Changes on LL

[JenniferJ]

So I am coming home last night and firstly I notice that Walsh Galzing has got a wooden facade all around it - anyone know if this is going to be a Fat Face or something else?

Then I notice that Somerfield has removed all it's signage...is it being revamped or taken over?

And just read that Le Chandelier antique shop is to become a tea room!

Anyone know anything on these?

Jen x

[SeanMacGabhann]

Jen

As a recent arrival you may not be aware of the many many threads on these topics but it is worth having a dig around the most recent pages to see if a topic has been brought up before. Trust me, we are all curious cats around here and these things get asked all the time!

To summarise your questions

Walsh Glazing - to become a White Stuff over 2 units with the 3rd unit to be sublet to a shoe shop

Le Chandalier is to re-open with a tea-room addition

Somerfields - I have wondered myself and don't recall any postings. As one of the more upmarket Somerfields it seems odd that they would redesign but if they were taken over I would expect a brief closing-down for refit period. Some of the LL landlords frequent these parts, they may know more

[JenniferJ]

Thanks Sean - I had thought the Somerfield thing was strange as it was pretty new looking frontage. I used to live in Balham and their Somerfield has been taken over by Waitrose...just a thought...?

[SeanMacGabhann]

Nothing on their website about any changes apart from

http://www.somerfield.co.uk/newsandfeatures/newlookstores/index.asp

It doesn't rule it out of course but my guess is that some drainage issues with the roof of that building are at the heart of the building work

If it were to become a waitrose I'm sure the split on here would be pretty evenly split between people who would think it a good thing v a bad thing

I took a decision a couple of years back to avoid supermarkets where possible so, to paraphrase Joey Tribiani the whole thing is "moo"

[Keef]

Surely no one could think a Waitrose would be bad?!?!?!?!? Even the Iceland massive would like Waitrose, you can't not like Waitrose, they do good red pepper humous! :-S

[James]

I read something about them getting rid of the "Market Fresh" thing nationwide, just to simplify things.

[JenniferJ]

I try to buy everything locally from the various shops in ED - Moxons, William Rose, Fruit & Veg from Northcross Road, nibbles from the market or from Abel & box delivery.....however, a Waitrose would be very nice! Sorry if that offends! They do try to buy from ethical sources and do a damn fine selection of yummies too...Jx

[Louisa]

I would have thought a m&s simply food would fit in that retail unit perfectly, isnt it a little too small for waitrose? (sorry for bringing m&s back on topic)

[*Bob*]

What exactly is 'market fresh' about the Somerfield on LL anyway?

Is it the limp bits of fish laid-out on that weird platform with the little fountain trickling over them? Lovely.

[Asset]

M&S simply food is for people who can't or won't cook. It is mostly pre-prepared, packaged microwaveable food, or prepared salads where all you have to do is open the box. No peeling, slicing, frying, boiling or generally getting in touch with the food. Now I'm not saying that's not okay once in a while but ought we not be encouraging the youth of today to cook with real ingredients and think about what goes in their mouths? This just encourages the throw away society.

At least the Somerfield does sell ingredients.

How's that for starting a good discussion/argument?

(Poss will get lounged too)

[SeanMacGabhann]

that's pretty much what all supermarkets do with "fresh" food in the UK - to varying degrees of success (where success = fooling the punter). When I go back to Ireland the supermakets still seem to have proper butcher sections where the meat does actually get cut and prepared as opposed to being removed from the cling film/plastic wrappers and put on ice

If you ARE going to sell me miserable, badly slaughtered, watered down chicken and beef then please do it honestly and cheaply and let people make up their minds...

[just saw Asset's post. Agree with that as well. I'm looking forward to that food thread already...]

[Keef]

Bloody good point Asset!

I'm a fan of M&S occasionally, but Mrs Keef has really opened my eyes to the bonus of fresh ingredients! For example, why use a jar of pasta sauce when you can make your own (even better with home made tomatoes!)???

That said, sometimes after work when you're knackered, it's just so much easier to chuck something in the oven from the fridge... :-S

[Louisa]

I must agree sean, it's similar in many parts of the north and south-west in supermarkets too, but in London for some reason everything is siratight out the box and stuck on ice.. It just isnt acceptable..

[*Bob*]

RE proper cooking.. It's a time thing in London, I'm sure.

I like cooking and I'm lucky enough to 'work' (ahem) from home (ie I have lots of spare time) so cooking everything from scratch is easy and enjoyable.

But if I had to spend 3 hours a day commuting with my nose pressed into someone's armpit you might find me in M&S more often.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Cheers Louisa - it may not be acceptable but it doesn't stop people flocking to the place(s)

Keef - glad to hear about the fresh sauces. And when you are knackered at least the sauce you pull out of the fridge is from that BIG pot you made at the weekend right? right????

Anyway I can see this food thing is going to continue so...follow me here:

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,22444

[mockney piers]

ooops, following.

Hmm isn't LL changing!

[Asset]

I fully understand that argument but an answer to that is hey what's the hurry - to gobble up some food so you can sit and watch Big Brother?

And at the end of the day it is possible to cook a meal from scratch in 30 minutes - quite often the time these meals take to heat up in the oven.

As I said, there is a place for a ready meal but when you hear about families that have them every night perched on the sofa watching the telly it's all a bit sad. Breakdown of society etc etc blah blah blah

----coming to the lounge guys

[citizenED]

The chain called Somerfield - which was itself an amalgamation of lots of old supermarkets (anyone remember gateway?) was bought a couple of years ago by an investment company. Rumours started straight away that they would sell off some locations for development ie flats and perhaps shift the best stores to another retailer. Hence all the rumours re M + S on LL? not sure what the picture is now though I actually like our Market Fresh. Wondered about that sign coming down.

citizen

[James]

LL Somerfield is okay but shockingly overpriced at times (the Market Fresh thing seemed like some sort of excuse for this) and occasional stock problems. Sometimes the fruit and veg is totally barren.

A Waitrose would be fantastic. Admittedly not cheap but the quality is so much better. Sadly I think we're dreaming...

[shaman]

Sign came down I suspect because originally they tiled onto plywood boarding that is prone to expansion when wet, bad design at beginning i thought wouldn't last long.

[mikese22]

James Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I read something about them getting rid of the

> "Market Fresh" thing nationwide, just to simplify

> things.

I read the same thing, they are ditching all sub-brands and reverting to just Somerfield - shame I always felt that if you squinted you could have believed that you weren't shopping in a Somerfield - sort of...

[louisiana]

Keef Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Surely no one could think a Waitrose would be

> bad?!?!?!?!? Even the Iceland massive would like

> Waitrose, you can't not like Waitrose, they do

> good red pepper humous! :-S

As an Ocado junkie who shopped at various Waitrose branches for decades...

I'd certainly welcome, but don't see it happening (the store is too small for them).

I too shop local, but I won't be lugging boxes of washing powder and rolls of toilet paper up the hill to the Upper East Side anytime soon.

[lilly123]

hi my other half worked in safeways at camberwell (for 5 years)running the butchers counter, then the shop changed to morrisons, then to somerfields, all though he hated it there as he is a qualified butcher for 34 years and the supermarkets had crap meat and then one day it was his day off when he returned to work the next day his counter had gone, this made him more mad any way cutting a long story short i believe if you have heard on the news about kwik save closing down so many shops in one day they were owned by somerfields and i do believe that somerfields are to be sold the staff are leaving left right and center due to pay cuts so watch out this could be the death of sommerfields

[mikese22]

Somerfield and Kwik Save are now separate companies - Somerfield took all the best Kwik Save sites last year then demerged the poorer sites

Somerfield are now private equity owned by a consortium including Barclays

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4549100.stm

[Nero]

Louisa, The Upper East Side is deserving of any muscular strife! As Ms Bush sings "I;ll be running up that hill, with no problem". Nero