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LS_Jun Herne Hill Traders.qxp
03/06/2009
16:36
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FEATURE
High street heroes
FLEMMICH WEBB pays a visit to the enterprising individuals of Herne Hill
to discover how local businesses are fairing during these tough times
Dulwich Cobblers
Narshi Chauhan, owner
Dulwich Cobblers has been
a feature of the high street for
nine years. Narshi, or Ned to
locals, says times are pretty
tough – business was down
about 45% on the previous year
in November. Yet he remains
sanguine: “If you worry about
it too much, you’ll end up
in a box very quickly.”
305 Railton Road
020 7738 7951
Bleu Furniture
Moses Otunla,
artistic director
Bleu moved from Brixton Hill
over two years ago and has a mesmerizing
window display with a constantly changing
stock of vintage furniture. Moses says
this year will be a challenge but with hard
work it will be rewarding. “We source
items steeped in history,” he says. “There
is a huge swing back to things that are
well made among customers these days.”
327 Railton Road; 020 7733 4999
8 June 2009
The Flower Lady
Elaine Partleton, owner,
with Chelsea the dog
A relative newcomer
to Herne Hill high street,
Elaine opened the florists
in April last year and
business has been pretty
good. “Unfortunately
there are certainties
in life, one of which
is death, so sadly I was
doing a lot of wreaths
in the winter,” she says.
Despite the downturn,
she is feeling
positive.
“This is
a great
community and I’m
hoping there will
be lots of marriages
and births where
flowers are always
in demand.”
297 Railton Road
020 7733 2525
Sharp Works
Susan Sharp, owner
Susan Sharp opened her knitting shop
in June 2007 and the business has gone
from strength to strength. Far from being
regarded as a fuddy-duddy pastime,
knitting is growing in popularity, with
lots of people making last year’s Christmas
presents. “Hopefully I won’t be affected
by the downturn,” says Susan. “The good
thing about knitting is that you get
something – a hat or a woolly jumper
even – at the end of all your hard work.
It’s not like doing a jigsaw, which at the
end just goes back in the box.”
236b Railton Road; 020 7738 7668
www.livingsouth.co.uk
03/06/2009
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY FLEMMICH WEBB
LS_Jun Herne Hill Traders.qxp
Blackbird Bakery
Laila Beloqui, manager (above)
Even if times are hard, it’s difficult to resist
the smell of freshly baked bread wafting
out of Blackbird Bakery. Opened threeand-a-half years ago, it sells a selection
of breads, sandwiches, desserts, hot drinks
and jams. But people don’t seem to have
changed their purchasing habits yet.
“It hasn’t made a big difference so far,”
says Laila. “If people can’t afford to go on
holiday, they can have a nice piece of cake
instead!” Although she’s not sure how 2009
will pan out, she plans to “keep smiling
and producing healthy, quality bread”.
208 Railton Road; 020 7095 8800
Trinishack Roti
Head chef Sharmilla Vatcher with
assistant chef Lorenzo Deolal (top right)
Tricky to find if you don’t know it’s there,
Trinishack Roti is worth tracking down.
It’s tasty and well-priced Trinidadian food
(£5 buys you a huge plate of goat, rice,
spinach and salad), and the business is a real
labour of love – Sharmilla has worked hard
to build up the clientele since it opened over
a year ago. However, the credit crunch has
had a devastating impact, with a 60% sales
drop on the previous year in November.
“People are just not spending money on
eating out,” says Sharmilla. She hopes hard
work will see her through 2009.
294 Croxted Road; 020 8671 8227
www.livingsouth.co.uk
Shotgun Hairdressing
Romy Galvao, star stylist (right)
Shotgun Hairdressing, almost opposite
Herne Hill Station, has been open for
three years and seems well placed to
weather the economic downturn.
“Business has actually increased recently
as an ace haircut always cheers people up,”
says Romy. “People feel depressed so they
come to us to perk themselves up. I’ve
seen women float out of the door after
one of our haircuts.” He is looking
forward to the year ahead and working
hard “to make people feel better”.
291 Railton Road; 020 7207 2865
Walters Butchers
Paul Hamilton, manager (right)
Walters Butchers is one of Herne
Hill’s oldest businesses – it first
opened its doors in 1959. These
days it continues to attract shoppers
keen to buy good meat and receive
advice on the best cuts. Paul says
that he hopes the business will do
well in 2009 – and so far the signs
are promising. “The credit crunch
hasn’t impacted us at all,” he says.
“In fact, business seems to have
got better because people aren’t
going out for meals any more, they
are staying in and cooking at home.”
321 Railton Road; 020 7274 2971
June 2009 9