Food, food, food …and some art
Words by Jo Furnival
It’s not often that I get to savour a weekend at home, as I’m usually visiting people out of town or in different parts of London. So, it was with a quiet contentment that I recently got to enjoy two whole weekends in a row of ‘Deptford Days’ (all the comfort and satisfaction of ‘Duvet Days’ but less lazy and with the additional exposure to spending money).
After last Saturday’s supper club with The Adobros, I set an alarm to wake me on Sunday in time to bake my popular Welcome2Chewsville cookies for Little Nan’s bar. As well as blogging, I moonlight as a baker, face painter and scribe for DON’T say it with flowers, a new outfit that produces 100% personal edible and non edible gifts and party favours in and around London (they’re on Twitter & Facebook). The cookies were debuting at LN’s monthly Cream Tea and Table Top Sale. A day dedicated to vintage clothes shopping, cocktail sipping, plus sweet and savoury local and ‘nan made’ treat nibbling, it takes place on the last Sunday of every month and it’s free to pop along. Make sure you head down for the next one, which is 3rd November. Oh and be sure to try the cookies, mixed spice & orange zest, or cinnamon & raisin — they’re unbelievably chewy!
On my way home, I spotted a board advertising a new shop, cafe and venue called Vinyl. Do check them out; they’ve only just opened. With guest DJs, a veritable Aladdin’s cave of records downstairs plus coffee and nibbly bits upstairs, there’s bound to be more good things coming from these guys. They’re also on Twitter and Facebook.
An amble up Tanner’s Hill and back round in a loop provided me with the best news I’ve had in weeks: Deptford does sushi! Yes, Noodle & Rice on Lewisham Way has sashimi and maki a-plenty to eat in or take away. AND if you’re feeling particularly lazy, they do free delivery if your order is over £10! Happy days. I went back there last night to check out the California maki and the Tempura maki and can confirm that they’re delicious…
While we’re on the subject of food, I’d also like to add my own tuppence worth of support for local establishments of the London Particular and the Waiting Room. Having walked past it a million times, I finally got the chance to pop in and grab a black Americano and a frittata from the London Particular; wow, that coffee’s good! If you’re a barista fan, their blend was particular-ly (sorry, I had to) good, I thought. And if the spring that that caffeine injection puts in your step just ain’t enough, head over to the Waiting Room on Deptford High Street for a falafel wrap with hot sauce. Only £3.50, loaded with salady goodness and totally delicious! (TWR on Twitter, the London Particular on Twitter.)
I couldn’t write this blog post without a mention for the new monthly food fair in Giffin Square, featuring superstar Barbadian kitchen gods In a pikkle. I highly recommend the fishcake wrap ‘with everything on’ at £2. And a new discovery for me came in the form of the fabulous French pastries couple. I left their stall with four different kinds of sweet, puff pastry triangular turnovers with which to revive the two friends that were still fast asleep after a very late night back at my flat. Needless to say, they went down a storm.
Last but not least, thanks to the great guys at Kids Love Ink who’ve provided me with my latest piece of body art in association with the wonderful work of Deptford X. I have joined the ranks of Deptford-ites who are missing the infamous anchor from Broadway so much that it’s been permanently sketched onto their skin. Not only am I adding my own voice to the collective demand to give us back our bloomin’ anchor, but the £15 spent also goes to good causes Deptford Reach and Build the Lenox.
So, if you’re reading this because you’re wondering about moving to Deptford, I say DO IT! There’s so much to see and do (and eat…). And if you’re already here, don’t we live in an awesome part of town?
