The White Pepper

Fabulous fashion retailer The White Pepper offer an expanding variety of vintage and short run fashion pieces which are taking the blogosphere by storm.

 

The brand started life in 2011 as a Tumblr site inspired by East London street style. Founders Jade and Katy’s focus on styling, editorial and lookbook shots quickly transformed into a boutique on ASOS Marketplace, offering a solid selection of choice vintage wear and quality pieces from independent manufactures. From the popularity of this marketplace site, The White Pepper online store was born.

Today, the vintage wing of The White Pepper (which was of particularly high quality) has become slightly eclipsed as the brand continues to develop its own-brand capsule collection, which is designed in-house at their studios in Hackney. This line is particularly noteworthy, however, and takes inspiration from their street style roots, with quirky, individualistic styling that is urban and cosmopolitan. There is also a classic, coordinated slant to The White Pepper’s style, however. Quality fabrics meet tailored lines and timeless shapes to create popular, attire that will not fade or date. Expect a muted colour palette of cool pastels and monochrome, combined with oversized, casual pieces with a hint of androgyny. Think chunky knits, brothel creepers and smock dresses.

The White Pepper collection is available to buy online, or you can find them at Topshop’s flagship store. You can also buy directly from their East London studio on one of their “open door Saturdays”. Prices are not always cheap, and they rarely have sales, but the quality is very high, and each piece is a true investment.

http://www.thewhitepepper.com/

Lily Vanilli

Lily Vanilli is one of London’s premier artisan bakers, offering quality cakes with innovative flavours and sumptuously creative designs. She opened her first bakery on Columbia Road in East London in 2011, and a star-studded client list, two books and a cake and cocktail private members club swiftly followed.

All this success sprang from humble beginnings. Lily (real name Lily Jones) initially started baking as a way to make ends meet after a change in career, selling her delectable wares at a local market. Today, however, her recipes feature in broadsheet newspapers, and her cakes can be found at events held by the likes of the V&A Museum, Lulu Guinness, Hello Kitty and Elton John. 

Part of the draw of Lily Vanilli’s creations can clearly be attributed to their beauty and visual intrigue. Towers of sponge are enveloped in perfect icing, and decorated with a wave of fruit, flowers and glitter. Slabs of chocolate are piled high and sprayed with gold (or painted with leopard prints!) to create some intimidatingly perfect cocoa castle. Equally vital in the notability of these cakes, however, is the unusual, curious and innovative mix of flavours, and the perfection of her recipes. Alongside perfectly crumbly pasty and feather-light sponge is the fusion of alcohol (see her chocolate hot toddy tarts), shards of sugar glass and crystallised flowers, all utterly faultless and incredibly well-honed. All this success is particularly impressive when one considers that Lily has had no formal culinary training.

  

As well as all this, Lily has also published two books, both of which offer real insight into how to be more creative and accurate with baking. Sweet Tooth, her most recent book, really goes into the science of baking – why you should have a clean dry bowl when making meringues, the difference using bicarbonate of soda and baking powder has on baking, and how long exactly you should leave a cake in the tin while it is cooling, for example. The book also looks deeply into the history and culture of baking, as well as offering a wide range of interesting technique and flavour combinations to experiment with at home. Lily’s first book, A Zombie Ate My Cupcake, is conversely more fun and quirky, offering B-movie themed baking, with severed finger and bullet wound cupcakes the order of the day.

Lily Vanilli offers a refreshingly creative, accurate and ballsy spin on baking in a world where chintz, simplicity and the British Bake Off reign supreme. Book her bespoke cake design service or cake canapés for occasions and events, or try out her recipes for yourself by purchasing one of her books. For the quintessential Lily Vanilli experience, however, get yourself down to her teeny bakery, with its rustic charm, small courtyard and exquisite sugary delights.

http://www.lilyvanilli.com/

Ray Stitch

Founded by Rachel Hart in 2008, Ray Stitch started life as an online store, offering a “one-stop shop
for fabrics and haberdashery”. A narrow but immaculately presented store in Islington quickly followed in 2011, with fabric upon fabric folded two meters high, like the well-organised wardrobe of a sultan.

Ray Stitch offers a good selection of fabrics, from felt to flannel, organza to organic wool. They have a wide selection of designer and sustainable fabrics, offering both the “virtuous and the beautiful”. They also have classic vintage-style haberdashery staples such as tape measures and pinking shears from Merchant and Mills Notions, guidance books and magazines, embroidery patterns focusing on themes including Chihuahuas, cow girls and voodoo skulls, and an almost inexhaustible selection of thread and ribbons.

Perhaps the biggest draw of Ray Stitch, however, is the vast selection of patterned fabric they offer in a variety of interesting, attractive, usual, and most importantly of all modern designs. Anyone who has studied textiles or attempted forays into the world of dress-making will tell you it is hard work sourcing quality materials in modern patterns. All too often a visit to a fabric shop yield little more than dreadfully old fashioned, garish prints fit only for caravan curtains in the 1970s. Patterns from Ray Stitch however are attractive, cute, and most importantly wearable - the Japanese prints in particular are utterly divine, featuring themes as broad as rodeo scenes, birch trees and anthropomorphic mice. There are also large print patterns ideal for upholstery, some of which literally take up meters of space.

 

In addition to the sale of their wears, Ray Stitch hold a range of sewing classes for anyone from children through to advanced adult. Classes focus on a variety of innovative and useful concepts, from a beginners guide to the sewing machine, to creating roman blinds and curtains, teenager after school dressmaking and how to recreate your favourite garment. Classes are held regularly in store with sewing machines, drinks and snacks. One to one classes are also available. 

Ray Stitch is open Tuesday to Sunday, and has very reasonable delivery charges for online customers. They have a constantly revolving stock line, with new items in most weeks (a new favourite of mine being the elegant French patterns from Deer and Doe). And like all good places, they even have an in-store café, which sells coffee and homemade cakes throughout the day – fabulous.

http://www.raystitch.co.uk/

Technology Will Save Us

Fully ensconced in the hippest part of the East London scene is Technology Will Save Us – a bright new company that works to encourage people to be more creative with technology through interactive products and workshops.

Technology Will Save Us are essentially a hard-wear kit company, but with a fun twist that aims to inspire and encourage better relations with technology. Founded 18 months ago by wife and husband team Bethany Koby and Daniel Hirshman, the idea behind Technology Will Save Us is to offer a “haberdashery for technology” providing all the tools you need to make devises from scratch.

 

Koby and Hirshman developed the company ethos after being shocked to find a fully charged, useable laptop in a skip. The pair cleaned it up and donated it to charity, but were incensed by the throwaway culture many of us now have towards what is still marvellously impressive technology. They determined that in our modern, post-recession society we often cherish our own creations, while consuming and disposing of purchases rapidly. Giving people the tools and knowledge to create and fix technology (much like many already do with sewing or baking) would make people much more likely to reuse rather than repurchase.

 

Technology Will Save Us offer kits that will allow you to create a variety of clever technological feats, included DIY speakers, plant thirst detectors and synthesisers, as well as vital “make to and mend” basics such as soldering kits. These kits provide the equipment to create cool, clever devices that you will want to own, use, or even better create yourself.  

As well as offering the tools to create hardware from scratch, Technology Will Save Us are dedicated to helping people with the on-going process of learning how to create this technology for themselves. They hold regular workshops and events at venues throughout London, from House of Wolf to the Google Campus, to their own HQ in South Hackney. Workshops offer a fully integrated classes, providing attendees with a kit alongside the perfect combination of guidance and independent learning. Sessions usually last an hour or two, and mixed abilities are welcome. And you even get a cocktail to enjoy throughout the session.

 

Technology Will Save Us kits start from a very reasonable £12.50. Each kit is fun to make, presumes no prior knowledge, and are available to buy online or through various outlets in East London such as Rough Trade East and TWSU HQ. Remote help creating your technology is readily available through FAQs and downloadable user guides.

http://technologywillsaveus.org/

Biscuiteers

  Biscuiteers are a fantastically popular independent mail-order bakery creating beautiful hand-iced biscuits. Perfect for practically any occasion, Biscuiteers are attempting to create the idea of biscuits as a touching and personal gift, indeed, “why send flowers when you can send biscuits?”

Set up by husband and wife team Steve Congdon and Harriet Hastings in 2007, Biscuiteers was practically an overnight success. The company went from setting up their first bakery in September 2007 to stocking Selfridges by January 2008, and they are now also stocked by Fortnum and Mason, Harrods and Liberty. They have even created bespoke biscuits for the likes of Mulberry and Charlotte Olympia.

Just one glimpse at the Biscuiteers range explains their unquenchable popularity, however. These artisan icers use old-fashioned techniques to great effect, and the detail in each biscuit is exquisite. The sheer range of biscuits readily available to buy is also staggering. Pre-made tins are themed around new babies, thank yous, good luck and get well soon wishes, and of course wedding gifts. There are also clever and quirky themed tins, focusing on subjects such as tools, London, cupcakes, best in show, lingerie and creepie crawlies, along with short run seasonal themes, (most recently focusing on David Bowie and Easter respectively). Each collection comes in a gorgeous themed tin of either nine or 16 biscuits, and smaller biscuit selections are offered in dainty illustrated cardboard boxes.

Recently, the company opened their first boutique and icing café, based on Kensington Park Road in Notting Hill. Here, you can drop in a pick up a biscuit or ten, or you can even decorate your own biscuit card to take home with you. The café also hosts icing parties, which are ideal for a hen weekend or birthday celebration. They even do children’s icing sessions at half-term, where the kids get an icing lesson, an apron, a certificate, and a selection of biscuits to take home.

 The Biscuiteers’ boutique is open seven days a week, or you can order their whole range online for next day delivery. As well as biscuits, you can also pick up hand made chocolates and hand iced cakes, and they even do a special decorated cupcake for one, which comes in the post in its own illustrated box. They also sell a variety of tools for budding bakers, and you can buy their very own book, Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits, which is full of inspirational ideas for your own icing experiments. And for any four-legged fanciers out there, they even make hand-iced dog biscuits.

http://www.biscuiteers.com/

Present and Correct

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Founded in 2008, Present and Correct are purveyors of classic, practical and utterly stylish stationary. The company started off life as an online enterprise, but they now have a marvellous little shop in Clerkenwell offering considered “office sundries for the modern workplace”.

Swoon-worthy for anyone who uses a pen on a regular basis, this store is sheer love at first sight for stationary addicts. Present and Correct have quickly developed a strong reputation as a one-stop-shop for functional yet beautifully designed stationary and desk work accessories, which are sourced from around the world, and include every type of stationary item imaginable. Mundane products such as desk calendars, jotters, stamp sets, desk tidies, post pack and parcel labels are represented in the collection, but there are also more crafty items such as ribbon, coloured tape, chalks and pencils, alongside curios such as antique type writers, soviet crayon sets and brass scissors.

Complete aesthetes curate the store’s collection, as there store’s Pinterest and Facebook accounts make quite clear. Inspired by innovative ideas and clever artists, the Present and Correct stock embraces simple, clean designs with traditional materials and splashes of vivid colour. Items are influenced by geometric shapes, classic typography and vintage logos and illustrations, fusing marvellously the visual taste of distant memories with the clean brightness of the here and now.

Present and Correct is ideal for anyone who creates, and allows you to look at the mundane and the practical in a deliciously innovative yet familiar new light. Visit the shop if you can, especially if you are a vintage stationary nut, or are searching for stationary items that cannot be found elsewhere. Otherwise you could check out their online store.

http://www.presentandcorrect.com/

Analogue Books

 Analogue Books is an independent bookshop specialising in independently published books and magazines. Owned by Julie Nicoll and Russell Ferguson, Analogue Books was first established in Edinburgh in 2001, and recently relocated to their charming new premises in the city on Candlemaker Row.

 The focus of Analogue Books is art and design related publications, covering a whole throng of sub-topics including architecture, graphic design, illustration and fashion. The predominant focus of the store is book publications, but the shop also houses an impressive array of indie magazines and zines (many of which are published in-house), along with short run graphic prints and the odd record. They also include staple titles from the likes of Lawrence King publications et al., but Nicoll and Ferguson centre much of their time and energy into sourcing books from the more obscure independent publishers such as Nobrow and Seems, as well as acquiring books from artists directly. There is also a real local tilt to Analogue Books. While some work is sourced from overseas, most items sold within their walls are UK based, and indie, are predominately focused on local Scottish talent, such as the work by the utterly captivating The Lindstrom Effect.

 As well as their retail arm, Analogue Books also plays host to a variety of events and exhibitions. Graffiti artists, screen-printers and illustrators have exhibited in the teeny galley out back in exciting and curious ways, and have even added their works to the interior design of the store. Artist exhibitions have included the marvellous Tom Gauld, who creates now weekly cartoons for The Guardian, and local artist Matt Swan, who recently added some original artwork to the store’s doorway.

 Analogue Books is a real treasure trove of independent art books, and has added hugely to the creative scene in Edinburgh over is 10+ years. Its collection of odd, beautiful, thought-provoking and subtle publications allow one to discover some of the latest movers and shakers in the art and design world, especially at a local level. They also have an efficient online store for those of you who cannot make it up to Edinburgh anytime soon.

http://www.analoguebooks.co.uk/

Morelli’s Gelato

 Established by an Italian immigrant in 1907, Morelli’s offers some of the richest, creamiest gelato the seaside has to offer. Giuseppe Morelli started his business over 100 years ago selling home made ice creams from the back of his push bike. This bike eventually turned into a van, and finally, 1932, Morelli set up his ice cream parlour in Broadstairs, Kent, on a cliff high above the sea. 

The shop remains to this day, and features grand art deco interiors that evoke a lost hay-day in English seaside culture. Indeed, part of Morelli’s charm is its atmosphere. Presiding as it does over the well-kept Viking Bay, the interior of Morelli’s includes pink leatherette booths, a jukebox and a soda fountain, which obviously has a charismatic, retro glamour. 

The real appeal behind Morelli’s however is the sheer quality of the ice cream on offer. Morelli’s ice cream is velvety soft, silky, and very different to industrial, mass-produced ice creams. All Morelli’s ice creams are made from fresh, natural ingredients chosen for their taste and quality. These ingredients combine to make hand-made ice cream, fresh everyday and formulated to a signature family recipe by Morelli’s special ice cream chef. Supposedly the gelato is milk based, which as well as being healthier and easier to digest, carries flavours better, for a crisper, more robust taste. Certainly, this is a heritage brand that clearly knows a good ice cream from the inside out.

Morelli’s have also offered a huge range of flavours over the years, and will typically have at least 30 in the store at anyone time. As well classics such as strawberry, chocolate and vanilla, there is caramel, lemon, coconut, cherry, pistachio and mango. If you eat in, you can also choose from a delectable range of ice cream sundaes, all served in fabulous cut glass goblets. And the choice? How about Banana Spilts, Knickerbocker Glories, Amaretto Cherry Sundaes and Rum Babas to get your mouth watering.

Today, Morelli’s has been taken over by Giuseppe’s great granddaughter Bibi, who has seen Morelli’s go from strength to strength. In 2003, Morelli’s opened a franchise counter in Harrods, selling the same excellent, freshly prepared ice cream as that in Kent. Morelli’s have also recently opened new stores in luxurious foreign climbs, including Monaco and Dubai. You can even have Morelli’s gelato delivered in insulated packs to your own home, or have a Morelli’s ice cream cart at a special event.

For the true Morelli’s experience though, you simply must head down to the seaside, and enjoy your ice cream from a cone whilst soaking up some sea air and faded charm.

http://www.morellisgelato.com/

West Berkshire Brewery

Founded in 1995, this microbrewery based in Yattendon in Berkshire offers “real ales” using traditional brewing techniques, available for home consumption and licensed trade. Run by Dave and Helen Maggs, this husband and wife team have seen the brewery go from strength to strength in recent years, increasing their output by over 250% since the company’s inception. The brewery has experienced success in their field since their early days, however, with the Maggs’ winning their first award within a year of operation. The brewery has won over 25 awards in all over their 17 year history.
 

West Berkshire Brewery has built up a good reputation based on their high quality beers, good customer service and niche market, independent values. The Maggs’ really know their stuff when it comes to beer – they are consummate brewing professionals with a micro approach to sales, marketing and industry. Everything from their bottles to the names of the beers, to the places the beers are sold is thought out with their brand’s specific market in mind. West Berkshire Brewery beers have thus a perfect market position, appealing to crusty real ale fans and younger drinkers alike. Indeed, there is a greener market discovering the flavours of traditional brews at present, and WBB’s clean, quirky labels with just a hint of traditionalism appeal well to this set. As such, you can find WBB beers all over the county (and beyond), from gig venues and student watering holes in Reading to gastro-pubs in the sticks. The beers all have marvellous names as well for that added kick of indie charm, including “Old Father Thames”, “Good Old Boy” and “Dr. Hexter’s Healer”. They also do special edition beers, including one for last year’s royal wedding, another planned for the diamond jubilee. They even have a limited edition beer of the month – April 2012’s is the fantastic “Pig and Tea”, a dark beer with hints of coffee and chocolate. 

West Berkshire Brewery make malty, full-bodied bitters, milds and ales, available in casks, bottles and polypins, all of which are available to mail-order online. They also have a brewery shop where you can purchase t-shirt, bar towels and glasses, amongst other things. The brewery also acquired The Rising Sun pub in Stockcross in 2005, which won the CAMRA Berkshire pub of the year award in 2007. The brewery also has strong environmental ethos, employing sustainable brewing techniques and business attitudes, sourcing their resources locally when possible, and supporting the local economy. Cheers!

http://www.wbbrew.com/next.html

Clara Francis

Jewellery designer Clara Francis creates beautiful, intricate and delicate necklaces, bracelets and earrings from thousands of tiny glass beads. These opulent and luxurious yet subtle creations take distinct inspiration from the British countryside – of 1930s’ studies of flora and fauna, of old watercolours and line drawing studies. There is a certain eclectic vintage charm in each Clara Francis piece – a bit Dr. Parnassus, a bit Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, vague gothic and faintly magical. Think foxgloves, sleeping beauties, hummingbirds, hot air balloons, dark woodlands, ornate gilded frames and wax seals.

After working as an actress for a number of years, Francis picked up jewellery making – initially just designing for friends and family, and then moving on to having her own stall at Spitalfields fashion market. She is entirely self-taught, and initially all her jewellery was crafted by Francis herself. She now heads up a team of five highly skilled assistants, developing all the designs herself. 

From such humble beginnings on a market stall, Clara Francis’ jewellery has now skyrocketed to dizzying heights. Harvey Nichols snapped up her first official collection, and her pieces have also been exhibited at London Fashion Week. Even more excitingly, Francis was recently invited by the Victoria and Albert Museum to design a piece for their exhibition “Cherry on the Cake”, along with many other prestigious designers including the talented and eccentric Grayson Perry. This had led to sterling coverage in the likes of Vogue, Marie Clare, Grazia, Cosmopolitan and Elle, as well as a celebrity fan base including the very hip Alexa Chung.

Clare Francis pieces range from £60 - £250. Each item is handmade in London, and takes anywhere between 3 and 22 hours to make, so you really are investing in a skilled crafts-person’s time. Each item is a piece art and fashion that will never date or age, making for an ideal present for a birthday or anniversary, or as a personal reward for a promotion perhaps.

http://www.clarafrancis.co.uk/openingpage.html