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Isle Of Dogs: Why Suzan Altay wants women to self-check their breasts for lumps

Personal trainer and fitness instructor was diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a tumour

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“I cannot emphasise enough the importance of self-checking your breasts,” said Suzan Altay.

“I was lucky that I found the lump because, five months before, it hadn’t shown up on the mammogram or MRI.” 

Suzan, who lives on the Isle Of Dogs and works as an elite personal trainer and Yoga and Pilates instructor at Third Space in Canary Wharf, was no stranger to having scans as part of a high risk group.

“I’d been going for check-ups twice a year since my early 20s because of fibrocystic breasts – cysts in the tissue,” she said.

“They call them lumpy breasts, so I’d go for the regular appointments and trust that process.

“It was just before I was due to go for a scan that I realised something was wrong.

“I was doing my stretching exercises one Sunday morning, when I suddenly discovered something that wasn’t there before.

“It was about the size of a pea and it wasn’t moving.

“Because I was on the priority list, I got an appointment immediately – I was referred for a biopsy, which confirmed that the lump was cancerous.

“Then they had to decide what kind of treatment I was going to have.

“The first biopsy suggested I should have a lumpectomy, where they just remove the tumour and the tissue around it.

“But a further MRI showed another mass, meaning I would need a mastectomy.

“I was given the option to have one or both breasts removed and for safety I decided to have both.

“It was supposed to be just the surgery because it was local, but during the surgery they check the lymph nodes, and found out that the cancer had spread to them too.

“Five months earlier, the scans hadn’t picked anything up and then all this.

“It was horrible, I was terrified.

“You put your trust in doctors, machines and so on – I’d not missed a single appointment in 20 years – and then all of a sudden you start questioning what was missed?

“Did I eat too many grapes? Did I not drink enough water?

“You want to make sense of it to protect yourself, but you have to accept that, with these kind of things, nobody really knows the cause.”

Because the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes, doctors recommended an aggressive approach to the disease. 

“I think the hardest part of the whole treatment was the chemotherapy and losing my hair was part of that,” she said.

“It took them a month to decide what kind of drugs would be necessary.

“During the surgery I’d had breast reconstruction and I was lucky to preserve my nipples – so I’d had a month getting used to my new body when I started losing my hair from the cocktail of medication I was given.

“I had 16 sessions and then radiotherapy, which took about 11 months in total.

“It happened just after the pandemic, so while lots of people were going back to work, I didn’t for about a year.

“When you’re on chemo, the drugs make you feel sick but you also take medication to stop you throwing up – that was just a horrible feeling and you’re tired all the time.

“I was really fortunate with the radiotherapy I didn’t have a rash or anything, and I kept asking the nurses if it was really working, because I had no effects at all.

“I was even able to go back to teaching so I would go for treatment in the morning and then take classes afterwards.

“Then, on February 1 last year I was given the all clear – I had a bottle in the fridge all ready to celebrate and then I got Covid.

“It’s been more than a year now, everything seems fine and I’m good.

“I’m on daily medication and every three months I have to go for injections but my check-ups are now scaled back.

“I do get tired and sometimes a low mood, but physically and mentally I’m building up my strength again.

“The reason I wanted to tell my story was to raise awareness so women keep checking themselves and keep pushing if they find something they think isn’t right.

“Around one in three women in the UK will get cancer and finding it early is really important.

“I was lucky – when I found my lump the cancer had already spread and I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t found it then.

“I knew of a lady at one of the gyms I worked at who’d had cancer and was fine.

“Then she suddenly disappeared and I later discovered she had passed away – she was younger than me.

“Each day I think of her because my story could so easily have been like hers.

“Even though the treatment can take a lot out of you mentally, as well as physically, breast cancer has a high survival rate because it is relatively easy to treat.

“In my life I’ve jumped from planes and dived with sharks – I was fearless, but now I realise I can be afraid because life can be taken away just like that.”

Suzan is a personal trainer and Yoga and Pilates instructor at Third Space in Canary Wharf

Cancer can come for anyone.

Those who have attended one of Suzan’s classes at Third Space (myself included) will have been struck by her apparently boundless levels of energy and infectious passion for both Yoga and Pilates.

Having come to the UK in her early 20s from Cyprus, she initially studied sound engineering, before going on to work in the field. 

Having long practised Yoga, she chose to train as a teacher after breaking up with a boyfriend and deciding to do something for herself – making the switch to the fitness industry and later going on to qualify as a Pilates instructor and a personal trainer. 

“It’s an important time in your life when you find yourself,” she said.

“I loved sound engineering when I was doing it, but when I’m on the mat I feel I have more confidence – I know what I’m doing and it gives me pleasure.

“Once I started learning more about Yoga it gave me something – I didn’t realise what that was until I started teaching, but it was what I’d been missing in my previous career. 

“It can be demanding, but I never feel tired in the classroom.

“The benefits of practising both Yoga and Pilates are really good and have helped me recover.

“The body is such an amazing machine, but it’s so important to be aware of it – everyone should keep checking themselves because things can go wrong.”

Read More: Why there’s only weeks left to see Punchdrunk’s The Burnt city

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
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Canary Wharf: How Jon Hala unexpectedly became a family business in Jubilee Place

Jada Hala grew up in salons and has now decided to follow her dad into hairdressing as the brand grows

From left, Violeta Hala, Jon Hala and Jada Hala all work at the salon

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Jon Hala has worked hard to establish the salon that bears his name in Canary Wharf’s Jubilee Place.

Opened the October before the first lockdown, the business came into its own as shaggy Wharfers sought solutions to their creative attempts at home haircare.

It’s since gone on to build up a loyal, ever-growing clientele of local residents and workers as well as some more unusual fans such as the Arsenal Women’s Football Team and the female mixed martial artists of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Having built up the salon to a staff of 20 alongside his wife Violeta (who oversees beauty services) Jon said a somewhat unexpected future now beckoned with his daughter’s increasing involvement.

“Jon Hala was never especially meant to be a family business,” he said. “It really happened by accident.

“During the pandemic, we had some members of staff return to their homes overseas.

“At the same time my daughter, Jada, decided to take a gap year after finishing school.

“There was a lot of pressure on my shoulders at that time because, while I had worked in and run successful salons, when it’s your own business it’s different – there were managerial aspects I’d not handled before so getting to grips with that was a big learning curve.

“Jada started working with us as a receptionist but before long, I started to give her more responsibility.

“Now we sit and do all kinds of things together – the VAT and the rotas – she’s involved in every aspect of the business.

“Then, one day, she told me she wanted to be a hairdresser, which was music to my ears.

“My father taught me my craft and now I’m in the process of teaching her.”

Jon Hala is located in Canary Wharf’s Jubilee Place

Jon grew up in his father’s salon in east London’s Leyton, sweeping floors and making teas and coffees for customers from a young age.

“It was a very tight-knit immigrant community of Turkish  people,” he said.

“My dad had always been a hairdresser, learning his skills from his uncle and he had a very good reputation, opening six days a week and sometimes on Sundays too, especially for weddings.

“You have to be a sociable person – it’s long hours, but it’s a people job. I really enjoyed the attention I got from both my dad’s staff and the clients – I was this cute kid, running round making the drinks.

“It also seemed like the ideal job because if I liked a girl at school I could offer to cut their hair.

“There were a few mess ups at the start but that’s how you learn.”

Jon went on to train at Vidal Sassoon then spent around 16 years at Nicky Clarke in Mayfair before launching his eponymous salon in Canary Wharf.

“You have to dream a bit,” said the Isle Of Dogs resident. “You never know what will come of it.

“Opening this business in Canary Wharf was a dream and we’d love to expand, perhaps to another site on the estate.

“Naturally my dream for Jada would be for her to manage part of the business. You can always rely on family members, so that would be a really good position to be in.

“Right now my focus is on passing on my skills. 

“She already has a head start because she’s grown up around the industry.

“With a family business it’s a different atmosphere to a chain – you can offer a more personal service and really look after your clients.

“But we also make sure we look after the people we work with – nobody gets forgotten here.

Jon opened the salon in October 2019

“The team has grown and it would be amazing to expand to take some of that extra volume.

“Ultimately my dream for Jada would be for her to take over – to drive the business forward  even further in the digital era.”

That’s further down the line as Jada is currently focused on her training.

“Growing up, going into the industry was never really on the table,” she said.

“People would ask me if I would follow in dad’s footsteps and become a hairdresser, but I was against the idea – I wanted to break the tradition. 

“But then I finished school just after Covid, which was all a bit of a mess. I was confused about what I wanted to do and what my options were and so I took a gap year.

“But rather than sit at home all day, I wanted to get a job.

“I was looking at vacancies and then my dad mentioned he was down a receptionist and suggested I could come and work for him.

“I don’t know why I hadn’t really considered it, because I had worked on Saturdays in the salon while I was at school.

“But I’d not thought about working there full-time.

 “I was really only meant to do it for a year, but I quickly started taking on more than the reception duties.

“Having been around salons since I was about four, I knew what was entailed in growing and operating the business.

“So I started working as a junior in the salon and developed a real interest in how the various products worked and the science behind them.

“More and more, I wanted to be helping out with the physical work of the salon rather than just running reception.

“I found it came quite naturally, doing more things like blow dries for clients.

“So I’ve since started my training in earnest – I already knew the basics, but my dad is now passing on his skills to me and I’ve just finished my first colour course with Wella.

“As it’s a family business, I’m really here to support my dad. It’s up to me to keep things running smoothly when he’s not there.

“I’m naturally protective of the salon – it’s not just any company but one he’s worked so hard to establish.

“If another site were to open, I’d love to take the reins – it would be my dream.

“For me it’s really the end result for the client that’s important.

“When you make them feel good, you get the satisfaction of doing your job well and that’s amazing.”

You can find out more about the salon here

The business now employs 20 people

Read More: Why there’s only weeks left to see Punchdrunk’s The Burnt city

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
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Limehouse: How AEG Cleaning Services aims to fill carbon neutral niche

Managing director George Mills says his business uses eco-friendly alternatives to minimise pollution

Managing director of AEG Cleaning Services George Mills

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Sit with George Mills for any length of time and you’ll be left in no doubt that there are two things he’s especially passionate about – cleaning and the environment.

I confess, when I arrived to interview him as the managing director of east London-based AEG Cleaning Services, I was expecting to hear the story of the business, perhaps a bit about him growing up in Limehouse where he still lives and then a rundown of the kinds of things his organisation offers. 

Instead I found a man driven to improve the world around him by demonstrating a different way of doing things.

“Traditional cleaning services are among the worst polluters – they typically use so many chemicals, it’s so harmful,” he said.

“I saw a gap in the market for an eco-friendly, carbon neutral cleaning company and thought that would be a good place to be.

“My dad and my aunt had run a cleaning business, so I had some knowledge of the sector.

“When I was a young teenager I’d go with my dad at weekends to clean banks and offices and that was a valuable experience although my approach to the industry is different.”

“For me, it’s about where the next generation is going to be.

“We have to do something about climate change and the way we’re treating the planet and AEG is doing that.”

Launched in 2021, George’s business has expanded across the capital in response to demand – but the company’s core ethos remains the same.

“We’re really going back in time – before all these chemicals were around, people made their own cleaning products,” he said.

“We started off doing that, although we now have a supplier of eco-friendly products because of the quantities we need to use.

“However, for every single job that needs to be done, there is a natural or non-polluting alternative to chemicals.

“And the results are the same. It might take a little longer to achieve, but there is no difference in quality at all.

“We also try to educate our customers on the kinds of products they can use or even make themselves – it’s so easy to do.

AEG offers a range of services including carpet cleaning

“That goes for businesses too. They have a real problem because they need to be cleaned all the time – just imagine a deep clean of a restaurant and kitchen.

“With a traditional firm the amount of chemicals used is crazy.

“We did one the other day – completely carbon neutral – and the result was the same.

“It’s vital we take this approach now, so that future generations can benefit.

“We even have a calculator on our website so people and businesses can see what they are saving in CO2 emissions by using our services.

“When I started the company, I wanted to do something that meant something to me and that would help people on Earth in the future.”

AEG offers home cleaning from £20 per hour while commercial premises start at £25 per hour.

The company offers fixed fees from £180 for end-of-tenancy and Airbnb cleans, while carpet cleaning starts at £5 per sq m. 

The latter is a good example of George’s other passion – the cleaning itself.

Having cracked the problem of cleaning limescale without harsh chemicals, his focus now is very much on carpets with a complement of trusted, trained contractors handling much of the company’s core workload.

“My background is in customer service and the way I run AEG is always – for me and the people I work with – to look round and put themselves in the customer’s shoes to ask whether they are happy with the job,” said George.

“If the answer’s no, then we need to fix whatever isn’t right. If that means staying extra time, then that’s what we do.

“We always start by asking people what kind of clean they are looking for and then we check on the job to make sure the level they have picked will achieve what they want. 

“We do a basic clean, a seasonal clean and a deep clean as well as bio-hazard levels. Our prices include all the products we use.

“We really like the deep cleans, which is when we get into every nook and cranny and people come in and go: ‘Wow’.

“That gives me a real sense of achievement – people call me ‘Magic George’ quite a lot, for some reason.

“When I started the business I began small, often making my own products because I wanted to learn exactly what worked.

“It’s been the same with the carpet cleaning. I did training to ensure the hot water cleaning we offer delivers the best results.

George advocates using eco-friendly ingredients in cleaning products such as lemons

“Attention to detail is very important – you need to know what the carpet and backing are made from.

“Then we pre-spray and aggregate it with a special tool before using the machine to rinse it. We use hot water because it dries much more quickly and that means you can get the furniture back in faster.

“You can see the change in the carpet right away – it’s very satisfying because it comes up like new and we don’t use any harmful chemicals. 

“I had one customer who had a carpet that was 10 years old and thought they would need to get a new one fitted.

“But after one clean they decided to keep it because it had come up so well. Cleaning is hard work.

“I take my hat off to anyone working in the industry because to do it properly, it’s a lot of effort and long hours. 

“But both me and the people AEG works with get real pleasure from the job, especially when you see the difference it can make in people’s lives.

“We’ve won some awards and to get that recognition for the company is great – but it’s important people understand why we do things the way we do.

“Cleaning the planet – one job at a time.”

Read More: Why there’s only weeks left to see Punchdrunk’s The Burnt city

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
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Canary Wharf: How Circle Collective helps young people find jobs with experience

CEO and founder of the charity and social enterprise Turly Humphreys talks aspiration

Circle Collective’s Canary Wharf branch is located in Jubilee Place, Level -1

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‘Intensely practical’ is the best way to describe Circle Collective.

Sure, to people strolling through Jubilee Place it’s a striking shop filled with neon, skateboards and the kind of clothing you don’t really see elsewhere in Canary Wharf.

Aside from the inventory, a chic customer picking up a new look will likely not find too much different in the retail experience.

Knowledgeable, youthful staff will be on hand to offer information on the products and then collect payment at the till – pretty much like any other store on the estate.

But Circle Collective isn’t like any other shop on the Wharf.

It’s the public facing tip of a much larger mission that the customer will, wittingly or unwittingly, have played a role in.

Go behind the scenes and you’ll find a vast space dedicated not to stock, but to skills.

That’s because the shop is a social enterprise that exists in symbiosis with a charity of the same name, entirely dedicated to giving young people work experience and finding them employment.

Having recently opened its third dual site at Canary Wharf, founder and CEO Turly Humphreys said it would be impossible to have one without the other.

“It’s two organisations that have to work together,” she said.

“A lot of organisations have asked whether you need both because they are usually only interested in the training. 

Circle Collective founder and CEO Turly Humphreys

“But the magic of what we do is that we do an employability course and it’s wrap-around. Participants get real work experience related to all aspects of the shop alongside mentoring and really practical information about things like how to do an interview and write a CV.

“We work with corporate partners and take them into workplaces so they can see a real working environment. We get them ready for that, building confidence and resilience.

“It’s about constantly pumping them with sensible information and, when necessary, telling them some really strong home truths – that the bus wasn’t late, they were.

“This is not volunteering – their shifts in the shop are treated like a job. If they come in and they’re not on time, for example, then they’re taken to one side and the implications are explained to them.

“That might be an increased risk of shoplifting because we’re short-staffed, which is obviously not acceptable.”

Circle’s focus is on preparing young people for the realities of work and then supporting them into paid, permanent employment with its programmes typically lasting between five and eight weeks.

So far, it’s helped more than 1,000 into jobs in myriad fields.

Turly said: “We believe that any young person who wants to work deserves a job.

“We’re generalists – we’ll take any young person aged 16-25 who wants to work and is eligible to do so – recruiting them through job centres, social media and walk-ins. 

“They can’t be in education or training but we welcome people straight from school alongside graduates from university.

“They might be refugees or neuro-diverse  – we’ll work with anyone.

“Then they become a peer group, work together and support each other.

“My aim for Canary Wharf is to match the people on our programmes to vacancies on the estate.

“That will be a challenge because there are lots of companies here and those jobs are not all gathered at a single point, so we need to collaborate with HR departments and businesses so they can understand the benefit of hiring from a diverse pool of people who want to work.

“It’s about companies realising that there’s a real benefit to diversity and that you can hire people for many jobs such as front-of-house in hospitality without them needing three years of experience.”

Turly started the charity and social enterprise after being inspired by her son’s sporting activities – initially looking at that as a way to help young people.

“He was 16 and a sports scholar at the time – playing cricket, rugby and football all around the country,” she said.

“Once young people were on the pitch, it didn’t matter what anybody’s background was.

“So I started by trying to get more people into sport, but then I went to a job centre and saw how disillusioned the young people were – the lack of ambition they had.

“It was so sad because they never expected to do better than their parents – to own a house, for example.

“I come from a commercial background and I’ve always run my own business. I had a flagship store for corporate printing in the Strand, then I had a studio in Tottenham Court Road.

“I looked at those young people in the job centre and thought: ‘This isn’t rocket science’.

“I got some of them into the shop, some of them into the office and, out of those first nine recruits, I got seven of them into work.

“I’m still in touch with them today.

“One lad’s father was a farmer and there wasn’t enough for another income on the farm, so I got him a job as a welder, which was perfect.

Circle Collective stocks a range of clothing and skateboards

“Then there was a lovely girl who had hearing problems. 

“I managed to send her on an away week and she came back much more confident. She’s been running a big bingo hall now for years.

“None of it was especially complicated – it was all about being practical. That’s the ethos we still run Circle Collective with. 

“I work on partnering with the corporates and run the shop and we have Matthew Lewendon who has a charity background and is our director of operations who handles the charity – it just works.”

Circle’s Back Your Future programme is very much tailored to individuals and features one-to-one mentoring sessions, work experience in the shop, motivational workshops, a chance to meet employers and access to job vacancies.

“But it’s more than that – once brought into the fold, the charity offers ongoing support to those it finds jobs for as long as they need it to ensure everything is going to plan.

“The aim is that participants feel they belong to a community they can rely on.

“First we sit down with them and find out if they have any barriers to work and to identify any transferable skills they have – which many do,” said Turly.

“So they start off with the charity and then they have an induction on the shop floor, where health and safety and safeguarding is explained to them.

“They get a sheet with a list of things we teach them and on the first day they’re taught cash handling and taking credit cards, at the till.

“Then they’re taught how to approach customers and learn product knowledge – they may have to go and research that.

“When they first come to us and say that they want to work in a shop or in an office – it’s our job to teach them about all the different sectors and how they might find roles within them.

“We use the shop to give them experience in relevant areas.

“If somebody’s creative, for example, we often get them involved in merchandising – we aim to use the skills the young people have got, whether it’s handling websites or using their creativity.

“One girl we had came from prison and she’s now doing merchandising in Primark, which is exactly what she wanted to do.

“Then I’ve got a lad who was a refugee, hardly spoke English and was homeless – he’s now a chartered accountant.

“We have a graduation every year and you can’t bottle the atmosphere.

“The young people come back, get a certificate and they all do a fashion show.

“The corporate supporters come and everybody’s in tears.

“At first nobody wants to talk, but then someone grabs a microphone and they all thank everybody.

“It’s wonderful. It’s about getting people into work, but it’s so much more than that.”

Circle needs both funding to continue its work and a larger pipeline of corporate partners to help it find roles for the young people it supports.

“The people who come to us often have a lack of career advice, work experience or role models and may also be suffering from anxiety and mental health issues,” said Turly.

“There’s also a lack of awareness of the realities of work, which is why it’s so important to take them into workplaces where they can hear from people doing the jobs.”

Turly said Circle would love to hear from businesses locally who can help with similar visits or provide entry level jobs in and around Canary Wharf.

The organisation is also looking for sponsors to help it continue its work.

The other aspect to Circle that is of benefit to Wharfers is the shop itself, with all profits fed back into the charity.

“It’s thanks to Emma Warden and Jane Hollinshead at Canary Wharf Group that we’ve been able to open here.” said Turly.

“The shop is like bringing Shoreditch to Jubilee Place – we stock a mixture of retro brands and vintage clothing including some high-end pieces from labels like Burberry.

“One of our trainees asked if we could do skateboards so we wrote a business plan and I gave him £200, which he turned into £400. 

“Now everyone who comes on our programme is taught how to build a skateboard. We’re not a specialist skate shop but we do sell boards and if people need their bearings fixed then they can come in.

“We also have a lot of skate clothes that people can buy and four of our staff are skaters.

“We also stock products that are locally made and would like to find more makers who want to sell through us.

“What we say to buyers is that when they shop with us in store or online, they are really supporting the community.

Circle Collective’s Alex Emerson-Arfstrom

CASE STUDYAlex Emerson-Arfstrom

There’s a real sense when you visit Circle Collective that people who wind up in its orbit keep coming back for more.

Alex Emerson-Arfstrom is a good example – finding his way onto one of its programmes and then returning to work part-time at the organisation while studying.

He said: “When I left college I was looking for work.

I took  a gap year, but the catch was I didn’t have much experience on my CV outside of projects – I didn’t have any work experience.

“My friends referred me to a place called Circle Collective and I started off as a trainee on its Back Your Future programme.

I was there for about two months, getting some basic retail experience in the Dalston store.

“I was born in Haringey – I’ve lived there my whole life.

Then I received a job offer, but this was the place I wanted to be, so I’ve been here for six months on a kickstart scheme, training people like myself and using the skills I had learned. 

“I was inspired by the training and became a supervisor myself, to train young people.

“I was working part-time and then I got into university to study cyber security. It’s way more than just working in a shop.

There are so many opportunities we can give young people.

“They can shadow the staff here and build their skills – there are so many areas to get involved with – administration, IT and customer service.

“I’ve been here for about two years now, and it’s very rewarding when people get jobs – they’ve done their training, get employment and come back and talk to me about how they feel.

I do keep in contact with a lot of them and seeing their confidence grow over time is amazing.

“I wasn’t the most confident person at the beginning.

My preconception was that it was going to be very structured, but it was a much wider spectrum of things I was taught.

“On my second day I was helping to create a social media project, and then I was going out to stores, talking to people.

There’s such a wide range of things to get involved with.

“I’ve gained more skills than I can count from Circle.

It gave me the opportunity to do some really great IT work – hands-on experience. It’s been great that they have shown that trust in me.

“I’d always been a creative person and the programme allowed me to spend time working with social media and that turned into managing websites, setting up deals with brands and designing things on the IT side.

“While I’d always had an interest in cyber security before I came to Circle Collective, what the organisation has done is allowed me to develop those skills such as managing its website.

“I’m not sure what I will do in the future but it will be within the cyber security sector – it’s such a broad area.”

Circle Collective’s Angela Brown

STAFF SPOTAngela Brown

I’m the partnership manager at Circle Collective,” said Angela Brown.

“As an organisation we can educate, encourage, support and create some fantastic fresh talent for an organisation.

“At present we have a particular focus on equality, diversity and disability and how corporates can embed that within their operations.

“At present, we feel businesses are doing it but maybe not as authentically as they could be.

“For example, we’re currently working with Landsec who will be taking on young people as kickstarters.

“I’m working with them to ensure that those young people are understood and supported by their managers as businesses are often used to graduates or people who come from a certain background.

“It’s really important that everyone is talking the same language so the young people have a chance to shine. 

“I’ve been with Circle Collective for five years and am currently training as a therapist which I feel plays into my current role.

“There’s a therapeutic element to what we do and I think young people need that kind of support to take the pressure off their coaches.”

Read More: Why there’s only weeks left to see Punchdrunk’s The Burnt city

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
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Canary Wharf: How Oysteria is serving up fresh seafood beside South Dock

Co-founder Jamie Topkaya on opening a restaurant with award-winning head chef Tacim Yetis

Jamie Topkaya of Oysteria

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Seafood in Canary Wharf often plays second fiddle.

With the possible exception of sushi and black cod at Roka and Nova Soctian lobster at Big Easy, few venues spring to mind as places to find dishes with fish and crustaceans as the main ingredient.

This might be a bit of a disservice to Boisdale, although despite the smoked salmon and shellfish platters it’s always seemed a restaurant that’s more turf than surf at heart.

Those who enjoy eating the fruits of the sea can rejoice, however, because the estate now has two places that put them front and centre.

There’s Fish Game, recently opened on Wood Wharf, with former head chef at The Gun Matt Colk overseeing its charcoal grills.

And then there’s Oysteria, which popped up next to the  Canary Wharf end of South Quay Bridge earlier this year.

Oysteria’s interior features sea foam green upholstery and bubble lights

While Fish Game has found talent in a cook formerly working at a Blackwall venue, Oysteria represents a wholesale move for a family well-known on the Isle Of Dogs.

The Topkayas – father Mustafa and his children Jamie and Felicity – ran Italian spot Capeesh on the ground floor of Pan Peninsula next to South Quay DLR for seven years.

Having identified a vacant unit in Canary Wharf during the pandemic, they’ve now crossed the dock with Oysteria the core focus, having recently sold Capeesh as a going concern.

Jamie, who is spearheading the new venue, said: “We’d seen this place as a completely vacant unit but initially we weren’t going to take it on.

“Then we saw a gap in the market.

“Oysteria was really a good opportunity that came out of Covid.

“We spoke with Canary Wharf Group and they did a survey, which found there was a lack of seafood restaurants in the area and that they would really like to change that.

“We knew from running Capeesh that people locally really like their seafood – we’d been there a while and we thought it was time to jump over the water and onto the estate. 

“I’ve always been a fan of oysters and we’ve managed to find an award-winning head chef to make the magic happen in the kitchen.”

Oysteria head chef Tacim Yetis

Before guests taste anything however, it’s worth taking note of a few things.

Astonishingly, Oysteria is the first restaurant in the Wharf’s history to face out over West India South Dock.

This strip of quay boasts a chunky colonnade to the rear of Bank Street, gets the sun pretty much all day and benefits from views down the dock. 

Oysteria has tables right beside, sheltered from above, as well as a glass all-weather seating area for when things inevitably get a bit chillier.

Inside, the restaurant boasts minimal decor aimed at subtly recalling the deep.

“We’ve tried to remind diners of the sea,” said Jamie.

“There’s wooden cladding that’s similar to the deck of a boat, lighting like bubbles in the water and a light green colour scheme.

“It’s a bit like the restaurant under the sea. 

Prawn risotto at Oysteria

“Outside, of course, guests can enjoy seafood right next to the water and we have heaters for colder weather.

“At Oysteria, people will find a good atmosphere, good food and good service – we’re very focused on looking after our customers.

“We want to put a smile on everyone’s faces.”

Key to that will be the food. The menu is about 70% seafood with burgers and steaks available for those who prefer land-based flavours. 

The dishes are mainly Italian with influences from other parts of the Mediterranean – all overseen by head chef Tacim Yetis.

Named best chef in the UK at the 2022 Kebab Awards, he mostly does his talking on the plate, but did let slip that his personal recommendations were for the tuna with pistachio, salad and soy sauce, the monkfish with saffron gel, crusted polenta and spinach or pan-fried scallops with wild mushrooms, celeriac puree and salmon roe.

“On the drinks side, we are focusing on cocktails, including some that come with an oyster,” said Jamie.

“We have a Gin Martini and a Bloody Oysteria, which both come with one – the former features an oyster liqueur.

Fresh oysters – what else – at Oysteria

“The latter is a Bloody Mary-style drink, which goes perfectly with the shellfish thanks to the Tabasco sauce.

“We source much of our seafood from Billingsgate, which is only a stone’s throw from us, with some oysters coming from Jersey and Poole as well.

“It’s been an amazing learning process, discovering how to tell if they are fresh by tapping them, 

“We serve them very fresh and there’s nothing better.

“If I was personally ordering a meal, I’d always start with a dozen and then follow it with the tuna.

“With the Italian influence, we offer a lot of pasta and risotto dishes too and those are always tempting. 

“Then we have a fantastic pistachio tiramisu for dessert, which is perfect with a Limoncello.

“We’ve been getting busier and busier as we’ve built it up – taking on a unit that was just an empty shell at the beginning and turning it into a restaurant.

“We’re planning to introduce a two-for-one cocktail offer soon as well as a happy hour.”

  • In the meantime, Wharfers looking for a deal can get lunch for £11.90 for a main pasta or risotto and a soft drink or £14.90 with a house wine or beer on weekdays from noon-3pm.

“We pride ourselves on delivering quick service,” said Jamie.

“At lunchtime we know people want to be able to sit down, eat and leave within 30 minutes and this is already proving popular.”

Oysteria has tables by the water and also in a weatherproof section outside its premises

Read More: Why there’s only weeks left to see Punchdrunk’s The Burnt city

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
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Canary Wharf: How Festival14 will take over the whole estate with five days of events

Theatre, comedy, dance, wellness and live music make up a packed programme over six venues

Festival14 is set to return to Canary Wharf from July 26-30,2023

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Where to even start with Festival14?

Having taken the decision to focus much of its summer arts and events programme into four days last year, Canary Wharf Group (CWG) has extended the 2023 iteration by a day, packing the calendar for July 26-30.

“We’ve really built on our programme from 2022,” said Camilla McGregor of CWG’s arts and events team.

“In addition to Winter Lights in January, Festival14 is an anchor event in our season.

“It’s trying to combine all the things that we do, like outdoor theatre, classical music concerts and dance so that people can come down and experience them on a single visit or over a few days.

“The amazing thing about the format is that everything is happening on the Canary Wharf estate within walking distance.

“Someone coming down might see some Shakespeare, take part in a workshop at the Fandangoe Discoteca then see a performance in Canada Square Park.

“Most of the festival is free because it’s important to make it accessible to the local community and as wide and audience as possible.

“We are charging for some events where there is limited space but the tickets are very reasonably priced.

“In planning the programme it’s also been important for us to create an inclusive festival with artists and acts from a diverse cross section of society in London.

“Whichever genre – theatre, comedy or music, for example – everyone should be represented.”

Buskers will be performing in Jubilee Park throughout the festival

With events and performances taking place from 11am or noon each day, there will be big name acts alongside less well-known attractions spread across six main venues.

“We’re incredibly excited to have Soul II Soul to headline Friday night in Canada Square Park because they are world famous and we’ve wanted to host them for a long time,” said Camilla. 

“On the comedy side we have performers like Mark Watson, Lou Sanders and Shaparak Khorsandi at The Monty Tent in Montgomery Square.

The Comedy Club will run in it for four nights with comedy for kids on the Sunday.

“Personally I’m looking forward to Big Fish, Little Fish Family Rave – a two-hour party designed for parents and kids to celebrate life with bubbles and balloons.

“Then on the main stage there are sets from Craig Charles and Norman Jay who are both household names and have been on the London circuit for years – they’re both amazing.

“Over the years our summer concerts have appealed to the community and we have a strong returning audience so for Festival14 we wanted to create a line-up suitable for our loyal fans and new audiences alike.

Westferry Circus will host a number of plays

“That’s why we have chosen jazz, soul and r’n’b.

“For example, we will have Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra  who are very well established and more contemporary sounds from Laura Misch, both on the Sunday.

“Canary Wharf has a long tradition of engaging with the local community too so we will have theatre programmed by The Space on the Isle Of Dogs and a performance from the Docklands Sinfonia in the mix too as well as artists who grew up in east London.

“There will be loads for kids and families to do too with the Crossrail Place Roof Garden the venue for many of these kinds of events.”

So, diaries out – the festival is only two weeks away but there’s still plenty of time to plan those must-sees.

Don’t forget the street food from Karnival in Montgomery Square, daily from noon, either. 

Click here for the full Festival14 programme

Read More: How Leo Weisz Therapy offers rapid, in-depth help

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
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Canary Wharf: How Fish Game serves up something different in Wood Wharf

Restaurateur Roberto Costa has engaged head chef Matt Colk to run his seasonal venue in Water Street

Fish Game head chef Matt Colk, formerly of The Gun

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There’s something a little bit radical about Fish Game that sets it apart from the carefully crafted interiors and presentation of its neighbours.

Dishoom has a delicately written founding myth about a rogue banker that informs its entire design.

Mallow has earthy colours with golden accents.

In contrast, Fish Game is the rock dropped into the serene waters of Wood Wharf.

Here there’s a giant artwork of a man apparently eating credit cards with his head wrapped in cling film, tree stumps supporting glass tables, colourful fishing floats and flailing squid hanging from the ceiling and a private dining room decorated with images of Mafia bosses.

The restaurant, which recently opened its doors is the latest creation of Roberto Costa – the man behind Macellaio RC, a chain of six establishments named in honour of the Italian word for butcher plus his initials.

These feature butchery as theatre and plenty of Italian produce and dishes as befits a son of Genoa.

Fish Game, however, is different again – a bamboozling, hedonistic sort of a place that nevertheless rests firmly on four pillars – bread, veg, fish and, naturally, game.

To ensure those pillars are well founded, Roberto has turned to head chef Matt Colk – who returns to E14 having previously spent eight years cooking at The Gun (a little further to the east and right on the Thames) before a brief flirtation with Soho and then Fish Game.

It’s some distance from his start in hospitality.

“I began cooking when I was 14 in a little chip shop in North Lincolnshire,” he said. “I went on to do graphic design at college but my part-time job in the kitchen was much more fun.

“When I was 18 I came to London and first of all worked at Christopher’s Restaurant And Martini bar in Covent Garden before moving on to Roast in Borough Market.

“Then I worked at the RAC Club in Pall Mall, winning Worshipful Company Of Cooks’ Young Chef Of the Year in 2013 before joining The Gun in 2015.”

Rabbit Croquettes with marjoram and lime zest mayonnaise at Fish Game

The approach at Fish Game, however, strikes a contrast with his previous roles.

Having impressed with two dishes he served Roberto during a cook-off, he got the job and then discovered things in his new restaurant would be quite different.

“Roberto wants everything rustic, a bit more rock ‘n’ roll – everything natural,” said Matt.

“He wants to change people’s idea of what food is – to try all the good bits that people normally get rid of.

“In the beginning it took time because I was making dishes the way I used to, but Roberto didn’t care for recipes or classics. Everything had to be different.

“That took a bit of time to get used to but I sought inspiration and had a few ideas.

“We’ve broken the menu down into four sections with bread, veg, seafood and meat. If you need advice the waiter or storyteller will come and advise you what to have.

“It can all come together or separately – that’s how people enjoy eating.

“They can share and there’s never any rush.

“Diners can have small plates or big plates, whatever they want, and then order more if they are still hungry.

“It’s simple food cooked well. Roberto loves the diversity of England’s produce and wants to showcase that.”

Early signs seem to indicate that’s something customers are eager to experience.

While only open a short time, bookings have been strong with Matt and his team of chefs working furiously to satisfy full services.

Roman Tigella bread withe rabbit and offal at Fish Game

The menu is certainly a singular creation with ingredients cooked primarily on the ash and charcoal of Fish Game’s bank of grills.

“We’re in the middle of four really good restaurants here, but I love that this isn’t a chain,” said Matt.

“The feedback has been really good so far and people are getting used to the food. 

“There are dishes on the menu that have taken two months to create, but the one everyone loves is something that took me five seconds to whip up.

“Roberto turned to me and said he wanted a squid dish on the menu – I asked when, and he said: ‘Now’. So I looked in the fridge, found a few ingredients and made the one that’s on there now.

“It’s charcoaled squid served with fermented chilli and fried cavolo nero – it just works. There’s a little bit of sugar and salt in there against that chilli sauce.”

Chilli is a big ingredient for Fish Game. In fact the restaurant is certainly the only place in Canary Wharf that boasts a tasting menu dedicated to the plant’s spicy fruit. 

This offers diners the opportunity to taste peppers from Italian farm Vivi Piccante ranging in heat from a prickly 100,000 to 2.3million units on the Scoville Scale.

For contrast, a supermarket Jalapeno is around 2,500 units.

While Matt isn’t afraid of some spice, his dishes are designed to delight rather than melt guests, often focusing on less frequently used ingredients.

“I’m proud of the ox heart, which is marinated for 12 hours in garlic and chilli plus olive oil, that we source from near Roberto’s home in Italy,” said Matt.

“Then it’s seared on the charcoal and served with a crunchy carrot salad, with red onion, salt, pepper and lemon juice.”

Sea bream at Fish Game

Other offerings include a gamey take on an Italian classic in hare arancini, a dish of smoked duck breast and duck leg, a venison tartare with bone marrow and rump of mutton with fresh mint and mustard.

Game dishes range from £6.50 to £52 for a beef ribeye off the bone with bone marrow.

On the aquatic side, there are oysters (£6 for two), langoustines with samphire, mussels with venison nduja and monkfish with rosemary, lime and sea salt.

Dishes range in price from £6 to £50 for a butterfly sea bream served with olive oil, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and basil.

“If I was ordering, I’d start with the Tigella bread from Rome (£9), which is served with rabbit and offal cooked over ash and finished with parsley, fresh garlic and lemon juice,” said Matt.

“Then, of course, I’d have the squid (£9). Sometimes the people are right.

“They even rave about the potatoes we serve but they’re just crispy new potatoes with chilli, garlic, chives and lime.”

In addition to the skill of the chef – after all Matt used to write a recipe column for Wharf Life when he was at The Gun and we don’t let just anyone do that – key to the success of a restaurant is the produce it has to work with.

Fish Game promises to regularly change its menu to fit in with what’s in season, whether that’s meat, fish or vegetables.

“It’s a little early for game season at the moment, but come August 12 we will have grouse on the menu and we also plan to feature partridge, pheasant and quail at the right time,” said Matt.

“We’ll be sourcing our game from the Windsor Park Estate, which is pretty local to us.

“In fact, if they turn the menu over, diners will be able to see where we get all of the fish, meat and game that we use within the UK, which is a nice touch.

“For Roberto it’s important that we serve things that stand out.

“That includes the fact we only offer two desserts – a tiramisu that’s made at the table and a lemon tart with seasonal fruit.

“We’ve also got an ice cream machine that we’re going to use to make a gelato with olive oil and sea salt. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s really good.

“I’ve been here two months, but as for the future I’d love to win a Michelin star and then perhaps see if we can expand to another site or two.”

Venue owner Roberto Costa with Matt

So there you have it, the Wharf’s latest arrival packed with unusual produce, dishes, decor and verve. 

Fish Game is, Matt tells me, currently looking for talented chefs – who wouldn’t want to chance their arm at a project that aims to stand out and get noticed?

Oh, and before I forget to mention it, as if potent art, a chilli menu and plenty of food isn’t enough, the Water Street restaurant also distinguishes itself by offering drinks served from its extensive Agave Bar.

Specialising in Tequila, Raicilla and Mezcal (with a single Sotol on the list too) this promises to add a potent note to any dinner.

And there certainly isn’t time to go into a cocktail list that’s classified by a system of chess pieces.

You’ll just have to head down to Wood Wharf, bag a table and work your way through them, by which time the whole enterprise might make some kind of sense.

Find out more about Fish Game via this link

Read More: How Leo Weisz Therapy offers rapid, in-depth help

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
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Bethnal Green: How Leo Weisz Therapy offers rapid, in-depth help to clients

Founding director Janos Verebes-Weisz on creating a flexible service for those with hectic schedules

Leo Weisz Therapy founding director Janos Verebes-Weisz

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“If people really want to change, then there is hope,” said Janos Verebes-Weisz. “I strongly believe in that.

“Anybody who is fed up can benefit from thinking through what is between them and change – that process on its own is part of changing.”

There’s a warmth, kindness and curiosity to Janos. It’s in the timbre of his voice, the rhythm of his speech and the way he gently turns topics over in his mind to examine and explore them as we talk. 

That’s unsurprising. The founding director of Leo Weisz Therapy has spent his life helping people – initially working as a paramedic and intensive care nurse in Hungary before moving to the UK in 2004. 

As a person in therapy himself, he determined to train as a psychotherapist and found a place working in the NHS with offenders in a medium secure unit in Hackney.

There he spent seven years using group sessions to help those with personality disorders.

Since then he’s worked in the NHS in east London as well as in private practice and has spent time as a visiting lecturer, teaching the next generation of therapists at Queen Mary University and Greenwich University.

He founded community interest company the Community Psychotherapy Network (CPN) in Bethnal Green to offer accessible and affordable group therapy.

“Traditionally psychotherapy has a very strict structure – clients have a time when they must turn up,” said Janos.

“It’s usually a requirement. Through our work with CPN, even before the pandemic, we realised that there was a group of people who need a little bit more flexibility.

“They can afford therapy but, because they are working like mad, they cannot always get to the sessions. 

“That’s why we created Leo Weisz. We specialise in long-term, in-depth therapy and that’s what we offer to people with speed and flexibility.

“When Covid came, it overwrote much of what we thought about what’s needed to do psychotherapy work effectively.

“This means if you have someone who is leading a business and struggling with an eating disorder, for example – a person whose hectic lifestyle makes it very difficult to attend sessions – we can still help them.

“When the pandemic came and we had to put everything online – life shows you that you can adapt.”

Thus Leo Weisz Therapy was created, with Janos teaming up with therapists Sarah Clark, Ivor McKay, Mayer Lindner and Adelaide O’Mahony to offer group and one-to-one sessions to both individuals and businesses.

The organisation is based in Bethnal Green, with access to premises in Canary Wharf in the pipeline.

Leo Weisz Therapy provides services to individuals and companies keen to look after their employees’ mental health

“My background is in dealing with personality disorders, which we see as a developmental illness,” said Janos.

“Some people say it’s untreatable, but we know that’s absolutely not the case. 

“With maturation and development, things can be much better – but it takes time and that’s why we work with clients long-term.

“The benefit of our approach is that we are not working to change habits – we’re promoting in-depth change.

“That’s the most difficult thing – there is often a lot between a person and the change they want to make.

“We have to ask how we can understand the resistance to it and then go towards the desired outcome of a client’s therapy.

“In that sense, more often than not, we find trauma inevitably comes up.

“Things that people have gone through will, one way or another, have influenced their development.

“As a result they suffer with different symptoms.

“Those might include anxiety, depression, an eating disorder, self harm, addiction or complex destructive or risky behaviour.

“Here we’re not working only to address those symptoms – it’s about what they are communicating.

“The phrase we like to use is ‘immature defence structure’.

“Often people are at a particular age or stage in their life and they didn’t get the right amount of support at a particular time.

“They may also have been directly traumatised. 

“Then their development arrested and we try to pick up at that point and support them into a direction they would like to go.”

Leo Weisz Therapy is in the process of opening a facility in Canary Wharf

To that end, Janos and his colleagues aim to offer services that will fit in with a client’s life, while also working to address the issues they are experiencing.

“I think what’s unusual in this field is that we offer flexibility,” said Janos.

“Needless to say, of course, we’re also extremely confidential.

“One-to-one sessions will work for some people, while group therapy is also highly effective, because it puts people into context.

“It works as an analogue for the wider community.

“While many people experience fear when they wonder whether they will be getting time for their issues in this setting, it is actually training for the ego where we can place our problems beside those of others.

“People start finding words for their feelings when they experience commonality in a group.

“These words become a common experience and language that enables group participants to express themselves much faster than they would if they were on their own.

“Being in a group can be extremely freeing – they understand that they are not alone. 

“In a group there are often people at different stages.

“Imagine, for example, someone who is suffering with bulimic attacks and then they’re sitting with someone who already left this kind of behaviour behind after years of therapy.

“Then they start talking about it – why they do it, what it means for them and how they can find words that express those things.

“Then we start to realise these are universal experiences and that we don’t have to act out these behaviours – we can verbalise them instead.”

Leo Weisz Therapy also stands ready to help businesses with an approach that aims to offer practical, beneficial results for their employees.

“In the corporate world you often have people working under enormous pressure and they need a release,” said Janos.

“We are always learning from our clients but we absolutely take a practical approach.

“For example, there will be elements of behavioural therapy that come up in group sessions.

“It’s a repetitive process. We talk about these developmental cycles and we identify symptoms, but it’s easy for people to regress too.

“Then we keep doing the work and change happens over time.

“It’s mind-blowing what can happen. I haven’t seen anyone change for the better in as little as three months – that’s because to do it, you have to reshape internal constructs, to tackle internal defence structures.

“People can be very fragile inside but they can be like medieval knights covered in very rigid armour that rejects closeness and flexibility. 

“You can’t just remove the armour, you have to work to put muscles on the arms and legs so the person can gradually take it off piece by piece.

“Then, underneath they will be strong enough not to collapse without it.

“I’m always very moved when that happens – people come to us and make themselves vulnerable.

“It’s a privilege to work with them.”

Find out more about Leo Weisz Therapy’s services via this link

Read more: How artist Mark Taylor is capturing Canary Wharf and Docklands

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
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Canary Wharf: How Karapincha is bringing Sri Lankan flavours back to the Wharf

Twin sisters Vasanthini and Dharshini Perumal are set to open a grab and go branch in the Tube station

Karapincha’s freshly made Kothu Roti with lamb

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There’s spice, fire, zest and vigour in the eyes of Karapincha founders Vasanthini and Dharshini Perumal and that’s before we’ve even mentioned the food.

The twin sisters are a force to be reckoned with, boasting CVs that name-check JP Morgan, EY, Nomura, RBS, KPMG, Six Degrees Group and many more.

Accountancy, project management, finance, entrepreneurial verve – it’s all there. So why give up flourishing careers in finance to launch a hospitality business?

 “Ever since we came to the UK from Sri Lanka in 2011, we knew we wanted to create a business,” said Vasanthini.

“Some people think that with Indian or Sri Lankan food that you have to sit down and have a meal, but that’s not necessarily the case – you can convert these cuisines to grab-and-go. 

“We’d been thinking about the idea and had done some test marketing at an evening market in Shoreditch – we cooked up some food with our family and it was really nicely taken up.

“We were able to sell more than 100 portions – people really liked it. 

“Then our mum and dad got sick and we couldn’t concentrate on starting something immediately.

“In the meantime Hoppers, a restaurant in Soho, started up and I thought: ‘Bugger – they’ve got my concept’.”

Undeterred, however, and with a faith that their time was yet to come, the duo bided their time before an introduction in Canary Wharf led them in a fresh direction.

“A colleague at JP Morgan introduced me to The Limehouse – a bar and restaurant run by Fuller’s on Fisherman’s Walk,” said Dharshini.

“They loved the food, but weren’t sure whether to go ahead until suddenly everything became OK and we went to sign the contract. 

“It only gave us three weeks to get going – we didn’t have a name, any staff, crockery a menu or anything in the kitchen. Luckily we work well under pressure.”

Karapincha co-founder Dharshini Perumal

Their determination won through with the twins pulling everything together to open in 2018, bringing their version of Sri Lankan cuisine to Wharfers in a 180-cover restaurant.

“Fuller’s was a really good partner for us – there was so much learning to do,” said Vasanthini.

“We had a really good partnership, learning the hygiene systems and how to organise our operation.

“They rebranded the place to match our colours – they really supported us and helped us to start up.”

The Limehouse, along with its neighbour, The Merchant, didn’t reopen following the pandemic, however, with Fuller’s deciding to leave the Canary Wharf estate.

However, Karapincha survives – running in sites at Mercato Metropolitano in Elephant And Castle and Old Spitalfields Market – and Vasanthini and Dharshini are set to bring the brand back to Canary Wharf – albeit in a different form in the Jubilee line station.

Karapincha is expecting to start trading in mid-July. 

“We’re going to be the first hospitality business to open in a Tube station where the kitchen will actually be cooking food,” said Vasanthini.

“Being in the station, we’re going to take the full opportunity to trade from morning until evening, breakfast, lunch and dinner – it’s a grab-and-go concept.

“We’ll be doing some things that are different here to our other sites because of all the offices nearby so that people will be able to come into work and eat our food.”

What won’t change, however, is the twins’ approach to the core flavours Karapincha champions.

“If you ask me where I would like to dine in London, the answer would be our place, because it’s nice comfort food,” said Dharshini.

“It reminds us of home-cooked food, just like our mother made – that’s what we always wanted.

“We didn’t want complicated, fancy stuff.

“We use a central kitchen to supply our sites, but everything is home-cooked style. We make everything we serve from scratch including the mayonnaise and the ketchup.

Karapincha co-founder Vasanthini Perumal

“It’s about conscientiously, carefully making food that is good for your health – exactly as you would if you had people coming to your house for lunch.

“That’s how we train our staff – they’re a lovely bunch who look after each other like family and a happy kitchen means a happy customer. 

“When they buy it, people should not feel that our food is from a shop.

“We also cook in front of customers so they know they are getting something fresh. 

“For example, the boys will make the paratha in the kitchen every day and we never freeze food or bring anything from elsewhere – it’s all made by us on a daily basis.”

Having had the teaser photos on the previous pages, it’s now time to talk about the food. Karapincha is proud to serve a selection of potent Sri Lankan dishes, all with the twins’ personal twist.

Front and centre is the Kothu Roti – a stir fry made with chopped roti bread, vegetables and eggs, flavoured with Sri Lankan curries and sliced up with energy as it cooks on the griddle.

Vegan, chicken and lamb versions are all available.

Vegan curry with rice from Karapincha

Then there’s the traditional Sri Lankan lunch of rice with curry, or how about a flaky folded paratha to dip in a rich coconut-laced sauce?

Failing that, there’s always the devilled chicken and fried rice or lamb rolls to fall back on – which all pack a punch.

When the twins first opened in Elephant And Castle, they were advised to tone down the spice a bit.

Suffice to say they ignored the advice and quickly built up a line of hungry fans eager to feel their tongues fizz from the pepper.

 “The name of Karapincha comes from the curry leaf used in Sri Lankan cooking,” said Dharshini.

“It’s all about what we like to eat – what we grew up eating and the stuff our mother taught us.

“We use her recipe for curry powder, which contains 12 ingredients in specific quantities and we import them from Sri Lanka and grind it in our kitchen.

“The island is known for the best cinnamon in the world.

“But there are some twists too – if you go to that country, you won’t find our pineapple pickle served at any of the roti street food stalls.”

A fried lamb roll from Karapincha

The twins also promise twists on bacon and egg for breakfast at the Canary Wharf store alongside porridges and even a high tea box to tempt office workers looking for afternoon refreshment. 

But then, perhaps this kind of thing is to be expected from a pair of founders who, upon discovering a local mine was up for sale in Sri Lanka, bought it and turned their hand to exporting silica quartz to Japan and Korea, growing the operation to support 100 employees before selling it to mining giant Nippon seven years later.

“It’s really fulfilling to have started Karapincha,” said Vasanthini.

“We’re really happy. We wanted to do something in the UK, so we put this in motion and it’s been functioning for four years. 

“It’s a journey and now we’re looking to take it to the next level and to operate a franchise model.

“We are slowly growing and we want to get bigger – at first within London. Canary Wharf will be our flagship now that we’re catching up after Covid.

“It’s also about the team – the people who work for us are a family.

“They’re so good, really brilliant and they never give up – and they need something to grow into.”

Chicken curry with paratha from Karapincha

Read more: How artist Mark Taylor is capturing Canary Wharf and Docklands

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
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West India Quay: How artist Mark Taylor is capturing Canary Wharf and Docklands

Residency at London Marriott Hotel Canary Wharf sees the painter and RNLI coxswain exhibit works

London Marriot Hotel Canary Wharf artist in residence Mark Taylor

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There’s a moment during our interview where Mark Taylor’s voice falters.

The son of successful artist Dallas K Taylor went to art college to become a painter like his father, but wound up initially rejecting his style.

“He painted landscapes and seascapes – it was very commercial,” said Mark.

“He had an art gallery in the North East where I’m from, so I grew up around him working – but I thought I wanted to be a proper artist like Jackson Pollock or Mark Rothko. 

“I’d come down to Tate Modern in London and be completely absorbed by the scale of their works.

“Seeing Summertime by Pollock, I was just completely taken away by the real thing. A couple of inches on the page of a book just doesn’t compare.”

After completing a degree in fine art, however, Mark decided to go into boat design rather than opt for the life of a struggling painter – building on a lifelong love of the water, having been raised on boats growing up in Blyth.

“During my degree I’d partnered with boat builders and went to work for a company called Sealine in Kidderminster,” he said.

“I used to watch their £2.5million fancy boats go off down the road on trailers escorted by vehicles with flashing lights, and I realised I was landlocked  – it was my dream job, but in the wrong location. I needed to get back to the coast.”

A project helping an artist put together a portfolio led Mark to turn to the classroom as a profession, moving back to the North East to lecture in fine art in the Newcastle area.

“It meant I could be on the lifeboat like my dad and I could teach art as well, so that’s what I did for many years,” he said.

“Then my father discovered he had Motor Neurone Disease and he went downhill pretty fast. 

“At that time, he had a 12-month waiting list for his artworks but wasn’t able to fulfil his orders.

Detail from Mark Taylor’s Altitude

“So I decided to leave my position at the college to become his full-time carer.

“I went back to the family home and looked after him and, during that time, I told him I would paint his pictures.

“I’d learned how to make work like his to pay my way through university – I’d nick his style, hang work in his gallery and sell it.

“During the months I cared for him, he showed me a few techniques to emulate his style with a palette knife in oils.

“He taught me to smear the paint on the palette and to cut through it so that, with practice, you can get a thin precise line – perfect for the mast of a boat or a line on a building.

“I developed that style and one day I was painting a very famous scene – the bridge over the Tyne in Newcastle looking down to the quayside. It was a historic scene with horses and carts in the foreground.

“When my father saw it, he said that he couldn’t have ever painted the horses like that and if I could, then I would never be hungry.”

It’s here Mark’s voice falters at the memory – a moment not long before his father died. 

“It was really amazing to think I had taken his technique and been able to continue his legacy – to paint like him and then for him to say that he couldn’t have done it himself felt great,” said Mark

“For more than a decade now I’ve continued painting like him but increasingly putting more of myself into it.

“Now I’ve got my own identity I’ve started branching out into different techniques with collage and acrylic rather than oil paint.

“It’s a bit like being a musician – you do a first album, then a second that’s different and now I’m on my third in the London market, which is fantastic.” 

Detail from Mark Taylor’s painting of Tynemouth Lifeboat
READ THIS NOW
Sorry to break the flow of the article, but there’s something else that adds depth to Mark’s character. 

His father also gave him a lifelong love of being on the sea, coupled with the example of stalwart service saving lives in the RNLI.

Having moved back to the North East, Mark began volunteering on the lifeboat as Dallas had before him. 


Rising rapidly through the ranks (thanks to his dad training him in water safety from an early age), he’s now the coxswain for the Tynemouth all-weather lifeboat – the largest in the charity’s fleet – as well as helmsman for the station’s inshore inflatable lifeboat. 

While there’s probably enough material for a book in his more than 16 years of volunteering, to save lives in some of the most extreme conditions on the water – one tale stands out.

“I’d just qualified as a navigator when we got the shout that a vessel was sinking 110 nautical miles off the coast,” said Mark. 

“We knew we’d have only enough fuel to get out there, do a search and then return so everything was on me to get to the right place.
“The search area was huge – the drifts, the tide, the wind. 

"A helicopter picked up a very faint radio message from the stricken boat and we managed to find the vessel, get it on tow and then pull it back to Sunderland over about 14 hours.

“It feels incredible when you can get someone back to their family who would have drowned if it wasn’t for the RNLI. 

“That one turned out to be the farthest rescue from shore ever completed in the organisation’s 200-year history and it was my first shout as a newly-trained navigator. 


“You risk your life, but there’s a reason why you’re doing it. 

“People’s lives are in grave and immediate danger so we go out in all conditions. 

“It’s a great thing to be able to do and an honour to be the coxswain, following the retirement of Michael Nugent who I’ve looked up to all the way through.”


Go to rnli.org to make a donation to the charity
Detail from Mark Taylor’s Signs

Which brings us in a roundabout sort of a way to why Mark is featured by Wharf Life.

Having mostly painted coastal scenes and architecture, one of his works was selected for the Royal Society Of Marine Artist’s annual exhibition, an accolade that won him the attention of the London Marriott Canary Wharf on West India Quay. 

Recently appointed its artist in residence, Mark has created a series of paintings currently on display there, with more planned to spread throughout the building. 

The works use acrylic and, frequently, collage of historic maps of the area, to capture Canary Wharf and views of Docklands as it is today.

“The docks are massively important, when you look at the history of this area and how that has influenced the buildings we have, and the new towers – it’s about celebrating what’s here,” said Mark.

“You’re capturing moments in time. The first painting I did for this series was looking at Canary Wharf from Blackwall Basin – there’s a lovely bit of water there with the reflections of the buildings all around it.

“I took a photograph of that and then, the next time I came down, a concrete lift shaft for a building under construction had sprung up in the middle of the scene so that view is now lost.

“But I was able to capture it and put it in this painting.

“Then, the next paintings can celebrate what is coming in the future.

“For some of the other pieces I was researching what the area had been like and I realised the colour of one of the maps I was looking at was like the windows of the office blocks at night so I began working pieces of collage into the painting.

“That way I have the new in the work while honouring the heritage of the area too.

“I’ve spent the last 11 years concentrating professionally on my art, developing and bringing new elements into my work.

“With the Royal Society exhibition and this residency I think I’m definitely on my way to qualifying as a decent artist.

Detail from Mark Taylor’s Sunset Over Greenwich

“It’s a bit like climbing a mountain – you get to the top and you realise there’s another peak you just didn’t see until you reached that point.

“What I’ve also realised is that my dad was always a great artist – he painted pictures people loved and would request again and again.

“For me, painting standalone works is exciting and I’ve been able to take his technique somewhere completely different.

“I get totally absorbed by the work. I’ll often go into the studio at 10.30am and paint right through until 1.30am. It’s amazing to be in that creative space.

“Luckily I live within sight of the lifeboat station, so when the pager goes off I can drop my tools and go straight out.

“Going on a shout puts everything in perspective. The other day I was under real pressure to get this picture finished for a client.

“I was really feeling it – at a moment where you don’t know where to stop. Is it going right? Is it going well now, but is it going wrong?

“Then I got the call and me and two crew had to go and extract a casualty trapped on the shoreline in a heavy surf, which we managed successfully.

“After being out at sea with the adrenaline pumping, saving someone, I was completely calm.

“In the greater scheme of things if you make a mistake on the canvas you can always paint over it.”    

Mark’s work is on display at the Marriott on an ongoing basis, with each original piece also for sale. Prices start at £11,500.

Mark is also set to come and produce some of his work at the hotel itself starting in July, although exact dates are yet to be confirmed.

Wharfers are welcome to come down on these occasions and meet him amid his paintings.

Detail from Mark Taylor’s Canary Wharf From Blackwall Basin

Read more: Discover volunteering opportunities with Canary Wharf Group and The Felix Project through its Green Schem

Read Wharf Life’s e-edition here

Subscribe to our Wharf Whispers newsletter here

- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
Subscribe To Wharf Life