129 - Meet Mano and Richie đđ
Meet Mano & Richie đ
If youâve read the Localist for any amount of time, youâll know weâre big fans of this cityâs coffee shopsâwhich is why we were stoked to have the owners of Wortley Villageâs newest cafĂ© sign up as patrons last year.
In addition to running Sidetrack: A Wortley CafĂ©, Mano Majumdar and Richie Bloomfield are both actively mentoring entrepreneurs across this city and have deep roots in Londonâs sustainable food and startup scenes...which becomes pretty obvious as you read along!
1. Whatâs one of Londonâs best-kept secrets? âïž đ±
Mano: The Tea Haus (Covent Garden Market, upper floor) is easily one of the best tea stores in the country. Their walls are lined with jars of carefully labelled and thoughtfully described loose leaf, and the owners and staff are knowledgeable and passionate about all of it. If you like to purchase your Darjeeling by estate and flush, this is the place for you.
Â
Richie: I'm not just saying this because I'm involved with it (truly!), but Urban Roots London, tucked away near a great hiking spot, Meadowlily Woods, is a wonderful location to visit and pick up fresh produce on market days, or if you're looking to get your hands dirty and connect with community, we offer a lot of volunteer opportunities too.
__
2. Whatâs your favourite way to spend a Saturday in London? âïž đ
M: Before COVID-19, visiting The Tea Haus for a pot of tea, preferably shared. Then, on the way out of the market, stocking up on tea, cheese, meat, produce, and spices from shops that specialise in them, all under one roof.
Â
R: Making the rounds through any one of London's neighbourhoods in the core (OEV, Old North, Old South, Woodfield etc!) - great opportunity to get some shopping done at local businesses or eat your way through all the amazing local restaurants.
__
3. Tell us about the last London thing you recommended to friends. âïž âïž
M: Eldon House & Gardens, which was built in 1834 by Amelia and John Harris, a founding power couple of London. Amelia and John moved to London when it was still a village, and helped establish its first library as well as St Paul's Church. Since John was London's first Postmaster-General and WFH is timeless, Eldon House was also London's first post office. Eldon is an easily overlooked cultural gem and a solid way to spend a summer afternoon if you like heritage, history, and horticulture.
Â
R: Walking in the Coves. A beautiful piece of nature in the heart of the city. Sometimes you can forget that you are still in the city. Recently somebody recommended Zine Fiends to meâtheyâre a collective introducing Londoners to the zine medium.
__
4. What are you looking forward to in London this year? đœ đ±
M: The Gathering on the Green, if it proves possible to have! I was involved in organising last year and the cancellation was a letdown. I also recently moved into Wortley Village, so I am looking forward to exploring all the restaurants my new neighbourhood has to offer.
R: In London, we're lucky to have an abundance of green space where we can connect with nature. I want to keep spending more time in these spaces, thinking about what forms of care and maintenance we can provide to all who share this space with us.
__
5. Who should Londoners be paying attention to? đ©ș
M: Their mum, and Dr. Theresa Tam.
Â
R: There are a lot of incredible organizations in this city doing important environmental work and I would recommend London Environmental Network as a great place to start to get connected to them! Also, London's Pretty Cool podcast, which interviews different businesses/persons/bands in LondonâŠ.and Dr. Theresa Tam.
This week's edition of The Localist made possible by the kind support of:
Our Sponsors:
CityMatch
Our Patrons:
Sameer Vasta, Mike Donachie, Heenal Rajani, Rebecca Minielly, web.isod.es, Scott Webb, Black Coffee, Earmark, Rachel Berdan, Shawn Adamsson, London Bicycle CafĂ©, Paul Seale, Alec Dowell, Dan Hall, Kelly Ziegner, Cedric Richards, Skylar Franke,Ellen Husk, Arielle Kayabaga, Kevin May, Erin Naylor, Don Minato, Ethan Halko, Phronk Editors Emeritus: Jon Clemens, Titus Ferguson, Steve MacDouell, Rebecca Minielly, Kevin Van Lierop Â
Editors: James Kingsley, Kendra Matheson
To ensure the ongoing development, growth, and delivery of this publication:Â
Become a Patron  đ  Forward to a friend