We are surrounded by retailers with more than one outlet - Winkworths, Iceland, Moo two, Somerfield, East Dulwich Deli, The Bishop, Blue Mountain Cafe, Wates, GBK, Barclays, HSBC, Costcutter, Hope and Greenwood, William Hill, Budgens, Palmeston - I am too tired to continue but there are plenty more.

Blue Mountain...? Hope and Greenwood?...oh yes, now I think about it there's also that international conglomerate A J Farmer, and the famous Ralon franchise.

Reluctant, I agree that there are too many chain stores however you do exaturate a little: Just because the likes of Mootoo and ED Deli, H&G, have another store it does not mean they are not independant. EDD started in ED, hence the name, and yes have now opened at Harrods. Moo too have another store in West Dulwich. So what. As for H&G and Blue Mountain, I wasn't even aware they had other outlets.

These are all locally owned and operated stores. They give something back to the community and are certainly not forcing locals operaters out of the neighbourhood. "independant" does not necessarily mean "one-store", it has more to do with the way they operate. You can hardly put them in the same basket as Iceland, Somerfield, etc.

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Regards
EDKiwi

I think there's now a branch of Franklins in Stockwell or Kennington or somewhere. And Sea Cow opened in Clapham shortly after ED. But I don't really class these as chains either...

"These are all locally owned and operated stores. They give something back to the community ..."

What do these shops " give " back to the community ?

ED Deli has been giving free brownies to the community all week.

Grrrrrrrr.......these meddling kids @ ED Deli

Quaywe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Reluctant, I agree that there are too many chain
> stores however you do exaturate a little: Just
> because the likes of Mootoo and ED Deli, H&G, have
> another store it does not mean they are not
> independant. EDD started in ED, hence the name,
> and yes have now opened at Harrods. Moo too have
> another store in West Dulwich. So what. As for
> H&G and Blue Mountain, I wasn't even aware they
> had other outlets.
>
> These are all locally owned and operated stores.
> They give something back to the community and are
> certainly not forcing locals operaters out of the
> neighbourhood. "independant" does not necessarily
> mean "one-store", it has more to do with the way
> they operate. You can hardly put them in the same
> basket as Iceland, Somerfield, etc.



I read in the freebie saturday paper a couple of weeks ago (Southwark News or the Weekender?) that Hope & Greenwood now sell at Harvey Nichols, Waitrose and a few other places - I think they also said Selfridges and British Airways first class. Good on them for doing so well. I've seen their chocolate in Waitrose in coastal Kent and did a bit of a double take as it was far away from ED! Most interesting bit of article was that when they renovated the shop, they found out that it was once an old sweet shop as they found the old sign behind the facade. They also said that they started out by trying out recipes in their kitchen. As I can't afford BA first class, I'll just stick to Northcross Rd. Their hard work is paying off and I for one don't begrudge them.

ED went right down hill in my opinion when Nero arrived. Another starbucks will be next if people go to Nero now.
Happy coffee drinking!!

Coffe shops aren't really my cup of tea (you see what I did there, ho ho ho, god I'm funny) but it's a bit much to say a Nero has spelled the end of east dulwich. There's clearly a demand, it offers a decent service, the coffee's even pretty good (I'll occasionally dabble at the camden branch if I'm feeling a bit peaky in the morning, whyever that would be the case I cuoldn't say) and lastly it's british, not some horror of an evil corporation from the US. So carry on I say, better than an empty unit or yet another pub/bar, and we're pretty set for curry houses.

We couuuuld do with another boutique of course ;)

Don't be so naive to think that Nero being on LL is a good thing. Nero set a precedent that will make it easier for other shops like Starbucks to appear...and they will if we don't unite against them.

--------------------
Regards
EDKiwi

We could organise an action group, shall we say, meet at nero midday? ;)

Talking of which, your presence and antipodean brand of invective were sorely missed at the meet last night.

We could protest firmly and then by a coffee, get another stamp in our loyalty cards and read the paper.

That's British protest for you! We'll show them.

As I've said elsewhere on the forum, one of the reasons you don't get more independent businesses opening up in East Dulwich is that the landlords who own the premises will only rent them to 'established' businesses. So they're doing more than any other group of people to make it easy for chain stores to open up.

It's frustrating, unfair and ought to be banned, but it's the landlords prerogative.

Quaywe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't be so naive to think that Nero being on LL
> is a good thing. Nero set a precedent that will
> make it easier for other shops like Starbucks to
> appear...and they will if we don't unite against
> them.


I wasn't that happy to see Nero open up, but to be honest it is a damn sight better than Blue Mountain (slow & rude service, exepnsive prices, very average food and drinks)

Really? I have always had good experiences at Blue Mountain, and its certainly not expensive.

The slow and rude service is the worst thing. Some of the incidents that me and my friends (on separate occasions) have witnessed in there are just unforgivable.

Jeremy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The slow and rude service is the worst thing. Some
> of the incidents that me and my friends (on
> separate occasions) have witnessed in there are
> just unforgivable.

Ditto


terrible place

shut them down. drive them out. no mercy for the Blue Mountains cafe

Quaywe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't be so naive to think that Nero being on LL
> is a good thing. Nero set a precedent that will
> make it easier for other shops like Starbucks to
> appear...and they will if we don't unite against
> them.

NO thanks.

I'd like to like blue mountain, but they do make it awfully difficult. The best thing that could be said about the service is that it's charmingly .. err .. rural.
Not everywhere has to worship at the god of american style service industry (have your product within 46 seconds with a fake 'have a nice day', or your money back) and I do sometimes like the more laid back approach, and am especially more forgiving when i leave london as the pace of life is often different.

But having said all that BMC pushes the tolerance envelope too far even for little old me. And last time i was there it was 7 odd quid for a cooked breakfast that I'd be very hesitant to describe as value for money (though the snag (singular) was nice).

Walked in there once... Walked out again. Too many people crammed in to too small a space, and nothing that made me think this'll be a nice place for a bite to eat.

"ED went right down hill in my opinion when Nero arrived."

?!
Nero
:-)

BMC is a haven for ED mum's and their prams. It bores me but I like that they are there rather than a chain store. The Drum has the best coffee in ED but is too smokey. Bring on the anti-smoking laws!

Mockney, are you going to the G&B tasting on Wednesday night? You (and others) might finally be able to put a face to the EDKiwi name...

--------------------
Regards
EDKiwi

Blue Mountain was good at the beginning. I haven't been in there with a pram. It looks too pokey for a vehicle! Do they still do the home made chocolate eclairs on a Thursday? Where exactly is The Drum, I can't place it?

--------------------
Dulwichmum
Follow me on twitter

across the rd from BMC. Near the organic vege shop and the fresh flower co.

--------------------
Regards
EDKiwi

The Drum is indeed a good place. Nice sarnies and good prices. But it is too smoky at times. Nero

Quaywe, I won't but CC & Hugeunot & mark are, and I may be meeting up with at least a couple of them for a swift one straight afterwards if you're about.
Keep meaning to check out the drum, but haven't gotten around to it.

There was a smear campaign against caffe nero in winter 2005-2006 on a national forum ( nothing wrong with that). No need to say that some of the hypocrites "smearing" cafe nero were sitting in there ( and still are) the day the door opened for the first time. Unfortunately I can't name and shame them in here.
Blue Mountain Cafe NEVER knew how to do a good coffee and espresso ( they have been told several time since they opened ), but suddenly after cafe nero opened, their coffee is very much improved... Miracle on North Cross Rd or....
Amazing what "competition" can do...!!!

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- batdog -

[www.oceana.org]

>>Blue Mountain Cafe NEVER knew how to do a good coffee and espresso<<

I used to quite like their coffee when BMC was basically a wrecked shell of a house with exposed walls and grotty furniture - the continental breeakfast was greta value. But since it tarted itself up and added all that awkward tiling I have suspended my patronage

As a fellow espressomaniac I find the Patisserie-as-was (I do miss their choccy eclairs and feel the expansion into pizza a poor show altogether)) and the Drum more than acceptable. Avoid anywhere that offers it in paper cups. However if you do happen to have a superfluous arm or leg then for the best local espresso it has to be the Picture Gallery cafe - just avoid Friday lunchtimes...

Yeah, the picture gallery coffee is not bad at all !! But I do not know of any places in SE22 that serves an espresso the "italian way" and if such a place exists, PLEASE let me know.
There must be some Italians on this forum ?

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- batdog -

[www.oceana.org]