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Canary Wharf: Is this the best food to eat at restaurants in Canary Wharf?

Marking Canary Wharf Group’s Season Of Culinary Discovery, Wharf Life has tried dishes from Asia and America, all available on the east London estate

Tomahawk steak at Roka in Canada Square’s Park Pavilion

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Canary Wharf’s food scene is unquestionably the best it’s ever been.

Gone are the days of underwhelming Pizza Express lunches.

The estate in 2023 is host to myriad dining options spanning cuisines from across the globe.

In celebration, Canary Wharf Group (CWG) has unveiled its Season Of Culinary Discovery campaign, aimed at shining a spotlight on venues all over the estate at a time of year when – more than any other – people want to get together, break bread and celebrate.

It’s an open invitation to explore, taste, experiment and discover new flavours and venues – something Wharf Life is proud to get involved with.

“The reason we’re doing this is to reflect the diversity of the restaurants and cuisines we have on the estate,” said Claire Slater, retail marketing manager at CWG. 

“ We wanted to show how people can sample flavours from across the world without ever having to leave the Wharf.

“I don’t think anyone would expect the sheer number of phenomenal restaurants that we have here.

“Until you come and you visit, you won’t be aware of the depth – I think people really are spoilt for choice.

“Also, because it’s a holiday season we wanted to remind people that there’s something for everyone.

“Whether you’re celebrating with a significant other, your family, your work colleagues or a group of friends, there’s somewhere that caters for every taste and every kind of occasion.”

To that end, CWG is showcasing restaurants on the estate in four categories – When East Meets East, North, South Or Central, Frosty Days And Sizzling Dishes and From Farm To Fork.

In support we’ve selected dishes from restaurants featured in the above categories to help spark your dining ideas.

Find our more about the Season Of Culinary Discovery here

FROSTY DAYS AND SIZZLING DISHES

The first strand of the campaign celebrates European restaurants with a healthy focus on Italian cuisine…

Roast Fillet Of Sea Trout, £28

Boisdale

Cabot Place

boisdale.co.uk

Served up with sage and pumpkin seed pesto, butternut squash, chard and cold pressed olive oil, this handsome piece of fish is a fitting crown for one of Boisdale’s oxblood red-bordered plates. The Scottish restaurant, jazz venue, whisky Mecca, cigar library and oyster bar has more than a few strings to its bow – so many, in fact, that it’s easy to overlook the food. This is a place of rich, bold flavours. The fish is often smoked, the haggis soused in liquor and the menu shot through with whisky matches to help ease the dining. This brightly coloured dish is just one of the options on a Christmas set menu that offers three courses for £59.50 and features silky Jerusalem artichoke soup alongside the inevitable festive classics. Just don’t forget a noggin or two as a chaser…

White Chocolate Cheesecake, £6.50

Blacklock

Frobisher Passage (under the DLR)

theblacklock.com

There’s something of the speakeasy about Blacklock, with its dark wood furniture, leather banquettes and screened windows. While chops and plentiful portions are what this place is known for, don’t visit without trying its classic white chocolate cheesecake, doled out table side in astonishing quantities…

Baked Halloumi Fondue, £11.90

The Lebanese Table

MMy Wood Wharf, Wood Wharf

mercatometropolitano.com

All of the traders at MMy Wood Wharf must adhere to strict sustainability guidelines that conform to Mercato Metropolitano’s vision for good food that doesn’t harm the planet. This melange of cheeses with flat bread is a great example of how doing the right thing needn’t be a compromise on taste and texture

Christmas Feast, from £45

Pedler

One Canada Square

pedlercanarywharf.com

Pedler has come up with some of our favourite things for its seasonal offering this year. Its menus start at £45 for two courses, £55 for three with bubbles, coffee and mince pies or £65 to add 1/2 a bottle of wine per guest. Tipsy or not, there are some serious flavours at play here to enjoy. Our picks are St Ives Smoked Salmon to start with sourdough and capers, followed by a zingy Beetroot Tarte tatin for mains with feta, rocket and tomato salsa. Then to finish, it has to be the Bailey’s And Vanilla Creme Brulee, topped off with icing sugar-dusted raspberries. Expect a warm welcome throughout the colder months..

Steaks, from £62 (part of set menu)

Hawksmoor

Water Street

thehawksmoor.com

A festive experience at Hawksmoor is really all about the beef and the company. The Water Street restaurant boasts a private dining room where revellers can indulge in sirloin, rump, prime rib, T-bone, porterhouse and chateaubriand across a selection of two or three-course set menus ranging from £62 to £98. The floating venue (complete with The Lowback bar beneath) may feature an opulent art deco interior, but at heart is about the simplicity of presenting high quality meat to the very best effect. Oh, and don’t forget to round things off with the sticky toffee pudding and clotted cream, it’s ace. 

Goose And Turkey Shepherd’s Pie, £55 (part of set menu)

The Ivy In The Park

Canada Square

ivycollection.com

Part of The Ivy In The Park’s seasonal set menu, this dish suggests the shepherd may have decided to branch out from their traditional diet in favour of more extravagant produce to celebrate Christmas. Eschewing lamb in favour of confit goose and turkey as a filling, the mash-topped pie comes served in a high-sided dish complete with pigs in blankets. Suffice to say, the swineherd and poulterers may well be livid. Fortunately, The Ivy has plenty of foliage behind which to hide and remains one of the most beautifully kitted out interiors on the Wharf. Not a bad place to lie low at all.

Cornish Monkfish, £29 

Fish Game

Water Street

fishgamerestaurant.co.uk

Right on the cutting edge of Canary Wharf’s food scene, Matt Colk’s seafood and game-dominated menu presents fiery cooking and vibrant combinations of British ingredients. The cooking is precise and skilled, typified by this simple dish that marries meaty, succulent fish with rosemary, lemon and smoked Maldon sea salt. It even comes with a big knife to slice up the surprisingly delicate fillet. This is a venue that’s not afraid to try new things and comes complete with a chilli tasting menu and an agave bar packed with South American spirits. Go for the £16, two-course lunch menu, just to start the addiction off gently…

Street Food, £48 (plus £35pp for the matching wines)

Six By Nico

Chancellor Passage

sixbynico.co.uk

Trying to feature a specific dish at Six By Nico is almost impossible as its menu of six courses changes every six weeks. Currently, the Canary Wharf branch is serving Street Food, a selection of dishes “meticulously crafted to pay homage to a diverse array of global flavours and iconic culinary staples that have originated from local street food vendors”. Diners can expect Gochujang Pork Steamed Bun, Samosa, Kebab, Taco, Satay and Coffee to arrive when visiting before December 17. There’s also the option to go for some snacks (croquettes) and a cocktail aperitif if you wish to go all-in.   

FROM FARM TO FORK

The second strand of the campaign celebrates sustainability and British produce, home grown and delivered on the plate

Arroz Negro, £19

Iberica

North Colonnade

ibericarestaurants.com

Always a leader, Iberica’s innovative Spanish cooking under chef director Nacho Manzano is a treat. For the festive period, the restaurant is serving up a sharing dish of black ink rice, complete with fresh squid and prawns. Diners can expect a touch of garlic aioli to top off this tapas, served in a paella pan. 

Burnt Aubergine Borek, £19

Mallow

Water Street

mallowlondon.com

Plant-based powerhouse Mallow consistently serves up some of the most beautiful, complex food on the Wharf and this tight coil of filo pastry is no exception. It comes on a bed of bulgur wheat, muhammara, dates and spices plus green tabbouleh, baba ganoush cream, sour cherry molasses and ezme…

Feasting Menu, £55

Caravan

Reuters Plaza

caravanandco.com

Caravan is packed with festive cheer this year with a feasting menu filled with luxurious dishes with a European flavour. It’s a fair bet that there will be some competition round the table when the confit duck leg with braised cavolo nero, white beans and salsa verde makes an appearance. Knives and forks at the ready.

Pork Belly + Sprouts, £13

Humble Grape

Mackenzie Walk

humblegrape.co.uk

Sprouts are proudly star ingredients at Humble Grape with this dish only available at its Canary Wharf restaurant. In addition to the main veg, there’s cranberry sauce and bacon to further lift things. Also on offer during the festive season is a small plate for £8 that brings whipped goats cheese together with crispy sprouts, pickled cranberries and candied chestnuts for a blend of sweet and sour on the tongue.

Black Truffle Pizza, £35

Cafe Brera

Cabot Square

cafebrera.com

Christmas can be a time of indulgence and having a whole pizza generously coated in fior di latte, mozzarella, truffle paste and shavings of black truffle definitely qualifies. It’s worth noting, though, that Cafe Brera hasn’t become one of the most enduringly successful brands on the Wharf by stinting on ingredients. It also offers a Parma pizza for £15.90 that comes heavily topped with parma ham, san marzano tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, rocket leaves and shards of parmesan. Expect to walk away filled with rich flavours and already planning a return visit. 

Panettone + Rum And Raisin Gelato, £7.50

Emilia’s Crafted Pasta

George Street

emiliaspasta.com

Available throughout December, this rich, sweet dessert features panettone soaked in custard, toasted in butter and served with silky smooth gelato. Finished with spiced sugar, it’s a blend of hot and cold, crisp and fluffy from this popular Italian restaurant that demands a glass of sweet Moscato on the side. The Wood Wharf venue has proved popular since opening its doors, drawing workers and local residents alike with its uncomplicated offering of eight pasta dishes in an unfussy, cosy environment. Diners can expect to pay less than £17 for a bowl, with pasta made fresh on-site each day. There’s also a bar menu to explore.

Christmas Menu, £25.95

Zizzi

Cabot Place (Atrium Kitchen)

zizzi.co.uk

Customers visiting Zizzi restaurants, including the Canary Wharf branch, can indulge in three courses for under £26 with options including the Festive Formaggio And Prosciutto Pizza, pictured below. Expect meatballs, shiitake mushrooms and free range eggs to arrive on a truffle-infused white base. 

Nduja Mediterranean Pizza, £17.50

Gallio

Cabot Place (Atrium Kitchen)

gallio.uk

There’s something tempting about the copper and turquoise hues of this Med-focused restaurant. Its pizzas eschew the neapolitan sourdough crusts that have become ubiquitous in recent years in favour of a denser base, here topped with honey and soft charcuterie.

Pappardelle Con Ragu D’Agnello, £20

Obica

West Wintergarden

obica.com

Obica’s festive specials are all about fusion and this dish is no exception, mixing the classic pairing of lamb and mint with thick ribbons of egg pasta. If you fancy an even bigger twist, there’s rolled turkey with prosciutto, smoked mozzarella, sage stuffing, trimmings and gravy. A singular festive creation.  

WHEN EAST MEETS WEST

The third strand of the campaign is focused on Asian restaurants, so dig into noodles or a curry and prepare for some serious spice…

Tomahawk Steak, £130

Roka

Park Pavilion, Canada Square

rokarestaurant.com

Like this enormous, 1kg cut of flame-grilled steak, there’s no part of Roka that isn’t exceedingly well done. The Japanese sushi and robata restaurant is exquisite, right down to the perfectly irregular ceramics it serves its exacting dishes on. This dish might seem expensive but it will easily do for three or four people prepared to tuck into pink, supple meat and unctuous, partially rendered fat. For extraordinary value, try it as part of Roka’s bottomless brunch for £51.50 per person plus a £33 supplement and indulge its outrageously good, free-flowing sushi before tucking into the beef.

Karol Bagh Butter Chicken, £14.50

Chai Ki

Crossrail Place

chai-ki.com

The rich colour of this dish is a clue to how this blend of tandoor-smoked chicken thigh in a spiced tomato, fenugreek and butter sauce is going to taste. Since the day it opened in Canary Wharf, Chai Ki has stood out from the crowd with its vibrant, flavourful and beautifully presented Indian cooking. Put simply, it’s unafraid to be different and all the better for it. Try this dish with a simple tandoori naan (£2.90).

Turkey Raan Bun, £13.90

Dishoom

Water Street, Wood Wharf

dishoom.com

How do you find Dishoom? Follow the queue. Those people are waiting outside to get a table for a reason. At this time of year, this dish could well be it. A whole turkey leg is marinated overnight before being prepared in the traditional Indian raan style – cooked slowly over a day until it basically melts. The meat is then gently pulled off the bone and piled into a warm brioche bun. Cranberry mayo, spinach, red onions, crispy onions and a slice of brie are added to finish things off. Best enjoyed with slaw, salli crisp-chips and deep-fried green chillies. Order it with the house black dal for something truly indulgent to dip into…

Kimchi Noodle Mac And Cheese, £4.95

Seoul Bird

Jubilee Place

seoul-bird.co.uk

Seoul Bird founder Judy Joo says: “Kimchi and cheese is a combination that is winning fans all around the world – at first bite you’ll surely swoon and taste why. The tangy and spicy notes of kimchi complement and cut through the creamy richness of the cheese, transforming a traditional combination into a fully balanced, deeply satisfying sensation.” But don’t just take her word for it. Grab a fork and dig in yourselves. It’s £9.50 for a large….

Spicy King Prawn Curry, £13.95

Pho

Jubilee Place

phocafe.co.uk

Slick and efficient, is the best way to describe a meal at Pho. The chain promises fresh and healthy Vietnamese food and delivers filling, but surprisingly light dishes to order at rapid speed. This punchy curry came served with a ridge of peanuts and a side of “broken rice” that all came together in a beautiful mess of flavours and textures in the mouth. Top tip, add some pickled chillies and garlic.

Spicy Veggie Ramen, £15

Ippudo

Crossrail Walk

ippudo.co.uk

Wowzer, this is one hot bowl, as sizzling as the late 20th century soundtrack that plays over this evergreen Japanese ramen specialist. Think Footloose, It Wasn’t Me and Under Pressure for the ear worms and thin, glorious noodles soaked in Kakara miso paste, dashi broth and garlic oil on the tongue. There’s serious depth here with plenty of bean sprouts, kikurage mushrooms and fried tofu to top what lies beneath… 

Kake, £4.95

Marugame Udon

Atrium Kitchen, Cabot Place

marugame.co.uk

Is this umami-packed little bowl of fish dashi and noodles the best value dish in Canary Wharf? At 243 calories (for the small bowl), it’s a warming, simple snack. But in a complicated world there’s a lot to be said for purity, clarity and excellence. This is traditional Japanese comfort food at its best and you’ll still get change from a fiver (at least you would if anyone actually paid in cash any more).

NORTH, SOUTH OR CENTRAL

The fourth strand is North, South Or Central – a grouping that could be subtitled This Is Americas (in homage to Childish Gambino).

Whether it’s the full-on, bombastic cuisine of the USA with burgers and BBQ, the refined cuts of Argentina or the spice of central and South America, there’s plenty to try and experience. Here are a few places to start…

Rebel Without A Claus, £12.95

Patty & Bun

Park Drive, Wood Wharf

pattyandbun.co.uk

The British burger brand has long looked to the States for its inspiration with offerings named Ari Gold and Smokey Robinson. Little surprise then that this year’s festive burger channels James Dean. It’s a burger built aroung Ogleshield cheese, billed as “the West Country’s answer to Raclette” and promises a pungent, melting partner to the dry-aged beef patty. Italian pancetta and red currant jam are also within to add something of a pigs-in-blankets vibe with just a little sweetness on the side. Eat at a festive celebration with the team or simply on your own with rebellion in your heart.

Bar.B.Q Taste-O-Rama, £10 (inc drink)

Big Easy

Crossrail Place

bigeasy.co.uk

There’s something about the smell of smoke as you walk into Big Easy that, when combined with the strains of raunchy blues guitar, makes you wish you were wearin’ cowboy boots, a plaid shirt and sportin’ a stetson. The food it serves is perfect for those whose heels have bin’ hittin’ the boards, with plentiful portions of home-smoked meats. Go for the venue’s express menu, which includes a beverage such as a half pint of lager, a glass of Prosecco or a soft drink for £10. The Taste-O-Rama is top of the list and acts as a culinary tour of the food on offer. Expect a dish groaning with pulled pork, chicken, Texas hot links, pork rib, Bar.B.Q beans and house slaw with a sweet little cornbread cake at its heart. Rapidly served it’s a good ol’ lunchtime treat.

Feast Menu, £85

Gaucho

Canary Riverside

gauchorestaurants.com

While Gaucho is unequestionably a steak specialist and there’s a fillet and a ribeye on the chain’s seasonal four-course set menu, beef is far from the only attraction. Top billing goes to an Argentinian twist on traditions with the chimichurri butter roasted turkey. There’s also a whole grilled sea bass for fish lovers and a mushroom tagliatelle with truffle oil for those who prefer to avoid meat altogether.

Steak Bowl, £9.25

Chipotle

Jubilee Place

chipotle.co.uk

This innocent-looking bowl of burrito ingredients (conceived, presumably for those who insanely prefer to eschew carbs) must not be underestimated. Mention to your server that you like it spicy and they will be more than happy to oblige, dressing the chunky cubes of beef in a sizzling hot sauce that’s enough to warm anyone on a winter’s day. But then what else would you expect from a chain named after a smoked chilli?

Ham Hock Tacos, £35 (part of set menu)

Wahaca

Park Pavilion, Canada Square

wahaca.co.uk

You’ll have to wait until November 22 for these, but just look at them… The brand’s development chef, Leo Da Cruz says: “The Christmas Ham Hock Taco is a dish I’m really excited about. We’ve combined a familiar festive ingredient, with a whole host of flavours and spices inspired by Mexico. 

“It’s topped with pink pickled onions and crispy crackling pieces. You can also dig into all these flavours and more in our sharing festive feast.” 

This Christmas menu will be available until December 24, 2023, costs £35 per person and is available for parties of six or more. Flavours include the likes of smoky Sonoran hummus, golden roast cauliflower, churros with sprinkles and, of course, ham hock served with a crispy crackling crown. 

Festive Feast Menu, £49

Feels Like June

Water Street, Wood Wharf

feelslikejune.com

Fancy a plate piled high with mashed polenta and lamb shank drizzled with a balsamic vinegar sauce? Then California-inspired restaurant Feels Like June is the place to go. Located on the ground floor of the Tribe London Canary Wharf hotel in Wood Wharf, the venue promises a sunny welcome year-round. For Christmas, it’s offering a three-course set menu available until Christmas Day, featuring the likes of beef tartare, clam chowder and mushroom and truffle arancini to start. Mains include the lamb, a duck breast fillet and a cauliflower steak. For dessert, there’s red velvet cake with hot fudge and chocolate sauce, gingerbread cheesecake with chantilly cream or a spiced chocolate mousse. Feeling festive yet?

Read more: How Level39-based WyzePay offers discounts at MMy Wood Wharf

Read Wharf Life’s e-edition here

Subscribe to our free 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
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Canary Wharf: How a Jovena Face Stim treatment delivers a lift at Third Space Spa

The treatment uses radio frequencies and electrical stimulation to exercise facial muscles with the aim of creating a more youthful appearance

The treatment uses Jovena’s machine to stimulate facial muscles

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There’s a new beauty treatment in town. Third Space Spa in Canary Wharf’s Canada Square recently added Jovena Face Stim to its extensive range of aesthetic and wellbeing services.

While the largest luxury health club in Europe has plenty of ways to train the body’s muscles, the spa’s new machine offers a way to work out facial muscles with the aim of tightening and toning the skin to give clients a healthier and younger appearance. 

The treatment, which costs £250 per session, promises visible results after the first application, with a course of six recommended.

Third Space is currently offering customers £50 off their first treatment. Those booking five sessions will get a sixth for free.

what do you get for your money?

Each session lasts approximately one hour, which includes cleansing, radio frequency therapy and muscle stimulation. 

tell us more

“It’s a two-part facial, although you can also have them done in isolation,” said Third Space Spa therapist, Samelia Connor.

“The Jovena Face Stim treatment begins with a radio frequency procedure, which tightens the skin and boosts collagen production.

then what happens? 

“The second part is the facial stimulation,” said Samelia. “It causes contractions in the face, so it’s working the muscles to create a lifting effect for the skin.

“We can target the right muscles to achieve the effect. In combination, you get tightening and lifting, which works with your existing skin regime.” 

what are the benefits?

“From what I’ve seen with my clients, it gives them a more youthful appearance and I feel like that’s something everyone is looking for,” said Samelia, who has been a therapist for more than seven years, relocating to the UK from the Caribbean following a hurricane.

“Even if, like me, you’re in your 20s, you still want to look fresh.”

how does it feel?

“It’s quite relaxing,” said Samelia. “When someone invests in their skin, I feel like they know the procedure will benefit them and when you see the instant results, you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth. 

“For longer lasting results, I would recommend the full course of six. It’s for men and women.

“Before there was a stigma about men getting treatments but now it’s seen as self care.

“Whoever you are, if you’re doing a presentation or appearing at an event, you want to look your very best.”

THE DETAILS

Jovena Face Stim, Third Space Spa

  • The cost per treatment is normally £250 per session
  • Third Space Spa’s introductory offer is £50 off a first treatment
  • Therapists recommend a course of six treatments for longer-lasting results. The spa offers six for the price of five
  • The two-stage procedure takes around an hour to complete
  • Instantly visible results are promised after one session
  • Third Space Spa is accessible to members and non-members at Third Space in Canada Square. A first Jovena Face Stim costs £200.

Find out more about Jovena Face Stim at Third Space Spa here

Third Space Spa thearapist Samelia Connor

TRIED AND TESTED

By Jess Maddison

I am – in some ways – the ideal candidate to experience this treatment for a review.

My body has been blessed with many things, but prominent bone structure is not one of them.

I am therefore a good guinea pig to road test a treatment that claims to produce results of lifting, sculpting and tightening after only the first session. 

Before my appointment at Third Space Spa for the Jovena Face Stim, I’ve also accidentally gone out every night for a week and my skin is definitely a bit dull and dehydrated.

The treatment is meant to promote a refreshed appearance, so I’m giving the technology a serious challenge. 

To start things off, my face is cleansed. Then it all gets a bit unusual.

Conductive gel is applied and a little, warm device is moved over one half of my face. It’s like a small, friendly koala is massaging me with his tiny fingers.

This is the radio frequency treatment – the part that stimulates collagen production and, once I got used to the sensation, it was quite relaxing. 

Then comes the next step and things get even more unusual.

This is the part where the therapist stimulates the muscles in your face like a mini gym work out.

It’s done with the same wand, but the koala has gone on his break. 

The first jolt is definitely a shock – it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before. Is it an electric pulse? Suction? It feels a little bit like an epilator. 

It pulses all over one half of my face and this is where my therapist Samelia’s professionalism comes into play.

While the first few applications are a bit alarming her soft, hushed tones are there and she makes me laugh. 

It’s not the most comfortable I have been in my life, but by the time we get round to doing the other half of my face I’ve gotten so used to things I’ve zoned out and am thinking about something else entirely. 

The treatment begins with facial cleansing

The session ends with the removal of the conductive gel and a soothing application of moisturiser.

The results? In the mirror there stands before me someone who’s apparently had seven nights of blissful eight-hour sleep and green tea before bed. 

The puffiness under my eyes is gone and it’s the same for my cheeks.

My skin is glowing, hydrated, smooth and tight. But that isn’t all.

The changes are subtle, but definitely there.

There is, without doubt, a small part of my chin that has been sucked up into my jaw.

The sides of my face are straighter and – what’s this? I can actually see an ever-so-small curve of a cheekbone. 

Days later my skin feels just as smooth.

I’m amazed the results are still there when I wake up.

This is definitely not a typical facial but, with effects like these, bring on more koala massage and face pulsing.

Read more: How Level39-based WyzePay offers discounts at MMy Wood Wharf

Read Wharf Life’s e-edition here

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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 Sticks’n’Sushi’s sustainable recipe for growth is delivering

Danish-Japanese restaurant company continues to build on its foundation of local branches

The Kimono Room at Sticks’n’Sushi

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Cosette Perez is standing in front of a wall of riotous silk.

We’re talking in Sticks’n’Sushi’s Kimono Room, a semi-private event space decorated with richly embellished examples of the garment hung along its walls from poles.

“It can seat 24 and the tables are completely flexible – we’ve done masterclasses here and tastings,” she said.

“It’s great for drinks gatherings, receptions, family groups getting together and people holding all types of events. 

“It has curtains so it can be separated from the rest of the restaurant, but you’re not locked away in a tiny box.

“The kimonos are genuine – bought in Japan – and came to us via Berlin and Copenhagen in a suitcase. Now they’re hanging here.

“It’s a versatile space and we probably don’t talk about it enough.” 

In a sense, the Kimono Room is an expression of Sticks’n’Sushi’s approach to hospitality.

The calm, Scandinavian minimalism is a well-honed backdrop to the vibrant garments that adorn its walls. 

This is similar to the way the wide, open, stripped-back industrial space of the restaurant proper, filled with square tables and simple leather chairs, acts as a counterpoint to the bright colourful food and flavours it serves. 

A balance is struck. But it’s not just between the dishes, muted colours and bare concrete.

“It’s the whole experience, not just the food but the way our staff greet guests,” said Cosette, who joined the brand as UK senior marketing manager three years ago.

“When you walk through the door, you’ll be welcomed in Japanese by the waiters and the kitchen staff.

Sticks’n’Sushi’s Cosette Perez

“We’re really proud of our service – we hope people will be impressed and amazed and that, by the time they leave, they’ll definitely want to come again. 

“Obviously, we serve excellent food, but then you get a really nice goodbye too – it all helps keep people coming back again and again.”

It’s a recipe that has seen the brand, including its Canary Wharf branch, thrive – despite some significant headwinds.

Firstly, Sticks has done well – it was in the vanguard of venues to arrive on the estate in 2015 when Crossrail Place opened.

Back then, a three-year wait was anticipated before Elizabeth Line trains would start running.

The delay turned out to be seven years, with services only arriving in 2022.

Nevertheless, alongside the likes of Chai Ki, The Breakfast Club and Ippudo, Sticks’ has proved a consistent draw for Wharfers in that time and continues to do a bustling trade now that the commuters are also flowing to the north of the estate. 

“Our growth is exciting – we’ve opened a restaurant each year since 2012 and we’ve launched two for the first time this year in Shoreditch and Kingston in quick succession,” said Cosette.

“There are more branches coming too – we’re planning Richmond in early spring and a couple of others that we’re not revealing yet – there’s a lot coming up.

“The thing that’s driving growth is the fact we’re settled in the locations where we’ve already opened. 

“We know what we can offer and we’re received a really warm welcome in those neighbourhoods.

“We have some really loyal customers and we’re trying to reach out to even more people.”

Specifically, Sticks is very much a product of its background.

Sushi at Sticks’n’Sushi

Founded by two brothers and their brother-in-law in Copenhagen, the brand draws on their half-Danish, half-Japanese heritage, bringing sushi together with yakitori on its menu.

The first restaurant opened in 1994 with the business growing to 12 in Denmark, three in Berlin, one each in Oxford and Cambridge and eight in London. 

“It’s a blend of Scandinavian simplicity and Japanese dishes with a twist,” said Cosette.

“We have highly skilled sushi chefs and we like to break the mould – we play with the menu quite a lot, creating specials that follow the seasons.

“If guests really like them, of course, they might always make it onto the main menu.

“Personally, what I order changes with my mood and the temperature. Cold weather calls for miso soup, a couple of yakitori sticks and rice.

“If it’s really nice and sunny, then definitely sushi and perhaps some cerviche. It’s really delicious, fresh and clean on the palate.”

Speaking of seasonal food, the restaurant is all set for Christmas with its Sticks’n’Santa offering available from Monday, November 27.

Promising a Japanese twist on festive classics it’s come up with three menus for revellers to choose from:

The Holly Menu 

a gastronomic journey, £40pp

This menu promises an array of dishes “that redefine festive indulgence” including Miso Sprouts plus Yellowtail Kingfish and Grilled Pepper Nigiris. There’s also the Chicks‘n’Blankets stick – a whimsical take on a beloved Christmas dinner staple.

The Mistletoe Menu 

luxurious festivity, £65pp

For those seeking opulence, this menu promises a symphony of flavours including Wagyu Temaki (a marriage of seared Kyushu Wagyu beef, sushi rice, soy, and crisp nori). There’s also the Aka Ebi yakitori stick – a showcase of Argentinian red shrimp with spicy gochujang and garlic butter.

The Evergreen Menu 

plant-based delights, £40pp

For those who prefer to dine exclusively on plant-based ingredients, Sticks‘n’Sushi has created a special festive menu to ensure all palates are catered for. This option promises a celebration of the best nature has to offer, allowing  the restaurant to demonstrate its commitment to serving everyone’s tastes.  

In addition to these, Sticks will be offering a three wise men-inspired Seasonal Sampler of Wagyu Temaki, Miso Fried Sprouts and Kakiage Tempura with Ikura over the festive season.

Its bar staff have also come up with some special festive cocktails and there’s the further incentive of a free bottle of Telmont Champagne for bookings of six or more on Mondays or Tuesdays.

Festive frippery aside, however, the appeal of Sticks for Cosette is very much in its everyday operation. 

The Canary Wharf restaurant offers a wide selection of dishes

“I’ve been in hospitality for most of my working life,” she said.

“I landed in London from Mexico in 2008. I came for six months and my dad is still asking when I’m coming back. 

“In that time I went from waitress to assistant manager, to manager, and then I got into marketing.

“I came to work at Sticks because I really like the ethos of the company. I’d done a bit of work for the business and read a lot about it.

“I thought: ‘If it walks the walk, as it talks it, then it would be a lovely firm to work for’ – and it is. It’s all about the people and that comes from the CEO.

“All the management is in-house and all the people running the restaurants have been with the company for about five years at least.

“The business has been here for almost 12 years and it still employs the very first person it hired.

“There are head office people who have worked for Sticks for 10 or 11 years.

“The idea is that if you look after the staff, then they look after our guests.

“We also know that it’s harder to recruit someone into a business than it is to promote from within.

“If they carry the company’s DNA and are proud of the work they do, then they’ll always want to do more and give more of themselves – for the business’ part, we always try to pay that back.”

Kids, despite the grown-up design of the restaurants, are also a key part of the strategy. 

“For us they are VIPs – we look after them really well because we know they are the next generation of guests,” said Cosette. 

“We see a lot in our more family-orientated areas like Greenwich and Wimbledon, but also in Canary Wharf on Saturdays and Sundays. 

“There’s a wooden monkey hidden around the restaurant for them to find and they get a chocolate fish if they do.”

Increasingly popular, making reservations is advised whether you’re up for a spot of simian spotting or just going for a selection of seafood delights. 

Find out more about Sticks’n’Sushi here

Sticks serves grilled dishes as well as sushi

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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 WyzePay offers discounts at MMy Wood Wharf

How the Level39-based fintech startup gets customers who use it to pay, 10%-15% off

WyzePay has teamed up with traders at MMy Wood Wharf to offer customers discounts

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Collaboration is incresingly the lifeblood of the economy – especially when there’s something in it for consumers.

Everyone loves a deal, right? And this is why Canary Wharf-based fintech startup WyzePay’s latest venture should be celebrated. 

The prepayment loyalty app has welcomed 10 traders at MMy Wood Wharf in George Street to its roster of participating local businesses (the Temple Of Art And Music basement jazz club at the venue is coming soon, too). 

That means anyone signed up for WyzePay can get 10%-15% off anything sold by them simply by paying through the platform.

It works like this. Users download the app.

They purchase credit with one of the traders using a credit or debit card with their money going straight to that business. 

As a thank-you for paying up front, the trader gives the user a discount depending on how much credit they buy. 

The more you purchase, the greater the discount.

For example, the user might pay £9 but get £10 of credit if the offer is 10%. 

That balance is then stored in a closed digital wallet and the user pays the trader by scanning a QR code on the trader’s phone through the WyzePay app on their device.

Buying credit and paying take seconds, meaning a balance can easily be topped up to cover a purchase. 

WyzePay head of business development Anya Markitanova

In essence, the system is similar to loyalty schemes, where customers get something for free as a reward for repeat business. 

“It’s basically a smarter way to spend,” said Anya Markitanova, head of business development at WyzePay, which is based at Canary Wharf’s Level39 tech community.

“You use it to get rewards for your money and for your loyalty.

“We all have cards from coffee shops in our wallets with one or two stamps from goodness knows where.

“We forget about them or lose them.

“Sometimes we get all nine stamps and a coffee for free or some other perk.

“What we’re doing is reversing the whole way that businesses interact with customers by allowing companies to reward spending up front.

“There’s no waiting to get a full set of stamps.”

This means there’s always a reward for the customer, however much they spend with a business through WyzePay, with a minimum of 10%.

While the company is already working with the likes of The Grandstand Bar, Obica, Boisdale, 640East, Seoul Bird and Brick Lane Bagel in Canary Wharf, MMy Wood Wharf is something new for the team.

“It’s one of the less well-known locations in the busy ecosystem of the estate – a lot of people do not know that this wonderful, cosy place is there and we’re on a mission to change that,” said Anya.

“It’s our first merchant group on WyzePay because it’s different to the other venues. 

“It’s a marketplace with different traders in the same space so, by definition it attracts various kinds of customer.

WyzePay users can save 10%-15% with 10 traders at MMy Wood Wharf

“That gives us access to a wider audience who might not even know what they want for breakfast, lunch or dinner – whether it’s gelato, pizza or Lebanese cuisine – but they can use WyzePay with any of the traders.”

There is a lot to choose from at MMy.

There’s Fresco La Pizza Napoletana serving, well, pizza, Dez Amore’s freshly made pasta, Bindas Eatery’s richly spiced Indian dishes, Dim Sum Lab’s Chinese dumplings, Maki And Bowl’s Hawaiian-Japanese cuisine and gelato, pastries and coffee from Badiani.

There’s also Levantine food from The Lebanese Table, craft beer from The Italian Job, cocktails from Ethika and fresh food, ingredients and supplies from MM Grocery.

A deal with the venue’s basement jazz club – The Vineyard – run by the Temple Of Art And Music, is also in the pipeline.

Anya said: “Personally, I’m a huge fan of the coffee from Badiani, the diet-friendly poke from Maki And Bowl and the Espresso Martinis from Ethika. 

“Our platform works very well for people who plan what they’re going to spend, but equally for last-minute decision makers.

“It takes a few seconds to buy credit through the app, so you can do it on the spot.

“Loyalty cards would tend to get lost or forgotten, but we all carry our phones with us everywhere so your WyzePay digital wallet is with you all the time.

“All you need is a charger and a connection to the internet.”

The key to WyzePay is that it doesn’t just work for the consumer.

Obviously Cafe Nero hasn’t just been giving away its 10th coffee for free out of the goodness of the late, crazed emperor’s heart.

“We create value for traders and retailers too,” said Anya.

“As a business, it’s always helpful to have cash today rather than tomorrow and the money goes straight to the trader when a user buys credit.

“Then their customers feel good when they spend that credit and that helps the business create a long-term relationship with consumers.

“There can be a misconception, because we operate a closed digital wallet, that WyzePay is a kind of cryptocurrency.

“That’s not the case. We trade online in Pounds Sterling, the official currency of the UK and we don’t hold any money.

MMy Wood Wharf’s sustainable food market is located in Canary Wharf’s George Street

“The digital wallet is just a representation of the balance a customer holds with a particular trader.

“When you buy credit it goes up and, when you spend through the app with the trader, it goes down. 

“The discount with all the traders who have signed up at MMy Wood Wharf is currently 10%-15%, but we actually allow all the businesses to control the level of discount and minimum spend.

“Different discounts can serve different purposes, so the traders can quickly adapt to the ever-changing landscape.

“They might, for example, offer a limited discount at a particular time if they have a seasonal offering.

“People tend to buy less gelato in the colder months, for instance, so it would be possible for Badiani to remind customers they are still there with a bigger discount.

“It’s always more tasty when you get more gelato for your money.”

With WyzePay now live at MMy, it’s hard to see why anyone would pay with a card instead. 

You can download the WyzePay app here

WHAT TO BUY FROM MMy WOOD WHARF’S TRADERS

RAJASTHANI LAMB CURRY

Bindas Eatery

This powerfully spiced dish comes with plentiful rice and will leave your mouth tingling and your soul burning for just one more rich forkful

  • Full price: £15 
  • WyzePay: From £12.75

BAKED HALLOUMI FONDUE

The Lebanese Table

One for the cheese lovers, this hot pot is a truly enormous quantity of silken, melted delight, served with plentiful flatbread and garnished with black cumin seeds. The headline halloumi retains its structure, sat in a stretch bath of cheese just waiting to be mopped up 

  • Full price: £11.90
  • WyzePay: From £10.12

PIZZA DIAVOLA

Fresco La Pizza Napoletana

Classic Naples-style pizza served with great rapidity and a wealth of fresh ingredients strewn across its surface. While spicy on the tongue, this expression of a fiery stalwart also features an endearing sweetness in the mouth

  • Full price: £14.40
  • WyzePay: From £12.24

REWIND, SIGNATURE BREW

The Italian Job

While this friendly, gluten free IPA isn’t enough to blow the bloody doors off at a comforting 4.7%, its complex blend of pine and citrus notes should satisfy – especially at up to £1 off per pint, when paying with the app

  • Full price: £6.90
  • WyzePay: From £5.87

MEDIUM CUP (TWO FLAVOURS)

Badiani Gelato

Already a Wharf favourite since its arrival on the estate opposite Waitrose, the gelato is thick and creamy and the sorbet smooth and sharp. The combination of pistachio and lemon in my cup is a winner, but then what do you expect from a brand that takes its heritage from a store in Florence that started serving top quality ices in 1932?

  • Full price: £4.80
  • WyzePay: From £4.08

TAGLIATELLE TOMATO AND BURRATA

Dez Amore

This is luxury in a bowl. It seems pasta and sauce simply wasn’t enough for the chefs at Dez Amore, who decided to dump a fat lump of burrata in the centre of this dish. If you’re already on track to ordering, adding bacon (£1.40) and Parmigiano (70p), is a natural progression and well worth it

  • Full price: £14.70
  • WyzePay: From £12.50

GNOCCHI

MM Grocery

This store is packed with all manner of fresh and dry ingredients, also offering sustainable shampoo and wine from the barrel. The fresh gnocchi is as soft as a cloud on the tongue, ideal paired with fresh pesto

  • Full price: £3.20
  • WyzePay: From £2.72

BUILD YOUR BOWL

Maki And Bowl

The poke revolution has swept through London and it’s easy to see why. The combination of raw fish and fresh ingredients is pretty hard to resist, especially when it looks like this

  • Full price: £12.50
  • Wyze: From £10.63

PRAWN DUMPLINGS

Dim Sum Lab

Dumplings are, when done well, one of those comfort foods that are far too tempting. These soft, juicy parcels fall into that category – the kind of plate that disappears all too quickly, necessitating a top-up on Wyze and a fresh visit to the counter

  • Full price: £9
  • Wyze: From £7.65

MARGARITA

Ethika

For those in the know, Ethika has long been a go-to for quality cocktails on the estate. Snuggled in a corner of MMy Wood Wharf, this excellent bar mixes a sparkling menu with the enthusiasm and charm of its staff. Its salt-rim Margarita is an ethereal, light-touch take on a classic that slips down all too easily. Expect delicate shards of lime slicing neatly through the alcohol

  • Full price: £12.50
  • Wyze: From £10.63

Find out more about MMy Wood Wharf here

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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 Fashion City celebrates the impact of Jews working and innovating in the capital’s garment industry

Museum Of London Docklands’ immersive exhibition takes visitors into boutiques and ateliers

This image from 1917 shows workers at Schneiders Garment Factory in Stepney. The clothing industry dominated the Jewish East End – Image from the Museum Of London

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“It’s been 20 years since the Museum Of London had a major fashion exhibition and this is the first time we’ve hosted one at Docklands – it’s also the first time we’ve done a major exhibition with London’s Jewish population at its centre,” said Dr Lucie Whitmore.

“The Museum Of London Docklands is the perfect place to share this story, because it’s about migration and creativity blossoming at the heart of east London.”

Lucie is curator of Fashion City at the West India Quay institution, a special exhibition that explores the impact of Jewish Londoners on global style, that will be in place for visitors to enjoy until April 14, 2024.

“It’s a celebration and recognition of the contribution that these individuals have made to the industry.

“We’re thinking about this in a very broad sense.

“We wanted to go beyond the stereotypes or what we think people might expect about the relationship between Jewish people and making clothes in London.

Fashion City is on show now at Museum Of London Docklands

“We aim to encourage people to really think about how diverse our garment industry is and how many people are responsible for making the capital a fashion centre with an international reputation.

“To do this we’re taking our visitors on a bit of a journey.

“The exhibition is not structured chronologically, as people might expect, but geographically.

“So we have an East End and a West End and the places and spaces of London inform our structural approach.

“There are a lot of misconceptions and stereotypes – and sometimes anti-Semitic thinking – about Jewish people in the east of London, what is known as ‘sweated labour’, for example.

“That’s the idea of Jewish people either being poor and persecuted without agency, working in horrible conditions, producing cheap clothes in the East End. 

Museum Of London curator Lucie Whitmore – Image by Jon Massey

“At the opposite end of that scale, there are misconceptions about wealthy Jewish people profiting from the work of others.

“We really wanted to dig into Jewish life and work in the East End, and show that it wasn’t like this.

“Obviously there were people who were treated very badly in the trade, but there were also people who had amazing agency and set up their own businesses, not just in tailoring, but also in accessories, leather-work, dressmaking – there’s a lot more to the story.

“We also wanted to show just how important Jewish makers and retailers have been in the West End, which has a glitzier reputation.

“People think about grand department stores, high street chains, couture, the pinnacle of London fashion – and Jewish makers are really important in that story as well.

“Although we don’t go into it in great depth, I was really keen for people to know that there was a big and really important resident Jewish population in the West End.

“People had settled there for quite a long time, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Gold kaftan and maxi smoking dress with beaded panels by Mr Fish – Image from the Museum Of London

“Soho and Fitzrovia were predominantly Jewish areas, and a lot of people don’t necessarily know that.

“The other reason for structuring Fashion City this way was that it allows us to examine different pockets of the industry by place, bringing together designers who knew each other and worked together or, perhaps, who were around at different times but did similar things. 

“Visitors will be able to walk into an East End tailor’s workshop, step into the luxury of a couture salon and have a bit of a dance in our Carnaby boutique.”

While fashion is the core of the exhibition, there’s a thread of music running through things too.

The playlist includes the likes of the Mamas And Papas, The Beatles, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds who all wore clothes by designers featured in the exhibition. 

“There’s Adam Faith too, who was a great customer of menswear shop Cecil Gee and we’re really excited to be featuring them all in Fashion City,” said Lucie.

Men wearing dresses by Mr Fish – Image by Jimmy James/ANL/Shutterstock

“It was also irresistible to include designer Mr Fish, who was in the spotlight in such a huge way in the 1960s.

“He was extraordinarily creative, known for his flamboyant menswear. 

“He starts in Colette’s department store in Shaftesbury Avenue, moves around various retail jobs and eventually becomes established as a shirt maker.

“Then we get this classically trained designer who has developed all his skills and plays with the designs – subverts them, and then puts his creations in front of a different audience.

“He also invents the kipper tie.

“He gains the attention of several high-profile customers, such as Sean Connery and Barry Sainsbury, of the Sainsbury family, who goes into business with him.

“They open a boutique on Clifford Street between Jermyn Street – the traditional home of shirt making – and Carnaby Street.

“It’s the peacock revolution, with young, stylish customers – musicians, sports stars and actors – it’s also a place to hang out.

A wedding dress by Jewish designer Neymar, dating from the 1970s – Image from the Museum Of London

“There’s a story that an Italian film crew came to London to film in Mr Fish’s boutique, because they saw it as the downfall of British society and they wanted to capture the end of it.

“They saw Mr Fish as a beacon of change.

“He was doing skirts and dresses for men and felt that the male body was better suited to them – he called the garments powerful and virile.

“He wasn’t the first to do that, but the spirit behind his clothes was fascinating and heartfelt.

“Some people want to dismiss him as a bit of a novelty, but actually the quality of the design and the creativity, and how much he believed in it shows it wasn’t frivolity – it was fashion.

“The skirts and dresses were very popular and worn, very famously, by David Bowie and Mick Jagger. We also have a wonderful picture of an Arsenal footballer wearing one.”

The exhibition is filled with glamour. There are evening dresses, high-end hats and exquisite couture pieces.

The exhibition includes a coat by David Sassoon of Bellville Sassoon worn by Princess Diana and another by EastEnders royalty Dot Cotton in tweed by Alexon.

But Lucie and her team were keen to showcase the stories of real Londoners alongside the glamour.

The exhibition opens with the story of the 200,000 Jewish migrants arriving in the capital between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries through personal artefacts.

More than 50% would come to be involved in the fashion, clothing and textile trade.

Items include a small travelling case used by a child who came to London on the Kindertransport – the rescue effort to send children out of Nazi-controlled territory from 1938-39.

More than four years of research has gone into Fashion City and Lucie said one of the reasons she and collaborator Dr Bethan Bide of the University Of Leeds has wanted to explore the topic was the high level of resonance.

“We’d both done quite a lot of talking about it publicly and there was a lot of personal interest in the subject matter,” said Lucie, who began her career as a designer and became increasingly interested in the history of fashion.

“People who came to our talks recognised their own family stories and would feel quite emotional and proud of them.”

This coat by David Sassoon of Bellville Sassoon – Image from the Museum Of London

That’s partly true of Lucie herself, whose own family feature  in the exhibition.

“They were Jewish refugees from Vienna,” she said.

“I should make it clear this isn’t a biased move on the part of the curator.

“We really wanted a story about leather goods and bags, and we didn’t have those objects already in our collection, but the story of my family fits perfectly in the narrative of the exhibition.

“The material was reviewed anonymously by an external reviewer for suitability before I put my great-grandfather in there.

“The family had already made one big move from Ukraine to Austria where they westernised their names.

“In Vienna they set up leather goods business Molmax, which was initially a big producer of sportswear, Alpine skiwear and leather goods.

“Then they moved into luggage, and they won a really big reputation internationally.

“But in 1938, after the German invasion, my family survived at great risk.

“Because my great-grandfather was a businessman, people would phone them and warn them when there was going to be a raid on their buildings, so they needed to be away.

Detail of the Molmax brand created by Lucie Whitmore’s family

“There’s an extraordinary story, which we do touch on in the exhibition, where some Nazi officers knocked on the front door of their home and demanded to be taken to the factory immediately.

“They took my great-grandfather and great uncle there in a van and took pretty much all their stock with no payment, nothing.

“Then they took over and Aryanised the factory.

“My grandmother and her brother left on the Kindertransport and my great grandfather managed to obtain a business visa which was how he managed to escape.

“My great grandmother was left to pack up the family home and make her own way over, and they were very lucky that they all reached Britain safely.

“There they re-established the business in London, starting off in Holborn.

“My great uncle, who was only 16, was the only one who spoke English and so he was doing all the work of translating and finding producers and places to work.

“They got it going and moved to Quaker Street, just off Brick Lane.

This silk evening gown by Rhavis dates from 1952 and is one of the key pieces in the exhibition – Image from the Museum Of London

“They managed to grow another international business, with offices in New York, exporting all over the world, before it closed in the early 1980s.”

There is, of course, more.

There’s the Rahvis sisters who designed clothes worn by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell.

The flamboyant hats of Otto Lucas and an exploration of the connections between the Jewish community and other immigrant populations from the Caribbean and Bangladesh – seamstress Anwara Begum’s sewing machine is on display, which she used to make garments for local businesses at her home in Quaker Street.

In fact, there’s far too much on show to truly do the exhibition justice here – you’ll just have to go and see it for yourself.

Then for even more depth, you can dip into Lucie’s book, written with Bethan, to accompany the exhibition.

Standard entry to Fashion City costs £12 for adults and £6 for children.

Find out more about the exhibition or book tickets here

Designer Raemonde Rahvis, who worked with her sister Dora to create pieces worn by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell – Image by George Harris/ANL/Shutterstock

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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 the Boisdale Music Awards showcase talent at the venue

Evening saw recognition for the Alabama 3, Mud Morganfield, Polly Gibbons, PP Arnold and more…

The Alabama 3 play the Boisdale Music Awards 2023

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What connects a single that spent seven weeks at No. 1 in the US, the voice of Muddy Waters, the theme song to The Sopranos, The First Cut Is The Deepest, celebrity gangster Dave Courtney  and Jools Holland? 

It’s Boisdale Of Canary Wharf, as the restaurant, bar and live venue celebrated its annual music awards on September 20, 2023 – showcasing the breadth and depth of the kind of artists who regularly perform there on the stage above Cabot Square.

Hosted by Jools and celebrated jazz saxophonist Yolanda Brown, the annual event brought together a host of talents – some starting out, some well established and others who’ve enjoyed whole lifetimes in the business. 

That meant an evening where two-time Grammy winner, Gregory Porter, performed Hoochie Coochie Man with Nick Reynolds of the Alabama 3 in front of Mud Morganfield – Muddy Waters’ son, Snow belted out his 1992 global platinum hit Informer and Dave Courtney’s daughter, Courtney Courtney, won the rising star award.

PP Arnold was a vibrant presence on stage

Other highlights included Mud taking the stage himself (again with Reynolds), Kid Creole And The Coconuts’ energetic rendition of Annie I’m Not Your Daddy and a potent set from the Alabama 3, making good on their promise to deliver upbeat, acid house country all night long.

In short, the atmosphere was electric, warm and wild – as unpredictable as Boisdale always is at its best under the singular leadership of owner Ranald Macdonald.

This year’s winners were as follows:

Reggae Artist

UB40 

Best Album

Suzi Quatro and KT Tunstall 

for Face To Face

Global Icon

Snow  

Outstanding Contribution 

To Music

Gregory Porter 

Scottish Artist 

The Cuban Brothers

Canadian rapper Snow performed Informer after winning the Global Icon award

Lifetime Legend

Kid Creole And The Coconuts 

Blues Artists

Alabama 3 

+ Mud Morganfield

Soul Artist

Shalamar 

Instrumentalist

Bluey

Rising Star

Courtney Courtney

Band

The Brand New Heavies 

Jazz Artist

Polly Gibbons 

Female Artist 

PP Arnold

Male Artist

Howard Hewett

UPCOMING GIGS AT BOISDALE OF CANARY WHARF
 
PP Arnold
OCT 25- 9.30pm
From £19, show only. From £69, with dinner
A living legend in the soul world and this year’s best female artist, audiences can expect hits such as The First Cut Is The Deepest, Angel Of The Morning and It Won’t Be Christmas Without You. Critically acclaimed, she’s worked with everyone from Stevie Wonder and Ike And Tina Turner to Nick Drake to the Small Faces.


Citrus Sun ft. Imaani
NOV 15 - 9.30pm 
From £19, show only. From £69, with dinner
Formed by musician Bluey in the late 1990s, this group are set to present music from their latest album with inspiration from guitarist Jim Mullen. Expect jazzy numbers such as Mais Uma Vez and Calling Mr Wolf from the rhythm section and star of Incognito, fresh from winning the Instrumentalist award at Boisdale.


Jools Holland's Boogie Woogie Spectacular
APR 24, 2024 - 9.15pm 

From £149, with dinner (there is no show-only option)


This might be a way off, but Jools Holland’s Boogie Woogie And Blues Spectacular always sells out with the band leader allowed to indulge in his great passion for tickling the ivories. The evening will also feature the talents of Neville Dickie, the hair of Axel Zwingenberger (google him) and the slick playing of Ladyva.

With unexpected collaborations, dancing on the tables and a spirited address from rapper Big Narstie, it was an event to remember.

Here’s what a few of the winners had to say:

Gregory Porter

Outstanding Contribution To Music

“It’s wonderful to win this award. The community of musicians and artists here are some of the best, so I’m really honoured. 

“Having Muddy Waters’ son in the audience and performing one of the songs that made his name was incredible – it’s the history and the lineage of the music and I’m appreciative of Boisdale for that.”

Dave Courtney’s daughter Courtney Courtney warms up during the sound check

Courtney Courtney

Rising Star

“My mind’s a little bit blown, to be honest. I’ve always sung.

“My brothers and my cousins all make music but I’ve only recently started to write my own stuff.

“I’m testing the waters. People seem to be enjoying what I’m making and so I’m going to keep creating. 

“I write with my best friend – he’s been through every major life event with me and that’s amazing. 

“At the moment, heartbreak is my inspiration – it’s one of the only emotions I’ve processed and healed from and it’s easier to write when you’re on the other side of something.”

Mud Morganfield 

Blues Artist

“It’s fantastic to be recognised in this country.

“I’ve pretty much spent my whole life in music and I’d give anyone starting out the same advice – you don’t need a drink or drugs to play better, don’t believe the hype.

“You just need what God gave you.

“The blues is everything to me, it’s life. You can run but you can’t hide. It might not catch you today, but it’ll catch you tomorrow.

“I had this music running through my head since I got to this world. A lot of my music is my father’s – a lot of people didn’t get a chance to see Muddy Waters and I just hope I can give them a glimpse of what that might have been like.

“I don’t think anyone gets the style quite like I do and I’m proud of that.” 

Gregory Porter performed Hoochie Coochie Man with the aid of Jools Holland and the Alabama 3’s Nick Reynolds

Rob Spragg aka Larry Love

Blues Artist

“When the Alabama 3 started, it was very much with this kind of awards ceremony in mind. We’d go to the Brit Awards and pretend we were from Alabama, not Brixton.

“Now we’ve risen to the heights of Boisdale in Cabot Square. I was totally spooked out by seeing Mud perform – we sampled Muddy Waters on Woke Up This Morning, which became the theme song for The Sopranos on TV.

“The blues allows for a certain raggedy-ness that the world needs alongside earthy rock and roll.

“Hopefully, this award puts us on the ladder of success after years of dirty gigs and tours – maybe we’ll wind up in some penthouse in New Jersey or something.

“For us, creating music is about the community you put yourself in and what you absorb.

“We’re very blessed by the stories that Brixton generates and all those things that come out at 4am in the pubs – then we put it all together in the studio.”

Muddy Waters’ son, Mud Morganfield in full flow

Polly Gibbons

Jazz Artist

“I’ve never won an award before so I’m very pleased. It’s lovely to have been considered and even better to have won.

“I’ve just released my ninth album, although in some ways it feels like my first, because this is the only one to feature all my own songs and arrangements.

“It’s called As It Is and the song I performed was Man Of Moderation, which is about my dad and features my family on backing vocals.

“He was diagnosed with Parkinsons but was quite a dynamic person – he played electric bass, got me into the blues and founded a festival called Green Belt.

“The disease has brought him to his knees – he was 6ft 2” and is now about 5ft 8” and it’s my observations as a daughter of a life very well lived.”

Howard Hewett

Male Artist

“I’ve been singing since I was 10 years old – inspired by my mum.

“She was a gospel promoter in Ohio and that’s how I cut my teeth.

“As an artist and lead singer of Shalamar, the thing I want to communicate to my audience is integrity.

“There’s a whole lot of crap out there right now, so it’s about quality not fads.

“Connecting with people when you’re performing is a really great feeling. That’s what we need.”

  • The Boisdale Music Awards takes place annually, usually in September.

Find out more about the venue here

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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 the Mandala Lab aims to transform emotions into wisdom

Installation by The Rubin Museum at Union Square on Wood Wharf is based on Buddhist philosophy

Tim McHenry of The Rubin Museum Of Art in New York

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Tim McHenry’s job is essentially to get people interested in things.

A lithe and slender man with a strong shirt game, the chief programmatic officer of The Rubin Museum Of Art in New York is an erudite guide as he takes me round the institution’s Mandala Lab in Canary Wharf.

The cylindrical installation popped up in Wood Wharf’s Union Square in September, is free to visit and opens daily from noon until 6pm (8pm on Thursdays).

It’s set to remain in place until November 25, 2023 – but what on Earth is it?

“As the name might indicate, it’s an experiment,” said Tim.

“All we do at The Rubin is inspired by the significant body of Himalayan art we have in our collection – it’s an exploration of mind and a negation of life and death, the deep stuff.

“In order to welcome people into that, we thought we might want to bring them into the shallower end of the pool until they learn to swim.

“It needs to be accessible, not only because the wheelchair ramps work, but also because if you look at a painting in the collection, you might not understand it.

“Walk inside this version of a painting that we’ve created here in Canary Wharf, however, and its meaning becomes clear because it’s a visceral journey, and it will help you see what it is about you that you have the capacity to change.

The Mandala Lab is located in Union Square, Canary Wharf

“The experience is based on a Tibetan Buddhist painting in The Rubin’s collection – a mandala, which in Sanskrit means circle.

“It has no beginning and no end, it’s all encompassing. This is a microcosm of your mind.

“Your embarkation point is on the outer rim and you’ve got to find your way to become the middle.

“At the centre is all-encompassing wisdom, but this only comes about by fully understanding what ignorance is.

“The Lab has four segments, each of which has a portal, the green room for envy, blue for anger, yellow for pride and red for attachment.

“You can enter through any of them.

“We’ve represented the mandala in the painting physically so people can step inside – it’s a metaphorical embodiment of the principles in the painting.

“All we’re doing is asking that people step inside – like Mary Poppins and Bert jumping into chalk on the pavement.”

For Envy, visitors synchronise their breathing with a pulsating light

The experience comes in four parts.

  • Envy sees visitors synchronise their breathing with a light, together with others in the same space.
  • Pride is a chance to look at oneself in a distorted mirror before deciding which of four categories one fits into.
  • Attachment is an opportunity to explore scent and memory.
  • Anger is a chance to hit a gong before lowering it into a tank of water and seeing the furious vibrations quickly dissipate in the calming liquid.

Incidentally, the gongs have been designed by various prominent individuals including celebrated percussionist Evelyn Glennie and Peter Gabriel, formerly of Genesis.

Tim and The Rubin are more than happy to call in celebrities to further the museum’s reach and expose more people to the ideas in its collection.

“Since joining The Rubin when it opened just over 20 years ago, it’s been my job to make Himalayan art accessible and popular, using many techniques including high profile people, contemporary artists and culture,” said Tim who ran events for the New Yorker magazine prior to his role at the museum.

“What was really transformative was recognising that Buddhist art is largely about an exploration of the mind and with that came the interesting idea of looking at this philosophy in comparison to what we understand about how our brains work – the latest neuroscience. 

For Attachement, visitors explore smell and memory

“We ran a series called Brainwave where we would have a scientist on stage with someone from a different walk of life and we’d try to unpack our behaviour and the choices we make by virtue of the context. 

“We had Jake Gyllenhall on dreams, for example, and Whoopi Goldberg on time, which brought The Rubin attention – particularly secular – that it might not otherwise have had given that the art is largely Tibetan Buddhist and to some degree ritualistic in that it’s an exercise of the mind.”

That’s exactly the point of the Mandala Lab and you don’t need to be famous to experience it – although, incidentally, actor Brian Cox (Logan Roy in the excellent Succession) did pop up at the launch party to bash a gong in anger.

It’s intended as a journey of self discovery – a series of activities designed to provoke thoughts about the self, our place in the world and our relationship to others. 

“Envy, for example, is devoted to this exploration of this rather sharp-elbowed, competitive thing that sometimes inhabits our minds and hearts,” said Tim.

Percussionist Evelyn Glennie performs at the Mandala Lab launch

“Why did someone else get a pay rise and I didn’t? Whatever it is, it’s something that we feel we lack in ourselves – it’s always self-centric.

“Here the exercise is super simple – if the first thing you did in your life was take a breath, then it will probably be the last, and that’s all we’re asking people to do.

“They breathe in time with a light source. 

“One of the most interesting advances in psychology and neuroscience is the idea of entrainment, where individuals sit in the same space and do something at the same pace. 

“Their heartbeats start to align and that starts to develop that subliminal bond and, over time and repeated exposure, will start to foster pro-social behaviour, because we think of ourselves as one.

“When that happens, there’s nobody left to be envious of. It’s a metaphor, but it’s an experience metaphor, and this is what Mandala Lab is all about.”

Over the course of the four segments, visitors are gently exposed to the idea that we are all connected, that we are all the same and that we are also all different and individual – that these things are all true at the same time. 

Actor Brian Cox watches his anger dissipate at the Mandala Lab

“It’s about establishing these teachings which are all about how we navigate our emotions – how we can harness the energy that we expend on maintaining them into a greater understanding of how we can deal with life,” said Tim.

“The aim is that we’re not buffeted by these reactive feelings of anger, attachment, envy and pride, which we find hard to control. Indeed, when we can’t control them, we tend to lash out and damage others and ourselves, which can lead to grief. 

“Those behaviours can become habitual patterns that are ultimately harmful.

“What we’ve experienced in New York with the Lab is a move to a more selfless nature – from the individual to the community – that’s something we could certainly do with a little more of.

“I hope this installation is a spur to understanding for people on the Wharf – it’s free to everyone so come on down.”

Find out more about the Mandala Lab here

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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 Sweat By BXR is offering free introductory classes

Crossrail Place fitness studio’s Wharf Wellness session is booked up, but there’s another way…

Sweat By BXR trainer Gareth Thoo

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The free Sweat By BXR session – set to take place at Crossrail Place Roof Garden as part of Wharf Wellness – is now full.

But don’t let that put you off investigating what the brand has to offer.

The pay-as-you-train studio, located in Crossrail Place itself, is currently offering free sessions to those new to its offering – so anyone who wants to can try one out.

Sweat is a sister business to BXR – a boxing focused gym that takes fighter training as its jumping off point for fitness.

The Canary Wharf facility offers cardio workouts in its VersaClimber studio, strength and conditioning sessions and boxing-inspired exercise as well as Pilates-based classes.

“It’s one of the world’s first elite boxing concept gyms,” said Gareth Thoo, a trainer at both BXR and Sweat By BXR, who regularly runs sessions at the Canary Wharf facility and is set to take charge of the Wharf Wellness workout.

“The great thing about Sweat By BXR is you have three things to really focus on – cardiovascular exercise, skills-based boxing training and strength and conditioning.

“While most of our clients are not looking to become professional fighters, they are being coached by people who have fought in the ring and know what it takes to get there.

“The training techniques are very practical but they’re also accessible to everyone.

“The classes are open to all levels and people with lots of experience, or none, will get something from them.”

Sweat By BXR offers boxing-inspired classes and VersaClimber sessions for cardio

Originally from Australia, Gareth knows his stuff.

Having trained in mixed martial arts as a youngster, a passion for boxing saw him compete as an amateur and a pro for six years. 

But, following a number of injuries, he decided to use the knowledge he’d already gained to become a personal trainer and combines that with working for BXR and Sweat.

After four years working in the fitness industry in Manchester, he’s now brought his skills and expertise to London.

“There are many benefits to the training on offer here – building strength and making changes to your body composition, for example.

“Then there’s cardiovascular and the boost to your mental health too.

“For people who have desk jobs and spend a lot of time sitting down, the workouts can help counteract the effects of a long day in the office.

“Then with the skills sessions, it’s also nice to be learning something while you’re training.

“These will always start with basic footwork – how to stand and how to move around, which are such important parts of boxing.

“Then they cover techniques like basic punches – straight punches, hooks and how to implement those in combinations, while working the bag effectively, as a boxer would strike it, hard, fast and very precise.

“People might feel, especially if it’s their first time boxing, that a boxing gym could be an intimidating environment.

“But it’s our job as coaches to make sure everyone feels really welcome.

“Clients might not know initially what their goals are so we structure the classes in a way where we teach the basics very often as everyone needs to know them.

“Whether you’ve been coming for two months or two years, we’ll be drilling those in, but there will also always be new things to learn.”

In addition to boxing skills, Sweat is known for its VersaClimber sessions – a machine that mimics the motion of rock climbing and can be used in time to music.

“Those are tough classes,” said Gareth.

“Two minutes into my first one and my legs were burning, but it’s a really great session, a trademark. Climb To The Beat is fantastic.”

Music is something Gareth also relishes bringing into his sessions, putting together bespoke playlists for his workouts.

“It’s about creating a high-energy vibe when I’m picking the tracks,” he said.

“Music is such a massive part of my classes.

The VersaClimber is a piece of equipment that mimics the action of climbing

“For me there will always be a bit of hip-hop and some bassy house. In any of my classes, you can pretty much guarantee there will be something from the Notorious BIG and Kendrick Lamar.

“Another favourite is an Australian DJ and music producer called Fisher, who people may have heard of.”

In addition to the obvious attraction of the soundtrack, Gareth said the key reason to train at Sweat was the breadth of the offering.

“This isn’t just running on a treadmill and punching a bag – there are so many class concepts and you can do something different every day of the week,” he said.

“There’s a real option to mix it up, with a cardiovascular workout one day, a boxing session the next and then maybe a strength class.

“Then, on top of that, you can incorporate sessions where you learn some serious skills and that’s really what makes it a great place to train.”

Wharfers interested in having a go can download the BXR app and book a free class using the discount code CLASSONUS – terms and conditions apply.

Introductory VersaClimber classes and SweatBox sessions cost £30 for three and £40 for four respectively.

Sweat is located on Level -2 at Crossrail Place in Canary Wharf.

Find out more about Sweat By BXR here

Wharf Wellness is set to take place across the Canary Wharf estate

FIND AN OFFER

While many classes for Wharf Wellness are now booked up, the festival is also a celebration of stores and retailers on the Canary Wharf estate with the a number of businesses running offers across the four-day event from Sept 27-30, 2023. Here’s our pick…

>>Randox Health

Get 15% off all health checks at the Cabot Place clinic booked during the duration of the festival with code WHARFWELLNESS.

>> Stretch Inc

Enjoy 20% off any assisted stretch at the Canada Place facility over the four days. Just mention WHARFWELLNESS when making an appointment.

>> Pure

Recently reopened at Cabot Place, the restaurant will be offering 50% off its new Nourish Bowl range. Those with a reusable cup can also get £1 off barista-made drinks.

>> Kiehl’s

The Jubilee Place store will be offering 20% off all products as well as 25% off a £100+ spend. Offer runs Sept 22-Oct 1.

>> Farmer J

The lunchtime favourite will be offering 20% off click and collect orders on the Wharf with code FJAUTUMN20.

>> Urban Greens

Have promo code WW20 ready at the till when you visit the Bank Street store and you’ll get 20% off salads.

>> Le Chalet Cryo

The Canada Place facility will be offering more than 40% off its Cryo and Hyperbaric Therapy starter packs with code WHARFWELLNESS.

>> Atis

Challenging even the might of Farmer J as the Wharf’s most popular lunch, this salad-focused mini-chain is offering a fifth off bowls with code WHARFWELLNESS.

>> Weather And Palette

Head over to the Jubilee Place store for 10% off all skincare products and treatments for the duration of Wharf Wellness.

>> Malmin Dental

The private clinic on South Colonnade will be offering 10% off Invisalign treatments purchased during the festival.

>> Rituals

The Jubilee Place store has 25% off selected products for Wharf Wellness. The offer is valid  on a maximum of three items.

>> Get A Drip

Last but not least, the Cabot Place clinic is offering free Vitamin D testing to visitors.

Download the Canary Wharf app for full listings and updates

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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 Enter Gallery has popped up in Jubilee Place

Brighton brand offers art from £50 to £50k with its walls hung thick with limited edition prints

Enter Gallery has taken over a vacant unit in Jubilee Place

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There’s a blunt clue in the name to the right way of approaching Canary Wharf’s latest pop-up.

Brighton-based art dealer Enter Gallery will be in Jubilee Place until October 8, 2023, having coated the walls of a vacant unit with all manner of original works and prints to buy.

As its branding suggests, it’s a place that’s all about welcoming people in and allowing them to get up close to the pieces.

Works are hung to cover the available space rather than reverentially displayed in acres of white space. 

Nevertheless, the gallery has some big names on its list, dealing in the likes of Peter Blake, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Lucy Sparrow, Patrick Caulfield and Gilbert And George.

“We mainly specialise in signed, limited edition prints from established and emerging artists – although we do have originals too,” said Helen Hiett, buying director at Enter Gallery.

“You can find art that’s anywhere from £50 to £50,000 in our Brighton gallery. Art is for everyone and is meant to be accessible.

“When people come in, one of us will usually come and chat to them and tell them a little bit about what’s on display – we try to demystify art.

Enter Gallery buying director Helen Hiett

“We help to guide them to pieces.

“We have about 400 pieces on the wall there, all mixed together – emerging artists mixed in with more collectable names, so that people are drawn to something they love. 

“We also have a lot of unframed prints in the drawers, so we can get those out and show people.

“The main thing that hits you when you enter is a lot colour – different types of pieces and a whole range of different artists – more than 100 in total.”

Helen’s current role is, in some ways testament to Enter’s ethos.

She was passing by the Brighton gallery and spotted a piece by Dan Hillier, an artist whose work she’d loved while studying illustration at university.

She walked in and handed over a paper CV to a man who turned out to be owner Lawrence Alkin.

An interview followed and, after nine years, she’s never looked back.

“It was fun and it was a very strange way of ending up in a gallery,” she said.

“I’d run pop-up galleries and immersive events in London and Brighton, so I knew I wanted to work in the art world.

“But the places I had lived in before hadn’t had the sort of artists that appealed to me – there were a lot of landscapes and more classical pieces.

Enter Gallery hangs all sorts of pieces right next to each other

“I really liked Enter Gallery because it has art for everyone – street art, fine art, illustration and it had people who used to work in fashion but moved into printmaking, so it’s really varied, and you can see that on the walls – that’s what really appealed.

“The art is quite humorous, with quite a lot of colour, a lot of happiness in many of the pieces, with nods to the history of music and pop culture – there’s a bit of everything.”

The Canary Wharf pop-up, which can be found on the main mall level beside Starbucks, is very much arranged in keeping with the original gallery’s aesthetic.

Brightly-coloured prints line the walls, guarded by Buddha Smalls, a statue of the Notorious BIG masquerading as a curvaceous figure of enlightenment.

Squatting a metre-high, the piece is cast in resin to resemble ivory and carries a price tag of £10,000 – mo money, mo sculpture.

“He’s by a really funny artist we work with called Ryca, aka Ryan Callanan,” said Helen.

“We’ve worked with him for more than 10 years and he makes pop art often to do with music – rap and hip-hop – he’s brilliant.

“We’ve always loved doing pop-ups in London and we thought Canary Wharf would be an exciting place to try.

“We thought it would be a great way to let people see how we can bring a little bit of Brighton to the area, but also all the artists who work for us, so that they can be exposed to a different audience.

“We’ve tried to echo the original Enter Gallery and, while we were setting up, we had someone come in and tell us it really reminded him of somewhere in Brighton – we had to tell him it was us.

Enter Gallery specialises in limited edition prints and originals

“We’ve had a really warm response so far, and we’re really encouraged by that.

“Even when setting up we have lots of people popping their heads in and asking what is happening and whether they can come and see, which of course they can.

“Our dream with this would be to make a lot of new connections, to collaborate on new projects and then introduce the artists and the art to new clients and groups of people.”

As buying director, Helen’s remit is to fill the walls of Enter Gallery with the right kind of stuff – working with artists to source pieces she thinks will do well.

“My role is a bit of a mixture, really,” she said. “We have artists that come in who we meet, or it might be through other people who visit and recommend something they love.

“It can be through Instagram, and we also have a submissions process on the website.

“Then we also go to a lot of art fairs like Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair and we go scavenging in Miami every year, because they have a load of emerging artists, and from all over the world.

“Personally, I’m quite fickle when it comes to art – if it’s just come out, I’ll be really interested.

“I like any art that has a story behind it, something to look at that you can really think about or just if it’s funny.

“One of the pieces I like is a really cool new map by Justine Smith of the Thames.

“Her work is really hard to appreciate online because it’s really detailed.

Buddha Smalls by Ryca at Enter Gallery

“She often uses pieces of different types of banknote and makes a collage of them – there are so many layers of meaning in her work.

“From far away the pieces just look like an image until you get up close and realise there’s a lot going on.”

Crucial to Enter Gallery is the idea that art need not be expensive or financially cumbersome to acquire.

“We participate in a really good scheme called Own Art, which is backed by Arts Council England – people can buy art and then pay for it over 10 or 20 months interest free,” said Helen.

“It was designed to support artists and the people purchasing, so the artists can make money from their work and it doesn’t break the bank for purchasers.”

Failing that, Wharfers can just pop down and drink in the creativity all over the walls.

Find out more about Enter Gallery here

Detail from Inhabitants by Justine Smith at Enter Gallery

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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 WyzePay aims to save its users cash on regular purchases

Level39-based startup uses pre-pay to guarantee retailers income and consumers discounts

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What if I told you I could take £400 and instantly give you an extra £100 to spend at a specific venue in Canary Wharf?

Well, I can’t, but WyzePay can.

The startup, now based at tech community Level39 in One Canada Square, relies on the premise that businesses will be prepared to offer better prices to customers who pre-pay for their services.

Suppose, for example, I get a coffee from the same place every day on my way into the office (yes, I’m not hybrid working on Fridays or anything like that).

It’s habit – a ritual that I enjoy – and it costs me £3.20 per day.

For the sake of argument, let’s say I work 47 full weeks each year, so the bill would be £752. 

Provided I’m happy to use WyzePay – and cough up the cash up front in chunks of £400 – that cost will only be £601.60.

I wonder what I’ll buy with the £150.40 that I’ll save? 

“The current way of paying for things – credit and debit cards – has been around since the middle of last century,” said Ian Rae, CEO  at WyzePay.

“From a consumer perspective, we thought there could be a better way of doing things.”

Born in Mile End, the grandson of a docker, things have somewhat come full circle for Ian.

During an extensive career in technology for financial services firms, he’d moved steadily eastwards ending up in Hainault before heading back in, to Wapping High Street.

Ironically, his aunt told him that his grandad hated the building he wound up moving into as it was formerly a sugar warehouse and the commodity was too heavy to nick.

In a sense – albeit completely legal – WyzePay is also about getting something for nothing. Ian and co-founder Joe Channer decided to relocate the firm to the heart of Docklands, following a spell proving the concept in Queen’s Park.

They are now engaged on applying its offering across the Canary Wharf estate to demonstrate its benefits both to consumers and businesses.

“When developing the idea, we looked at Starbucks, which in 2018 put its loyalty scheme on an app and raised about $1.5bn in a matter of months,” said Ian.

“There was obviously something in the idea that people would be willing to prepay for things they were going to do anyway and that would benefit the retailer.”

For the consumer, the attraction is simple.

Pay up front and get a discount on what you’re buying. 


WyzePay offers users the ability to buy credit in the form of coins dedicated to a specific retailer. These are then held in a digital wallet and can be spent with the venue via the app. This example shows the difference in savings by pre-paying for £30 and £500 at Boisdale Of Canary Wharf in Cabot Square

“You’re going to get a better return than from that money just sitting in a current account, so it’s a no-brainer,” said Ian.

“The merchant gets the cash up front – which is extremely valuable for a business – and the discount rewards the customer who keeps coming and loves the service.

“It’s buy now, take more later – a bit more responsible than take now and pay later.”

WyzePay is currently undergoing a growth spurt. Ian and the team are in the process of striking deals with various restaurants, bars and businesses in Canary Wharf, with some already live and available to use.

At present, coins can be purchased for The Grandstand Bar, Boisdale Of Canary Wharf, 640East and Brick Lane Bagel with each offering up to 20% – meaning an outlay of £400 gets you £500 of credit at the venue.

Seoul Bird and Obica have also signed up, offering maximum discounts of 11% and 15% respectively. The minimum discount for all venues is 10%.

WyzePay’s tech is blockchain based, allowing it flexibility of form in the future although, at present, credit bought for one business can only be used at that venue.

“We’re in active discussion with several other businesses – it’s important to get the right fit,” said Ian.

“In this phase we’re aiming for 10-20 retailers by the end of October with about 1,000-2,000 consumers using the platform.

640East is offering up to 20% off via WyzePay

“That allows us to unlock some more funding and then to push on with the project.

“Canary Wharf is a great place to do this because it’s that community approach which fits with what we want to do further down the line.

“We have an idea to explore a community coin, where instead of spending the credit with a specific retailer, it would be possible to use it with any of the retailers that are signed up.

“We’d also like to set up an exchange where credit could be moved from one business to another.

“Then it becomes an alternative way of paying for things and a way to disrupt some of the lazier players in the market.

“If you look at gift cards, for example, you have an industry that’s really quite inefficient.

“It’s well known that even though it’s digital, a percentage of the money that’s been paid just sits there and isn’t spent.

“That’s no good if I’m the giver or the person receiving the gift – we think there is a better way of doing things. 

“As a business, our revenue comes from a percentage on the purchase of coins through WyzePay, which is charged to the merchant.

“However, every time you use a credit card there are charges they are paying and we cost less than that.”

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf is offering up to 20% off on the platform

Right now, WyzePay is all about awareness – signing up businesses for its platform and attracting users to give it a go.

That includes the likes of sponsoring the Action For Kids Beach Volleyball in Canada Square Park, which runs until September 28, 2023, and reaching out to companies on the estate to explain the offer.

“We’re focused on hospitality  because it’s easy for people to get their heads around,” said Ian.

“But really WyzePay can be applied wherever there’s a supply chain.

“The options are endless – but it’s better to start somewhere to demonstrate what it does.

“We’re also very clear that we won’t be for everyone – the lazy, rich and indolent, for example. It’s for people who want to get a good deal.

“Our dream is that WyzePay will one day be used as a verb.

“Imagine you’re in a restaurant and someone says: ‘I’ll WyzePay that’.”

That, of course, would put it in the big leagues alongside hoover, google and, increasingly, Uber (which hasn’t quite dropped the capital letter yet).

Just remember, it got big on the Wharf first.

Find out more about WyzePay here

Seoul Bird is offering up to 11% off via WyzePay

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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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