What’s New & Happening in Fulham

What’s New

21 Grams

We were sad to see the gorgeous building that is 65B New Kings Road vacated and standing empty once again. We’ve always loved this 1960s building which has been many things since we’ve been in the Fulham area; most recently a hairdressing salon but did you know it was the location of the first Hackett shop.

Anyway thankfully the site wasn’t vacant for long, the brotherly team behind 21 Grams fell in love with this building as soon as they saw it. James & David put in an offer the very same day and signed up to take this location on for the second 21 Grams coffee shop site; the first opened on Northcote Road in March. There’s lots of previous experience behind 21 Grams so we hope they’ll be in this spot for a while. James previously set up and owned the Press Cafe on East Hill, Bonsai on Bellevue Road which he subsequently sold.

The Fulham branch opened in August and of course Urban Village LDN went in to take a look, meet David, ask how business has been and to find out more about 21 Grams. “The reception from locals has been amazing! We thought we’d be incredibly quiet in August so started with a soft launch, a good opportunity to fix any teething problems and we’ve been really busy since we’ve opened. We’ve had such a great response, I’ve enjoyed working here and meeting locals, it’s been a joy and feels like a day off”. We think the interiors are gorgeous with seating areas to enjoy the views out of the circular windows onto the New Kings Road and Eel Brook Common. There are lots of plants, a fab green marble topped counter, wood accents throughout, Jenga to play, a comfy leather sofa to sit on and we love the guitar light; a nod to the vintage guitar shop a few doors down? We also love that 21 Grams is pet friendly, a perfectly located pit stop for dog walkers.

We can vouch for the coffee, tried and tested already before meeting David, as can some visiting American friends of ours who are especially fussy about their cup of Joe to go. The coffee used at 21 Grams is provided by The Ground Coffee Society who offer sustainable coffee to their wholesale customers. They small batch roast all their green coffee at their roastery in Oxfordshire. David told us that in addition to coffee, 21 Grams have soft drinks, including a locally made lemonade, pastries and that this month there will be more savoury options on the menu including salads, Acai bowls and sarnies that can be enjoyed on site or taken to the park. They are also going to stock a Turkish ice cream brand called Mado, made by a 5th generation family business established in 1850. The brand’s new recipe means that their ice cream stays solid for an hour, and 21 Grams will be using it to create Affogato’s. We’ll be back to try!

Occasion Boxes

We wrote about Neighbourhood Pantry when they launched in October last year. This personal shopping and delivery startup’s mission is to make supporting local and independent businesses as simple and convenient as possible for residents. Founder and Fulham resident Elena Phillipson told Urban Village LDN “ We want to make shopping small and local a no-brainer for neighbourhoods everywhere, starting in SW6. We are passionate about supporting local makers and sellers, making them and their products easily accessible to more people. We also love the idea of neighbours fuelling their own neighbourhood and thereby helping it to thrive, protecting what is unique about it and living more sustainably”.

Neighbourhood Pantry brings together food and drink shops in the community, meaning you can shop for everything you need (and much more) conveniently, on one website, rather than using the default of a big supermarket. They handpick your shopping from local partner shops, consolidate it all together and deliver straight to your door on Monday’s. Wednesday’s and Friday’s. The addition of Occasion Boxes means that Neighbourhood Pantry does all the work for you by pulling together all the ingredients you need for everything from a BBQ to a Sunday Roast and everything else in between: The Full English, Aperitivo and Mini Prosecco Picnic are some of the other box options.

We were fortunate to be the lucky recipients of a gifted Sunday Roast Lamb Box featuring lamb and condiments (gluten free lamb gravy and concentrated mint sauce) from Randall’s, vegetables (cavolo nero, carrots, parsnips and potatoes) from Coco Melon and Nature’s Delight. The butterflied leg of lamb was beautifully marinated so all we had to do was pop it into a roasting tray and into the oven. The carrots were the “orangey-est” carrots we’ve ever seen and the potatoes turned out to be the best roast potatoes to ever grace our kitchen.

During recent years local businesses have had to cope with a pandemic, lockdowns etc and their struggles continue with the increase in energy prices that will cripple some local businesses. So supporting local continues to be important if we want these businesses and brands in our neighbourhood to survive.

Stay posted for Neighbourhood Pantry’s subscription service for weekly, fortnightly or monthly deliveries. In the meantime if you want to check out their “Occasion Boxes” enter SHOPLOCAL15 at checkout for 15% off your first order via the link below. In the meantime find out more on Instagram by following Neighbourhood Pantry here https://www.instagram.com/neighbourhoodpantry/ and stay tuned on our socials to see our upcoming Sunday Roast Lamb box reel.

Acai Girls

Sisters Megan and Georgia opened the first Acai Girls cafe at 705 Fulham Road in July and had over 500 people through their doors on their first weekend. What started as a “passion project” during lockdown in 2020 and a desire to fill a space on Deliveroo with a fresh menu inspired by their travels and adventures around the world, has come full circle; although we have no doubt the Acai Girls have more exciting plans in the pipeline.

The Acai Girls dream started life in a rented kitchen for £14 hour with week-end deliveries, another kitchen site opened in 2021, deliveries moved to 7 days a week and the latest chapter is the realisation of an actual bricks and mortar space that has brought their dreamy Instagram grid to life. We went along to check it out and ordered a “Morning Glory” smoothie: Espresso Shot, Banana, Almond Butter, Cacao Nibs, Dates, Granola & Oat Milk. We were a bit taken aback by the price of £7.95 although we have to say it was a decent size and a nutritious pick me up. Other than smoothies you’ll find Acai Bowls course (!) with various super food add on’s, flatbreads, daily salads, pastries and different options of the classic, staple Avocado Toast as well as their Slutty Banana Bread; made us smile. A big plus is their biodegradable packaging and responsibly sourced ingredients.

We loved the interiors, also no doubt inspired by the sisters travels, with the Acai Girls pink and light blue colour palette used throughout, natural materials, wicker/cane chairs and pendant shades, plants, cacti and a peppering of quotes. Definitely worth checking it out for yourself, take a teenage girl along, they’ll be in Instagram heaven! https://www.instagram.com/theacaigirls/?hl=en

Mooboo

Remember we wrote about Uniq Sushi opening its doors on the Fulham Road in May? Well not long after we spotted there was a bubble tea shop incoming next door. It seemed to take an age for Mooboo to open their doors but they finally did in August at 817 Fulham Road. After a recent visit we found out the delay was due to equipment arriving from Taiwan, reassuring to hear it’s an authentic product. The staff couldn’t have been nicer or friendlier and we really enjoyed chatting to them about life in Taiwan whilst waiting for our order.

There are over a 1000 different combinations on the menu allegedly but we went for a Passion Mango fruit tea with a topping of Mango popping balls; if you know you know! We loved that a cocktail shaker was used to mix up the ingredients for our order and that we no longer have to schlep into Central for a bubble tea; anyone remember when Bubbleology first arrived on our shores and the mad queues that came with? Great news that we have a genuine, alternative and an affordable bubble tea option right here on our doorstep.

Mooboo started popping up around the UK in 2012 in response to the growing demand and bubble tea trend which first started in Asia in the 80s; doesn’t show any signs of abating! They are currently the largest bubble tea franchise operator with over 90 locations, the first was in Camden and their stores can now be found across the UK from Brighton to Liverpool. We loved our bubble tea from Mooboo, the customer experience was great and the price was decent so highly recommend giving them a try.

Dog Show: Sat 10 (10.30am - 5pm)

The Barking for Brain Tumour Research Campaign (BTRC) dog show takes place on Parsons Green, this month. Sponsored by Winkworth it is being billed as a fun filled family day for all, including four legged family members. Register on the link below or turn up on the day to enter and help raise funds for this worth while cause.

All the classes are apparently being judged by local celebrities and include: The Waggiest Tail, Best Golden Oldie and even Scruffiest in Show. Other attractions are: My Dog’s Got Talent, dog agility displays, Doggy Tombola and stalls catering for everything a dog could possibly need. The afternoon will end with a Fashion Show and the award for The Best in Show! If you can’t make the event there is also an online dog photo competition that you can enter.

Fall for Pre-Loved: Thurs 22 (6.30 - 9pm)

The Royal Trinity Hospice charity shop at 785 Fulham Road, which has to be the most up market charity shop in our urban village, even more so after its recent refurb, is holding an event to showcase new autumn winter designer brands. The shop always has such lovingly curated and well thought out displays so it will be easy to peruse their range of best pre loved donations and items which have been donated by retailers such as Harrods, Hugo Boss, Anthropology etc

We’ve heard these £5 tickets, which include a complimentary drink and can be redeemed against a purchase, are already in hot demand. Head in store or to their website to buy (see link below).

Daniel Holloway, Director of Retail for Royal Trinity Hospice knows the chance to be the first through the door to buy exceptional donations will be a big draw for the environmentally conscious shopper and designer bargain hunters alike: “This will be a really exciting event for the team at our hugely successful Fulham branch and customers who want to find something really special but for a fraction of the price they would normally pay. ‘Fall for preloved’ is about showcasing some of the best donations we have received at the start of the season to kick off the new collection.”

Royal Trinity Hospice has twenty charity shops located across central and south west London, all playing a key role in helping raise the £11 million needed annually to supplement NHS funds to provide the hospice’s specialist palliative and end of life care.

North End Road Autumn Festival: 24 September (10am -5pm)

The first ever North End Road Festival takes place on Saturday 24 September. The organisers told Urban Village LDN that “this event offers not only a fantastic family day out for all ages, but also provides foodies and music fans with a voyage of discovery”. The traffic free street will host five live music locations from Lillie Road to Vanston Place, a Battle of the Bands competition, 150 stalls, street entertainment and children’s activities alongside the popular daily market.

Start at one end and work your way down the street, stopping off at stalls and shops packed with arts, crafts, jewellery, vintage goods, candles, home accessories, fashion and gifts, along-side seasonal produce and fresh fruit and veg. Enjoy street food from around the globe including Caribbean, Ethiopian, Filipino, Italian, Korean, Middle Eastern and Thai. Be entertained by music from all genres including Rock, Neo Soul, Reggae, Ska, Funk, Classical, Grunge and a Steel Band. The festival will include a Fulham Fringe Zone with comedy, dance, street theatre, children’s games and sporting activities.

Find out more here on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/northendrdmrkt/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/northendrdmrkt/?hl=en

Kenrick’s 1st Birthday: Thurs 29 (6 - 9pm)

We can’t believe Kenrick’s Wines are celebrating their first birthday on Thursday 29 September. Seems like only yesterday that we were writing up a piece about their opening for our “What’s New” section. Head to 275 Wandsworth Bridge Road for a mini wine festival, there’s a £12.50 entry fee (redeemable against a £40 spend on the night) and they’ll be nibbles, wine (of course), cocktails from Doghouse Distillery, whiskys from Pour and Patter and music to celebrate.