off down Clancarty Road to burn it all off in South Park.
We had a humungus T bone steak with peppercorn sauce, carrots and chips and as our Editor isn’t much of a meat eater, she found the menu a bit tricky but enjoyed her seared tuna which came with a gorgeous super fresh salad. .We absolutely love the outside terrace and will definitely be heading back for breakfast to try their Acai bowl with crunchy nuts granola, almond, passion fruit & mix berries or for a sundowner. Live music and a cocktail bar downstairs is on the cards.
Urban Village LDN paid for this meal
@arthurs_diner
Spoilt for choice
If you’re a vegan living in Fulham you’re quite spoilt for choice with Tell Your Friends on the New King’s Road, 222 on North End Road, Kiss My Grass on Lillie Road (are we missing anyone?). Now another establishment offering vegan food has joined the party. Kalifornia Kitchen who already have a stand alone restaurant in Percy Street (Central London), in Instagrammable pink, opened their second venue at Market Hall Fulham last month and Urban Village LDN went along to check it out. We ordered a pulled jackfruit taco with chicory and rainbow slaw and a nacho bowl; giant tortillas with chilli non carne with all the trimmings. These were both beautifully presented, painstakingly piled high ingredients with pretty near food stylist skills!
Anyway Kalifornia Kitchen is great new addition to Market Hall - can you believe it’s been a year since they opened. Brilliant to see the stunning old tube station ticket hall, such an iconic building in our Urban Village, being put to such good use. Also loving the recently opened bijou roof terrace and upstairs bar - good timing!
Urban Village LDN paid for this meal
https://www.markethalls.co.uk/market/fulham
@markethallfulham
Lights, camera, action!
Take One Stage And Screen Academy is a new drama group for children and young adults interested in getting into the performing arts and takes place at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Hall, Sands End. Co-founders, partners and Fulham residents Joe Hughes and Daisy Clarke told Urban Village LDN that “the classes will focus on all aspects of drama, with the main aim being to build confidence, make friends and have fun”. They are also planning various summer workshops with industry professionals from both stage and screen coming in to hold masterclasses.
Joe has a huge love for drama and trained professionally at The Manchester School Of Theatre. He has worked in theatre and television for nearly ten years. His TV appearances include "Holby City", ITV's "Girlfriends", BBC Radio 4 Drama and Netflix series "The Innocents". He also works regularly at London Film Academy and London Film School.
Daisy began performing at just three years old and spent her childhood starring in various West End Tour productions such as "Billy Elliot" and "Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat". She then moved to London where she graduated from The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and has since performed on "Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway" and has been a backing dancer for "The Vamps". Her screen experience includes "The Adventurers Diary" and the national campaign for "Cancer Research".
Classes cost £10 per class but the first class is FREE when you quote “INSTAGRAM”.
@takeonefulham
Fulham community steps up to support ‘Clothe Me – Thank You’
A new charity has been established in London, designed to bridge the gap between clothing stock in charity shops and people that cannot afford to clothe themselves and their families. The Fulham community, in the words of the charity’s Founder Antony Wroe, “has been fantastic with grants received from the Daisy Trust, Dr Edwards & Bishops King's Fulham charity, Eight Bell’s and local charity shops who have partnered with us including Royal Trinity Hospice and Geranium both on the Fulham Road. All Saints Church distribute our vouchers at their Thursday lunch club to those in need. As a result so much has been done to help those who are less fortunate in the borough”.
Clothe Me – Thank You provides a monetary value voucher redeemable in partner charity stores, enabling people in need to choose their own clothes with dignity without having to rely on hand-outs. The vouchers are offered to people in crisis and help increase footfall to partner charity shops in Britain’s struggling high streets. When they are spent, a secondary benefit occurs by raising funding for the stores own charitable cause, with Clothe Me – Thank You returning the cash value of the voucher back to them.
Daily studies show the increase of rough sleeping, homelessness and households in poverty and a rise of nearly a third in rough sleepers in London over the past year, Antony Wroe continues “it’s noticeable in our communities how individuals and their families are increasingly struggling to afford the basic needs of housing, food and clothing. Whilst food banks provide support, there isn’t an obvious choice for people that can’t afford clothing. We believe that people should be able to choose their own clothes rather than having to take what limited choices may be available to them. The Clothe Me – Thank You model enables this”.
@clotheme1
Aragon House reviewed
Urban Village LDN ran a piece on Aragon House in “What’s New” last month but we finally made it there for a spontaneous dinner. Fantastic that we were able to get a walk in and weren’t turned away - front of house staff were very accommodating, not knowing we were planning a review, although the blondes who arrived and sat next to us on the mixed table got their order taken before us. This seems to be a recurring theme when we walk into a restaurant (if there was a laughing emoji available - we’d put one in). First Aperol Spritz of the season and what Mr J described as a bloody good Dirty Martini; we gave our compliments to the the friendly barman.
Just love the whole West End vibe of the place - like a mini Soho House in Parsons Green without the membership and way better food! To the left is the bar and to the right is the restaurant with a velvet curtained private dinning area discreetly tucked away. The interiors are gorgeous and we’d love to go back one day and simply walk around with a cocktail in hand to savour all the art on the walls. The attention to detail is evident throughout, the space works brilliantly well as does the use of colour and the staff look super smart in their blue shirts and tan aprons.
We ate a delicious piece of salmon with sprouting broccoli, kalamata olives and tomatoes - salmon in our eyes always a good test, crispy skin (check), not too overcooked (check), slightly pink (check) and Mr J had the Thursday special - marinated lamb shoulder with black lentil dhal and pilau rice. We would have had dessert but it was all a bit gluten heavy something the Aragon House team tell us they are on to.
We had a quick peak at Arthur’s Cocktail Bar downstairs which was jumping. We also sent another Urban Village LDN roving reporter to check out the garden which has recently opened. They reported a lovely atmosphere and said it was perfect location for a sundowner; bear in mind that the garden closes at 9.30 pm. The hotel rooms have just opened and look fantastic. Check out the Aragon House web-site for 10% off on line bookings. STOP PRESS earlier opening serving breakfast everyday from 7 am.
https://www.aragonhousesw6.com
https://www.instagram.com/aragonhouse/
Happy 15th Birthday Indian Summer
Congratulations to Indian Summer, the Parsons Green based lifestyle boutique, who turned 15 last week. Founded by mum and entrepreneur, Ruth Green in 2004 this lovely local shop brings so much joy and colour to the Fulham Road. We have no doubt that the 15 birthday celebrations were awash with cake, glitter and goodies and that a fun time was had by all!
Happy 15th Birthday Indian Summer!
https://indiansummerlondon.com/
@indiansummer
Made in Fulham
It never fails to surprise us what a talented bunch you Fulham folks are. Each month Urban Village Ldn introduces you to THe Fulham face behind an idea, product or business and ask them what they love about being a local resident.
This month we talk to food consultant Jeremy Jaffe, AKA the food agent, WHOSE RECENT PROJECTS INCLUDE TRANSLATING THE h&M DREAM INTO AMAZING AFFORDABLE FOOD AND DRINK for their first UK Cafe, it’s Pleat westfield (white City) and helping local French patisserie, So Choux GET THEIR PRODUCTS RETAIL READY; now AVAILABLE in bayley & sage
How long have you called Fulham home? My wife, Katie and I accidentally bought a flat in Fulham Broadway in 1997 with the intention of staying for 6 months and moving on. Seven years later we moved out of there with a small baby to Parsons Green and have been here ever since. We live on a lovely street with great neighbours.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your family. I have worked in and around the food world for circa 20 years, I created an organic food business that I ran for 16 of those. It got quite big, it was manic and pretty stressful, nearly as stressful as bringing up two feisty daughters, now ridiculously funny teenagers. My wife has always been a great supporter of what I do. She loves her job as BA airline cabin crew or as our daughters say 'Mummy has put her uniform on to go on holiday again'.
When did your love of food begin? I have always been a bit food mad, I had an opinion about what I thought was healthy and what wasn't and one day, with an old friend who became my business partner, decided that rather than continue to pour scorn on peddlers of appalling, life threatening food I should at least try and do something about it.
What's your favourite local haunt? Our easy go to favourite is Luna Nuova on Fulham Road for a few reasons. Most importantly, the food is always of a standard that never fails to please. The quality of ingredients and cooking are never less than brilliant. Even if we book late the owner and staff will find a space for us and make us feel like we can stay all night and it's just around the corner from my home. Luna Nuova epitomises the local restaurant but really punches above it's weight.
What's your slice of Fulham heaven and why? In Fulham we are blessed with a plethora of great food shops, cafes, coffee shops and restaurants and because I do what I do, I wander around the area looking at old favourites and seeking out what's new. I am a little biased as I do lots of work with Le Pain Quotidien but I love to nip in and grab a coffee there, then hit Bayley & Sage who I admire for their support of local food producers and the wonderful variety that offers, then I'll head up to Whole Foods in the Broadway to see what's new on shelf and buy lots of interesting food, all in the name of research; my daughters think I'm completely mad.
If you could do one thing to improve Fulham what would it be? Teach the council to plan road works properly!
What advice would you give to anyone who wants to start a new food enterprise? Turn up with a heady mix of enthusiasm, energy, money and an idea that will help solve a problem and create a business that can grow to the size that you want it to grow to.
Thank you for talking to Urban Village Ldn Jeremy and we wish you the best with all your exciting projects - all food related of course!
http://www.thefoodagent.co.uk/
@thefoodagent
