Honor Oak Provender

As a resident of Honor Oak for 3 years I’m permanently baffled by he deli - it never really seems to have anything in it. I went in on Mother’s Day hoping to buy some lunch and there was literally nothing to buy - I had to go to Sainsbury’s. When it was bought by the new owners a year or so ago I was really excited to see some change but it’s still exactly the same. All it has is a few cakes and then lots and lots of expensive boxes of truffles and cheese biscuits and the like. Why doesn’t it sell actual deli food eg salads, quiches, sandwiches, olives, cheeses and the like. There are some great delis in Brockley and Ladywell and even Mr Jones (although slightly different) - why can’t Honor Oak have one!

I agree with you @Emily. When the previous business Hills and Parkes went up for sale in 2014, it was advertised as profitable, which I found surprising:

Since then, the offering seems largely the same. It’s pleasant enough, but the coffee isn’t made in third-wave style (no real flat white on offer) and the lunch options are limited and repetitive. The sausage roll and coleslaw was nice enough, but I’d only return if they offered something else.

Closing at 6pm shuts out everyone with a City day-job, and since the coffee is the same, if not better, at the HOP station cafe, there’s no reason for commuters to pop by in the morning.

Seems to be coasting, just like Hills and Parkes. If they were to join the forum, I’m sure they’d benefit from some useful feedback. I did invite the new owners to join, but they haven’t, as far as I can tell.

Also the people working in there don’t seem very cheerful…it’s such a shame as a good space so could be great!

Slightly off topic, but which coffee places would you consider to be third wave? I only think St Davids qualifies, but have not been to all of them. The Mrs told me I should try the Archie Parker.

4 posts were split to a new topic: Best Coffee in SE23?

Split on recommendation of @Brett and after PMing @Beige

I couldn’t agree more sadly.

I think they do some things very well, but for a deli it’s definitely unusual to have people working behind the counter who aren’t very passionate about food. I guess they must be doing something right, though - they’re keeping the lights on and the doors open.

Is there any management on the forum from the Honor Oak Provender?

It seems to be getting increasingly empty every time I pop in there. I went mid morning on Saturday and there were no baked goods aside a couple of stale loaves of bread, no cheeses and no fresh produce of any kind. I also find that it is often shut inside the advertised hours. Would love to know why it’s been going so steadily downhill and, of course, if anyone else disagrees.

It’s such a shame as it seems like the Honor Oak parade could support a decent deli.

Hey. Anyone have an update on this?
As a regular visitor I’m really sad to see it gathering cobwebs. They do a good coffee and cake at reasonable prices but it’s starting to feel quite sad in there as it empties. The staff don’t know what is going on when I asked either

I have no insider info but have always found this a dreadfully managed shop. They don’t seem to sell anything apart from expensive packaged goods and sausage rolls - as such I go to Jones in Crofton Park or the one in Ladywell. It’s such a shame, I just wish some good management could take it over and provide a proper deli experience

Agree with you on the deli experience.

I do like their croissants in the morning though. I think they come from Blackbird Bakery and are slightly nicer than the cheaper alternatives at Sainsbury and On the Hoof (station cafe).

If Provender made a more velvety flat white I’d get my coffee there in the morning too.

I’d really love to see them making a go of it. Such a shame.

Their sausage rolls were top drawer, I found the coffee rather average though. It is just not clear to me though what this shop is trying to be. There is slightly too little range to just have a look and browse. If they wanted to attract more ready-to-eat/drink custom then some more inviting seating may help with this, the bar for this isn’t too high at HOP! And while al-fresco is increasingly popular the road in front is just too busy for the liking of many though not all.

Overall though, I think there just isn’t enough of a local (up-)market to make it fly, and the high street is none that attracts many visitors from a bit further afield. Having said that, Ladywell parade is probably similar but the Larder Deli there has a much better offer, I wonder how that one is doing.

The sausage rolls use sausage meat from Proud Sow and I agree they are a highlight. I agree with your other comments but I think a well stocked deli would fly in that location. (The Larder is doing well and is well stocked).

I do think it is a difficult type of business to build up in terms of stock but sadly it seems like the range has been run down over time instead.

If a mind-blowing sausage roll is what you’re after, get yourself to The Butchery. They are quite fennel-y but entirely delicious.

Probably worth another thread but all of these places seem to put the sausage ahead of the roll and neglect the pastry content.

A great sausage roll should be about the flaky puff pastry - not just the meat. Where can we find the best ones now?

My home made ones, I might share my Scottish recipe one day

I’ll save you some when I make my next batch

I commute past here on the way home (usually use Crofton Park in the morning) and my big beef is that it’s almost always shut by the time I get there at 6/7pm. For a shop like this to thrive, it needs to be open for the after work crowd. Service has sometimes been surly too.

In contrast, Jumping Bean is reliably open til 7 every day, and so I always buy cards and gifts there rather than near my work in Westminster. The staff are lovely and the selection is great.

They are obviously different businesses but I can’t help but think that the Provender hasn’t worked out their business model to suit the local market. I’d be sad to see it go - BT would rather have something on the high street that suited local needs.

The sausage rolls from the Butchery have a very flaky, buttery pastry, deep golden brown. No soggy bottoms or stodge.

The sausage rolls from The Butchery are just as Rachael describes and are lush.

Yes, many of tbe staff in the deli are surly, bordering on rude. It’s certainly not the friendly welcome you get at The Larder in Ladywell or Jones of Brockley.

I also find the opening times annoying too

Please someone good just take this over - I think there’s definitely enough need and desire for a good deli in Honor Oak from the residents!

The young lady with long dark hair, there in the mornings - she’s quite friendly and always remembers my order. But some of the other staff are very surly. Part of the appeal of using small independent shops is the way the staff make you feel welcome. Provender is a mixed bag.

They should poach Donald from next door.

I’m not up to date on the reasons for the HOP Provender’s apparent gradual decline but I do know the management team who took over from Hills and Parkes used to run the East Dulwich deli. So they’re very experienced. I also know the same management team opened the very nice juice/coffee bar across from Peckham Rye on Forest Hill road about a year ago. Perhaps they’re stretched a bit thin or shifting focus?

They do a fab guiness cake though! But the bread was extremely expensive and already stale.
Last time I went in, around lunch time on a weekday, the man serving had chosen that as a good time to mop the floor with bleach. Awful smell, really put me off the decent coffee he served me!
I guess this is why 2 Spoons is doing quite well.

The chocolate and guiness cake is good but once you’ve had it 3 or 4 times, it loses its appeal. Plus every cafe in South East London appears to sell chocolate and guiness cake… I really wish they changed their cake selection regularly, like Aga’s Deli in Forest Hill. Every time I visit there I look forward to seeing what new selection they have and am so much more likely to buy some along with my coffee.

They need to get into the Generel Store on Bellenden Road and just shamelessly copy it all - that is exactly what HOP needs!

Hi all, was googling Honor Oak Provender to find out if it was ever going to open, and came across this discussion.

I have to says, I completely disagree with most of the negative comments. Yes, it may not have heaps of goods on its shelves, but most of the deli food they have is super nice AND home made. I love their coleslaw, quiches and sausage rolls. I don’t know where they get bread from, but it is much better than any other home baked bread around. And the cakes are just out of this world, especially the chocolate guiness cake which the owner makes himself - you have got to try it if you haven’t already. I have had it made to order for my family’s birthdays and I always get lots of compliments about it (I pretend I have made it myself).

I just wanted to say this because I love this deli and, when I was on maternity leaves, it saved my life - going there, having a chat, a coffee and a cake.

I found out today that it has reopened, and am so so pleased. Am stuffing my face with chocolate guiness cake right now, in fact…

Jules

Do you work there…

All of what you say is both nice and accurate, but it’s no use at all to the vast majority of would-be customers who need them to be open either on the way to or return from work.

I wish the deli well - on the odd occasion they are open on the way back from work I do occasionally buy cake. However the stock is massively hit or miss and the hours don’t work for core consumers. I wish the business well but until they nail the post commuter crowd - and have hours to match - sadly this store is going to underperform and the owners seem to take little interest into what people want and need. Easy to contrast against Grounds and Grapes and their different and better strategy with the same strategy.

I’d love a local deli to succeed, but if they are going to, they need to master good coffee and pastries in the morning (so far, fail) good mums coffee and cake (apparently a success) and then post work crowd pre cooked diners or good ingredients (fail on both opening hours and frankly a crap selection).

There’s all the ingredients available for this store to be a success and I’m irritatated that the offer is so weak. A store cannot survive on a nice tuna mix sandwich for lunch and nothing on offer at all for people coming off the train. Deli owner - for free - offer better meat and cheese and consider putting in a COOK fridge, which had massively increased footfall at Brockley supermarket.

I’m not sure it is successful on the mum’s coffee and cake front unless it’s changed recently. Despite living round the corner in my year of maternity leave I never once met friends there. It’s too small for buggies - they don’t even fit through the door - there’s little room inside and the welcome is not always very positive.

As above I’d so love a useful and convenient deli - at the moment I go to Little Aga or Mr Jones

I would love a decent deli on this parade and have been yearning for HoProv to step up the mark; the one time I walked past when it was open (on a Saturday) I walked in and only bought something out of embrassement - having entered to see what they had on offer I panic bought a sausage roll, looking round seeing empty shelves, no atmospshere and a moody worker was awkward.

Jules, if you’re a loyal customer with a good dialogue with the owner, perhaps you can share this forum feedback?

I think what’s important here is that without exception all the negative feedback is constructive because we all want this place to improve!!

Absolutely echo @CHfigaro about constructive criticsm and I think @Irmani_Smallwood’s idea about a COOK fridge is brilliant. Easy, tasty, healthy ready meals would be wonderful.

Yes, but I am guessing it is a small business and will probably struggle to have lots of stock…

No, I do not.

Huge difference between not having loads of stock and a risible offering, which the Provender has achieved for a number of years now.