BEAST magazine - issue 7

BEAST LONDON

STREETS OF STYLE Movers, shakers & makers blazing new paths in East London

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BEAST magazine is brought to you by Editor Emma Winterschladen Creative Director Nicky Acketts Sub Editor Jane Gazzard Social media Gemma Wardle Digital Writer Charlotte Davey Features Chantelle Pattemore, Ellie Smith, Lara Mills, Arijana Zeric Contributors Cliodhna Quinn, Gerry Calabrese, Katy Beale, Thomas Palmer, Leonie Helm, Printed in the UK by CPI Colour To advertise contact partnerships@beastmag.co.uk ON THE COVER Barbara Ayozie wears a hat by A Child of the Jago & vintage dress by Here & After. Pearls by Chanel. Model Tommy Cunliffe wears A Child of the Jago. Assistant stylist Kèla Jai Photography by Kathrin McCrea Beast magazine is published five times per year and is available throughout East London. Every effort is made to ensure the information contained in the magazine is correct.

We cannot accept responsibility for omissions or errors. Opinions expressed in the content are strictly those of the authors.

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AN ASTRO AUTUMN Welcome in the new season the celestial way with a month of astrology events at hotel and members’ club The Curtain in Shoreditch. Starting Thursday 12 September with Art + Astrology, the three-part Astro Manuka series, hosted in collaboration with astrologer Marissa Malik (of @galdemzine), will explore this ancient practice’s place in culture today.

And for a different kind of sublime, The Curtain also host a Gospel Brunch every Sunday at their Harlem-themed diner Red Rooster Shoreditch. Head to page 44 for our hotel review, and email club@thecurtain.com to book tickets for upcoming events.

45 Curtain Road, EC2A 3PT thecurtain.com

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Freddie Kelleher, Christophe Berreterot and Lauren Wilkinson

Ryan Lanji and Abigail Wilson

Becky Penhall and Sarah Guild

@londonfieldsbrewery and @wildcardbrewery

Gerry Calabrese and Emma Winterschladen

Sandra Walker and Alina Dheere Babaltsosf

Jemima French and Jon Spiteri

@strazzanti_co

Kim Timpsonand the McLaughlin twins, Gareth and Mason

Maria Loizou with Tom and Denelle Ellis

WITH HUGE THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS McQueens Flowers, Hoxton Spirits, Strazzanti, Lily Vanilli, London Fields Brewery, Wild Card Brewery, Jarr Kombucha, Dalston’s, J E Communications, The London Essence Company and our DJ for the evening Ryan Lanji.

Nicky Acketts, Kally Ellis, Richard Eagleton and Emma Winterschladen

BEAST x McQueens What better way to mark the first birthday of BEAST magazine and the 21st birthday of McQueens Flower School than with a joint party at McQueens’ eponymous flagship space in Bethnal Green. There we gathered near a hundred of East London’s movers and shakers, including local creatives, business owners and media folk, for what was a rollicking evening of good food (including Lily Vanilli cake!), drinks, music and, most importantly, people.

Cliodhna Quinn, Emma Winterschladen and Thomas Palmer

David Carter and Michelle Pugh

@lily_vanilli_cake

@jarrkombucha Sophie Pebble

@DrinkDalstons Jason Burns and Diana Gomez

Jean Egbunike and Gabriele Bertucci

Emily Tallis and Emilia Strazzanti

Melina Kouyailis, Sophie Kelleher and Sid O’Hara

Elle Parmar Jenkins and Emma Jarman

@hoxtonspirits

Natasha Hastings, Jenna McCotter, Cliodhna Quinn and Katie Bryce

OUT THERE Eyes wide open and ears to the ground DRINK UP

FLEABAG FANATICS With the final series of Fleabag long finished (*sad face*), we’re in desperate need of a Phoebe Waller Bridge fix.

Enter East London artist Emma Scutt, who has developed a hilarious range of illustrated mugs and totes inspired by said show. Excuse us while we enjoy our afternoon brew with Andrew Scott (aka the priest!)’s oh-so-pretty ‘mug’.

Order by emailing emmascuttartist@gmail.com £12, emmascutt.co.uk

MCQUEENS X MILLER HARRIS When two respected brands come together with their years of expertise and creativity, something magical happens – in this case the creation of a range of scented candles. Inspired by the evocative fragrances of McQueens Flowers’ botanical workroom in Bethnal Green, each candle captures a different element – be it the herby foliage, bountiful bouquets or verdant green stems. £65, millerharris.com 8

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Candied canapés It’s sweet, it’s fishy… and it’s far tastier than it sounds!

Handcrafted in East London using the finest sustainably-farmed fish, Can-D have launched Europe’s first candied smoked salmon.

Think caramelised jerky but with a deep (sea) umami finish.

Whether you’re looking to take your breakfast up a notch, rescue a dull dinner party or are after a posh, sticky sweet snack, it’s just the thing. Be warned though: it’s incredibly addictive. £10 for 100g pack, can-d.co.uk

HOT OFF THE PRESS With the news forever bringing us down, Hoxton Mini Press are on a mission to help us fall back in love with the UK. Keep your eyes peeled for the October release of Paul Trevor’s Once Upon A Time in Brick Lane – a truly enchanting collection of vintage photos taken over 25 years across the East End. £25, hoxtonminipress.com beastmag.co.uk

WORDS BY ELLIE SMITH

We’ve got good news for cocktail connoisseurs – Bethnal Green’s neighbourhood bar Coupette has launched a new series of seasonal cocktail menus, full of weird and wonderful concoctions to delight. After a successful run with their summer menu, now it’s time to welcome in the cosy flavours of autumn. Better still, you can sip your chosen cocktail while enjoying a board of charcuterie. Cheers to that.

423 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0A coupette.co.uk

SHOREDITCH WELCOMES ROSE MCGOWAN When a best-selling author, actress and activist comes to town, you know we’re gunna tell you about it. As part of her world-wide tour, Rose McGowan is bringing her onewoman show Planet 9 to Shoreditch Town Hall for one night only. Expect memoir, storytelling, politics, spoken word and music as Rose navigates us through her imaginary planet, one that is fairer and more welcoming than our own. It’s a safe space, free from worries and judgement and all the other bad things here on earth.

Perhaps it’s the antidote many of us need right now.

Tuesday, 1 October 2019. Doors open at 7pm. Shoreditch Town Hall, Old Street, EC1V 9LT. Tickets £20. uk.funzing.com

MUM’S THE WORD There’s a new hotel on the block, and it’s ready to welcome you with open arms. Just a hop and shimmy away from both Cambridge Heath and Bethnal Green tube stations, Mama Shelter is a trendy bolthole on a mission to make guests feel like they’re being looked after by their own mama. Expect friendly vibes, cosy but modern interiors and home-cooked comfort food, as well as lots of space to gather with friends, or work.

You can even have your laundry done!

Rooms from £99, 437 Hackney Road, E2 8PP mamashelter.com

CALLING ALL YOGIS

We’ve got good news for yoga lovers and the yoga-curious. MoreYoga are bringing their brand new studio to Haggerston this autumn. With a dedication to making yoga accessible and affordable, their prices are great value anyway, but founding members of the studio can also get 50% off for life. There are lots of different classes on offer for all levels and, because it’s just a stone’s throw from Haggerston station, there’s no need to bend over backwards getting to class.

From £37.50 a month.

199 Haggerston Road, E8 4HU moreyoga.co.uk/studios/haggerston

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POTTY FOR PLANTS

Looking for an excuse to adopt more plants? Here’s one. Specialising in shade-loving perennials for windowsills, balconies and small spaces, Linda have just opened their doors in Hackney. Head to their dappled courtyard space, full of grasses, ferns, flowers and herbs for some soul-feeding green time. You’ll leave feeling inspired to transform even the tiniest urban ‘yarden’, and if you’re lucky you’ll have nabbed one of their popular speckled toad lilies. Look out for planting workshops.

1 Scawfell Street, E2 8NG. hellotherelinda.com

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come for supper On your podcast you ask guests for their ultimate top three dinner party guests. Who are yours?

If you could invite anyone to dinner, who would it be? Just one of the questions food writer, stylist and author Alexandra Dudley asks guests on her new podcast.

Editor Emma Winterschladen finds out more…

What made you want to launch your new podcast?

I love entertaining, and always have. I think throwing dinner parties is when I’m at my happiest – both cooking for people, but also helping to facilitate the conversations that happen around a table. So Come for Supper was an extension of this – a way for me to sit down with people who I find interesting, chat about life and learn a little bit more about how they like to entertain.

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Why were you drawn to dinner parties?

In the podcast, guests reveal their tips and tricks as well as their mess-ups. It’s a loose conversation that goes through their career and life, and it’s punctuated by dinner party tales and memories.

My hope is that it encourages people to entertain but mainly I want it to be a good listen. There are some great stories there, the kind you really only get to hear when you’re deep in conversation with someone.

Someone actually said that listening was like being a fly on the wall at a dinner party!

Where do you hope to take the podcast?

My debut series has seen me speaking mainly to people who work in food, like Monica Galetti, Manon Lagrève, Mark Hix and Russell Norman. But I’m keen to open it up to more and speak to artists and actors as the podcast progresses.

Imagine hearing how Stephen Fry or Elton John liked to entertain! It gives such an insight into a person who may be otherwise untouchable by fame.

My mother always loved entertaining and still does. As a child I remember so vividly the way the energy of the house would buzz when a dinner party was coming up. Menu planning, table setting, music…but above all I think what she was really good at was creating a good time and she was always present as a host. It’s something I say a lot today to people wanting tips on entertaining – keep it simple and make sure you enjoy yourself too. There is nothing worse than a host chained to the oven all evening.

Do you have a dinner party secret?

Bread and butter! It sounds simple I know but people really remember good bread and butter. It’s the same with going to a restaurant isn’t it? If the bread is bad it can set such an unfortunate tone to the meal.

I love to get my bread from The Dusty Knuckle – particularly their gorgeous potato sourdough. I love Pavillion’s sourdough baguettes as well. ➠

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELLIOTT MORGAN

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e humans are nosy creatures, particularly when it comes to what goes on behind closed doors. Lucky then that Alexandra Dudley has just launched Come for Supper, a podcast which includes conversations with artists, actors, authors and chefs on that most personal of activities: hosting a dinner party. We turned the tables and sat down with this budding broadcaster to talk about the art of entertaining, the importance of good bread, and where to eat in East London.

This changes frequently but my table would be quite music-centric. I come from a family where music is incredibly important. It’s not uncommon for us to finish supper and whip out guitars for a singalong. So I think I’d have the likes of Bowie, Stevie Nicks and then maybe Andy Warhol to break it up.

When you’re not cooking where do you like to eat?

I’m a big fan of Jolene in Newington Green (which is on the border of North and East London). The menu is hyper seasonal and swings in a Mediterranean style but there’s a magic to what they do.

If you’re like me, you’ll find yourself trying to dissect the dishes on the menu in

your head. But when it arrives it’s always something unexpected and sensational.

I also love Little Duck the Picklery. I was gutted when their sister East London site, Rawduck, closed earlier this year but I’m very happy they’ve taken some of their menu over to Little Duck. Towpath and Rochelle Canteen are also firm favourites, as is Love Bike Thai. It’s a takeaway joint not a restaurant but often when I’m knackered, that’s just what I want. Who can resist a slap-up Thai?

How have you seen the East London food scene change since you've been in it?

I think the food scene is always changing in London wherever you are. It’s what makes it so exciting. East London in particular is great for being in the epicentre of what’s new. I think what’s sad is seeing so many rents skyrocket which has meant that some great places have been forced to close. What has been exciting though has been the rise of international cuisine. You can get a blow-your-socks-off laksa from Sambal Shiok, which started as a pop-up but now has a permanent site. I also love Som Saa which is Thai at its best.

What's your favourite thing about living and working in and around East London?

I’d say the community and my veg shop!

I live just off Newington Green and there’s a fab local greengrocer called Newington Green Fruits & Vegetables.

You can always get seasonal British produce, but should you need it you’ve also got access to some brilliantly bizarre things too. I often find myself looking at strange dinosaur-looking fruits whilst I’m in line to pay. Aside from that, there’s always a local, independent cafe selling good coffee a short walk away in Dalston or Stoke Newington. B

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Alexandra Dudley’s EAST LONDON

THE DUSTY KNUCKLE For bread, brunch and epic sandwiches.

Abbot Street Car Park, Dalston, E8 3DP JOLENE For beautifully elegant but humble food and very good pastries.

21 Newington Green, Mayville Estate, N16 9PU JAINES & SONS FISHMONGER Lewis the owner is a brilliant guy. I buy all my fish from him and can always guarantee that it has been sustainably sourced – and will taste delicious.

177 Stoke Newington Church Street, Stoke Newington, N16 0UL TOWPATH CAFÉ This place feels like a holiday.

Even when it’s wet and grey and they’ve got the rugs out, it feels like a haven of fresh air within London and the food is very very good.

42 De Beauvoir Crescent, De Beauvoir Town, N1 5SB ROCHELLE CANTEEN Margot’s food is flawless and I love the interiors here. It’s set in an old schoolyard and is stripped back and unfussy.

The menu is always a delight too – I don’t think I’ve had a bad meal there.

16 Playground Gardens, E2 7FA

Come for Supper by Alexandra Dudley and Studio 71 UK is available to listen to now on all podcast platforms. alexandradudley.com

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fit for purpose

Hackney boy Leon Rolle is better known as DJ Locksmith from chart-topping drum and bass band Rudimental. He took a break from his busy tour schedule to speak to Ellie Smith about his younger years playing football, the changing face of East London and why he thinks fitness holds the key to unlocking potential in inner-city kids

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hough now better known for his BRIT awardwinning music career, Leon’s first passion was football. His talent was spotted early on he spent a number of years playing for the Arsenal youth team. When it came to making the move into professional football, Leon didn’t quite make the cut. “It was a tough lesson for me,” he says. “It’s very hard to deal with rejection as a teenager — especially when it’s the thing that you love.”

Looking back, it’s clear to Leon that this early rejection has fuelled him throughout adult life: “I came to the realisation that talent only takes you so far,” he says, “Hard work, sacrifice

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and incredible mental strength are the other bits you need to get through. I now try to take that with me wherever I go — whether it’s music, the gym or in everyday life.”

As a hot-tempered teen, Leon quickly realised that he needed exercise to help manage his emotions. “You have to have a good temperament if you want to succeed at anything in life. It took me a long time to realise that I had to control my temper and I found that within exercising and fitness — it gave me a way to channel the negativity and anger and turn it into positive energy.” He worries that inner city kids don’t have the same outlets. “When I was growing up we didn’t have phones — we used to go to the park and kick a ball BEAST

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around. Even things like Knock Down Ginger don’t exist any more!” Leon believes that becoming active can help young people take a break from life’s challenges, big and small: “Kids are going through so much — they need a sense of escapism and you can escape with fitness.”

Before Leon’s music career started to kick off, he worked as a learning mentor for children with behavioural issues. “Music, sports and exercise all helped these kids get through,” he says. It’s really important, he stresses, that young people don’t see the arts and fitness on opposite sides of the spectrum. “That couldn’t be further from the truth.

I can’t keep up with the music game without being fit and you can’t be an athlete without having to 16 B E A S T

draw on some kind of creativity.”

Though Rudimental’s touring schedule means Leon spends a lot of his time on the road, he still lives in East London and it remains close to his heart. “I think growing up in Hackney was probably the best thing for me,” he says. “Obviously it was more dangerous back then but it gave me a bit of resilience.” Chatting to Leon from an all-vegan café near Hackney Central station, the elephant in the room during our conversation is how much the area has changed. “It’s definitely become gentrified” he laughs. “You can probably get yourself a vegan soap somewhere and you definitely couldn’t when I was growing up.”

“It’s good though,” he adds, “there’s still lots of variety and East London is now up-and-coming and the place to be. There are pros and cons of East London from the past and East London of the present.” What remains, he says, is the energy of the East End: “There’s definitely a bit of cockiness that comes from being an East Londoner — there’s a swagger and a confidence and I think that comes down to a really strong community vibe. We know our community has our back.” B theycallmelocksmith.com beastmag.co.uk

WORDS BY EMMA WINTERSCHLADEN

‘THERE’S A SWAGGER AND A CONFIDENCE FROM BEING AN EAST LONDONER – AND I THINK THAT COMES DOWN TO A REALLY STRONG COMMUNITY VIBE’

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STYLE

remains

Called the ‘black Coco Chanel’ by her friends, Italian-born art director and stylist Barbara Ayozie has made East London her home – where she lives, loves and dreams

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arbara Ayozie, or Fu Safira as she’s known professionally, is a boundary-pushing creative, stylist and art director making waves in the world of fashion. With the likes of GQ Turkey, Diane Von Furstenburg and Matches Fashion gracing her portfolio, her eclectic flair and warm approach are earning her much-deserved credibility and clients. Add to the fact she has styled Dua Lipa herself, this East London talent is set to keep on growing in her work and reputation – all the while encapsulating the ‘La Bella Figura’ philosophy of her Italian roots…

Tell us about your background I grew up in northern Italy, where I was born in the early 1990s to Nigerian parents. After finishing my graphic design studies, I moved to London to pursue my dreams. I also lived in Paris and Berlin for a short time, but London is where I truly belong, it’s where I found and accepted myself and all my characteristics. My friends have different ages, styles, ethnicities and heritage. They all call me the ‘black Coco Chanel’.

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How does the polished, Italian ‘bella figura’ concept translate for the cutting-edge, industrial vibe of London’s East End? ‘Bella figura’ is a way of living, a concrete ideology for social behaviour defined by key words like refined, sophisticated, elegant and lifestyle. Italians have long applied this idea to how we look and to all aspects of our culture and heritage.

In the last decade or so, East London has become the new fulcrum for fashion and forward-thinking people. Its high concentration of artists has made it the place to be. Those who live here are dreamers, trendsetters and visionaries – the first to understand cutting-edge trends when they emerge.

This is the link between Italy’s ‘bella figura’ and East London: a lifestyle ideology. The majority of East Enders have a great, individual sense of style that applies to all aspects of their lives. But, of course, each neighbourhood has its own story, so the industrial heritage of East London has translated into its everyday style.

Barbara’s

Who is Fu Safira?

Fu Safira is my alter ego and how I sign my work. Born on a sunny Sunday in London, she’s a dreamer and an endless romantic inspired by culture, music and art. She has always believed knowledge is power, and her curiosity helped her growth and understanding of human behaviour, applied to the way I style.

Fu means ‘She Became’ and Safira is a dragon who decides to give her life to her knight in Eragon, a beloved film from my childhood. It was the greatest act of love I ever knew, and I guess it’s what I’d do for someone I love.

How do you describe your style?

My style is inspired by a mix of soul music, abstract expressionist artist, surrealistic dreams and Japanese tailoring. But I’m a pragmatic dreamer, because you can’t just dream, you have to work hard to achieve your dreams.

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EAST LONDON

SHOREDITCH HOUSE There’s a cool vibe and it’s great for people watching.

Ebor Street, E1 6AW TROY BAR You can see some of the best emerging talent here, along with its authentic delicious, home-cooked Caribbean food, you can’t go wrong.

10 Hoxton Street, N1 6NG PASSIONE VINO I love this cosy Italian artisan wine bar and shop where I love to spend time chatting and trying the different wines.

85 Leonard Street, EC2A 4QS BRILLIANT CORNERS Great music venue with a Japanese restaurant.

470 Kingsland Road, Dalston, E8 4AE

How do you help a person create their own unique style?

Everyone has their own style, but not everyone fully understands themselves. As a stylist, the first step is getting to know a client and slowly understand what suits them best.

How can a stylist build confidence in people who feel insecure about their bodies?

A stylist’s duty is to bring out the best in each client. All body shapes are beautiful, but the most important thing is to own yours. The key to building confidence is finding the element that complements and enhances you the most.

What inspired you to become a stylist?

My boss told me, “You have such a great sense of style, you should be a stylist!” At that time, I didn’t even know what a stylist was! Once she explained it to me, I understood that, yeah, this is my career. Pablo Neruda’s poem, One Hundred Love Sonnets XVII, has also been inspirational, because it resonates with the truth – that I don’t know any way of being other than myself, and the life shaped by my choices creates a simple, pure form of style.

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What are your three top tips for expressing individuality?

1. Always be yourself.

2. Only surround yourself with people worthy of you and who’ll enhance your life.

3. Always think as a free human being.

What do you wish people knew about fashion stylists?

Being a fashion stylist is a call or vocation. The job itself isn’t easy, and it’s a lot of heavy lifting as you always travel with loads of clothes. It requires lots of patience, sacrifices and determination.

How do you decide what to wear every day?

I operate according to my emotions, so my choice depends on how I feel when I wake up. I dress up even just to go down to my local off-licence.

What item of clothing do you wear most?

A shirt. I am a shirt lady. They can be made with different materials, colours and shapes. But yeah, I love shirts.

Where do you shop in East London?

I shop a bit everywhere, I love digging. It’s the most fun part of being a stylist. It’s great when you have a crush on a garment and know it belongs only to you.

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‘I’M A PRAGMATIC DREAMER, BECAUSE YOU CAN’T JUST DREAM, YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD TO ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS’

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WORDS BY ALICIA SHEBER

barbarafusafira.com @fu_safira

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THE POWER OF

PODCAST Shoreditch-based duo David Speed and Adam Brazier are looking to empower a new generation of creatives, one podcast at a time. Editor Emma Winterschladen sat down to chat about their new project Creative Rebels, paying it forward and pushing through the fear of failure

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f you’ve ever walked around the streets of Shoreditch, you’ve almost certainly come across some of David and Adam’s work. Be it a huge mural for the likes of Nike, Microsoft or YouTube, or a tribute mural (like their recent one to Nipsey Hussle), their creative collective Graffiti Life has been bringing street art into the mainstream for nine years now. “We started out at a time when the public perception of graffiti was changing from vandals to art,” says David. “A lot of my friends were being sent to prison for painting in East London. In fact, I was once doing a commission on Brick Lane in 2010 and got slammed up against the wall by an overzealous cop!” Today, colourful walls are a fundamental part of the cultural fabric of the East End, and one that David and Adam’s business, which now employs 15, continues to be at the forefront of.

So how did they get started? “I’d been painting for a decade by the time I met Adam, who offered to build me a website in exchange for teaching him to spray-paint.”

Adam adds: “I’d just come out of uni after the recession and couldn’t get a job!” The two joined forces to create Graffiti Life, and were soon joined by Iona Thomas, who heads up the marketing side. They all soon realised they were on to something. “Advertising murals just work. In an increasingly digital world, people appreciate the level of skill required, and the handmade element too.” But that’s not to say the boys don’t embrace new technologies too. “We are always looking for new ways to get our work out there, and also to share our knowledge.”

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‘THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO BE CREATIVE AND WE WANT TO CHAMPION THEM ALL’

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charts pre-launch? “We tapped into our network, and also built new relationships a year ahead of launching.” It was Adam, a talented photographer in his spare time, who approached successful creatives with large followings offering them a photoshoot. “It’s not about just reaching out and asking something of people, you’ve got to give something back.” Using creative skills as a currency is, David says, a brilliant way to build brand exposure and nurture important relationships. It helps too that at the heart of the podcast is a pure purpose.

“Being able to communicate well to potential Creative Rebels’ guests what our mission is: to share knowledge TOP TIPS and empower other creatives, perhaps earlier in their journey, was crucial. It’s what enabled TAKE IT OFFLINE It’s this desire to bring their hard-won us to get Emma Gannon [host of the popular Real world connections are so expertise to a new generation of creatives Ctrl Alt Delete podcast] on for our first episode, important. Get out and meet that underpins much of their work. “We’re before we even had one listener!” other people creating stuff – you both passionate about mentorship. Graffiti The boys are adamant that this isn’t a never know when an opportunity Life is partnered with Tower Hamlets podcast just for aspiring artists though. will come about, but it’s more Council on an apprenticeship scheme, “There are lots of different ways to be likely to be in person. teaching already talented young artists creative and we want to champion all the how to spray-paint.” But as well as their different types of creativity.” So what is OVERCOME YOUR FEAR ‘on the ground’ work, they’ve long been it they hope people will take away from Everyone has something that’s wanting to cast their net wider. “We were listening? David lights up: “I actually had an holding them back, and a lot getting a lot of emails from people saying epiphany about this the other day. I see the of the time it’s fear of other’s ‘I love what you’ve done – how do I do podcast as a course, and you may graduate opinions. Trust that what you’ve something similar?’ But it got to the stage after one lesson or 100, but for every person got to say is important. where even a pre-planned email response listening there will be a particular guest that got too much – we just couldn’t keep up.” really resonates and says something that EMBRACE THE LONG GAME And so the Creative Rebels podcast was transforms their life and career.”

The internet is an elephant born. “We felt we could leverage our time As for their own careers, the podcast graveyard of Instagram accounts, better. So instead of sending email after is just one part of the ecosystem of their YouTube channels and podcasts. email, or doing interviews with individual business, but it’s grown to be an important If you chase instant success students, we thought a podcast would help one. “Being able to put your work out into nothing will last. us help thousands of people at a time.” The the world in an effective way is part of the podcast’s premise was to bring together battle. So we’re practicing what we preach David and Adam’s accumulated years of experience, in with the podcast,” says David. “It took me a while to build conversation with other successful creatives across various up that confidence to push through imposter syndrome and fields. Which is exactly what they’ve done, to great success. trust that I can do it, but I have, and I know others can too.” B “We wanted to launch a number one podcast. It had to be Subscribe and listen to Creative Rebels on all podcast platforms. worth it for us.” So just how did they go about topping the Follow them on Instagram @rebelscreate or rebelscreate.com

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Back to school Turns out, East London is home to some of the best grown-up learning experiences around, so get your diary at the ready and book in some rewarding me-time

Experimental Perfume Club, Hackney

Established in 2017 by founder Emanuelle Moeglin, the EPC laboratory aims to make the eau-so-wonderful world of fragrance more accessible.

On offer are a range of one-to-one and group workshops which will equip you with the knowledge to create your own bespoke personal perfume formula.

Better still, the EPC team will file your formula forever so you can smuggly wear your ‘eau de moi’ for evermore.

Start your fragrance education with their Apprentice half-day course in a group setting for £105, or upgrade to an Expert full day for £190. If you really want to earn your perfumery credentials then their Bespoke one-on-one experience with full access to all ingredients and a 50ml bottle of your own fragrance is £450.

4 Netil Lane, E8 3RL experimentalperfumeclub.com

GET CRAFTY

Stepney City Farm, Limehouse If you thought Stepney City Farm only offered the chance to stare adoringly at lambs and goats, you’re mistaken.

Each week the East London farm runs a packed agenda filled with workshops 26 B E A S T

specialising in pottery, carpentry, woodwork and art, courtesy of Rural Art studios – the only inner city farm in London to do so. Resident artist and teacher, Georgie Mason, provides adults and children with art workshops to encourage creative expression and confidence. Georgie offers three classes: a four-week Landscapes paint and texture course on Monday evenings for £140; a three-hour Paint with Georgie

Saturday class for £40; and a Tuesday daytime class for £90, which includes lunch cooked by Hawksmoor chef, Alice Wilson. Look out also for Georgie’s new venture, MasterPeace – a mindful painting experience for adults of all levels, in Eccleston Yards. Launching in early September.

Stepney Way, Stepney Green, E1 3DG stepneycityfarm.org

LIFE DRAWING

The Royal Drawing School, Shoreditch Housed in a 19th-century converted warehouse on Charlotte Road, the Royal Drawing School offers courses and classes in drawing for all levels, from complete beginners to experienced artists, as well as creative professionals looking to hone their artistic skills and experience a real sense of calm and wellbeing.

Both daytime and evening courses are on offer for adults in drawing, painting and printmaking. With a faculty of over 75 drawing tutors, all of whom are practising artists, the tutors are open and willing to work with you and are there to answer any questions and keep you inspired. A great way to get outside your comfort zone, and tune in to your most creative self. This year’s autumn term programme runs from 23 September-30 November. 19-22 Charlotte Road, EC2A 3SG royaldrawingschool.org

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WORDS BY LARA MILLS. PHOTOGRAPH BY NICKY ACKETTS

FRAGRANCE DESIGN

Studying Van Gogh – one of the Royal Drawing School’s many courses

Plant Hub Academy

be guided through their insta-famous signature designs, or opt instead for their extensive Manicure, Pedicure, Gel & Basic Minimal Nail Art Workshop across four Sundays, where you’ll be able to work as a qualified nail technician (upcoming starting dates are 2 September and 8 November for £750, including Shoreditch Nails Kit Bag).

13 Cleve Workshops, Boundary St, E2 7JD shoreditchnails.com/our-academy

SHAKE IT UP

Drink.Up cocktail masterclasses, Shoreditch

SKILL SWAPPING

Popular Union, Tower Hamlets Since 2012, Poplar Union has, quite rightly, dubbed itself “the creative heart and soul of Poplar” – the Call the Midwifefamous district in East London’s Tower Hamlets. They offer a range of workshops, public talks, events and drop-in classes to the local community. Ever wondered how to turn some old jam jars into a terrarium or wanted to mend that holey jumper that’s been sitting at the bottom of your wardrobe? Then their Pop-Skill Swap workshop is the place to acquire that wisdom. Led by a local volunteer, sessions are free and a pay-it-forward mentality encouraged. Other learning experiences to look out for are 1950s rock ‘n’ roll jive classes, South Asian music course and samba-reggae drumming classes.

2 Cotall St, Poplar, E14 6TL poplarunion.com

PLANT POWER

Plant Hub & Academy, Hackney Neighbourhood newbies David Bez and Lauren Lovatt are on a mission to ignite a widespread passion for plant-based cooking and eating. How? Through their cool recently-opened bakery, restaurant, 28 B E A S T

community space and culinary academy on Mare Street. Championing hyperlocal ingredients and local East London producers, they have brought together a calendar of events, classes and workshops – all led by classically trained chefs, professional nutritionists and influential plant-based thought leaders.

Upcoming dates for your dairy include Seasonal Fermentation Class x Jessie Ferments on Sunday 15 September for £135.00, and Sensational Autumn Salads x David Bez on Tuesday 24 September for £65. We also can’t wait for Amy Levin’s Raw Cakes Masterclass on 28 September for £175. See you there.

217 Mare Street, E8 3QE planthub.net

Whether you’re the type to ogle at an Old Fashioned, neck back a Negroni or slurp on a Spritz, Drink.Up London’s monthly Cocktail Experiment workshops will help hone your mixology skills. Held at TT Liquor on the one and only Kingsland Road, cocktail lovers will experience a whistle-stop tour through the history of their chosen cocktail and then enjoy a tasting session with a minimum of six spirits to see which suits their palate best.

Tickets are £15 and include an hour-long masterclass, two cocktails and all tasters.

Upcoming workshops are Wednesday 2 October (Daiquiri), Tuesday and Wednesday 5 and 6 November (Espresso Martini).

17B Kingsland Road, E2 8AA drinkup.london

NAILING IT

Shoreditch Nails Academy, Shoreditch Ever dreamt of being a nail artist but only got as far as a few wonky polka dots before heading to the cotton pads?

Thanks to the experts at Shoreditch Nails Academy, those nail art ambitions can become a reality with their range of flexible nail courses. Learn from the salon’s trend-setting teachers with either a one-day Nail Art Workshop, where you’ll beastmag.co.uk

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Arielle Free’s journey from Harry Potter to BBC Radio 1 via Hoxton

LEAP OF FAITH The new fitness craze sweeping London Fields

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BEAST

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forces

OF NATURE

We’ve got good news for eco-warriors and foodies alike: Silo, the UK’s first zero-waste restaurant in Brighton, has arrived in Hackney Wick at Crate Brewery. Chantelle Pattermore caught up with founder and award-winning chef Douglas McMaster to find out more

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f there’s one topic that’s cemented its place in our consciousness this year, it’s the detrimental impact that human actions are having on our planet. Chances are you’ve made lifestyle changes to do your bit to help – by eating less meat, or reducing consumption of single-use plastic. But the impending arrival of a new Hackney eatery is set to demonstrate how far we can really go.

Masterminded by chef Doug McMaster, Silo is a revolutionary zero-waste restaurant. “I consider Silo as holistic,” he explains, and this is reflected in all areas of the brand. When it comes to preparing the food, nothing goes to waste (any scraps go into an on-site compost) and furniture, decor and the like are all created from upcycled materials. “What we’re doing is really extreme,” states Doug. “To get to where we are now has taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears.”

Indeed, Silo’s development isn’t just a flight of fancy that’s stemmed from current social concerns. Doug’s earlier career, working at several leading London restaurants, initially highlighted the issue. “There were painful moments of waste,” he reveals. “What chefs would throw away wasn’t bad food, just different – like ‘wonky’ veg”. It was a meeting with eco-artist Joost Bakker in Australia, where Doug resided for a couple of years before returning to the UK, that cemented the Silo founder’s passion for reducing our impact on the planet.

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‘THE MOVE TO HACKNEY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN THE BRAND, CAST OUR NET OVER LONDON AND REACH A DIFFERENT AUDIENCE’ beastmag.co.uk

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The Silo team

‘IT’S KIND OF A CROSS BETWEEN UBER AND FACEBOOK AND HELPS THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN FARMER AND CHEF’

But, when it came to developing his no-waste restaurant, “this was 2011, and there was nothing else like it at the time,” he explains. “I was only 26 years old, and nobody would invest in me. So I had to remortgage my mother’s house to raise £30,000 and get it over the starting line.”

In 2014, Silo opened in Brighton, after Doug stumbled across a warehouse space on a day trip. The seaside city “made sense” as a location, because “a lot of the restaurants there have an organic focus,” he adds.

However, after a five-year residency, the opportunity to partner with Crate Brewery in Hackney proved too compelling. “[When] it came to the conversation of, ‘we’ve got this opportunity in London. Do we want two Silo’s?’”

Doug recalls, “the answer was initially no, as I was so focused on only having one restaurant. It’s also really difficult to maintain a natural system as we have at Silo.”

But the move to Hackney proved not only an opportunity to “strengthen the brand, cast our net over London and reach a different audience,” but to further improve Silo’s eco-credentials. In Brighton, they had a ‘one percent’ bin where, for instance, if a customer left a plastic baby food sachet, we’d put [it] in there,” explains Doug. But in London, there will be no disposal or recycling bins. Instead, the upstairs of the restaurant will be a creative space to which artists can “come in and use this [waste] material and turn it into different pieces of art,” he enthuses. “We’ll get something high value out of it.”

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While Brighton’s semi-rural positioning allowed the Silo team to easily source fresh produce, Hackney’s urban location is not going to prevent them from continuing to do so. In fact, it is providing an opportunity to use a “radical and brilliant app”, Foodchain. “It’s kind of a cross between Uber and Facebook and helps the conversation between farmer and chef. It means we don’t need a middleman,” Doug explains. This will prevent surplus stock sitting at markets, with produce lingering in cold rooms for months and depreciating in quality; and for packaging materials, such as milk pails, to be easily returned to the supplier for reuse.

However, Doug will be the first to say there is always room for improvement. The new Silo will eventually run on 100% renewable energy, but “the materials to make the oven are definitely not carbon neutral,” he offers as an example. “I think there’s an idea of a moral compass – to do the best you can with what you have, without going insane.”

It’s this approach that Doug aims to cultivate with Silo’s launch. “I’m hoping to really nurture the community.”

Our collective ecognition of the issue has undeniably been heightened recently - something Doug believes can be greatly attributed to a certain Mr Attenborough.

“You could argue that it is a trend, but it’s something that cannot not be a trend,” he states bluntly. “I’m not in this for a short while. This is a lifetime project for me.” B Unit 7 Queen’s Yard, Hackney Wick, E9 5EN silolondon.com

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SUPER ROOTS Local Tanita de Ruijt’s book Super Roots brings the ancient wellness wisdom of the East to our plates here in East London.

She shares here two simple healing recipes 34 B E A S T

beastmag.co.uk

SPICED SALSA VERDE Zhoug is Yemen’s answer to salsa verde, or pesto. This sauce is fresh, fiery, exciting and packed with pungent and soothing herbs and spices. Yemenites swear by its health benefits and eat it daily to deliciously enhance their wellbeing.

Makes about 140 g l

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Seeds from 2 green cardamom pods 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp coriander seeds ½ tsp cumin seeds 4 green jalapeño chillies 2 garlic cloves 4 anchovy fillets (tinned in oil) (optional) Large pinch of sea salt Generous handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped Generous handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves, finely chopped 100 ml (3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup) olive oil Juice of 1 lemon

NOTE: To make this vegetarian or vegan, omit the anchovies, adding extra salt if needed

Toast the cardamom seeds, peppercorns, coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a small dry frying pan (skillet) over a medium-high heat for a few minutes until fragrant. Tip them into a mortar then grind to a fine powder with a pestle and leave to cool. Add the chillies, garlic and anchovy fillets (if using) to the mortar, sprinkle with a large pinch of salt and smash to make a paste.

Add the herbs and oil and work them into the mixture with the pestle. Leave the spiced salsa verde to sit and infuse for 10 minutes, then finish with the lemon juice. Use straight away.

SOY-CURED EGG YOLKS VG When in doubt, put an egg on it. These salty, oozy yolks are my go-to for instant flavour and fermented goodness. It’s like the Parmesan of the East. Serve with pretty much anything – it’s great with a bowl of leftover rice.

Makes 4 cured yolks l

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Super Roots: Cooking with Herbs, Roots & Spices to Boost Your Mood by Tanita de Ruijt (Hardie Grant, £16.99)

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60 ml soy sauce or tamari sauce 1 tbsp honey 2 cm (3/4 in) piece of fresh ginger root, finely chopped 4 eggs

Put the soy or tamari sauce, honey and ginger in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Carefully separate the egg yolks from the whites, then gently place the yolks in the soy sauce mixture.

Cover the bowl of egg yolks and place in the fridge to cure for 3–10 hours, swirling the bowl gently now and again to make sure all the yolks are covered.

How long you leave them curing really depends on how firm you like your yolk: you can cure them for up to 2 days if liked. Add them onto a dish for a cheesy and salty flavour. They are delicious.

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Karolis (left) with Charles Good Food co-founder Thomas Charles

meet the baker

Karolis Siudikas In the second part of our East End ‘Meet the Maker’ series, Katy Beale, from online creative platform Yodomo, talks to the Hackney-based bread baker sharing not only his artisan sourdough creations – but how to make them too Originally from Lithuania, Karolis Siudikas started working in the baking industry in 2010 and has since worked in five-star hotels across London. Armed with years of experience in the art of bread-making, he co-founded Charles Good Food in Hackney along with seasoned baker Thomas Charles, whose own career in food spans more than three decades.

When and where did you learn to bake?

I started learning from baking books (such as Tartine Bread), watching YouTube and just having a go as much as possible. I was working in hotels as a pastry chef, but as

36 B E A S T

soon as I stopped working for the day I would start baking bread. I started working for free at London bakeries and on the Isle of Wight, at Island Bakers. It was addictive – you get hooked and try to figure it all out: the proportions and ratios, what happens if I add this or that, temperature, etc.

With sourdough there’s a lot of technical stuff – I almost wish I hadn’t learnt it as it gets really scientific! Then I opened a bakery in Norway, on the little island of Stokkoya, baking for the 200 people on the island. It was really busy in the summer with festivals and events. I would be baking in the middle of the fjords, with swarms of mackerel swimming around me. It’s really so tranquil and amazing there.

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Why did you come to London?

What is your signature bake?

I missed the hustle and bustle of London, so in 2016 I opened Charles Artisan Bread in Hackney with Thomas Charles (originally from Denmark). We didn’t do any advertising or marketing but simply opened the doors and people came in. The ovens were in the main shop then, so people could see and smell the baking which definitely helped. We used to take hot bread out the oven, put it in a bag and someone would buy it straight away.

Cinnamon buns. They are always customers’ favourite with a coffee in the morning. Coffees, cinnamon buns, lots of familiar faces – that’s what Charles Good Food looks like at its best.

How have you found owning and working in your own bakery?

It’s an intense working environment – hot ovens, long hours, lots of people! But since we’ve moved our production to another site nearby, we have more space in the shop and can produce more on busier days. We also supply wholesale to local cafés and businesses.

What does an average day look like for you?

I wake up at 2am with a coffee (I go through three to four coffees or more between 2 and 6am!). I normally start baking at 3am and at 6am staff come in to prepare dough and pastries for the next day. We start delivering wholesale in our van at 6.30am, to clients and to our shop. Normally I finish at 8am. I usually go to bed at 7 or 8pm. It’s hard when it’s light in the summer. You brain is saying, go outside and do something. But your body is always fighting it.

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What is so special about sourdough bread?

Sourdough helps you break down gluten and is digested more easily. The bread also lasts for longer and you don’t need any preservatives to prolong its life. The flavour is different in each bakery – our sourdough is quite light in flavour. We refresh our sourdough regularly unlike San Francisco sourdough which is super-sour.

Do you enjoy teaching people how to bake?

I enjoy seeing people being able to go away with something they’ve learnt and with the confidence to bake at home. You teach people and think you are going to lose a customer but that’s not the case – people always come back and buy the bread as well as bake their own!

We get comments on videos from people all around the world showing us the amazing bread they’ve baked. B Charles Good Food, 51 Lower Clapton Road, Hackney E5 0NS, charlesfood.co.uk

HEAD TO YODOMO.CO FOR KAROLIS’ INSTRUCTOR PAGE, INCLUDING HIS BAKE A SOURDOUGH LOAF: COURSE + KIT, £19.99

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EAT S

Cooler evenings call for cosy food shared with close friends. Lucky then we’ve got you covered with our top autumn restaurant picks to add to your ‘to go’ list

Not to be missed – Seabass jalapeño

ISSHO NI Soon after, the Iberico Kushiyaki (skewered) arrived, a yuzu miso marinated Iberico pork Once the home of local Chinese restaurant Noodle shoulder that was juicy, succulent and tender – King, this corner premises in the heart of Bethnal surely all the words you want associated with your Green is enjoying a whole new lease of life as a barbecued meat! Even the seemingly simple grilled Japanese-fusion restaurant and bar. The brains broccoli with yuzu miso and crispy shallots was behind this transformation is owner Claire Su, who done in such a way that you’re left wondering why has created a welcoming yet seriously cool space broccoli is so often relegated to a mere side dish. to enjoy sushi and cocktails.

And a Japanese feast wouldn’t have been complete With Eduardo Aguilar at the helm, the former without that much-loved staple: noodles. Except head chef of Bone Daddies, Shakafuyu and Kiri, at Issho Ni they were anything but mundane. you can trust you’re in good hands. His style here is Instead we were presented with beautiful Squida contemporary Japanese, Izakayaink noodles with seafood, shiso style menu (which means sharing) – IT FELT LIKE A flower and garlic chips. All of this, an apt reflection of the restaurant’s and it was alot, was served with name which means ‘together’ in REAL CULINARY such rhythm. We commented on Japanese. We start by ordering a EDUCATION the perfect pace – enough to savour Shisorita (twist on the Margarita) each mouthful, but never to feel with tequila, QuiQuiRiQui mezcal, yuzu, agave like you’re trying to catch an eye for the next dish. and shisho. This proved not only very sippable, Added to that was the attentive and friendly service. but the perfect pairing for salted edamame and There’s no denying we have some outstanding sushi homemade Kimchi. restaurants in London, and competition is high, but The fish is, as you’d hope, super-fresh and few boast excellent ingredients and creative dishes, well-prepared – but even the ‘standard’ rolls served in a warm and friendly atmosphere – and at are extra-special, like they’ve had a sprinkle of a reasonable price too. culinary genius upon them (and that’s not just issho-ni.com because wasabi and soy sauce make everything delicious!). Sushi excellence aside, the rest of the Claire Su menu requires praise too. Take, for example, the has created a Sweetcorn Kakiage (tempura), which was livened welcoming and cool space up with a naughty black truffle aioli, shichimi chilli (known as the seven-flavour chilli pepper) and chives. Another highlight was the Seabass jalapeño – delicate slices of raw seabass served with jalapeño, coriander and truffle yuzu dressing.

The truffle was an unexpected ingredient on the menu, but added a real sweet earthiness to all it touched. Next came melt-in-your-mouth Seared Wagyu beef topped with ponzu oroshi chives, and Spider roll with soft shell crab, yamagobo (a pickled burdock root), shiso leaf, cucumber, jalapeño mayo and tobiko (flying fish roe). We had to ask what a few of the ingredients were on the menu (namely the ones I’ve put in brackets above), but this way it felt like a real culinary education – far from your go-to, shop-bought California roll.

REVIEW BY NICKY ACKETTS

185 BETHNAL GREEN ROAD, E2 6AB

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YANJI 153 BETHNAL GREEN ROAD, LONDON E2 7DG

REVIEW BY GEMMA WARD

Last month saw the opening of Yanji, a Chinese/Korean barbecue restaurant. To those who aren’t familiar with Asian barbecue, the Chinese are fond of skewers stuffed with tiny cubes of meat, while the Koreans prefer to slap their meat directly onto the coals to cook and cut it up after. Yanji focuses on the Chinese style of barbecue offering a variety of meats and veggies to tantalise your tastebuds.

At Yanji, the star dish on the menu is the lamb skewers which you cook at your own table barbecue on a self-revolving spit. Once the skewers are cooked to your liking you can move on to the dipping.

Yanji offers a trio of dips to jazz up your meat. The most traditional is a chilli and cumin-based powder that will knock your socks off with its intense flavour when paired with the lamb. For those who can’t take the heat there is a non-spicy sesame powder, and a delightful gochujang (Korean Chilli Sauce) laden barbecue sauce which is the perfect blend of tang and spice.

So where does the Korean part come in I hear you ask? The Korean dishes come in the form of sides and mains. No Korean meal is ever complete until a side of Kimchi (a fermented spicy cabbage) has been devoured, and the Yanji version was pretty top notch.

Other notable sides include the japchae, a sweet potato noodle dish flavoured with sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil which the thirsty noodles soak up like a sponge. While the more Chinese- style side offerings include a large barbecued aubergine encrusted with a layer of fragrant roasted garlic. If you’re wanting to delve into the more unknown dishes that Korean food has to offer, then the cold summer noodle dish of Naengmyeon is an absolute must.

To drink, we decided to skip the draft Japanese beers and £14 bottles of soju, and decided to get a nice bottle of refreshing Sauvignon Blanc instead.

This went surprisingly well with the meat, and although not a pairing you would ever see in Seoul it sure went down well in Bethnal Green. yanjirestaurant.com

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KYM’S 19 BLOOMBERG ARCADE, WHITECHAPEL, EC4N 8AR

There’s nothing quite like a family affair, which is exactly what Andrew Wong’s City of London restaurant is. Named after his parents’ first restaurant Kym’s (which was in turn named after his grandmother), this is a date-night-friend-night spot with both heritage and style. The original Kym’s is now Andrew’s other restaurant, the Michelin-starred A.Wong in Pimlico, whereas this city-slick follow-up is more bustling upmarket casual. Think plush royal blue booths and stools, a circular bar and a five-metre high cherry blossom tree (which when lit up in the evening proves very atmospheric).

But despite its smart decor, this is a restaurant where all decorum goes out the window once you’ve glanced its menu. Wong’s food at Kym’s is elevated, elegant Chinese cuisine – the sort that looks insta-worthy yes, but it’s also the kind of food that incites kid-in-a-sweet-shop fervour. beastmag.co.uk

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BEAST

REVIEW BY EMMA WINTERSCHLADEN

The menu is full of dishes, small plates and skewers, that you bean fritters with chilli (forget French fries, these are where try to visualise but can’t. So we left most of our choices down it’s at) and Wagyu beef with fried mint. That Andrew is trained to the waiter: “Serve us whatever you think we need to try!” in French cooking and culinary science, as well as authentic we said, sipping our yuzu Negronis (with sake, rose vermouth Chinese cuisine from time spent travelling in China, explains and Campari). It was a cop-out perhaps, but the different layers and textures of his cooking.

WONG’S FOOD sometimes you’ve just got to cede control.

Fried, crispy, pickled, crackling – these are the IS ELEVATED, Trust the experts. Lean into uncertainty. And sort of words you can expect to see on this it turns out this meal was living proof that the menu, and they are what make his food sing in ELEGANT unknown can be a wonderful place. your mouth. The meal ended on a finger-licking CHINESE CUISINE A wild mushroom steam bun soon arrives high with crispy duck pancakes with plum, THAT LOOKS – something I wouldn’t have ordered myself, roasted Hong-Kong style, but with an ode to INSTA-WORTHY drawn as I am to punchy flavours (doughy the ancient art of Peking duck (which Andrew often just can’t compete with the ‘crispy’ and ‘spicys’ of learnt on his travels). All that was left to do was wash down this world). How glad I am we got to experience it though: our culinary tour of China with a lucky lychee martini each sweet, soft, earthy, pillowy joy. Next was a rice cracker with (tamarind-soaked cherries, vodka, sake, lychee). A juicy twist crispy seaweed piled on top. Umami heaven. Then in quick on an old favourite, and the perfect wind-down drink. succession we got: pickled daikon with crispy chilli oil, French kymsrestaurant.com

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58-60 REDCHURCH STREET, E2 7DP

When you step into Cecconi’s from the hustle and bustle of street-smart Shoreditch, you’re transported to this cool, calm bolthole, an all-day Venetian brasserie serving the best of northern Italian dishes in the classiest of settings. The decor is understated elegance, less is more, with wooden tables and chairs, allowing the fabulous food to speak for itself.

While you get on with the business of choosing starters, order an aperitif – a Velluto, a cocktail of Bombay Sapphire, Chambord, lemon and Italicus, an aromatic liqueur of bergamot peel, lemons, chamomile, lavender and other botanicals.

To eat, expect cicchetti – small snacks or side dishes, typically served in traditional bàcari, or bars, in Venice – and pizza and pasta,

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on the menu – meat eaters will love the washed down with glasses of the best wines spicy salami with chilli or the Parma ham, Italy has to offer. topped with rocket, tomato and soft cheese To start, check out the truffle arancini, stracciatella. And for pasta lovers, you can’t stuffed rice balls with delicious fontina – go far wrong with the spaghetti lobster an Italian cow’s milk cheese – coated with served with chilli or the pesto gnocchi. breadcrumbs and deep fried. Or how about However, look further down Burrata (meaning “buttery”) AN ALL-DAY the menu and you’ll find Pugliese – a cow’s milk some classic mains to tickle cheese from Italy’s Puglia VENETIAN the tastebuds – veal Milanese, region, with cream and BRASSERIE and cod served Livornese pieces of mozzarella, served SERVING THE BEST style with a garlicky mix of with crushed peas and tangy OF NORTHERN onions and sweet summer lemon. And don’t overlook ITALIAN DISHES tomatoes. And to wash the the swordfish carpaccio, meal down, the white Gavi ser ved with sun-dried di Gavi – with hints of lemon, grapefruit tomatoes and spring onions, or Trofie and ripe peach – and red Barbera d’Asti, pasta – short, thin and twisted – with green with its aroma of damson and black cherry, beans, potatoes and pesto. won’t disappoint.

Of course, Italian’s not Italian without cecconisshoreditch.com pizza, and you’ll find some of your favourites beastmag.co.uk

REVIEW BY JANE GAZZARD

CECCONI’S

It’s not sushi It’s not taco

It’s SUGOI Have you experienced the joy of a #Noritaco yet?

What about the delight of Japanese-Latin street food?

SUGOI JPN are offering 10% off first orders for BEAST readers*

Arch 7 Gales Gardens, Bethnal Green, E2 0EJ Follow @sugoijpn on Instagram sugoijpn.com

* on website and Sugoi app deliveries, as well as walk-ins from @motherkellys_e2 (Thurs-Sun). Offer until 6 November 2019

STAY EAST

Autumn is made for chic city breaks. Especially in the heart of East London, where you’ll find two very different hotels – both waiting to welcome you with open arms LU X U RY

REVIEW BY EMMA WINTERSCHLADEN

REVIEW BY EMMA WINTERSCHLADEN

THE CURTAIN , Shoreditch

walls and velvet armchairs (and lockers to keep bottles of booze to crack into with your guests!).

But first things first, I check in and head up to my The first thing you notice when you walk into this vast ‘city room’. I’m greeted by a compact, but perfectly 19th-century warehouse building on Curtain Road, put-together space – think New York apartment is that there’s a confident chatter about the place. meets bachelor pad with a hint of old-school Specifically when you go into the Green Room on the glamour. Forest-green leather armchairs sit ready ground floor. There’s a distinctive laid-back hustle for me to curl up with a good book, and a wellthat sits alongside people sitting sipping coffee and stocked luxury mini bar is laid out with instructions cocktails. There’s a fluffy poodle nestled on the floor and ingredients for making a dry martini (which I next to someone tapping away on their laptop. There obviously do). I note too the marshmallow-soft kingare two very cool, very important-looking women sized bed before heading up to LIDO to take myself deep in what looks like a very important conversation on a date. Plants hang above the light-drenched about, what I can only imagine, are very cool things. rooftop brasserie, and a terrace area, complete with There’s a feeling of creativity and productivity, but a pool, looks out towards the city’s ever-growing also leisure and lounging. It’s an impressive mix, and skyscrapers. The menu is light and modern, one that draws you in. weaving in ingredients à la mode.

The Curtain as a whole feels like I returned to my bedroom ready so much more than a hotel, and THERE’S A to tumble into my marshmallow bed. that’s because it is. Owned by British FEELING OF But before, how could I resist a steam businessmen and philanthropists CREATIVITY, room in my own jungle shower! the Reuben Brothers, it’s also a LEISURE AND Forty-five minutes of empty-headed private members’ club and a hub relaxation later and I’m ready for for entrepreneurs, creatives, media, LOUNGING bed, but not before a cup of T2 tea. business-people and families alike – And that’s the thing about The Curtain – it offers a from East London and beyond. It draws an eclectic quiet sort of luxury. It’s not shouty or pretentious, but mix and I think that’s the point. Confined only by it does deliver on ‘the good life’, if only for the time membership fee (which admittedly sits at £1,000 you stay there. It also appeals to a sense of home a year), they welcome those from all industries. and comfort and security. There are little familiar The result is a fertile networking ground, ripe for touches everywhere, like the selection of magazines cross-pollination of ideas and contacts, and also a to dip into, or a cafetiere with really good coffee for refreshingly diverse clientele. But I’m here staying as your morning brew (from East London’s Ozone Coffee a hotel guest, who luckily also has access to all the Roasters no less). Little luxuries sit alongside big five-star facilities on offer – from the subterranean ones and the result is a feeling of calm that is, oddly, spa and 24-hour state-of-the-art gym, to the rooftop conducive to creativity and productivity. Perhaps that’s pool and restaurant LIDO; from the various cowhy it’s the member’s club of choice for so many. working spaces to the disco ‘party’ room which hosts Prices from £200 per night. late-night live music seven days a week. It turns out 45 Curtain Rd, Hackney, EC2A 3PT I also have access to the plush drinking den that is thecurtain.com Billy’s bar, with its crackling fires, wood-panelled BEAST

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STAY EAST BOUTIQUE

THE BUXTON, Brick Lane London, particularly the East End, is replete with pubs. But what is rarer are pubs with rooms.

Rarer still are gourmet pubs with rooms and a rooftop area. Enter The Buxton, named after Sir Thomas Buxton – MP, abolitionist, social reformer, local brewer and one-time owner of the Truman Brewery. Sitting on the corner of Old Montague Street and Osborn Street, just a shimmy from Brick Lane, this Victorian ‘public house’, previously the home to the watering hole The Archers, has been lovingly restored into a chic new neighbourhood spot. The latest project of Gareth Roberts, cofounder of the Culpeper in Aldgate, and business partner Nico Treguer, the duo have managed to create the sort of place to draw in both locals and visitors (not an easy feat). Perhaps it’s the understated but very cool, very slick interiors – I’m talking marble slab bar, brass beer towers, trendy stools and an abundance of plants. Or maybe it’s the friendly buzz of the place, helped by the fact the kitchen is open and you can interact with the chefs. Or perhaps it’s just the fact they stock a great selection of beers and a cracking cocktail menu. Whatever draws you through its doors, you’ll want to stay. Ideally overnight, in one of their 15 bedrooms – especially when there’s a breakfast of freshly-baked pastries, locally roasted Exmouth coffee and a cooked menu included.

I arrive after a day hopping around East London in the hot sticky sun, so you can imagine I was delighted to be welcomed by a refreshing Sherry Cobbler (with Madeira, Amontillado, Crème de

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REVIEW BY EMMA WINTERSCHLADEN

Peche, Chai Tea Syrup, lemon, soda) which I promptly took up to my room – a corner room with two big windows and a generous-sized bed.

Although petit in size, it boasted an ingenious use of space (a bathroom was tucked behind a sliding glass door, and there was a smart basin in the bedroom. Classical music played from the radio and soon I found myself snuggling in for a little nap in the afternoon sun. But before I knew it my friend had arrived downstairs, and so off we headed to the roof terrace, reserved for hotel guests only, to enjoy the sunset – with another cocktail in hand of course.

There is perhaps nowhere quite as grounding, ironically, than being on the roof of a building in London. You feel so small, so insignificant – a mere dot in an urban sea. But you’re also afforded a rare slice of privacy, despite being surrounded by millions of people pottering about their day below. This is the sort of conversation my friend and I found ourselves having, before we trotted downstairs to the main pub and restaurant area for another cocktail (can you see a pattern here?) and some food. I’ll save the food for another time because it deserves a review of its own.

But ‘pub grub’ doesn’t do it justice. Rather, it was a carefully-sourced, perfectly executed seasonal feast – and one we got to see cooked and prepared in front of us. If you’re lucky enough to ‘catch’ the Fish of the Day on the menu, with shellfish sauce, samphire and dill oil, then I recommend you go for that. It was the sort of delicious you make that smacked-lips-together noise when eating, in between the mmmmming. The gnocchi with wild garlic pesto was superb too.

I retreated back to my room, happy and full up – from good conversation and good food – just in time to pop the kettle on and wind down with a book (and the classical music playing too of course). A perfectly civilised end to a perfectly civilised evening in Brick Lane.

Rooms are £100 per night, including breakfast.

42 Osborn St, Shadwell, E1 6TD thebuxton.co.uk

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Smooth moves Buying, selling, renting or letting – navigating the UK property system can sometimes be a bit of a minefield. To help you have a smoother property journey, Jenna and Patrick from independent agency EastHaus answer the top five questions they are most frequently asked

Selling or renting a property seems a pretty simple process. Why are online agents so much cheaper than traditional agents?

Online agents tend to have far lower overheads as they don’t have a shop front and usually operate with a skeleton staff.

Their fees are also based on their level of involvement which can range from a simple market assessment of value with access to upload your property to the major property portals through to professional photography, viewings and a degree of sales progression. Traditional agents will have much higher overheads but will provide a complete service, most importantly assisting with the sales progression once the property has gone under offer. Getting a property under offer is the simpler part, getting a sale to completion is really where the work is. There are also hybrid agents like us. We work from a shared workspace so our overheads are much lower which means we can keep our fees relatively low but we still provide a full professional estate agency service. It is important to find which services work best for you. Fees are often 48 B E A S T

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the factor that seem to influence people the most, but track record should really be what’s important. What do their reviews say about them? Have they had success in selling similar properties to yours? And most importantly, do you feel comfortable in entrusting them to sell what is probably your most valuable possession?

Is gazumping legal?

fall through or gazumping to occur is lack of communication between the parties. A good agent will help you keep on top of this but a good solicitor on both sides will help cement it.

How long does it take for a sale to complete once the property is under offer?

This one is a bit like asking how Unfortunately the answer is yes, long is a piece of string. Searches gazumping is sadly one of the downfalls and management pack enquiries of the UK property system but contrary are generally what take the time. to belief, estate agents don’t like it any In Hackney and Tower Hamlets more than you do. Estate agents must for example, the wait for the Local legally report all offers received to the Authority search is currently around client up until the point three to four weeks but of exchange of written we have known it be as IN HACKNEY AND contracts and although TOWER HAMLETS THE much as eight weeks. the seller can be guided A simple sale with no WAIT FOR THE LOCAL by their agent’s advice, hiccups could go from AUTHORITY SEARCH being under offer to it is ultimately their IS CURRENTLY decision whether to completion in around AROUND 3-4 WEEKS six to eight weeks. On change buyers. Our advice to avoid being average though, we find gazumped is to make sure you can our sales take around eight to 10 weeks, move quickly once your offer has been but it is really down to how quickly and accepted and have a good solicitor that effectively those involved (solicitors, you can trust to keep on top of things. lenders, managing agents as well as the One of the biggest reasons for sales to buyer and seller) do their part. It only

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takes a hold-up from one party and the sale can grind to a halt. Once a sale has exchanged, completion is typically around five to 10 days later.

Do I have to use the solicitor/ conveyancer my agent has recommended?

Not at all. What is most important is that you find someone you like and trust and that will ultimately get the job done. We recommend solicitors based on our experience of working with them. Buying a property is expensive so it is tempting to try and save money on the legal side, but a good solicitor is paramount to a smooth-running sale.

Ultimately, they are the linchpins that hold the sale together. Our only advice would be to do your research and choose a reputable firm with a proven track record in property transactions.

What does the tenant fee ban mean for renters?

The Tenant Fees Act which came into effect on 1 June 2019 means that charges for things like referencing, credit checks and renewals have all now been banned and tenants are only required to pay a holding deposit to take a property off the market, the rent itself and a security deposit. There are a few permitted charges that may occur during your tenancy, which include an early termination payment if you decide to leave before the fixed term of your tenancy has ended, a change of sharer fee if you replace a tenant, the cost of lost keys and interest on rent payments that are late by 14 or more days. These are standard charges across the UK and all landlord and lettings agents should clearly display these costs on their website. You can find more information about this on our website under tenant charges. B easthaus.co.uk BEAST

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ANIMAL MAGIC

Zebra cushion £39.99, inspitalfields.co.uk

Bring a bit of the wild into your home

Insect Mandala fine bone china coffee mug £20, thecuriousdepartment.com

Wonky leather basket, beige

by Be For Change £45, thelondonartisan.com

Standing white mouse table lamp £63, wagreen.co.uk

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Black leopard crumpled paper wall panel £350, inspitalfields.co.uk

Eames House Walnut Bird Designed by Charles and Ray Eames £250, hauslondon.com

Electric Lagoon wallpaper, Elemental Panther and Lagoon Green Swallowtail limited edition prints thecuriousdepartment.com

Antique gold/bronze leaf bar trolley with mirror shelves £289, inspitalfields.co.uk

Animal box, Rhino Areaware £40, hauslondon.com

The Gourmand Issue 12, a food & culture journal £12, chaseandsorensen.com

Leopard plant & pen pot, Quail Ceramics £18.50, sourcelifestyle.com

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Smart design creates

innovative living space in Whitechapel In an ever-growing cityscape, with every-growing property prices, are micro flats the answer to aspiring home owners?

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ondon micro flats are making a buzz in the property market and helping more buyers get onto the housing ladder. Kitted out with space-saving features and handy communal spaces, one of the best examples of how clever design is transforming the first-time buyer market is White + Green.

Superbly located between Whitechapel and Bethnal Green underground stations, this Higgins Homes development of 144 homes offers one, two and threebedroom apartments as well as a range of citipads, designed to meet the needs of the modern buyer.

Each apartment features stylish and

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ADVERTORI A L

ALL THE APARTMENTS ALSO FEATURE THEIR OWN PRIVATE BALCONY OR TERRACE IN WHICH TO ENJOY THE BUZZ OF THE SURROUNDING AREA functional living spaces to maximise square footage and use clever design solutions to allow people to live in compact spaces. Higgins Homes will apply their high standards of design and specification to include inbuilt appliances and smart hotel-style bathrooms with sanitaryware from leading manufacturers.

Brand names include Smeg, Commodore and Hans Grohe with stylish trends such as composite stone work surfaces and glass splashbacks in the kitchens and rainwater showers in the bathrooms.

“When designing the apartments, beastmag.co.uk

especially the citipads, it was never a question of compromising on the style or the wow factor,” says Jeremy Marcus, Sales & Marketing Director at Higgins Homes. “It was important to understand the type of residents who live in the area and create a development that would appeal to their sense of style and aesthetics, regardless of the size of the living space.”

White + Green is located in one of the most vibrant parts of London and the

buzz that comes from being surrounded by eclectic markets, restaurants, cafés, shops, galleries and bars is clearly evident. With its excellent connectivity across the capital, there are many young professionals that are attracted to its bohemian sense of style as well as the ease of daily commuting.

“We worked with architects and designers to really understand the needs of our buyers and think about the challenges that they could potentially face living in a smaller space,” adds Jeremy Marcus. “We included features that would create the biggest impact such as communal cycle storage and fitted wardrobes to keep clutter at bay.”

To help create a sense of community, there is a communal roof terrace to the seventh floor of The Roman Building and The Petticoat Building. All the apartments also feature their own private balcony or terrace in which to enjoy the buzz of the surrounding area or that looks down onto the central piazza.

White + Green is also at the cusp of exciting new regeneration plans including the introduction of the Elizabeth line/ Crossrail at Whitechapel. The service will offer journey times of just two minutes to Liverpool Street, 16 minutes to Kings Cross and three minutes to Canary Wharf.

Closer to home, residents at White + Green can enjoy the popular Columbia Road flower market, the Whitechapel Gallery, which has hosted some of the most famous artists in the world including Pablo Picasso and David Hockney and a host of independent boutiques, cafés and delis.

Prices for the citipads start from £399,500 and Help to Buy is available. For more information, call 020 7247 2025, email whiteandgreen@higginshomes.co.uk or visit higginshomes.co.uk/developments/ white-plus-green BEAST

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Better

UNITED

What the world needs right now is unity, diversity and a whole lot of joy. Enter Grand Union Orchestra, who have been bringing together music from different cultures for over 35 years

T

he Grand Union Orchestra is on a mission: to celebrate cultural diversity through music. They do this by championing the work and talents of musicians from a wide range of backgrounds – many who are first-generation immigrants.

Their music takes influences from across the globe, often including instruments you probably didn’t know existed.

Since 1982, they have produced pieces that range from large scale shows on tour, such as the much celebrated Song of Contagion, to smaller monthly performances in their local East London. Arijana Zeric caught up with Tony Haynes, director, co-founder and chief composer, after a recent concert in Bethnal Green.

Tell me a little bit about your background Tony, and how you started to create the Grand Union Orchestra.

It all began when I got a job in a playhouse in the 70s.

There was a flourishing theatre movement at the time and I had the opportunity to write the music for every show. For the next ten years after that I became quite in demand to do the same across the country. In the early 80s I wanted to have my own company. Although I have skills as a composer, I see myself more as a creative artist.

Authenticity is very important in my work. If I was to do a show about migration and exile, I had to have performers who have experience in that.

How has the GUO developed from there over the years?

Director and co-founder, Tony Haynes

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I had the opportunity to do a piece called Strange Migration. To do that show I recruited a Ghanaian woman, a Chilean political refuge and an extraordinary woman who was American and part of the black civil rights movement. Strange Migration was created around these people. It happened to be at the right place at the right time and so was very successful. It was when beastmag.co.uk

Recent concert in Bethnal Green

Have you spent a lot of time travelling in order to absorb all the different influences contained within your music?

GLC Ken Livingstone had a year against racism, and we played in Covent Garden, where we introduced a few more musicians from Trinidad and Brazilian. It then just multiplied from there.

How do you manage to bring together so many different musical styles into one orchestra?

WORDS & IMAGES BY ARIJANA ZERIC

My main thing as an artist is that I have an idea of something I want to write which generally has to do with politics or history. I always want to make sure I’m writing new pieces that bring people together and you have to know who you’re going to bring in and how you’re going to work with them. It’s the musicians personality and experience that counts most. We have the ability to mix together completely ‘incompatible’ styles with almost no rehearsal, and that’s what we love to do. A lot of it is improvisation, but with purpose.

I’ve travelled a lot to the East and visited various places in India, Bangladesh, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia and North and South America. I love travelling to learn and meet new people, but you don’t need to travel to be inspired because it’s all here in London! I think it’s a privilege to live in East London, which I’ve done my entire life. All these ethnicities are in this one country. It’s our demographic, and these people are English. Most of my musicians are first generation immigrants, and they represent our British identity in 2019.

You call quality and integrity in performances an “artistic truth”. What does it mean in regard to the GUO? You have to have performers who can be credibly believed in what they do, whether they’re instrumentalists or singers.

People who have experienced what the performance is about.

It’s about authenticity. We have to live the emotion, so the audience can live it too.

Do you directly address politics in your work?

What are the GUO’s plans for the future?

Not directly through lyrics. When you see people of different nations using traditional instruments and harmonising with each other, that is our message.

There’s a whole range of performers – black, white and Asian jazz musicians and singers, which represent people from all communities. So the main political point is unstated, it’s simply on stage. You don’t have to say it, you simply labour the point through art: This is Britain today, this is London today.

We are working with the younger generation through different initiatives, like our youth orchestra and summer school. It’s harder to go forward now than it was when we started. In the 70s and the 80s, culture was strong and there was more curiosity. Now it’s more complicated partly because the emphasis is on genre and the influence of algorithms can get in the way. But we shall continue to diversify and make art according to our values. B For more inspiration and upcoming shows go to grandunion.org.uk

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Born& Bred East Ender entrepreneur Gerry Calabrese, owner of local institutions The Hoxton Pony and Wringer & Mangler (as well as Hoxton Spirits), gives us his unique insight into the late-night culture of East London and how he’s fighting to save it…

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’ve always said the only way I’ll ever leave the East End is either on a plane or in a box! On my mother’s side, there are generations of East Enders behind us and my family has watched it change and evolve over the years. As a business owner this side of the city, I’ve been lucky enough to be an active participant in that change for most of the last two decades.

London’s East End in my view is a microcosm for everything that is great about London: its diversity, its eccentricity, its showmanship. And it’s long been this way. Some of the world’s most influential brands and tastemakers have come out of the East. Think back to the Pearly Kings and Queens of the late 19th century, the Teddy Boys of the 1950s and the warehouse raves of the 1990s. More recently still, the East has been home to Alexander McQueen, UK Grime, the Shoreditch hipster and Banksy. Today, pioneering dim-lit recording studios buried in all corners of Hackney sit alongside London’s top creative agencies, independent art spaces and music spots. All this to say: the East has been a lighthouse of London icons and the cultural heartbeat of

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London for decades – no centuries – and is a melting pot of ideas, imagination and subversive thought.

On top of its creative credentials, it also happens to be at the cutting edge of UK hospitality, with some of the best culinary and watering-hole outlets London has to offer. This is where I come into it. Years working in the industry has reinforced something I’ve long known: that the most important thing the East End has to offer over other pockets of London is its authenticity.

Despite its ongoing gentrification, and the influx of big money, it’s managed to retain its creative, innovative, humble roots. The East London of today may draw in the world’s wealthy, but it’s still a genuine mix of people from all ends of the affluence bracket. This is a precious, precious thing and we need to grasp it with both hands or we will be all the poorer for it.

There are many risks to our bastion of ‘realness’ but perhaps the biggest risk comes from ‘the powers that be’ themselves. Most recently, I have been flabbergasted with the recent decision by Hackney Licensing to introduce new, and in my eyes damaging, beastmag.co.uk

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Garden that gave birth to the New Romantic movement of the late 1970s. A place responsible for the flamboyant, eccentric glam rock era that has defined generations after it, the world over. Can you see that happening now?

Late-night venues support young artists, musicians and provide a space where ideas are shared and cultural movements are born.

If we’re not careful, London will end up becoming one big designer apartment, culturally sterile and materiallydriven. We are running out of areas where a young, authentic creative spirit can exist and thrive. Our cultural diversity is one of this country’s biggest strengths and, in a purely commercial sense, brands rely on our “Cool Britannia” image to export goods globally. It’s much bigger than one local authority deciding a policy on a localised level. By destroying the essential grass roots platforms that licensed venues provide for art, fashion and music movements to flourish, these sorts of measures threaten our influence and relevance as a country on a global scale.

I would instead encourage local authorities to support independent venues and reward them with licensing leniency if they demonstrate a genuine desire for community and youth-based projects. Many of these venues offer underprivileged communities a lifeline and a social hub; they offer a platform for young artists to exhibit, musicians to play, creatives to network. What’s more, income generated from later hours can be invested into local community-based activations, which in turn would then give rise to the next generation of UK cultural success stories. We need to feed the very industry that allows the space and resources for new talent, ideas and movements to grow. I believe firmly that in 2019 business should have a social conscience, but it is also down to government and local authorities to provide the fertile ground to enable it to do so.

Gerry is owner of Shoreditch institution The Hoxton Pony, as well as neighbourhood stalwart Wringer + Mangle and most recently Hangar London Fields. B

WORDS BY GERRY CALABRESE

parameters in which new licensed premises must operate within. This clamp-down on the borough’s night-time economy included doubling the size of the Shoreditch ‘Special Policy Area’ (SPA), where new licensed venues are effectively banned. It wasn’t a popular decision: 77% of Hackney residents were against this, with 84% being against making new bars close at 11pm on weekdays and midnight at weekends, anywhere in the borough.

For an ‘international city’ with a 24-hour vision, as stated by the Mayor of London, it seems to be incomprehensible that midnight would become the standard stipulated closing time for any new licence in this (now expanded) SPA on weekends (not to mention 11pm on weekdays). As someone who has lived in and around Hackney my whole life and as a business person who has been involved in the area’s nightlife for the last 15 years, these are draconian measures. Nightlife supports art, music and fashion, and to impose such rigorous measures will leave London culturally poorer – homogenised by overdevelopment and stringent licensing laws.

It’s not just about business owners being allowed to open later – these measures affect youth culture. London’s youth are already being driven out of the capital by insane property prices and unscrupulously high rents, so to remove platforms that young creatives rely on as a foothold to start a career is not only cruel, but does us all a disservice. It creates a situation where someone like myself, in the position I was in my early 20s, has no chance of entering the industry and becoming an owner of a cultural space. The only people that can make premises work within these stringent licensing restrictions are large businesses and firms with private equity backing. Do we really want to see only Prets, Eats, Tesco Locals and the like on every corner of every neighbourhood in the city?

These measures will make authentic, independent music venues a thing of the past. And make no mistake: these places are where cultural empires begin. You only need to consider The Blitz Club, that small club in Covent

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LAST BUT NOT LEAST

SUITED & BOOTED

Unfortunately not everyone has the privilege or means to be able to ‘dress to impress’ or ‘look the part’. Which is exactly what Suited & Booted want to change. Since launching just over eight years ago, they have been dressing unemployed and low-income men ahead of important job interviews. But it’s so more much than just providing a good suit, or some ‘smart caj’ attire.

S&B’s aim is to empower individuals to succeed by giving them the confidence to go forth and find their way in the world of work. They do this by not only providing an appropriate outfit and accessories (to keep), but also offering guidance on the interviewing process, as well as ongoing mentorship. Run by a team of volunteers, and supported by both financial and clothing donations, they rely on these contributions to keep going. BEAST spoke to one of their recent clients, Wesley (pictured), who told us: “They sorted me out a very stylish suit and were such genuinely nice people, willing to help in any way they could. I’m feeling so much more confident for my job interview next week!” Now that’s something we can all suitably get behind. B Head to suitedbootedcentre.org.uk to find out how you can get involved.

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WORDS BY EMMA WINTERSCHLADEN. PHOTOGRAPH BY NICKY ACKETTS

We live in a world where first impressions count – particularly when it comes to getting a job. Meet the City of London-based charity helping vulnerable men prepare for interviews, one outfit at a time…

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EAST LONDON PROPERTY

FIND YOUR CASA AMOR. #EASTISBEST

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