New Deptford eateries: Dirty Apron

Despite my initial objection to the name, over the few months that Dirty Apron has been open in Deptford Market Yard I've come to love this small but almost perfectly-formed little cafe.

I've visited a few times now, eaten brunch, lunch and dinner, and even dropped in for a takeaway sandwich. The food has never disappointed. 

There's only a few tables so it can be very cosy at times, and although they do their best to address the occasional unexplained draughtiness with fan heaters, it does sometimes suffer from unpredictability in terms of the ambient temperature. 

The evening menu changes on a very regular - perhaps even daily? - basis, which I find pleasing as it means you can go back frequently and always be surprised by something different. There are options for both meat eaters and veggies, and if there's nothing vegan listed, they are happy to whip something up on demand.

They serve a staunch range of breakfasts and brunches including the good old bacon or egg bap, alongside fancier breakfast bap options that add things like avocado, parmesan omelette and chilli jam. There's varieties on the 'full English', not to mention a mean-looking kedgeree, and quite a few fruity/porridge/toast options for those wanting something a bit lighter.

Prices are reasonable for the quality of the food on offer. Some of the specials I've taken advantage of include £5 for coffee and a breakfast bap/ £5 for soup and sandwich. They have already hosted quite a few themed evenings including a vegan night and a Burns Night Supper, with Mussel Mondays (moules frites and a beer for £12) looking set to be a regular thing once a month.

Beer from Deptford's own local Villages Brewery is on sale, and there's a suitably short but varied wine list too. 

With such a tiny kitchen it can sometimes take a while for food to be served, especially if you are unlucky enough to pitch up right behind a large group. But it's great food and it's freshly prepared, so give yourself enough time to be able to enjoy it, is my tip. 

New Deptford pubs/eateries; the Royal Standard

In its former days this pub at the bottom of Tanners Hill had the claim to fame that even my ex had turned his nose up at drinking here, and he was notorious for his pub tolerance.

So with the refit and relaunch back in July I was optimistic that the result could only be an improvement - it was just a question of whether it would be sufficiently improved to tempt me to go that little bit further for a drink.

Initially I was disappointed that the refit did not include the introduction of any real ale - keg beer was on offer but it was either chilled and tasteless Meantime fizz or headache-inducingly-pricey 'craft' beers from south London. Some of their craft beers were so expensive I momentarily considered going teetotal.

Hence I let out a great cheer when I heard that they subsequently installed a hand-pump and were serving Sambrooks Wandle ale for just £3 a pint!

Even on my previous visits, while the beer range was disappointing, the food was good and the prices keen.

The menu is generally standard pub dishes - bangers and mash, burgers, fish & chips and so on - but done well and reasonably priced. Specials are often available and these are advertised on Twitter or Facebook. 

On my first visit, chicken livers on sourdough were pretty tasty and the mains (a veggie burger which no longer seems to be on the menu, being replaced by the mushroom/halloumi stack, and toulouse sausage & mash) were filling and hot. I wasn't too keen on the slate/mini fryer basket presentation of the burger but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the grub.

On my most recent visit (apologies no photos this time), the food was again delivered to a high standard. The calamari was as far as it could be from the regular tasteless rings - chunks of squid in crunchy batter which was properly seasoned and incredibly moreish - really wished we'd ordered a portion each. The only reason we did not fight over the last piece was that my companion is more gracious than me. 

Fish and chips was plentiful and fresh - great value at just over a tenner even if the 'mushy peas' were of the crushed variety, rather than being proper northern. Always something of a disappointment for me but all too common in this unenlightened city...

I was also heartened to see they are still offering cask ale at £3 a pint, which in itself is a good reason to drop by and check the place out. 

One thing I have a major beef with in the Royal Standard is the enormous screen that dominates the far end of the room and leers down over the vast majority of the dining tables. I had initially assumed that the screen was installed so that they could show sports, but it's been on every time I've visited and I find it very off-putting. 

Last time I dropped in the screen was showing 80s pop videos with the sound turned down and the radio playing instead, making it almost impossible to dine in comfort. People dining alone might like the screen it as a distraction, and no doubt it will earn its keep when there's sport to watch, but at any other time it's surely going to put off anyone who wants to eat in company? 

Only a handful of customers were in the bar at the time and this mish-mash of entertainment seemed to emphasise the emptiness of the place. If the food and drink are going to get the attention they deserve, I think this aspect really needs addressing. 

New Deptford eateries: The Full Nelson

The Full Nelson is the eagerly-awaited eatery from the team behind my favourite Deptford coffee shop, The Waiting Room; it opened a couple of months ago and is a bar that serves veggie and vegan 'junk food'.

(Photo by The Full Nelson)

It's not quite as minuscule as the tiny shop front on Deptford Broadway suggests, but it's still quite snug. However if you are familiar with the Waiting Room you'll realise that these guys are already adept at working miracles in confined spaces. 

From the front door the premises stretch back quite a way, opening out to make room for a long thin bar and a number of tables. The first couple of times I tried to visit were aborted due to the place being packed to the rafters, but having been back twice, the general impression is that they certainly seem to have achieved what they are aiming for, and it's definitely filling a gap in the market.

The drinks focus is on cocktails and shakes, with a selection of craft beers on offer at the bar, both draft and bottled. On Wednesdays you can get two cocktails for a tenner, rather than £7 each. No cask ale sadly, but I presume they just wouldn't get the turnover to make it viable. (Perhaps they could be persuaded to stock one or two traditional bottled ales for those who like something a bit less hoppy?)

(Photo by The Full Nelson)

The junk food range consists of veggie burgers, 'seitanic' wings or a faux-beef reuben stacker, with optional sides of fries (cheesy or otherwise) and battered jalapeños/pickles. Everything can be made vegan on request.

I tried out the Sith Burger as I am a big fan of the hot sauce that the Waiting Room puts into its falafel wraps - it didn't disappoint. Despite being a meat-eater I never turn up my nose at veggie fare, and the burger made a very acceptable substitute when compared to those bland potato-based things that are often served up elsewhere. We ordered the fries and the deep-fried sides too, all of which were good and fresh and crispy.

Food is priced very competitively with a burger and fries adding up to just £8 - and unlike most places you can save yourself a couple of quid if you are not so hungry by just ordering the burger. Drink prices are similar to elsewhere with the draft craft beer prices still able to make me wince a little.

In keeping with the 'junk food' theme the food is served very informally on greaseproof paper and plastic trays - not something I'm a fan of but I guess I'm just showing my age...! I always find burgers quite challenging to eat without dropping half the contents down my front. They should probably just give me one of those baby bib things and have done with it.

Opening hours are currently Wed - Sat from 4pm weekdays and from midday on the weekend. A great addition as far as veggie and vegan locals are concerned - I recommend even sceptical meat-lovers should give it a go, you may surprise yourselves.

The Full Nelson
http://thefullnelsondeptford.co.uk/home/

Coming soon to Deptford High Street - Winemakers Deptford

One of my (admittedly few) complaints about Deptford High Street has been the complete absence of any decent wine, so I'm quite excited that later this month will see the opening of Winemakers Deptford, at 209 Deptford High Street, right between Pho Hanoi and Perfecto's chipper.

I remember there being a 'wine bar' on the high street when I first moved to Deptford - we visited it a couple of times for food and drink. It lasted a year or so, failing to attract sufficient custom to survive -  I think it's now the 'vape bar'.

I suspect Deptford's changing population - along with the signs that it's becoming something of a 'destination' for food and drink (imagine that!) - will provide a more fertile customer base for this latest venture. It's a spin-off from the Winemakers Club, a wine-importing business based in Farringdon Street under Holborn Viaduct, whose website claims "we are passionate about high quality, organic and biodynamic wines from small, traditional wineries around the world."

The premises on Deptford High Street has been unused for some time, having opened very briefly as a restaurant when it was first launched as the luridly-branded 'Hungry Boy'. I did eat there once and recall it was ok, nothing particularly special, but the doors shut soon afterwards and never reopened.

Winemakers Deptford promises not only off-sales of wine, but will also have a wine bar and small restaurant serving 'simple, hearty food' and charcuterie.

Wonder if they'll be retaining the characterful mural? (photo: @winemakersdept)

The fitting out of the new wine bar has been continuing over the last month or two, and the opening date is currently anticipated to be sometime in January.

Coming soon; Deptford Market Yard

So only two years later than originally advertised, tenants are finally starting to move into the arches of the refurbished carriage ramp with the opening expected to take place in the next couple of weeks. Residents may have been in the new apartment block for most of this year, but there's been a distinct lack of urgency to the work needed to finish the carriage ramp and get the small businesses into their new homes.

Even now the appearance of the ramp and the public realm in front of it does not exactly inspire confidence. Miracles do happen, I know, but they have been a bit short on this project.

At least U&I (the-developer-formerly-known-as-Cathedral) have now got the hang of the fact that they are supposed to keep the new public realm outside the station clean - although it did take some very heavy hints.

For some reason there seems to be a total dearth of rubbish bins - how that was overlooked by the landscape architects, who nevertheless managed to design some very nice features for the space, I'll never know. Instead we have makeshift bins made of cardboard boxes put there by the station's single lonesome tenant, Mousetail Coffee.

But Mousetail Coffee is not going to be lonely for much longer; as we know, coffee shops like to hang around in gangs these days so naturally one of the new units will have another coffee shop in it - Lomond Coffee, currently hiring for baristas to work in Deptford.

Aside from coffee, there's also going to be a new gift shop - Win & Ruby has been trading from a 'pop-up' store in the front section of Deli X for some time now and has a good line in cards and wrapping paper as well as a range of gifts the like of which you won't find anywhere else in the high street.

For all your bonce and beard grooming requirements there's The Box Hair Salon, where you can have a total makeover of your crowning glory.

Which one will you go for? 🎨😀 #deptford #deptfordmarketyard pic.twitter.com/j6a3K6l5n3

— The Box (@TheBoxHair) August 7, 2016

Visitors will also be able to purchase screen-printed t-shirts and hats from Plain Bear. They are mostly plain, with a bear on them. Crafty.

By way of contrast there's also Gita's Portal, selling African-inspired fashion and seen here featuring in a very local photo shoot!

Another behind the scenes image from a recent photoshoot - watch this space! #behindthescenes #africanfashion pic.twitter.com/vlDv7h9OrK

— Gitas Portal (@Gitasportal) July 12, 2016

Unfortunately the long delay in completing the carriage ramp has meant some casualties from the original list of tenants who were planning to move in.

Those who remember Mike & Ollie's stall from back in 2011 (and maybe those of you who visit their stall at Brockley Market) will no doubt be disappointed to hear that they have had to abandon their original plan to move back into Deptford in one of the arches.

Of course there will be other street food vendors; no market/row of shops/disused car park is complete these days without a couple of street food stalls and Deptford Market Yard will be featuring grilled cheese sandwiches from the Cheese Truck and jerk chicken and fried plantain from Mama's Jerk. Not long till Deptford High St has more jerk chicken vendors than betting shops! 

And finally *drum roll* one of Deptford's most colourful former tenants is returning to the fold with the revelation that Little Nan's Bar will be back in the market yard. Tristan and his team will be serving eccentrically-named cocktails out of teapots and passing round the cheese straws like they've never been away.

Updated Tuesday 9th August
The names of all the new businesses that are moving into the yard have now been revealed online so I've added the other names below for the sake of completeness. Plus the bins have actually been installed - my nagging paid off!

The Room - flower shop @EnglishFlowerh

Childsdraw - not a kidswear shop @childsdraw 

Be London Fashion - African print fashion belondonfashion.com

Dirty Apron - cafe/supper club. Presumably with better hygiene standards than the name suggests dirtyapron.co.uk

Frankie goes to Bollywood - 'Bombay-style diner' facebook.com/Frankie-Goes-to-Bollywood

Up on the carriage ramp, once they get the paving and planters back in place, there will be an aerial fitness gym Circus Fit and Depot, a shop selling 'designer-maker goods, coffee and tea along with a gallery space, creative workshops and events'.

And more to come, apparently...

The Stable pizza coming to Deptford

As the final completion of the Deptford Project carriage ramp drags on, slowed down by Bower Contracting going bust and the carriage ramp planters and paving having to be dug up to address problems with leaks in the new shop units, there's at least some indication that it's going to be worth the wait when it does come.

West Country-based pizza chain The Stable is set to open a restaurant in the new unit at the back of St Paul's House and I am not going to hide the fact that I'm bloody delighted.

I used to love the Big Red pizzas and was gutted when Deptford's only pizza place went down the pan last year. There's a new restaurant there now - Wanderlust - which has a rather different food offering and adds to the choices available in Deptford but I've been missing having somewhere close-at-hand for a regular pizza binge.

The Yellow House in Surrey Quays serves delicious (and humongous) pizzas but it's not quite close enough for a weekly trip and in any case I always behave like such a glutton when I'm there that I have to limit my visits; the refurbished Black Horse pub has good quality pizzas courtesy of Sourdough Saloon but I have a massive issue with the fact that they are served in takeaway boxes, making it a very wasteful option (and it's a shame because the pub's beer is consistently good); there's pizzas available in New Cross at both the Rose and the New Cross House (be warned - at the latter you'll be expected to order pizzas with names like Don't Go Bacon My Heart); and there are several options in Greenwich ranging from long-time staples Pizza Express through the mini-chain Bianco43 to the downright bizarre 'museum pub' the Prince of Greenwich.

I don't mind admitting I've tried them all (except the Rose - no particular reason, probably need to address that in the immediate future!) and while there are some good options, there's always room for another pizza restaurant, especially one that's practically on my doorstep!

So what can we expect from The Stable when it opens?

According to their website, they don't have a standard menu, each restaurant has its own variation 'depending on ingredients available locally' but it's mostly built around pizzas (including vegan and gluten-free options), pies and salads. There's not much you can't get within a short distance from here so it will be interesting to see what options they are offering. Being from the West Country they are also big on cider; hopefully not to the exclusion of other traditional English brews....

They already have a restaurant in Whitechapel, where pizzas range from £8.50 to £13.50 but they do a special £10 meal on Tuesday nights, and you can have a pie for under a tenner too. Many of the ingredients on their Whitechapel menu seem to come from Dorset in any case, so I suspect we'll be getting a very similar offering.

My mouth is watering at the idea of curried goat pie, and pizzas featuring crab and smoked mackerel pizza. I suspect I'll be a mass of indecision on my first visit.

Deptford food and drink - new kids on the block

Lots of new bars, cafes and pubs are opening up in and around Deptford - so many that I'm having trouble keeping track of them all, never mind checking out their wares and finding time to review them. The vast majority are independent, giving a great boost to the range of places on offer.

Here's a list of those I've noticed, with brief comments about the ones I've tried. None of them have been thoroughly reviewed; please feel free to add any feedback (or any I've missed) in the comments section.

London Velo 
Hardly a new kid on the block, but I've been too distracted with other things to blog about it since heralding its imminent arrival more than six months ago. It seems to have settled in nicely, although the evening opening that was a fixture when it first launched seems to have fizzled out - maybe not enough demand, or perhaps just for special events? According to Twitter, hours are now a regular 8-6 (9-6 on Sundays).

I've eaten here a couple of times; the food and coffee is good although it's generally a bit more expensive than similar Deptford High Street cafes. They also sell bike stuff such as clothing and accessories - the website suggests quite a range, although I haven't been into that part of the shop since the first time, when my eyes watered at the sight of panniers for £175.

It's also notable for regular fixture Maurice, the French bulldog who seems to like sitting just inside the door waiting to trip up hapless customers like me. 

Wunderlust

Barely hours after I posted about the murky goings on in Creekside, street food trader Fleisch Mob announced that they were launching a pop-up restaurant in the former pizza bus. By all accounts they had to shell out a whole lot of cash to fix rotting floors and dodgy electrics to get the venue into a shape that was suitable for opening, and apparently only for a few months. The intention at the time of the launch was that it would only be there till the new year - now, according to the website it will be open again on 8 Jan so perhaps a longer 'pop-up' is in prospect? (Updated: apparently they now 'have the green light' to stay on at the bus for another year).

Wunderlust serves 'seasonal food with an Austrian influence' - the menu certainly features local ingredients from Kent, Essex and beyond, although the Austrian influence is harder to identify. Prices are higher than Deptford is used to, especially considering the surrounds - while generally cleaner and in better nick than before, with posh soap and hand cream in the ladies, you're still effectively eating in a covered yard.

I tried the food on the opening night and found it tasty and well-cooked; service was as you might expect on the first night (which was rammed) and I assume they have ironed out the glitches by now. 

Rough & ready

As the name suggests, this new cafe in the Evelyn triangle is not particularly fancy, but it's very fairly priced and the food is tasty and filling. According to their Twitter profile, they work in partnership with Deptford Action Group for the Elderly (DAGE) and offer free tea and coffee to pensioners.  

Don't worry if you aren't old enough to benefit from the free beverages - prices are very reasonable and there's a range of sandwiches, quiches, soups and filled jacket potatoes on offer. Don't expect 'fancy' fillings like avocado or fried halloumi, but a (good quality) coffee and sandwich was less than a fiver when I visited, which is sufficient pay-off for me.

My only gripe would be the seating, which seems to be mostly sofas - not ideal for sitting in while you are eating, especially if they are the squishy 'pre-loved' kind. The Twitter profile says they are open seven days a week, but it was shut when I popped down on a Sunday in early December, so probably best not to rely on that.

Buster Mantis

Sneaking in on Resolution Way, just off the high street is Buster Mantis, a new bar and restaurant promising Jamaican-influenced food and drinks in two converted railway arches. 

It marks a new departure for Network Rail in the Deptford area; while arches are being converted all across south east London into micro breweries, eateries and delis, the trend is only just arriving here. It would be great to have one or two food and drink venues along Resolution Way, but I wouldn't like to see the wholesale loss of what still represent good-value rentals for offices, storage and space for small local businesses, bringing employment and a range of services to Deptford. 

I'm itching to check Buster Mantis out, but have been unable to do so as yet, there was a soft opening in late December, which I missed, and a (free-entry) New Years Eve do. But I intend to be there as soon as regular opening hours kick in - in particular I look forward to being able to enjoy West Indian food in a restaurant rather than just as a take-out.

Greenhouse Deptford 

This new corner cafe just opposite the Royal Albert on New Cross Road has been open just a month, serving similar fare (at similar prices) to London Velo. Handy if you are on the Brockley/New Cross side of Deptford, and it's friendly and comfortable.

I like the seats at the window for people-watching, and it's also a good spot for observing the traditional driving fuckwittery that seems to pervade this corner of London. Watching the shenanigans of motorists trying to execute the popular turns from Florence Road and Watson's St, using varied levels of diplomacy, will keep you entertained for hours.

Little Thames Walk cafe

Finally, one of the retail units in Creekside Village has found a useful purpose! This cafe is as yet so new that it doesn't seem to have either a website or Facebook page, but let's hope its presence will prompt other businesses to take up residence in those empty units.

The new cafe is on Little Thames Walk, one of the alleys through the Creekside development - look behind you as you go up Copperas St towards Greenwich. It's closed for the holidays at the moment, but promised hours include a 7am start and a 4pm finish, Monday to Sunday.

The Sail Loft

A wee bit out of the manor but a welcome new addition to the pub offerings in and around Deptford. Yes it's a chain pub, and it's close to the tourist fleshpots of Greenwich so it's likely to have a corporate approach rather than the homely appeal of local favourites such as the Dog & Bell, but I'm anticipating decently-kept ales and a reliable food offering. Its main attraction, especially for entertaining visitors, will be the riverfront views. Over two floors, there should be ample opportunity for exploiting its location.

The pub - on the riverfront of New Millennium Quay - is due to open in January (and is advertising for staff right now if you are looking for work.)

Finally let's not forget the Deptford Project, or Deptford Market Yard, or Rise or whatever it's called these days - the development next to Deptford station that's edging towards completion at an infinitesimally-slow rate. 

As well as a couple of large restaurant units in the new block and the refurbished St Paul's House, it's likely some of the small arch units will be taken on by coffee shops or food vendors. Whenever it completes (originally scheduled for May 2015, now presumably '2016') we are sure to see more competition/choice arriving. 

Let's see if Deptford has the appetite and the means to keep them all in business. 

New cafe/bike shop for Deptford High Street

I've never really quite understood the thing about bike shops with cafes - it's a fact that both bikes and coffee play a major part in my life, but other than parking my bike outside a cafe to have a good strong cappuccino, I find myself somewhat stumped.

But I'm clearly a bit old-school on this; they seem to be popping up all over the country and we've got our own coming to Deptford High Street with London Velo set to open at the end of May.

Aside from being a godsend for anyone who wants to have a chat about their fixie while sipping a flat white, it will certainly be a useful addition for those coffee addicts living in Deptford New Town who otherwise have to schlep all the way down to the Waiting Room for their caffeine fix.

The new shop is right next to Tesco on Deptford High Street, a unit which has been empty for some time, so it's great to see it being brought back into use.

As well as coffee and bicycles, London Velo is promising music, food, free wifi and...beer! They are being ambitious with their opening hours - till 8pm weekday nights, till 10pm Friday and Saturday and 10 till 6 on Sundays. I wholeheartedly support anyone trying to bring a bit more life to the high street outside of the normal shopping hours, so I'll be delighted if they manage to make this work.

http://www.ldnvelo.co.uk

Some may suggest that the opening of London Velo will put the high street in a bit of a hipster clinch, what with skate and BMX shop Curve already established down at the far end. 

I haven't written much about Curve ('Deptford's finest Skate BMX & Clothing shop') since it would mean revealing my shocking ignorance of anything to do with aforementioned sports, but again it's great that an empty shop unit is being used for a small, independent business that adds diversity and attracts more footfall to the high street.

Deptford Food Festival - third time lucky?

Two years ago it was the Deptford Food Court in Douglas Square - a weekly Saturday offering of street food traders and some entertainment, which was intended to be part of the high street re-invigoration and was paid for through the same funding source.

The regenerated high street - look familiar? Thought not.

When the initial buzz wore off and the severe lack of signposting or promotion had traders leaving in droves, it was relaunched a few months later as the Giffin Square Food Fair - a monthly gathering of food traders relocated to the square outside the Deptford Lounge. Similar format, new traders, more visible location but still didn't manage to endure.

But now it's back! Reborn as the Deptford Food Festival! Will this be third time lucky?

Let's hear the hype, such as it is:

The new Deptford Food Festival launches on Saturday 25 April as a weekly street food market in Giffin Square. This weekly culinary event runs from 9am to 5.30pm every Saturday (opposite the Deptford Lounge) and aims to bring together a collection of some of the diverse range of foods that are available throughout Lewisham. 

Some of our best street food traders will be showcasing a range of eclectic street food from across the globe from Ethiopia, Mexico, Poland and Italy. 

Those with a sweeter tooth can satisfy their cravings with French patisserie cakes and American-style cupcakes as they explore all that Deptford Market has to offer, whilst taking in the sounds of south-east London steel pan collective the Endurance Steel Orchestra. So whether you want a lunchtime treat or a take-home Saturday night dinner, come and taste your way through the street food stalls in and around Giffin Square every Saturday. 

Free parking is available in Frankham Street every Saturday after 1.30pm.

Same venue, but now on a weekly basis and a full day's presence required of the stallholders.

Clearly the markets department hasn't let past failures put them off - they are determined that Deptford shall have a foodie market whether it wants one or not!

I can't help but wonder why they keep flogging this idea in Deptford when there seems to be no great demand for it. As George of Manze's pointed out on my post about the Giffin Square Food Fair, Deptford already has plenty of eateries serving a wide range of different ethnic foods - from vegan burgers to meat pies, from jerk pasties to homemade lasagne, and from curry goat rotis to summer rolls. We've even got posh cheese sandwiches this weekend at the Job Centre.

I'm all for a bit of diversity and customer choice, but I'm not convinced that there's sufficient business for traders at the moment. Of course that could all change in the near future as new residential developments such as the Deptford Project become occupied, but at the moment I fear they will just be kicking their heels again.

Job Centre pub forced to launch petition for a kitchen

Right I've been silent on this for long enough.

I was so excited about getting a new pub on Deptford High Street, especially one run by a company whose reputation for well-kept ales and good pub food was already well-established in the area via the Royal Albert in New Cross.

With the opening of the Job Centre last year, there was finally a glimmer of hope that Deptford High Street did have the potential to become an evening destination for pub food as well as Vietnamese cafes and our old favourite the Orient.

Ever since it opened we have been continuously taunted by the promise of a kitchen arriving 'soon'. The original refit included an obvious kitchen space which made it seem utterly likely that the fit-out was simply delayed by a lack of organisation on behalf of Antic's overworked builders, or perhaps a slight problem with programming.

In the end I stopped asking as the usual answer ('apparently coming soon') started to be accompanied by a long sigh and a visible slump in the shoulders. When I took the decision to celebrate a special occasion there, I did my own catering. My own catering. In a pub.

All this time the usual Antic antics continued. New pubs opened left, right and centre. The Woolwich Equitable even opened in November with a brand new finished kitchen in situ and I considered unfollowing them on Twitter because of the constant tweets about lovely-looking food being served at the other end of SE London.

All these shenanigans were annoying enough, but now the Job Centre has been forced to set up a petition in order to get Antic's numpty overlords to concede that people in Deptford are not just out-and-out lushes, they ACTUALLY EAT TOO! They are asking customers to lobby for a kitchen by signing the petition at the bar - a strange way to run a business if you ask me.

Does Antic make all its decisions on the basis of names on a piece of paper? And what about those potential customers who don't visit purely because there's no food? How does Antic intend to gather market intelligence on that particular demographic?

Why open a cavernous pub on our high street, bring us fine ales served by friendly and helpful staff and then make us grovel for sustenance?

I say fuck your petition. 

Just get a kitchen in there and I will visit on a regular basis, at least once a week, and I will buy food. I will also most likely buy more drink than I do at the moment since I usually have to leave after a couple of pints because I need to eat. I cannot survive on your sausage rolls, however nice they are.

I'm sure many of you out there agree; feel free to comment, share this, tweet @Antic_London or go straight into the ear of the boss via their website (play nicely now).

Deptford - popping out all over

One of the most overused phrases of the last couple of years has got to be 'pop-up', particularly in relation to shops/restaurants and bars. I'm not sure who first popped up (sorry!) with the concept, but I don't really see what's wrong with the myriad of other phrases and words that could be used to describe the same thing - temporary, one-off, short-term, seasonal, weekend, Sunday morning blah blah blah.

It's been used and misused heavily for some time now, so I think it's time we piped down with the popping up and went back to more appropriate terms.

Deptford seems to attract more than its fair share of such temporary bars and restaurants, presumably because it's blessed/blighted with a whole heap of short-term locations begging for 'meantime uses' /developers happy to sponsor such ventures to create a buzz around a place where they are trying to flog apartments and which has traditionally been a hard sell (- 'foodwashing' as Crosswhatfields dubbed it). 

But enough about terminology - what's on where and for how long? 

Presumably Deptford Twinkle - a 'riverside pop-up bar in sunny Deptford serving tasty cocktails, craft beer and south east London charm' takes its name from Twinkle Park at the bottom of Watergate Street even though it's not actually in the park. It sounds like this venture will be on the riverfront of the redeveloped Paynes & Borthwick wharf - go between the buildings and you'll find a rather nice terrace with some planted water features and views across the river and downstream to Greenwich.

Do take a jumper though, the terrace faces north/north east so there's no chance you will be sipping your cocktails in warm evening sunlight I'm afraid.

Deptford Twinkle (@deptfordtwinkle) is open two weekends only - 15th-17th August and 22nd-24th August. From 5pm-10.30pm on Fridays; 2pm-10.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Happy hour is 5pm-7pm every day.

Deptford Brunch Club

This venture - a weekly 'brunch club' in the heart of Deptford - is organised and promoted by Lewisham Council and seems to have a reasonable level of funding behind it as it is running every Sunday until October.

I missed blogging about the original launch of this in June due to other commitments, but according to the council's press release the intention is 'to enhance the town centre's morning offer' and each Sunday showcases a new chef and new menu. It's being organised in conjunction with Grub Club, which is an online platform for supper club (or brunch in this case) promotion.

I haven't been so I can't comment on the quality of the food - looking at the menus on offer they certainly seem to be diverse and interesting and happily there's some very good feedback on the website.

The ticket price - £18 for this Sunday - does seem steep but since most of them now involve unlimited rum cocktails, or similar, as well as three courses, that's probably not bad for what you get. It's also quite modest compared to a lot of the other offers on the Grub Club site, although the vast majority of those are not at the mercy of the weather, nor are they presumably being subsidised by the local authority.

My main problem is the place and time - the idea of sitting in a tent in Giffin Square for Sunday lunch/brunch (it goes on till 5pm that's tea time if you ask me!) just does not appeal, although that could be a case of familiarity breeding contempt. I'm also not sure what it brings to the high street, apart from something to gawp at. Some of the high street shops do open on Sunday, but there's by no means enough to make it a draw for visitors to hang around afterwards, and of course there's no market, making the general atmosphere rather underwhelming.

I'm really struggling with this one. I am happy that the council is spending money trying to promote the high street, but I just think this venture is way off target. The culinary tours they funded last year seemed much more attractive and interesting, and a great way to get people experimenting with different tastes and using the local shops. Yo Yum Tum even made a film about one of the tours, which features my favourite store - Housewives Cash n Carry!

Beer Box

A bit out of the manor this one, but potentially another good stopping off point if you are fond of an evening bike ride around the Greenwich peninsula.

It's two-storey bar outside the O2, which is made out of shipping containers and has a roof terrace, serves Meantime beers and is presumably intended to host bands now and again, like the one that played at its launch. This is very much developer-led; Meantime is working with peninsula developer Knight Dragon on this, and it doesn't really count as pop-up to be honest, since it's due to be there for three years at least.


Little Nan's Bar

Of course the most famous 'pop-up' which everyone thought was here to stay in Deptford for good - Little Nan's Bar - was ejected from its tea-cup laden, antimacassar-strewn home on Deptford Broadway in an unseemly hurry last month, causing a great outcry among loyal fans.

Until they find a new place - back in Deptford, let's hope, we need its special brand of charm and eccentricity - it seems they will be popping up in Birdie N*m N*m's cafe (sorry I loathe the N*m word)  in New Cross.


Update: I forgot to mention this pop-up on the eastern side of the Greenwich peninsula http://thejettygreenwich.co.uk/whats-on/ 

Dance performance in some shipping containers and 'the most unique bar in London' (yes really, most unique ffs) on an old jetty downstream of the 02. As with Deptford Twinkle you'd be advised to bring a cardy if you want to sit on the jetty and have a cocktail.

Anyway that's enough from me, time I was popping off. Please feel free to share any other local pop ups in the comments.

'Food court' relaunches as Giffin Square Food Fair

I was beset by a strange feeling of deja vu when I opened an email from Lewisham Council the other day, announcing the launch of the Giffin Square Food Fair on Saturday 5 October.

'On the first Saturday of every month shoppers can sample a mouth-watering array of street food and drink from local chefs, bakers and traders including: jerk chicken wraps and fish cakes from The Jerk and In a Pikkle, deli-style breads and pastries from Elvira’s Secret Pantry and freshly squeezed natural fruit juices and smoothies from That Natural Stuff. In addition to hot food and drink, there’ll be music, entertainment and a seating area at the monthly event which runs from 10am–4pm on the first Saturday of the month. '

You must remember the Deptford 'food court'? (yup, still using the inverted commas, still hate the name). Started off with about a dozen food stalls, some rickety benches and live music in Douglas Square in the summer; traders dwindled and was down to a couple of hardy stall-holders after barely a couple of months. I wouldn't exactly say it was launched with any great fanfare, the lack of consistent, ongoing marketing being one of the major things that caused it to fail.

I believe the 'food court' was one of the ideas put forward when Lewisham won money from the Mayor's Outer London for regeneration of the High Street and market. (I also note from that post that some of it was earmarked for recruitment of a town centre renewal manager - anyone heard who he or she is? They are not very visible!).

So a load of stalls were set up in Douglas Square, a few posters were circulated to local bloggers, and that was it. No signs or directions to the 'food court', no flyers being handed out to people passing along the high street on market day, no posters in shop windows or on lamp posts, no Facebook page or Twitter account. No wonder the stall holders gave up and buggered off.

I'm happy to see that the idea has been revived, and made into a once a month event which does make a lot more sense. Putting it on Giffin Street 'beneath the famous his ‘n’ hers mural in the heart of Deptford town centre' is also a good idea. It will give the 'food fair' its own identity and will make it much more visible rather than being shoe-horned between the stalls of the second hand market.

Although this revival was heralded as an initiative by Lewisham Council, I suspect there has been significant input by local traders such as In a Pikkle, who showed more marketing nous than all our 'professional' advisers put together. I know that they were very disappointed by the failure of the initial venture - let's hope that the relaunched version fares better.

Perhaps Lewisham Council should also ask for its money back from whoever was paid to launch the first one.

Come and see Deptford's highs and lows in Open House

One of my favourite weekends of the year will be with us in just over fortnight - Open House London, the time when London's grand buildings, architectural follies, private homes and quirky corners are open to the public.

I do love a good snoop around people's houses - something worth remembering if you ever invite me in, although I will always respect your privacy by not actually divulging what I find ;-) - so this is an event that really appeals to me. And whatever you want to say about the opportunity to examine the architectural detailing or admire the historic fabric of a building, I'm damn sure a lot of you love snooping too, you're just too polite to admit it.

So what will there be to see in Deptford? 

There's enough to keep you busy for a whole day in Deptford, and if you aren't from round these parts, I reckon you'll get a good introduction to our neighbourhood by coming down on Saturday 21st September.

Start with a trip to the top of the Seager Distillery Tower - a building which it's definitely preferable to be in looking out, rather than the other way round. I went up it last year and the views are stunning - you can orient yourself with views north to the river, following the route of the Creek, or look south towards the rest of the borough. Be warned space is limited at the top of the tower and you may have to queue.

Once you've descended, you may wish to head over to Deptford New Town where you'll find the pocket-sized Connearn Studio in Friendly Street. I've not been to this one, and from the picture on the website it looks like it won't keep you amused for long - but the walk is a pleasant one, especially if you go through the park and pass by the Stephen Lawrence Centre. Just try and ignore the ugly block of houses they built next to it (replacing the ugly houses that were there before). You can come back along Brookmill Road past Mereton Mansions, or go the other way to pass Wellbeloved's butchers on the bottom of Tanner's Hill, in a row of Deptford's oldest buildings. 

From there I would recommend a wander down our fabulous high street and through the market (not forgetting the huge second-hand stalls outside the Albany) to Tidemill Academy and the Deptford Lounge, to dig out the substance behind the bling. You might want to linger in the library for a while, browse a few books or have a coffee.

If you like your coffee super-charged, be sure to stop off at the Waiting Room to get your caffeine fix, and a falafel wrap or veggie burger with super hot sauce to keep up you sustained for the afternoon. Any visiting vegans will be happy to discover this place, which serves vegan-friendly fare without making a fuss about it.

Alternatively if the Waiting Room is too crowded - or you want something a bit more substantial for your lunch - Deli X a few doors down is another great option. If you want to eat on the move, or it's too nice to go indoors, I recommend filling up on fresh salt-cod fishcakes or souse from In a Pikkle or try the jerk chicken with rice and peas from the neighbouring stall. Both are in Douglas Square in the middle of the market. 

From here, keep walking towards the river for two more very interesting Open House experiences. Convoys Wharf site is well worth a visit just to get an idea of its vast scale and the glorious riverside vistas it has kept to itself all these years. 

You're too late to see any of the remaining underground structures - they are still there but covered up for now - but you will be able to venture inside the Olympia boat-building shed with its distinctive curved roof and lovely internal iron structure.

According to the Open House listing, there will be displays showing Hutchison Whampoa's redevelopment proposals. It's more than possible they will wheel out the famous groundscape model of the scheme although perhaps they'll also show the little polystyrene blocks (above) which are supposed to show the building density and heights.

Right next door to the site is the historic Master Shipwrights House, which will be open to the public on both days - a rare chance to see this beautiful building. I visited a few years ago during Open House and was mightily impressed - you can read about it here. Normally this house is only visible when glimpsed from the river on a Thames Clipper - don't miss the chance to explore behind the big steel gates.

What's more, I've got it on good authority that there's going to be some very interesting events taking place here over the course of the weekend - of which, stay tuned for more details in due course.

While you are down Watergate Street, it's well worth popping into the Dog & Bell for a pint or two of the best-kept (and by far the cheapest) ale in Deptford. Have a game of bar billiards or sit out in the garden at the back - it's a real old-fashioned boozer of the best kind. 

If you're visiting from outside the 'ford, do take the opportunity to explore our lovely little corner of SE London to the full. Every one of these is only a stone's throw from the high street.

Deptford Creek - tide half in, half out. Look out for herons and swans, or watch the DLR trains rattling over the bridge.

St Paul's, Deptford - a Baroque beauty with a bit of guerrilla gardening on the adjoining green space. The grass circle marks the size of the access shaft that Thames Water wants to dig for its supersewer.

The Laban Centre on Creekside was designed by Herzog & de Meuron and won the Stirling Prize for architecture in 2003. Sadly it's not part of Open House London, which is a shame. But they do have monthly architecture tours you can book at £12 a head  - and it has a very pleasant garden if you want to picnic.

Finally, if St Nick's church in Deptford Green is open, it's worth taking a look inside at the Grinling Gibbons woodcarvings. But even if you can't get inside, you might want to walk past just to look at the famous skull & crossbones sculptures atop the two gateposts.

Other eating and drinking highlights close by are the rotis at Chaconia, grilled pork noodles or banh mi at Panda Panda, cocktails out of teacups with cheese straws in the living room of the painfully hip Little Nan's Bar, a wide range of ales and reliably top-quality dinners at the Royal Albert, and if you are prepared to walk that bit further, there's the small-but-perfectly-formed London Particular, another place for great quality grub, top coffee and fantastic cakes.

Deptford market 'food court'

I put the 'food court' in inverted commas here because it's a phrase I really don't like. For me it conjures up plastic fixed bucket seats and tables in an airport or shopping centre, with half a dozen piss-poor food concessions dealing out greasy burgers and unattractive slop.

Such an image is a far cry from what I found in Douglas Square yesterday, the first chance I'd had to visit the new foodie part of the market since it launched four weeks ago.

There were about a dozen food stalls arranged into a little square right in the middle of Douglas Square itself. In the centre a chap playing a guitar was being accompanied in an impromptu performance by a fellow wearing a red T-shirt with the words 'God Inspired Me' emblazoned across it. Divine inspiration or not, his repertoire may have been somewhat limited but his style was 100% Deptford. You won't get that kind of entertainment at Brockley Market.

The range of cuisines on offer was encouraging, although the presentation and marketing effort was very variable. As I understand it, the stallholders have had training to help them make a success of their new businesses; it seems one or two may not have been paying attention in class.

Overall, however, the standard of food and presentation was excellent, and I'll definitely be going back for food next weekend. It's not just a great place to get your lunch, there are quite a few options that you can take home with you to heat up for dinner later in the week - a high quality ready-meal, if you will.

Many of the stallholders were offering free samples - a great marketing tool as it gives stallholders the chance to chat to potential customers and talk about what's special about their food, how they make it, where they are based and so on, and strike up a relationship with them - and obviously customers get the opportunity to see if they like the food before they buy it.

Foods ranged from the ubiquitous jerk chicken (sold by at least three stalls) to Portugese baked goods via Italian, Vietnamese and Mexican. There were also freshly squeezed juices and flavoured ice cones on offer. I tried all the free samples I could, and enjoyed talking to the stallholders to find out how they liked the market and how they were getting on.

I particularly enjoyed the samples from Pastificio Mansi and Two Hungry Bees, but since I wasn't really in the mood for a pasta lunch, I decided to make the spectacular steamed pork bun my main dish - not before I'd gobbled down a pesto and cheese pastry from Wonder Baker.

I washed my lunch down with a freshly-juiced mix of orange, apple, carrot and ginger squeezed by the friendly guys from That Natural Stuff.

I saw plenty of other options that I wanted to try, which means I plan to be dining at the 'food court' *shudder* for the next few weekends at least, until I've sampled them all.

Just a few observations which might be useful feedback for the organisers/stall holders; the seating consisted of a few benches arranged in a square. This was not particularly sociable since friends have to sit in a line, and the benches themselves did not look very stable. Tables would be better and you could probably get quite a few more in the space available.

In my opinion the marketing has been spectacularly poor - aside from a half-hearted online publicity campaign, there were no posters or signs on the high street to direct potential customers into the foodie area. Even when you are on Douglas Square you'd be forgiven for not noticing it at all, there's no signs there either. A lost opportunity in terms of passing trade and a kick in the teeth for the traders, who need all the help they can get with this new venture.

Traders who are friendly and welcoming, who offer free samples, and who come across as passionate about their food and their business, are much more likely to get my money and support. A couple of stallholders who showed no interest in potential customers - whether because of a lack of confidence or just indifference - seemed to be short of trade, not surprising really. But it was a shame as their products were markedly different from the others on offer, and I felt they could probably have done pretty well if they'd only pushed themselves forward a bit more and talked to people.

My final word of advice - make sure your menu (including veggie options) and prices are crystal clear, and legible from a reasonable distance. People want to know what is on offer and what it will cost them before they start to consider whether they are going to buy it.

See you in Douglas Square - every Saturday 9am till 3pm.