What’s New & Happening in Fulham
September 2021
“Happy we who can bask in this warm September sun, which illumines all creatures.” - Henry David Thoreau
What’s New
Mooch
Wandering along the Fulham Road having a “mooch” we discovered this independently owned gift and card shop which has recently opened it’s fourth branch in our urban village. Beautifully laid out with a lovely selection of gifts, homeware, beauty products, fashion accessories and stocking London and Fulham themed items from metal signs, mugs and prints to London brick soap, Parsons Green coasters and tea towels. We realised how much we’ve missed having a shop that stocks local products. Remember the lovely art framers on the corner of Parsons Green Lane? We still have a treasured “Fulham” cushion cover from there! We’ve also found it frustrating having a limited selection of shops on the doorstep selling cards. We confess that there is a bit of a stationery obsession here at UVL HQ and we love to find the right card, for the right occasion that means something to the person we’re sending it to; picking up cards during lockdown in supermarkets wasn’t much fun!
Mooch was established in May 2016 by Sandra and Evelyn, both local residents in Ealing where the other three stores are located, after meeting on the school run. They started designing and making their own products, which lead to them selling at artisan craft markets around West London and meeting some of the brands they now stock. Sandra told Urban Village LDN “by chance a shop became available on our local high street, we jumped at this opportunity to have a ‘bricks and mortar’ shop to showcase our own products and all the other designer/makers products we had discovered during our time working at the markets. Our passion is to find unique, well-made but good value products that quite often have an ethical or charitable story. We filled our first shop with products and greeting cards from mostly independent small businesses like ours and thankfully it was an instant hit with the locals, we were blown away with the support and knew instantly that smaller local high streets was a space we wanted to be in.”
So, what was next? Sandra continues “the community in Ealing have been awesome and although we have been approached by numerous new shopping developments, we knew our heart was in the local high street with a community feel. What’s more, getting to know our customers was key for us. We looked in different areas of West and South West London but we kept being drawn back to Fulham. It just felt right, it had the right mix of great independent shops and was always so welcoming when we visited. On many occasions customers who were visiting from the Fulham area would say ooh we would love to have a MOOCH near us, so we decided to be brave and open our first shop outside our familiar territory of Ealing. MOOCH Fulham opened in July 2021, we knew that the summer holidays would be a quiet time, which has provided us with an opportunity to find our feet and settle in. Well, what can we say, thank you Fulham, you have been so welcoming, supportive and your kindness has surpassed all of our expectations. The feedback has been so positive, and our neighbouring shops have been truly amazing, The Hive Café making us wonderful cakes when we opened, Bloomside Florist presenting us with the most stunning flowers, and Omar at Edmundo’s/Quirky Gadgets helping in so many ways. So many local shop keepers have popped their heads in to welcome us and wish us luck. This is exactly what we had dreamed of and hoped when we ventured to SW6. We feel so welcomed by the Fulham community, and we already know that our decision to stay true and be on a local high street with a community that loves where they live has been the right one”.
When visiting MOOCH it’s easy to see why they have won numerous “Best Independent” awards, we found the customer service friendly, always love service with a smile and a bit of a chat, as well as having our purchases beautifully wrapped; Mooch unbranded blue tissue paper with a discreet sticker. We think Mooch’s ethos of bringing “quality, affordability and individuality into high streets shops, whilst providing inspiring gifts to help keep the local high streets vibrant and alive” is plain to see at their Fulham Road branch and highly recommend a visit if you’re gift hunting or fancy a mooch. https://www.instagram.com/moochealing/
Kenrick’s Wines
This independent wine merchant opened a few weeks ago on the bridge end of Wandsworth Bridge Road (275). Urban Village LDN talked to Kenrick about his shop, the ethos behind it and why he chose Fulham for the location. “I’ve been in the trade for 20 years now and have run previous businesses with partners but this is my first sole venture. I’ve taken ideas based upon my previous experience and put them into this shop”.
Kenrick’s will focus on wines that have a story and their selection includes organic, biodynamic and vegan wines and, as Kenrick is half English, half French, there are also a lot of English wines from East Sussex and Kent. So you won’t find your traditional, typical Bordeaux or Burgundy’s here but you will find a range of unique wines from £10 and less that are easily quaffable during the week through to wines that are over £100 and make a very special gift. Kenrick’s is also special in terms of its look and feel, the shop interiors have been created by Kenrick who worked with a friend of his, a set designer in Seattle who was out of work due to the pandemic to create something rather different to what you typically expect of a wine shop and you’ll find a real sense of theatre in store as well as a beautiful tasting room that fits up to twelve people. Kenrick told us “I want everyone to use our tasting room and for it to have a real community feel, for friends to gather and enjoy tastings together. We came to Fulham because I used to manage a shop in the area and have fond memories of the neighborhood. The area has a real feeling of community and we have enjoyed meeting local customers since we’ve opened and appreciated their wonderful feedback”.
We’ve loved Kendrick’s posts on Instagram @kenrickswines and the invitations extended such as “we’ve tasted some mouth watering Champagne today, we’ve got some left for you to taste so pop in this evening and tell us your feedback”. How could one refuse such an invite? We’re loving the stories behind the wines, their origins and the tasting notes so give them a follow to find out more. Kendrick’s also stocks a selection of spirits, cigars, sherry and craft beers.
Chosen Few Brewing Co
Callum Thomas, who you may remember from a previous issue of Urban Village LDN due to his connection with Drink of Fulham now renamed The Local, recently realised his dream of starting his own brewery. The Chosen Few Brewing Co are all about modern day IPA’s and stouts and they launched two craft beers this summer. First came “Wizard’s Curiosity” made from cascade and galaxy hops and passion fruit, this is a pale ale with tropical notes and has to be poured into a glass so you can appreciate the gorgeous orange hues. Their second brew called “Don’t trust the Broadcast” was launched in July, a cookies and cream stout with chocolate, biscuit and vanilla flavours. Both brews can be bought by the can, keg or cask from their online shop.
Callum told Urban Village LDN “From a young age I’ve always wanted to start my own brewery, with its own unique brand and taste flavour, though the financial investment for start up brewery’s can always be extremely large. My wife and I took over the bottle shop of Fulham, “Drink Of Fulham” and after a year of making some great friends in the industry, I was able to make this dream come to life. Currently we’ve managed to create two great beers both with its own unique flavour profile. We are only stocked in local businesses in Fulham but we are looking to branch out further into the London area and beyond”.
Instagram @chosenfewbrewingco
Honi Poke
Honi Poke is new to Jerdan Place, a local spot fast becoming a lovely foodie destination, joining relatively new additions Foxden’s (incredible burgers) and Becky Blooms (fabulous coffee and flowers). Fulham is the eighth Honi Poke location with branches, amongst others, to be found in Selfridges, Soho and Battersea. Founded by Vladimir Martynov and Kosta Varesko in 2017, after street food adventures in different markets around London and discovering poke at a simple Hawaiian beach shack, they worked with an ex Michelin Chef to recreate and bring the delicious flavours they’d found back to London.
We love a poke bowl, layers of mainly raw ingredients including colourful veggies, diced fish on a bed of rice but didn’t realise it was a Hawaiian national dish invented by fisherman who ate the off cuts from their daily catch; poke (pronounced poke-ay) means to slice or cut in Hawaiian. Honi Poke has what you’d typically expect on the menu - salmon and yellowfin tuna but they’ve also switched things up with other bowls including Falafel, Chorizo Chicken and Beef Donburi. They are a company that is also keen on sustainability and using responsibly sourced ingredients; British chicken and sustainably caught fish, like Scottish salmon and line caught Yellowfin tuna, and their packaging is compostable and made of pulp from fibres of plant origin.
We tried the Sriracha Mayo Salmon (not gifted) which came with seaweed and mango and it was delicious - a fiery but sweet combination. We’ll be back to try some of the other options on their menu.
What’s Happening
Harvest Moon Festival: Saturday 25 September (12 - 4 pm)
Everyone is invited to this event organised by the Friends of South Park and sponsored by Aspire. After not being able to hold their big annual fundraiser “Picnic in the Park” for the last 2 Summers, FOSP are putting on this community get together which will also raise funds for improvements to South Park and 50% of monies raised will be donated to the H&F Foodbank.
This un ticketed free event will have live music from local bands and DJ's, a funfair, and plenty of entertainment for kids thanks to Sharkey & George, Anima House * , Ray’s Playhouse and Jolof Sports. A variety of food options will be on offer provided by local businesses including Il Pagliaccio who will be running a BBQ and Bar, Thaiphoon will have their delicious Thai street food dishes and Bridge Baker will be serving coffee & treats. The Heritage Market Garden * in the corner of South Park / next to SEACC will have an Open Day where talks will be taking place and you can pick up some of their produce including South Park Honey and Chutneys.
There will be other stalls selling a variety of wares, local organisation stands and a raffle. So take your own picnic or buy something from the local vendors, find a spot on the grass, listen to music, join in the free activities and get together with friends and support this local Fulham park.
* as previously featured in UVL / hit the search bar for more information
Bishops Park Tea House
As featured in our July issue https://www.urbanvillageldn.com/whats-new-july2021 the Bishops Park Tea House is now fully open with seating inside and out. They’re open every day from 9 am - 6pm and are currently serving coffee, tea, light bites, ice cream and house baked cakes and sandwiches from their Wandsworth bakery.
Hot food is incoming and all day brunch is planned to be on the menu this autumn. In the meantime pop in and say hello, admire their stunning wisteria tree feature and the extensive refurbishment that’s been undertaken to bring this building back to life. The tea house is looking the best we’ve ever seen it in decades. Congrats to Fran, the team at Roots & Berries and the Bishops Park Tea House team.
Market Halls fully re opens: Thursday 9 Sept
There’s a week-end celebration planned by Market Halls, Fulham and there are 100 early bird tickets up for grabs for their exclusive opening party on Thursday 9 September (5-7pm). Early bird tickets entitle you to complimentary drinks and 50% off food at the event where there will also be live music. Tickets go live at 1pm on Sept 1 on Eventbrite click this link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/168608660041 to register for a free ticket.
The rest of the week-end plans shake down like this. On Saturday Market Halls Fulham will be showing the Chelsea game and if they win they’ll be giving out 100 winning pound pints! Sunday will be a family focus day with board games and activities. The team told us “Market Hall Fulham is finally reawakening and we are delighted to be able to welcome back our treasured community once again! We’re back, re-energised, resilient and ready to bring together all the ingredients that make Market Halls: creative kitchens, delicious food and drinks, a great atmosphere and incredible team with our community at it’s heart”. Welcome back Market Halls you’ve been missed and we can’t wait to see the space buzzing again.
Spotlight
URBAN VILLAGE LDN SHINES A LIGHT ON A DIFFERENT FULHAM BUSINESS EACH MONTH. IN THIS ISSUE WE TALK TO Yasmin Kapre, Joint owner of Indian Restaurant, Naayab FUlham
Naayab located at 309 New King’s Road was started by Praveen Rai, former Chef turned Restauranteur, who brought the flavours of Punjab to a little basement restaurant on Park Walk, Chelsea in 1981. Born in Alahbad, Uttar Pradesh, India in 1951, Praveen served in Military School and at the age of 17, became an apprentice at IBM in France. Yasmin who is Praveen’s daughter told Urban Village LDN “ With England just across the water, Dad couldn’t miss the opportunity to visit all the places he had uncovered through the legacy that is Shakespeare. That was it, Praveen knew where he needed to be and quickly fell into the hospitality industry. Moving from kitchen porter, to cook, chef, front of house management and ops manager he became passionate about all things culinary which was underpinned by his extensive knowledge of Indian cuisine passed on by his Mother”.
Praveen opened his first restaurant Romano Santi in Soho in 1977, serving French and Italian cuisine, then headed back to his roots opening Naayab and subsequently other venues including an Indian Jazz Spot called Al The Raj in Brixton in 1992 and The Inebriated Newt. Back to Naayab, Yasmin continues “this is where my Mum and Dad met. My mother, known mostly as “Naz” acted as host and front of house manager, with my Father also hosting and attending to kitchen operations and food management. A thriving atmosphere of daily parties, live music, dancers and above all, delicious food meant Park Walk Nayaab saw the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Lloyd Grossman, Daniel Day Lewis and even Sir Cliff Richard amongst many other A list guests”.
A turn of events in 1986 forced a decision to relocate the business and so Praveen, along with partner and manager Naz chose their current address in Fulham. Yasmin recounts “the new Naayab with it’s exterior laden with hanging baskets of colorful flowers took guests through an almost dingy entryway into a warmly lit, colonial yet Indian style restaurant. You could be seated at the front and oversee the busy New King’s Road, or take a walk down through the infamous corridor to the back where there was a wonderful 40 seat dining room”. Yasmin’s sister Amani told Urban Village LDN “We always took the front round window table when we visited as children; until perhaps it got too busy and we had to shift it! We didn’t mind too much, for it meant a trip to Hurlingham Park!”
Naz and Praveen brought the crowds to their new home for more fabulous food and entertainment. In its full glory, as a duo Nayaab became a success with food being delivered across Fulham and Chelsea and diners filling up seats 7 days a week. Praveen continued to run Nayaab alone from 1997 and has since been delivering and serving up authentic, innovative and freshly cooked Punjabi, Northern Indian cuisine alongside favourite British Classics. Nayaab has certainly stood the test of time and they will be celebrating 40 years in November. Praveen told Urban Village LDN “Nayaab is a Persian word which means unique. Subtly, I wanted to find a way to bridge the gap and divide between religious sects and divisions in Indian society and culture. With the name Nayaab, those who knew it as derivative of Arabic would feel welcomed, as would those who understood it to be a typically Indian restaurant. More importantly, it was also a tribute to the influences of Persian culture in Indian food. Going it alone for so long and losing touch with, not being able to grasp the modern way of doing things” has been a challenge for Paveen and that’s where Yazmin comes in following her return to the UK from Thailand in 2018.
“My Father’s love and passion is still behind Nayaab, but he has recently taken a back seat after suffering from a stroke in June. We want to get him in good shape for Nayaab’s 40th birthday, when we will be filling up the place with love and laughter as per his fond memories. He’s been through massive health implications and it was a lot for him to deal with. He wasn’t about to let go of Nayaab so we had to get the place back firmly on its feet! I mean, I could comprehend that out of all his restaurants this was his baby, his most precious and he could not let her down. As a duo, we cleaned up the place, redecorated, had a massive clear out and reorganisation and rolled on with a new menu, great food and a new start. I decided I would help out for 6 months and of course I’m still here! It was not enough for me to redecorate and go and I felt like there was so much more this place could give Fulham - and should give Fulham!”
Naayab hasn’t thrown the baby out with the bath water, traditional authentic recipes are still central to their offer but they’ve innovated and modernised the menu with food that focuses on Indian flavours and encompasses British cuisine too. Yasmin told us “Mum always put down classic roast dinners, but the addition of bloomed chillies to French trimmed beans, or the burnt garlic and cumin tadka over our roast potatoes; the complexities of authentic Indian cuisine simplified and served moderately alongside our favoured British choices. The one that always got me the most - the mince in Mum’s shepherd’s pie would lightly transcend flavours of India with the rest of the dish as per it’s usual traditional form. I’m excited to open up Nayaab as a more adaptable space, fueled by good food, drinks all day and always a warm, cosy and friendly atmosphere, as per true Indian hospitality”.
We’re looking forward to visiting, taking a seat at their bar which now opens onto the New King’s Road and trying an artisanal Indian inspired cocktail or two. From this month Nayaab will be opening up it’s day time offerings with a weekend brunch menu and new bar nibbles menu. Their dining room is available for private hire and it’s separate entrance means that it can be turned into an exclusive spot! Author Johnny Stonborough, a customer since the early Park Walk days, sums up the vibe at Naayab “We have a tradition at our house. We say ‘let’s do a Nayab!’ It’s family shorthand for delicious interesting food, conjured by delightful people who we have known for over 30 years. First Praveen Rai and now his lovely daughter Yasmin who carries on their family tradition”.
Made in Fulham
It never fails to surprise us what a talented bunch you Fulham folks are. Each month Urban Village Ldn introduces you to THe Fulham face behind an idea, product or business and asks them what they love about being a local resident. This month we talk to Prudence Fisher founder of Haus of Surreal
How long have you called Fulham home? My whole life, 25 years! I was born in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, I grew up as a child in Sands End with my family and we moved to Parsons Green when I was a teenager, where I still live now.
What’s your favourite local haunt and why? Kebab Kid! It's SO good if you know you know and if you don't you need to go and try it! Jamie Oliver rates it too. It's the best stop on your way home from a night out, or even just any day of the week at any time. I used to work with a best friend at Aragon House, before it had a revamp, we used to get Kebab Kids on shift ALL the time.
What is your slice of Fulham heaven and why? Emilia’s Delicatessen, it is on the New Kings Road, (next door to previously mentioned Kebab Kid) the food is unreal, they have fresh pasta everyday and so many different options at once, you can mix up your orders and feel like you're in an Italian dream.
What did you miss about Fulham life during lockdown? THE GOLDEN LION! Going out and seeing friends was something I missed so much, if it's in Fulham, we often (mostly) go to the Golden Lion it's fun and cheerful and they have a garden space big enough to get all your friends in one place.
What local shop/service/business helped make life easier during the pandemic? The parks and greens we have around us are so nice to have access to, and there are so many choices. The main thing during lockdown was walking the bridges Putney Bridge to Hammersmith Bridge along the river and round, it was something I did near enough everyday during the first lockdown.
Tell us about Haus of Surreal and how it came to be I always knew I wanted to have my own thing. I have bigger plans and a bigger picture for Haus of Surreal as a brand. It took me a few years thinking about it, planning it, always ticking away in my mind. In September 2019 I finally got to the name Haus Of Surreal, after so many variations of names, I knew I needed and wanted Surrealism within the brand. I wrote my dissertation at university on fashion and Surrealism so it all feels like it was lining up. I started by moodboarding and building the IG account. During the first lockdown in 2020 I made a few mock up bikinis which was really fun, and started to think what could I create immediately to start posting about and building an interest in the brand. I have always been obsessed with accessories. Thoughts of making phone charms came into my mind. During January 2020 I had stuck some fun Vintage Fiorucci stickers on my phone that I loved, I realised I could make and decorate phone cases for people, It would allow them to have their own individual different cases. I loved getting creative with this process, I stuck gems on them which was so nostalgic to our Blackberry Paris Hilton style diamante cases of 2010. After a few months of creating phone cases for people, I felt it was only right to start adding an extra option for my buyers, that being the phone charm, I was making pearly beaded charms with smiley faces on and I started to move over towards more accessories and therefore stopped making cases. Over the last year the brand and the products have evolved so much, you can now buy phone charms, necklaces, glasses chains and key chains, all hand made to order by myself. It has evolved so much and so naturally so it's very exciting to see where it will go.
What advice would you give to people starting a new business venture or side hustle Mood boards are SO important for inspiration and take your time planning it, there's no rush. Don't do it to make money but instead because it is something you love, almost like a hobby and the rest will come naturally. I'm still at such early days with it so it's hard to give advice, but it's definitely worth doing if you're thinking about it!
Beyond the Hood
Sneakers Unboxed: Studio to Street
Other than trying to get our heads round the word “Sneaker”, apologies to any US readers / subscribers we’re too stuck in our ways and trainers it is, we thoroughly enjoyed this exhibition on at The Design Museum until 24 October. It’s been a while since we’ve been out and about for a bit of culture and this exhibition certainly gives you a fill of street culture, outlining the journey of an iconic and every day staple of wardrobes around the globe.
From their sports origins and evolution to major brands with megabucks endorsements, the exhibition showcases product design, sustainability and gives you a sneak peak into the future; the shoe making robot was mesmerising. We love the historical timeline which, even though we think we know our trainers (for the record our top faves are Converse and Nike), was quite eye opening with the New Balance (Arch Support Company) being founded in 1906, the release of the first Converse All Star in 1917 and Nike being a relatively latecomer to the game.
There’s some great photography, memorabilia and art that features alongside the exhibition with informative video montages and interviews. Our images don’t really do the displays justice as we struggled with the light bouncing off the glass. All the trainer brands are pretty much represented in the various displays from original designs, endorsements and collaborations. Now we obviously knew Shaq O Neil was a tower of a man but that still didn’t stop us being mind blown by the size of his trainers!
If you’re a sneakerhead, there we used it, we’d thoroughly recommend a visit. The only disappointment was that the permanent exhibition was closed and we couldn’t take another look; we’re guessing due to you know what. You can use your ticket to get a special deal at a new arrival on Kensington High Street as the Design Museum has teamed up with Gordon Ramsay’s Street Burger restaurant which is within spitting distance of the museum to offer a tasty deal including a signature burger, seasoned fries and a bottomless soft drink with your exhibition ticket. We loved the restaurant interiors, artworks and the retro Pacman arcade machine. £15 gets you a burger of your choice with fries and a bottomless soft drink. We had the O.G.R. Burger, Grass Fed Hereford Beef, Smoke Cheese with house relish and a Hell’s Kitchen Burger (had to be done) with Jalapeno and Padron Salsa, Smoked sriracha sauce and smoked cheese. The fries were out of this world, the burgers a manageable eat but others might be disappointed by the portion size. If you don’t fancy a burger, check out the new Meghan’s on High Street Ken. We loved the interiors there too, the booths, wall of mirrors, macrame and lighting displays etc put the Parson’s Green branch to shame.
