Conrad & Co.

With the shy sun, the unreliable weather and the altogether unpredictable summer in this country, it’s no wonder Londoners are waiting, hoping and praying for a sunny day. Preferably over the weekend! And what better way of enjoying these rare rays of sunshine than spending such days in the park, at the lake or even in your garden? There’s not much we need really – good weather, good friends, some nice food, couple of beers and a picnic blanket.

 

Which brings me to the reason I’ve started this post. The Sclater Street Stalls team is thrilled to present Conrad & Co, an East London based textile company specialising in hand woven and hand finished cotton throws. Conrad and Co celebrates traditional craftsmanship. Their soft cotton throws are hand-loomed in the same way they have been for centuries. An unique and authentic product which can be used as a table linen, picnic blanket, beach towel or just a light throw; virtually anything, much like the thneed, for all of you who are familiar with The Lorax, only better.

Conrad and Co. will join us at Sclater Street Stalls on Saturday, 19th July so don’t miss out. Nad meanwhile go ahead and follow them on Twitter.

Written by: Manny Gyumova 

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Truffleicious

When it comes to food, especially chocolate I have always believed, it is a form of art in it’s own right. And I can’t think of a better person to prove my point than Jan Steele, who, as it happens, is an extremely talented artist, a renowned chef and the creator of possibly the most delicious Belgian chocolate truffles you will ever taste.
Jan Steele has an impressive career behind her: from catering for corporate events, dinner parties, weddings and polo functions to cooking for the Al Fayed family at their private residences.
After working in an exciting yet fast paced and stressful environment for many years, Jan decided to dedicate her many talents to painting, photography and making chocolate truffles, for which I personally will be forever grateful.

To create her chocolate magic, Jan uses her own recipes – no preservatives, additives or extra sugar; only natural ingredients of highest quality. What you wouldn’t find in the recipe book however, is what makes her truffles unique – years of experience, constant strive for perfection and immense talent.

Jan will be with us at Sclater Street Stalls on Saturday 19th July offering visitors a piece of her enchanted world of aesthetic art and exquisite chocolate and we couldn’t be more excited to have her as a part of our wonderful team (I know I was punching the air like a 4 year-old who’s just been given… well… chocolate).

Written by: Manny Gyumova

Cat Food

Starting my latest post on our newest stall holder, I realise I’ve been writing quite a lot about desserts and sweets lately, but you’ll all agree, a girl has to follow her heart.

And right now my heart is overwhelmed with love for Cat Food, which is the name Catrin Owen has chosen for her cupcake business.

Amongst all desserts out there, cupcakes have got to be my favourite. Why? Because it’s a cake but with the size of a cup! If made properly cupcakes taste and look divinely. Which is the first word that comes to mind when I think of Cat Food’s cupcakes.

I’m not entirely sure what a recipe from Catrin’s cupcake book reads like but I would imagine there’s a generous amount of fairy dust and rainbows involved. What I do know is that Cat puts a lot of heart and personality into her work and this is what makes Cat Food the unique and special brand it is.

And just how unique and special is it?… Well, we’re talking about a lady who loves coffee, comic books and Hello Kitty; learnt how to bake vegan and gluten free because she believes everyone deserves a cupcake and uses a fifty year old mixer inherited by her man’s nana. So, I’d say pretty unique and pretty special.

Cat will be with us at Sclater Street Stalls on Saturday, 19th July. Meanwhile, go ahead and feast your eyes on some of the delicious pictures she’s regularly tweeting.

Written by: Manny Gyumova

The Ribman

Sclater Street Stalls’ team is thrilled to introduce a man who needs no introduction. He calls himself The Ribman. We call him the Don of Ribs. We can say a lot about Mark Gevaux, the man behind the brand. We can tell you that he has almost 12 thousand followers on Twitter; that he’s been featured on virtually every UK food related online platform; that he won the honorary Young British Foodie award in 2012. Yes, we can say all that but we’ll keep it simple here and we’ll just quote The Ribman’s own stall banner ‘Best Ribs In London’. And that simply says it all.

The Ribman will be spoiling Sclater Street Stalls’ visitors on Saturday, 19th July, so pop by and try the ribs people travel from across London (and beyond) for.

Written by: Manny Gyumova

 

Daria Nadasan

The Sclater Street Stall’s team is thrilled to present emerging artist Daria Nadasan.
Using acrylic paints Daria captures on her canvasses not just sights but feelings and moments, expressing her warm and romantic outlook on life through her work.

Although Daria has grown up surrounded by artists, her mum being the most influential and inspiring, she is fairly new to the art world, exhibiting her work for the very first time with none else but yours truly. And we couldn’t be more excited to have her on board.

Daria has travelled across Europe, many of the sights she’s seen are captured in her work, but she’s chosen to stay here because this is where she feels most artistically inspired.
So let’s show this young talent the love and support we’re perfectly capable of giving and more importantly, the love and support she fully deserves.
Daria will be selling originals as well as prints and cards at Sclater Street Stalls on Saturday, 19th July, one of the many reasons for you to visit us.

Written by: Manny Gyumova

Sucrette

 

Although my prone to fast growing bottom might disagree, without a doubt, the best part of writing an article on food is the process of forming informed opinion. We all know what that means… I’m all about new experiences and trying new things. And by trying I mean tasting and by things I mean food! Add a spoonful of sugar (whoop whoop Mary Poppins) to the equation and you’ll have the key to my heart.

Speaking of my favourite things in the world, the newest addition to this very exclusive list, and incidentally to the Sclater Street Stalls’ amazing team, is the Shoreditch based patisserie ‘Sucrette’.

The mind, heart, soul and talent behind ‘Sucrette’ is the French-Caribbean goddess of baking (sorry Nigella) – Anaïs Mirval. Anaïs bakes everything from small bites like macarons to tarts and cakes but her specialities are canelés and financiers. For those of you who like me might need to google those two, Anaïs explains that ‘canelés, from the Bordeaux region, are tender custard pastries with a caramelized crust while financiers are bars of crunchiness brought by nuts and moistness brought by browned butter.’ Yummy!!!

You like the sound of it? Wait till you actually taste Sucrette’s specialities. Saturday 19th July at Sclater Street Stalls. You’ll fall in love! Whether you are fussy about your desserts or much like me you just want to stuff your face with delicious pastry, Sucrette definitely will not disappoint.

All cakes are made with seasonal fruit and always fresh ingredients. Anaïs’s innovative concept brings together street food and gourmet patisserie. The result is a fresh, creamy and fruity fusion of textures that will blow you away.

Don’t forget to like Sucrette’s page on Facebook and follow them on Twitter or go and check out their website: www.sucrette.co.uk

Written by: Manny Gyumova

Yvonne Wayling

Fancy decorated glass bottles might not be news, but Yvonne Wayling puts her own artistic twist on it. Yvonne is the newest addition to our exciting and extremely talented team of artists at Sclater Street Stalls. Her unique technique of spray painting can turn every regular (boring) glass bottle into a work of art. It doesn’t really matter if you’re a regular boozer (such as myself according to my friends), an occasional drinker (such as myself according to my online dating account) or a non-drinker (such as myself according to what I tell my parents), I guarantee you’ll fall in love with Yvonne’s stunning spray painted bottles.

Yvonne’s innovative art can be seen on many different mediums. Using spray paint and stencils she creates unique works, each piece individually painted on mediums as decadent as champagne bottles, tables, skateboards and guitars as well as traditional canvas. Her larger canvas work images are layered to give further and unexpected depth to portraiture and scenes of angels. Ultimately, the works that Yvonne produces strive to be beautiful, unique and exquisite.
Yvonne has exhibited with David Bray, Ben Oakley, Ray Richardson, Rowan Newton, Rugman, Asboluv, Pam Glew, Carne Griffiths, Lost Souls. Yvonne’s work is regularly on show at the Ben Oakley Gallery and also shown in locations such as the Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, West Bank Gallery, the Urban Barrier and numerous London pop-ups. Her work is currently on display in Far Rockaway on Curtain Road in London’s Shoreditch.

So, regardless of what your favourite drink is, Champagne, Vodka, Whisky, Gin, Wine… ribena or water, why not have it in your very own, one of a kind bottle. Whether you keep it empty on the shelf, or store your favourite ‘elixir’ in it, Yvonne’s beautifully painted bottles are a unique way of bringing exquisite art into your home… and liquor cabinet.

And if you want something extraordinary for your wall, you can choose from Yvonne’s impressive collection of breathtaking canvases.

Yvonne is only one of the many artists who will be gracing our market on Slater Street with their talent and creativity. So make sure you swing by on 19th July. Meanwhile, don’t forget to follow Yvonne on Twitter and like her on Facebook.

written by: Manny Gyumova

Vintage Bean Cafe

In my long experience as a coffee and cake (especially cake) enthusiast, Vintage Bean Cafe is by far one of the cutest little places I’ve had the pleasure to encounter. Actually, I take ‘little’ back. Because when people have invented the ‘more to it than meets the eye’ expression, surely they must’ve had Vintage Bean Cafe in mind.
With a beautiful back garden and surprisingly spacious yet very cosy basement floor, the artsy Brick Lane coffee shop has quickly became my favourite place to hang out in East London. Whether I’m after a nice cup of coffee or tea, a fresh sandwich or a slice (or two) of delicious homemade cake, this is, without a doubt, the place to go.
And talking about these cakes… the carrot cake is a must. When Lenka (Vintage Bean Cafe’s proud owner) told me, rather boldly, that her carrot cake is the best carrot cake I’ll ever taste, I have to say, I was more than sceptical. Now, I’m not the one to exaggerate… and neither was Lenka.
The good news is, Vintage Bean Cafe is open 7 days a week,
Monday to Friday 8 am – 7 pm
Saturday and Sunday 10 am – 7 pm,
so why don’t you swing by, 8 Cheshire Street, E2 6EH, just off Brick Lane, and have a look for yourself.
The even better news is, Vintage Bean Cafe will be holding a stall at our amazing upcoming market on Sclater Street, where our visitors can have a piece of the pure perfection that Lenka’s homemade cakes are whilst enjoying all the other treats we’ve sorted especially for you!

 

written by: Manny Gyumova