What’s New
West Country Farm Shop
The West Country Farm Shop is supplying Fulham and beyond with traditional, quality products from the West Country. Urban Village LDN took a stroll down the King’s Road to meet Alex Harvey and Cagla Karakas who previously worked for Wild Beef when they had a stall at borough Market. Wild Beef sadly lost their spot there after 25 years which in turn meant Alex and Cagla lost their jobs. This got them thinking about what was next, they decided to open their own shop and started looking at potential locations. When shown the spot at 566 King’s Road (where Fulham morphs into Chelsea, just before Stanley Bridge) it started to become a reality.
Alex told us more “our old boss Richard is our supplier of beef and lamb, their cattle, a hardy breed originally from the Scottish Isle of Luing, and sheep roam freely and graze on Dartmoor, they’ve never been fenced in or enclosed. We buy from independent producers mainly family businesses who use natural farming and production processes and methods. The supply chain is clear and obvious, the products are sustainable, traceable, regenerative and our suppliers have high animal welfare farming practices”. We loved hearing from Cagla about their bi-weekly trips to pick up stock from Dartmoor, a recent visit to a new supplier of eggs and meeting their Jack Russell who keeps them company in store and goes along with them on the ride down to Devon.
Alongside a selection of meat products - beef (steaks, shin and rib of), sausages (pork, venison, beef and GF) and Cornish farmhouse bacon - you’ll find other traditional farm shop fare from the West Country including Devon salted butter, Vintage Godminster Cheddar, Cornish Gouda, Dartmoor wild flower honey, marmalade, farmhouse eggs, fresh flour, clotted cream shortbread biscuits and more including cereals, condiments and yoghurts. We asked how business has been since they opened, Alex told us “we’ve had a great response from the local community, word of mouth recommendation has been great and our Cornish wines and ciders are proving popular”. There is also a hidden gem in this location which we’ll come to next. In the meantime if you want to find out more about the West Country Farm Shop and the ethos behind it hit the link below or follow them on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/twcfslondon
Ferns y. b. p
This community studio space opened mid February but why is it connected to the feature we’ve written above? Well rather than write a potentially confusing piece we thought we’d separate the two stories which deserve to have their own individual shout out as separate businesses located in the same place at 566 King’s Road. After checking out the West Country Farm Shop and taking a nose at all the interesting products they stock Alex took us to the back of the shop to reveal their hidden gem, a boutique community studio offering yoga (dynamic, flow, slow and yin) barre (dynamic and flow) and Pilates classes.
It’s a gorgeous space, as they say, to unfurl in. With natural light, a garden backdrop, accents of green and wood interiors which all lean into the Ferns name, there are large mirrors, new equipment and a lovely feel to the studio. We continued our conversation with Alex and asked how this studio space came to be. “When we found this location we knew it was too big for just the farm shop and when my Dad came to have a nose round he reminded me that I’d always wanted to have my own yoga studio. It’s been a lot of physical hard work to get to this point but we’re happy to be open, working with practitioners who are all lovely people from different backgrounds from a bio medical scientist to an ex professional dancer”. Alex has worked hard building this new studio, renovating and opening up the space, laying new flooring etc and now the work begins to spread the word hence why Ferns y b p reached out to Urban Village LDN.
You can drop into a Ferns class for £20 or book x 3 classes for £30 on line where there are other intro offers to be found including £150 a month for unlimited classes. Alex continues “we want to be involved in the SW6 Community, to get to know our neighbours, residents and other local businesses”. Take Alex up on his word, get in touch or simply when you’re next passing pop in and take a look at the shop and studio space. More information as ever on the button below or follow Ferns y.b.p on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/ferns.y.b.p
The Boundary
When we pull together an issue it’s funny how content often groups into a recurring theme - this month it’s the King’s Road! The Boundary at 541 King’s Road, is the first Fulham business on the border between SW6 and Chelsea, so we think they’ve got off to a great start with a fantastic name. They opened their doors a few weeks ago, if that, in a spot we’ve always loved and enjoyed a few celebrations in ourselves over the years. Although it’s always been and remains a hospitality location it has changed several times over the years (Jam Tree, Lost Hours, King’s House) and it’s been really sad watching this Fulham venue sit empty for months on end. We’re thrilled that the big, gorgeous cylindrical doors are open again.
Boasting to have Fulham’s biggest screen The Boundary was created to bring together live entertainment, sport and socialising under one roof. A joint venture from Arden Pub Group and co-founded by cricketing legends Eoin Morgan, Brendon McCullum, Jos Buttler, Paul Stirling, Sam Billings, and Graeme Smith, alongside England rugby star Jamie George. Co-founder Eoin Morgan told Urban Village LDN “We’ve created The Boundary to bring together everything we love - great drinks and food with live entertainment in a vibrant, social setting. Whether you're here for a big game, some live music, or just to enjoy time with friends, we’ve designed this space to offer something special for everyone.”
The Boundary has an open plan bar on the ground floor, “The Loft” is a dedicated space for live music sessions and private events and there’s a large garden at the back which we know is going to be buzzing this summer. On the food front they’re serving up small plates including halloumi with harissa mayo, crispy chicken wings, mozzarella arancini, gourmet toasties (pastrami, grilled cheese, sliced rib eye), pizza and sweet treats including mini sugared doughnuts with Nutella dip. Alongside typical sips and pours there are cocktails: King’s Road Mule, a spicy margs, Bramble, Meloncello Spritz alongside classics.
Live music on weekends is already underway with space to dance until the word gets out and The Boundary is packed. From the quick sneak peak we’ve had of the interiors they look gorgeous with a brown and black vibe, wooden floors, leather seating, greenery, original features and gallery walls. As soon as this spring chill subsides, you’ll find us in the garden with a cocktail in hand! In the meantime major sporting events including the Grand National on Saturday 5 and the Boat Race on Sunday 13 will be screened live and during the Easter Bank Holiday they will host a weekend full of live music. Follow them on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/theboundarysw6 or find out more on the link below.
Friends of Eel Brook Common & Parsons Green
A collective of residents have recently set up The Friends of Eel Brook Common & Parsons Green. The group was crated with the aim of persevering and enhancing both of these key green spaces for the benefit of the local community. They’ve already got 100 members some who are actively involved with administration, others who want to get involved in specific areas such as planting or organising community events and members who simply want to be kept informed.
The main aims of the group, who are working collaboratively with the council, and top of the agenda in 2025 are rectifying lighting issues, raising concerns about the commercial use of the space, preserving both areas in perpetuity and winning a green flag award for Eel Brook Common
If you’d like to join the group or find out more about their aims and objectives, head to the link below for more information.