Supporting local business in SE23

Hello all

It’s a worrying time for everyone but I know that it’s going to be particularly hard for small businesses. I thought it might be an idea to have a thread to discuss what is open in Se23 and how we can help by using there services.

I’ll start!

Sushi Garden is on Deliveroo now with 10% discount. Delish if you haven’t been or tried it. Not sure if the restaurant is open.

Rise Cafe are open and are doing take away. I’m taking my husband for breakfast tomorrow.

I wonder if anyone knows of anywhere locally that does vouchers? I love eating out and where it isn’t possible at present I’d like to support restaurants.

Thanks all

Estelle

Forest Cafe & Bistro is open and does take aways.

We are OPEN as usual, We have 10% off on all Take aways,

Kirkdale bookshop is open and also taking enquiries by email/ phone.

Anyone know if @Shannonsgc are still open?

Lazy chef open for the rest of the week and doing take away (the turkish flat bread breakfast is awesome)

I think I saw on Twitter Shannons garden centre is open at the moment

Right you are:

Hi everyone!

We are definitely still open as usual and will be until the government advises us otherwise or if we do not have the staff to open!

We are very very busy- selling lots of vegetable seeds and seed potatoes. We will restock for as long as we can but please be patient at this time.

Hope everyone is staying well.

All In One is open come and have guinness for St Patrick’s day

Thai food? The lovely Matoom is open and will need our custom if eating in restaurants dries up. Menu on the website or pick one up at the restaurant. Order online or by phone. Pick up or free delivery.
https://www.matoom.co.uk/

Big shout out for Forest Hill Superstore. I couldn’t get anything in the supermarkets and they have a very well-stocked shop, normal prices and rationed toilet paper!

I love this place!!! They had vegan jerky, darkmilk Cadbury’s and my husbands face Camden Hells when I nipped in the other day! Awesome!!

I’ll second that , lovely staff , cannot do enough for you, it’s a gem of a shop !

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Smallprint children’s bookshop is currently open and also active online. I’m offering free local delivery for those isolated. Enter Click and Collect at the checkout.

Seconded – Forest Hill Superstore has loads of interesting snacks, and the guys who work there are lovely. Really friendly, helpful and courteous.

Milan Superstore down by th BP garage is fantastic. Had loads in yesterday, including loo paper, tins, toys and plenty of cupboard basics.

The Proud Sow has tweeted that their supply lines are fully open and they are fully stocked. The guys in the shop look totally knackered and are working really hard to keep produce flowing.
Good job too as I popped into Sainsbury’s in Bell Green - no meat, no veg and no fruit (bar one or two items)…

I am worried for the Dartmouth Arms. Such a lovely local. The company own 4 pubs but I understand 2 are in a stronger position and the Dartmouth less so. Hopefully people can continue to support it.

I think this is going to be the way to go - most ‘stockpiling’ seems to being done in the larger supermarkets (though they now seem to be taking measures to stop that), whereas local stores that can be walked to mostly seem to have more in stock.

There must be a lot of very full chest freezers around!

Mine is full but it is mainly tomato paste from the plot! Can’t get any pasta to go with it though…
You can see why people panic though - if you go to Sainsbury’s it feels like the end of the world and you almost feel you have to buy something.

Apparently some businesses are doing “voucher” schemes encouraging loyal customers to buy vouchers now for use later. So if forced to close they have the cash to tied them over… not a bad idea.

Interesting approach from Babur - who are keeping the restaurant open til Mother’s day, then shutting. Post shutting on Sunday, for delivery, suggesting eating via different homes, via skype etc - I do know some people who have done this with drinks, wonder if it will become more frequent is we effectively become housebound bar parks etc:

While the restaurant is closed we will be enhancing our home delivery service so that we can continue to provide you with a level of hospitality in your own home that is as close as possible to the experience of dining at Babur.
With your Babur food order we can deliver beer, wine and our new range of in-house bottled cocktails. For those who were planning on dining with friends but can’t actually get together to eat, we can arrange a time-coordinated multi-home delivery, which can be enhanced with a video call on FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Skype, House Party or Zoom, and we’ll also give a 15% discount on these orders. Please call us to arrange this.

For us, where we can, we will keep paying and not asking for refunds for the local clubs our children go to in the hope they will still be able to continue at some point in the future. I suspect we will renew most in April even if there is no chance of anything happening with them, whilst we still feel we can.

Donde is still open.

Fantastic home delivery service this morning to Forest Hill from Jerome’s wine bar and shop (Crofton Park).

So bars, restaurants and cafes are now to close other than deliveries.

Hopefully some of the locals will have voucher schemes so we can support them when the storm passes.

5 posts were split to a new topic: Coronavirus profiteering

How about we compile a dynamic list of all the places that are now offering home deliveries or take out, prioritising those, like Canvas and Cream, who normally rely on footfall? And then, if you can afford to, you commit to place an order at least once a week with whoever you want to support.

Admittedly a Peckham business rather than SE23 but Brick Brewery are delivering free of charge to SE23. I’ve just received a lovely set of interesting beers and sours. Won’t stop me going to Clapton Craft for other breweries beers.

Quite a few places also doing pay now and collect later - to help their immediate cash flow. Good luck all!

Shame Dartmouth Arms don’t join in! Banging a drum for that place!

I know not everyone will be able to afford it or get out but I have spent a pleasant morning shopping at local shops in East Dulwich and Forest Hill. Plenty of bread and eggs at Blackbird and they are fully stocked at the grocers and butchers.

It is good to support local businesses and take pressure off supermarket stock levels.

Anyone know of any Forest Hill pubs doing a take away roast tomorrow ? Was thinking how many cancelled bookings there must be from mother’s day and potentially wasted stock - we’d happily pre order and collect a roast each Sunday ! Xxx

Hi, Coal Rooms in Peckham are delivering roasts every Sunday

Here’s a shared Google spreadsheet of South East London businesses which are currently open:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dPedjx_pAIOiLoLdWeTaJ1Zrj-CTqpb5gROUCkrLxBo/htmlview

Mostly other parts of SE London at the moment, so if any local businesses want to get the word out, I’d recommend you add yourself to this sheet.

I can’t see a way to edit the sheet… but Brown & Green have a delivery or collection service, and they’ve increased their menu to include “Isolation Kits” (milk, bread & eggs), a “Home Baking Kit” (flour, eggs, sugar) and also some “Booze”:

Unfortunately it looks to be working from B&G Life which is a little far away from SE23, but it still looks like a very useful service for those closer to Crystal Palace:

Pick up and delivery (within 1 mile radius of B&G Life, Crystal Palace Park) is available between 9am & 3pm.

Hi, do you need any extra help with deliveries? This morning I lost my job and my only source of income working as a bicycle courier, as a result of an anticipated reduction in business following last night’s announcement. So I have plenty of time on my hands!

Any recommendations for grocery deliveries?

Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Asda and Amazon Fresh are unavailable. I even looked at Iceland.

Any smaller, local operations available? We got a fruit and veg delivery yesterday from Spier’s Salads which to be fair was good quality but a bit pricey. But it did include bread, milk, eggs etc, though a random selection.

Anything similar operating which also includes other groceries like beer, wine, fizzy drinks, and other stuff? I’d use Spiers again but I’m thinking for the non fruit and veg.

I’d also love to support a local business through this if possible.

Just emailed Brick Brewery, seems like supporting local breweries is a good way for both them and me to get through the apocalypse

Does anyone know if Honor Oak Provender is still open and stocked?

I saw something on one of the local WhatsApp groups over the weekend saying they were still open, and well stocked with pasta, which was mostly unavailable in the local supermarkets.

Found this phone number 020 8314 4000 not sure if it is correct.

Just seen on their Twitter feed that they have now closed; so not sure if your email got through or not. Fingers crossed! Apparently off-licences have now been added to the list of ‘essential’ businesses.

Correct. The following page gives a good overview of what’s what: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance

Under Exceptions in the Retail section:

Off-licences and licenced shops selling alcohol, including those within breweries

I’m a keen user of the app Too Good to Go, avoiding food waste by collecting low cost - about £4- bags of high quality food from local cafes and food suppliers usually at the end of their day. Combined this with a bike ride this morning to Wholesale suppliers Gastronomica - Bermondsey, where my magic bag included a whole kilo of high quality ricotta. You never know what will be in your bag. The cycling was lovely too- much cleaner air and low car traffic means cycling in otherwise horrible places like Old Kent Road is absolutely fine. The app shows that this outlet has more food they would like to to move on by 5pm today.

Tagging this on to this thread.
South London Club have put together a listing and Map of local services that are offering some sort of service
https://www.southlondonclub.co.uk/covid-19-small-business-directory

Garden centre retail premises are closed. But Shannon’s is trialling a local home delivery service - they ask that you email them with your requirements, and said they would post up a list of new stock on their Facebook page. I spoke with them a few days ago and they were expecting delivery of veg seedlings etc on Tuesday/ Wednesday.

I just got this email from Brick Brewery

Thank you for your email. While we have closed the brewery for production and the taproom for collections, putting all of our great staff on furlough, we are frantically working on a web store with orders delivered by courier plus we will be on Deliveroo. So please bear with us and look on our social platforms for news. You’ll be able to access the shop from here when it goes live https://www.brickbrewery.co.uk/shop/

Thank you so much for your support.

Dartmouth Service Station on Dartmouth Road are still open carrying out MOT’s and any mechanical work you might need doing to ensure your car or van is kept in a safe condition on the road, which is particularly important if you are a key worker using it for work or you rely on your car for essential grocery shopping or medical needs.

Despite the 6 month MOT extension announced yesterday, it is still a legal requirement to keep your car roadworthy so if you would still like to get your MOT done for peace of mind (or any other essential mechanical or servicing work), you can do.

Paul Rhodes bakery now doing home delivery in our area. Bread box from £18. Not the cheapest but their bread is v good and this might be a way to support business and avoid supermarkets. Bread of course freezes well so a bulk supply not a bad idea.
https://paulrhodesbakery.slerp.com/order

Not sure if they can still deliver compost etc but they have just said their veg seedlings order has been cancelled and seeds are hard to come by - best to email if you want anything:

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Hi Honor Oak Provender is open and well stocked with vegetables too

As an ex small independent business in FH (Sugar Mountain on D Rd) I am sure this must be very worrying times for all the independent traders and will send a traders email to tell them about the voucher idea. I think this is a great idea and could help massively to keep all your favorites in business when this madness is over.

Take care and stay safe all xx

We went to Le Querce today and ordered some fresh pasta and tiramisu. Tiramisu was definitely the best I have had for a long time! I believe the restaurant is close but the “cafe” is open with a few home made goodies! They have antibacterial gel And a card scanner right at the front door n so I can tap my card at the entrance so the owners don’t need to even take the card off me. Pretty good social distancing to pay the bill! They were absolutely lovely but I am sure you all know them as they have been around for years.

I had a delivery from Matoom Thai last night.
It was amazing - absolutely delicious - I had forgotten how good they are.

Thanks for the tip. I have been trying to get herbs but a lot of places are sold out. I emailed Shannon’s last night and they delivered everything I needed this morning.

Had some feedback from FHTA traders and some are offering vouchers and all that got back to me think it’s a good idea so please check your fav independent traders websites and social media posts to see what they are offering, some are with discounts too!
Cllr @SophieDavis has also replied and is working to help our independent traders to access any retail grants they may be entitled too, thank you @SophieDavis

(Does she suspect that you’re trying to nick her job yet?)

We’re still very much open at Mont58 Coffee. We are roasting fresh coffee every day and delivering to the doorstep in the local area. You can order online at https://mont58coffee.com and get 20% off your first order with voucher code LOCALCOFFEE20

@Mont58Coffee - Presumably supply will come via your SE23 stockists, Aga’s Little Deli and Beetroot & Beans?

I don’t see why it would - they have been selling direct to consumer for a while now.

LOL @Anotherjohn if only I had the time

I’ve been a trader for many years, and an unwritten rule is that wholesalers who also retail would keep way from their trade customers territory. That’s obviously as a matter of goodwill because they rely on regular turnover from these traders week-in-week-out.

To go against this ‘rule’ is one thing, but to jump in and take advantage of this ‘Supporting local businesses in SE23’ thread, which was specifically set up in a time of crisis for our local shops, and to use their pricing power to actually undercut and divert trade away from their customers (if that were the case) would in my opinion be beyond wrong.

I can see your points. Let’s see if you get a response.

I hope it’s only an oversight on their part - cos we’re allowed to make these little mistakes now and then.

@SophieDavis has sent this to FHTA googlegroup email, thank you:

"Hi all,

I hope everyone is managing to keep well.

Just a quick update:

Government has announced a business rate holiday for businesses in the retail, hospitality, leisure and nursery sectors. Council officers have started to amend the accounts of businesses in these sectors. Revised bills will be sent out shortly. Businesses do not have to do anything at present.

Government has also announced a retail and hospitality grant scheme. The Council will be writing to all affected businesses shortly, asking them to provide information that will confirm whether they meet the eligibility criteria. Again, businesses do not have to do anything at present.

If businesses want to get in touch with the Economy and Partnerships Team, they can email economyandpartnerships@lewisham.gov.uk or call 020 8314 3535.

Best,

Sophie"

While I agree with that principle, to be fair, Mont58 has been selling direct since at least July 2019 when they first advertised here. So this isn’t a new arrangement.

Notably Beetroot & Beans opened in something like April 2019, so would have been able to see the online shop before deciding to stock their product.

I’ve bought some of their coffee in the past, and while it’s not the cheapest, it was really good stuff. I’m tempted to get more with all this home working but need to find all the bits of my aeropress first.

But Aga’s Little Deli has been in SE23 for possibly 10 years now.
The thing is, they all might be quite happy with the arrangement but being on this particular thread just struck me as wrong and, as usual, I should have kept my nose out of it.

No way @Anotherjohn you are the FH dinosaur when it comes to local businesses in FH as you know the ins and outs from every angle and all your knowledge is always appreciated by all. I was so lucky to have you as my landlord when I had Sugar Mountain and will never forget all that you taught me. FH shops would not survive without you, You are a diamond that never takes any credit but you should

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Sure, so as an experienced retailer they probably think it is worth them selling Mont58 coffee. I hope they turn a profit from it too.

That’s possibly true as this isn’t a new delivery service from a business struggling to survive this lockdown, which feels to be more the essence of this thread. That doesn’t however mean that Mont58 isn’t struggling to survive - they must be hit as much as the shops they sell to, perhaps more if they don’t sell other products that may currently have demand.

Also note that businesses also suffer if all their suppliers go bust too.

Apologies if my post wasn’t courteous enough. I thought your post showed some insight into the seller chain and raised good points. I’m not really disagreeing with that either.

Actually @Pauline says it better than me:

Apologies and thanks from me.

Absolutely no way! I’m sorry if I made you feel like that.

Okay, I accept every point that you’ve put forward here but there’s one small final thing from me on this, which is that their post on this particular thread was, let’s say, ill-advised - especially as it also offers a 20% discount that SE23 traders wouldn’t be able to match.

But I do appreciate your courteous intervention and I wish you all the best!

Ignition Brewery!!
They just dropped off a case of beer - completely on an honour payment basis.
I don’t think it will be ongoing as they aren’t currently brewing but thought they should get a mention for being such good eggs…

But first order only. It might also be a loss leader to promote the coffee, benefiting all the outlets depending on your faith in marketing strategies

I thought they weren’t delivering anymore. Any secrets in getting a case?!

I cant remember where I saw it - maybe Instagram or an email but they had a form to fill out to show interest.
Maybe just email them and ask if they do it again to be included…

It would be very helpful if people could post when they have actually succeeded in getting a delivery from a restaurant. I have tried several that are mentioned on the Crofton spreadsheet and on this forum but they all now say not taking orders. Obviously some are giving up which is a great pity.

I replied to you on another thread to say I am willing to try and drop off food products tomorrow night to a 90yr old pensioner you are in contact with. Please let me know asap what is needed. I can drop to you to pass on or directly on their doorstep, please PM me an address and a list of what is needed, thanks.

I’ll check very early tomorrow morning.

Pauline this is very kind but I am only in contact with her family and they do not want to pass on her address. I have given them various contacts for voluntary agencies so they can contact them Many thanks

In response - we had a very nice meal delivered from Big Cheeks Thai last night.

We used Big Cheeks Thai too which was great. Lazy Peach has said on Instagram that they are starting delivery next week

Matoom has closed

Unfortunately, I am sad to inform you all that we will be closing our take-away and deliveries service as of tomorrow 6th April 2020 onwards until further notice. This is due to the shortage of staff and supplies, it will be inefficient for us to operate as a business.

Literally just had a takeaway from them yesterday!

I wish them all the best in getting back up and running once the lockdown is relaxed.

This is a Se23 tragedy

Hi all,

I hope everyone is managing to keep safe and well.

Just an update on support for small businesses from the Council:

Officers have written to businesses who are eligible for grant funding which includes retail, hospitality and leisure businesses. The business support website (https://lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/coronavirus-covid-19/business-support) has been updated with the latest information and we will shortly be launching a new online form for businesses to apply for grants easily and quickly.

Businesses are eligible for a grant of £10,000 if their rateable value is less than £15,000; or a grant of £25,000 if their rateable value is between £15,000 and £51,000.

Any business needing more information can contact the Economy & Partnerships team directly for help, support and advice on economyandpartnerships@lewisham.gov.uk & feel free to contact me for help or support (Cllr_sophie.davis@lewisham.gov.uk).

Sophie

Ordered a box of bits from Clapton Craft close to midnight last night, arrived just now. Happy bank holiday

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Happy bank holiday between 3 and 4 on Saturday… more like.

Did the same last week- ordered Friday, delivered Saturday morning!

hopefully they can reopen afterwards!?

I ordered a bouquet of flowers from yolly on Dartmouth road at 11am today; we are supposed to be in Japan getting married this week so thought we needed some colour, and these beautiful flowers just arrived! So quick and free delivery in SE23

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Yolly’s flowers are amazing and she is such a lovely person and local Mum, glad she could help today.

Hope you can have your wedding soon

This is a great way to support local businesses including those that had to close. The East Dulwich version raised £10k.

Great idea!
I tried to enter but it invited me to join Facebook, which I don’t want to do, so I wonder if you could tell me if there’s another way of getting involved please?

You can either log in through Facebook, or register for an account (no FB necessary)

I created an account using email. Similar to other crowdfunding sites.

In my mind I have won them all post shut down and am gorging.

(Polite burp)

Thank you for your help @Druidsplace and @starman - I’ve done it now.

Bummer though!

I’ve only just realised that I forgot to nominate any prize to the NHS. I don’t suppose anyone knows how I might be able to add it now? (Not that I’m expecting to win the first raffle ever in my whole 61 year old flippin life!)

Holy moly @Anotherjohn. Top man!

Well done @Anotherjohn. Wholeheartedly supporting a local initiative, big time. A true community stalwart.

Another local business I used today was Brown and Green. Really fancied their brunch that I’d normally have at the park so ordered via their website. Order to my plate at home in c. 35 mins as they deliver. It was delicious. Also topped up on their coffee beans and they also sell other provisions. Yum yum yum.

Shame the online delivery is only available within a mile of their Crystal Palace Park branch, as that excludes a large part of SE23!

I managed to get it on Woolstone road (edge of Kilmorie)… definitely more than a mile

Ah ok - that’s probably a similar distance to my place. Maybe it depends how busy they are. Might try another day!

Local stalwart Lazy Chef is also delivering.

If anyone is still looking for eggs, the newsagent next to Taaksvale in Perry Village has plenty at the moment.

The convenient shops opposite @Thehonoroakpub have eggs and potatoes if anyone needs them and they open around 6 in morning.

Beetroot and beans are doing deliveries, you can message them on 07943504181

If anyone is really stuck for eggs I have a couple of dozen and can drop a few on your doorstep when the Streets are empty.

I’m all good for food stuff ATM but will be putting in a big order with Beetroot and Beans and Aga’s if she has any cheese left next weekend to stock up with their delicious goodies

@Anotherjohn high five for buying so many raffle tickets, but it doesn’t surprise me one bit as you are such a good person and a landlord that truly cares xx Don’t tell me off for G’ing you up because you deserve it, P xx

Yolly’s flowers are the best!
her displays are exquisite.
thanks for letting me know we can order and deliver.
so sorry to hear about delayed wedding but when it happens it’ll be even more magical.

Our business owner lives in Forest Hill so we’re looking to help out local customers (and donate locally) even more than we’re doing already.
We offer home cooked family & kids meals and fresh boxes.

Hi there, appologies for not replying earlier. I have only now seen this thread. There are many important points that have been raised here and most have been discussed successfully already but it is important that I address these too:

1. First it is important to say that we are a very local indoendent small business, based in the heart of the community. We have been part of the local economy since the day we started and we care about our local area including it’s other small businesses. We have fantastic relationships with all the shops we sell to. They have ALL come on board knowing that we aslo sell our coffee online, directly to customers. The shops have been doing very well with the coffees and we have been providing them with a quick turnaround (sometimes from one day to the next) to satusfy the demand.

2. We do not undercut the shops. In most cases the prices on the website are the same as the price in the shops. The chepaer prices are for subscriptions so when a customer commits to repeat buying.

3. As a small independent business we have been hit by the current situation by the closure of cafes, which we have been supplying to and officess who have been an important source of income. So we are trying like all other small local business to make the best of the situation by increasing our other revenue streams.

4. The service we offer is different to the shops - we deliver the coffee directly to the soorstep, which has been incedibly useful for people at this time. We had also offered our customers support with getting them other thing they need if they can’t get out whle we are doing our rounds.

I hope this has put your mind at rest as to our nature and intentions. When this is all over you are very welcome to come and visit the roastery and see what we are all about.

Thanks agan for everyone’s support. It has been amazing!

Firstly, thank you for very detailed reply - it helps me to see that you are quite caring.

My problem is still that, although you’re a neighbouring business in SE6, you have spammed your canvassing into the ‘Supporting Local Businesses in SE23’ thread, which was specifically set-up to do exactly that; and the fact is that you have taken some sales away from Aga’s Little Deli and Beetroot & Beans, who, like you, are struggling during the lockdown and are also offering deliveries ‘to the doorsteps’ of their clientelle.

Obviously, I appreciate that you have your own ‘Delivering The Best Coffee in The Whole World to your Doorstep’ thread on here (BIG plug for your excellent coffee there!), and that’s kinda fair enough, albeit that I still think it’s wrong for a wholesaler to be plying for retail trade on their stockists’ patch.

Look, it is what it is, and it probably doesn’t amount to a handful of beans, (did I really say that!), but it got my back up and I had my usual moan. What’s more important to me is that we’ve had a little discussion about it and cleared the air - and I really appreciate that. Thank you.

Just wanted to add a note regarding this.

@Mont58Coffee have been a supporter of this forum and they have paid to post their topics here. As per our guidelines, SE23 businesses can create one free promo topic per year, but non-SE23 businesses have to pay a fee for theirs.

That payment helps fund the running costs of this forum - a website which gives SE23 businesses a lot of good PR.

Regarding the wholesale/retail aspect, it seems fair that a wholesaler that supplies retail might want to temporarily reach customers during a time in which retailers are closed (potentially for several months).

That’s just my opinion though and I can see your points John.

Thanks Chris - I assumed that would’ve been the case for their own thread but it was the other one that got to me.

I think there is some chance that the original poster used ‘SE23’ lightly and would have been equally happy without using it. Even if not the case I don’t see this forum as the kind of place where postcode borders are all important and threads kept on topic to this degree. According to google maps Mont58 is 110m from SE23, so imho, being unhappy with mont58 for posting on this thread because of their location is unfair.

You think?

I still don’t! But that doesn’t matter because that’s not the main issue and, anyway, it’s already been established that anyone can set-up and pay for their own exclusive thread, regadless of location; and this producer of excellent coffee set theirs up (NOTE - 13 days ago) to advertise their free to-the-doorstep delivery service of [probably] the best coffee money can buy in SE23 (and probably the World!)., which they also sell to some SE23 shops/cafes, who, in turn sell through their premises and, since the advent of C-19, to-the-doorsteps of their respective customers.
In all of my own trading relationships between wholesalers and their trade/retailer customers, the wholesaler would never offer to retail the same goods they’ve selling me (to retail to my shop customers) to people on my patch, which could be a minimum of 1 mile radius from my shop).

Okay, so their exclusive ad/thread goes against that principle - but they’ve explained that this is an accepted practice as far as their trade customers are concerned; and that’s fair enough.

But - and it’s my BIG BUTT, I mean, BUT - at the exact same time that they set-up their exclusive ad/thread, they spammed it onto the ‘Supporting local businesses in SE23’ thread, which, in my opinion, was calculated and wrong.

From your 2 posts against my opinion, together with others, I’m still the ogre here but I won’t back down on my interpretation of a little error of judgement on the part of THE ROASTING MAN WITH THE BEST TASTING COFFEE THAT YOU’LL EVER COME ACROSS (on your own doorstep, across the counter or in a cafe’s cup) IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. No hard feelings.

I guess customers ask themselves, if the coffee’s the same and the service is virtually the same, who do I want to support more, given there’s only so much coffee I can drink, no matter how nice it is? Shops with a physical high street presence that also deliver? Or a wholesaler/home delivery service that’s cheaper? In the case of physical shops, if they make it through the lock down their presence could help to revitalise our high streets by generating footfall. In the case of the wholesaler, aren’t they selling to those shops anyway? So buying from the retail shops is helping them anyway, isn’t it?

At least we’re lucky enough to have a choice. Other parts of the country don’t.

As an SE23 landlord, I’m bound to say that I want to see viable businesses on the high street, hence, ‘Supporting local businesses in SE23’ has a strong meaning and sentiment.

As someone who grew up in SE23, both in Honor Oak and Forest Hill, I still love the place and, after many years of ups-and-downs, I have watched some green shoots starting to come though which are bringing a sense of community and comradery amongst neighbouring traders back to the fore; and this has brought people back to our shops.

Obviously, with the fragility of the situation, many of these small businesses could be in very serious financial problems within two or three months of minimal opening hours and relying only on their customers’ loyalty for some home deliveries.

But, as you say, it’s for people to make their own minds up about what matters to them, pesonally, and whether they want to buy something online for the SAME price as they’d pay to have it delivered by a local SE23 shopkeeper who they might like to visit one day when this is all over.

You’ll all be pleased to know that was my final word on the matter.

Just a very gentle nudge that this thread is supposed to be about supporting local businesses.
While interesting, a debate about retail ethics is perhaps detracting a little from the purpose of the thread and might be best pursued in a thread of its own?

Get buying tickets team. I need to know what the next prize is! Over £3,500 raised so far. Bloody brilliant.

I personally will be supporting FH (SE23) businesses this next weekend except what I can only buy at the supermarkets and am looking forward to finding out what delicious treats I can get from Aga’s, Beetroot and Beans and any other independent traders in FH that are still trading or delivering, please tell me if any others are that I am not aware of.

Thanks

I just had food delivered (Malaysian belly pork And beef rendang) by Francesca from @Lazypeach! Very delicious which was what I expected. Check out her instagram account she only does delivery once a week

Just put in an order from Beetroot and Beans on D Rd and am looking forward to a fresh box of fruit and veg being delivered with a side order of cheese from Aga’s Little Deli I love FH

That sounds good. Pity it’s only once a week though!

Hi all, I left my beloved SE23 just before lockdown was announced to keep my mum company for a few weeks as she lives on her own… I’ll be coming back soon and this thread is SUPER useful as I plan which of the wonderful local businesses I can support when I do.

One question I haven’t seen asked yet – is Finches still open?

Their website suggests they are open - https://www.finchesemporium.com/ Monday to Saturday 9am to 5.30pm.

Yes, letting in 2 customers at a time and Angela and Frank are both there.

Had my wheel fixed by them last week! They are short on staff (purposely I think) but open for business, mainly servicing and repairs.

Perfect, thanks guys. Might be time to get myself a bike…

It’s great they are open to customers… but how does there service fall under essential shops?

ETA. Apparently bicycle shops are listed as essential. Fantastic.

Yep. Bike repair is a pretty essential service if your transport to essential work is a bike.

Despite the bikes in the windows, I was thinking of their snowboard and ski sales. Not so useful in London.

Goggles?

This looks like a great idea (though I haven’t read the small print):

We are offering 100% free fundraising to help businesses to secure trade by pre-selling vouchers, goods and services.*

This is a wonderful idea – I hope some of our local businesses can try and take advantage.

MEATliquor in East Dulwich is to reopen tomorrow for delivery and takeouts

Any ideas if Matoom will reopen for delivery or takeaway?

Had a great takeaway from Donde last night. And it was delivered. They are open 4 - 9 to order - 0208 291 2822.

I wonder if a 5 hour round trip to do a takeaway would be classed as an essential journey

Thanks for the tip off. Lovely takeaway from Donde on Friday. Large portions so two nights cooking covered in one. Result!

Mamma Dough is back. Lovely takeaway from here tonight. Mmmm

Looks like Whites Paint shop in Brockley Rise is now open again for Click and Collect - makeshift sign outside says you need to call to order.

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Hi all,

I hope you’re all well.

I wanted to make you aware that the Council has now launched the Lewisham Small Business Support Fund.

It will provide grants of up to £25k to local charities and SMEs who haven’t been supported by previous grant schemes (it is designed to help those who have fallen through the gaps of previous schemes

You can find more information, including on eligibility and the application process here - https://lewisham.gov.uk/smallbusinesssupportfund

Note that applications close on 29th June.

If you need any specific help, feel free to email me.

Sophie

Just got an email from Matoom… good news for them…

We would like to notify you that we will be changing our opening hours as of the 4th July. We will be opening every Wednesday to Sunday - 2pm until 10pm.

Last night was the very first time we reopened for takeaways and deliveries since the lockdown. It was extremely busy! Thank you all for supporting us during this strange time.

Matoom team

Interesting to see who is opening for indoors and who isn’t.
Babur is opening Thursday 9 July with indoor seating (obviously lower capacity).
On wlak today I saw that Pizza Arte corner of Brockley Rise / Stanstead Rd. But Cafe 41 is take away only as is the Oak Cafe. I imagine it will be quite fluid for a couple of weeks.

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Canvas and Cream are open for indoor seating and lunches from today - a lot of tables have been removed to maintain social distancing. They’re running a slightly lighter menu but otherwise usual quality and service resumed

Anyone know when St Davids/Browns of Brockley reopening?
Thats our go to for weekend brunch

On the Hoof is open outside Forest Hill Station. But gone inside. Like completely gone. Seating is now where the hut was.

That’s a shame

For those that missed the events of March. On The Hoof Forest Hill Platform 1 fire - #5 by ForestHull

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How did I miss that? What happened?

Still unclear sadly

I was wondering that too and then realised I haven’t been on the platform for about 4 months. That’s probably why!

Hopefully people use the 50% discount to support local businesses.

Yes. In August from Monday to Wednesday up to a £10 maximum.

£10 per person

…and applies to participating restaurants, cafés, and pubs…

I do hope there isn’t too much red tape to make this difficult for smaller businesses to participate too.

Probably a nice “little” administration fee to get accepted…

Good to see a few local restaurants have signed up for this scheme including some local favourites - Babur, Canvas and Cream, Big Cheeks, The Teapot, Dartmouth Arms and Sfizio. I can already feel my waist line getting stretched in August!

Full list can be found here: https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/eat-out-to-help-out/find-a-restaurant/results?postcode=SE23+3HB

Also Piazza della cucina have signed up so another excellent restaurant to choose from.

I was hoping they might but they’re not listed on the Gov website… Good to hear!!

I hope all SE23 businesses have taken advantage of this grant(not loan), have Lewisham council promoted it as hard as Brent ?

If only we had a swimming pool that was owned by the council that needs funds to open…

What relevance is the swimming pools,did you even read the article ?
This is Government money in grants available from the council for local businesses.

I read quite a lot about these from Lewisham communications when launched and saw mentions across social media. Yet when I spoke to a local business they were unaware.

I’d suggest if people were comfortable with it to mention it to businesses. Word of mouth is powerful.

Because the Lewisham gyms (aka local businesses) have not reopened and it is believed to be a funding/contract issue (aka they want more money like a grant…).

Forest Hill pools are run by Fusion Corporation in the name of Lewisham Council which is not a local business,also if you had bothered to read the article you would have seen it is also available to businesses that have NOT closed during the crisis.

So you are saying Fusion isn’t local? If you bothered to read the article it doesn’t matter if they stayed open

FUSION LIFESTYLE

Unit 2-4, Bickels Yard. 151–153 Bermondsey St, London, SE1 3HA

Brick Brewery up in Horniman for a pint on a park bench.

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Love a bit of Brick! Probably my favourite SE London brewery.

We took advantage of that last night. It was a beautiful evening. There were well spaced groups of people drinking, eating and chatting in the gardens enjoying the heat and lovely views across London. We are very lucky to have access to this beautiful, well managed space.

Rude!

Nadia, I am sorry if you thought I was rude. The point I was trying to get over to John was that Forest Hill swimming pools are a Leisure service provided by Lewisham Council not a local business in SE23.
I would hope the council can get funds from the Government to reopen the pools but not from this particular coronavirus fund.
I was involved in a business which traded successfully in Forest Hill for 50 years so can appreciate the difficulties this crisis has created.

This sounds lovely. Do you happen to know if the Brick pop-up was a one off or is it a permanent feature?

It is still there now if you want to pop up for a sneaky pint!

I did and it was delightful highly recommend!

I just ordered some online - they deliver for free ‘locally’ which includes SE23

3 posts were split to a new topic: Looking for commercial premises for independent record shop