“Wharf Life newspaper was founded by Archant, a publishing company, to serve the area around Canary Wharf,” states ChatGPT 3.5, confidently, when asked who created this paper.
It sounds plausible, going on to say: “Archant is a well-established media company with a history of creating local newspapers and publications”.
This demonstrates one of the issues inherent with AI large language models. They are prone to making things up.
Wharf Life was founded by Massey Maddison Ltd in 2019 and has no connection to Archant – a business that used to run the East London And Docklands Advertiser before it collapsed into administration and was subsequently taken over by US-owned media firm Newsquest.
Imagine, for a minute, that my question had been about something much more important than the vanity of asking about this newspaper – that the answer given might have serious consequences for me or the organisation I’m contacting through a chatbot.
With AI finding its way into all sorts of areas of life – including Newsquest’s reporting, incidentally – trust becomes an issue that should be uppermost in the minds of those interacting with it, either as readers or customers.
It’s a topic that’s been on the mind of Chris Ezekiel and his team at Creative Virtual for some time.
He founded the conversational artificial intelligence company on the Isle Of Dogs 20 years ago, investing its profits to grow it into a global business that won the Queen’s Award For Enterprise in 2017.
Now based in Canary Wharf, the firm is considered a leader in its field, competing with the likes of Microsoft, IBM and Google in a sector that until 12 months ago was largely below the public radar.
That all changed in 2022 with the public release of ChatGPT – an event that sent the world giddy with the prospect of what large language models might be capable of.
“It’s been a seismic shift for our sector,” said Chris, who is based at 25 Cabot Square.
“We’d been looking at these models for about three years but everybody was surprised by the impact that this launch by OpenAI had.
“What’s been amazing has been the proliferation of other big companies coming out with their own competitive versions.
“One of the things about running an independent company in the way we do is that you have to keep making profit to invest.
“This makes the choices you make as founder and CEO more critical.
Chris’ business is always looking to the future of organisations’ interactions with customers and employees
“There are always ups and downs when running a company – my role is to make sure there are more highs than lows.
“However, our setup also means that we can take a longer term view when it comes to developing products, alongside the way we work with our customers and the commercial models we adopt.
“One of the things that’s been a massive success for us this year, strategically, is that we immediately offered all our customers completely free proof of concepts related to using this technology to serve their customers and employees – running large language models alongside our chatbot technology.
“It was about asking how they could be used and what the concerns might be.
“At launch, they were much more susceptible to getting stuff wrong and making things up with no way of telling where those errors came from.
“So it was about working with our clients to establish what the challenges were.
“Many had seen the models and thought they could save a fortune – writing stuff for them and answering their customers’ and employees’ questions.
“The business teams were focused on that but then they realised the risks associated with this technology and realised it would need to involve the legal and compliance teams.
“We literally saw companies developing solutions they wanted to deploy for real, while in parallel setting up ethical AI teams, who we were working with to address their concerns.”
Essentially, developing those proofs of concept meant Creative Virtual – which works with the likes of HSBC and Lloyds Banking Group – learnt a great deal about what it would take to make use of the things ChatGPT and other similar models were offering in large organisations.
“Three themes came out of this work – one is trust in the models and the content they create,” said Chris.
“The second is control – to use this technology, organisations need the ability to make sure they can override the models in certain cases.
“For example, if a customer wanted to replace a lost credit card, you need a very structured process that is compliant, trustworthy, accurate, reproducible and consistent – all of the things we’ve always provided as a company.
“There are ways to do this by training AI on the documents, policies, procedures and product information from a particular organisation.
“On top of that you can also create rules to override the model in certain circumstances.
“The Gluon release of our V-Person technology offers a blended approach – AI created content from large language models and human-curated content, which is perfect for organisations which are trying to create accurate, trustworthy interactions.
“The third theme that came up was experience. As a 20-year-old company, we know what it takes to act as AI consultants.
“We’ve had to change our company to be aware of all the different models that are out there.
“Some of these large language models are good at some things, but not so good at others so it’s our experience that allows us to help these large organisations, who want to understand how they can be used and the benefits.
“We’re focused on delivering the control and trust they need through our products and the expertise of our people, to take full advantage of this technology.”
The emergence of large language models has also broadened Creative Virtual’s approach as it explores different sectors and applications for its products.
“It’s changed the company a lot,” said Chris.
“We worked with an accounting company in Australia – MYOB – to use generative AI to create content with a human in control to sign it off.
“They’ve just won a major customer experience award having followed through on a proof of concept with us to create a project.
“That’s the joy we get from this kind of innovation – working very closely with customers who realise the benefits of what this tech can offer.
“This type of AI can provide lots of solutions for sectors such as healthcare and government too – any organisation that has lots of documents.
“Historically we’ve mostly been focused on customer services and resources for employees but we’re now starting to deploy solutions in sales.
“A classic case is what we’re doing on the travel side.
“Currently, if you walk into a travel agent, the person there helping to advise on a trip might sometimes refer to their own or a colleague’s experience.
“There’s no reason a chatbot couldn’t be used to do something similar – using content to show what other customers’ experiences of a destination have been like – an advocate that’s scaleable.”
Chris says companies are developing architecture to make interacting with multiple devices and services through AI possible – image by Matt Grayson
As for the future, Chris is excited by the prospect of further leaps forward too.
“I think the physical form of AI is going to be an interesting one, like having your own robot butler which interacts with the devices in your home, such as your fridge, to keep an eye on supplies, or your smart watch to monitor vitamin intake,” said Chris.
“I think that the future is joining up the AI to connected devices.
“People use the term hyper-personalisation, where organisations know lots of things about you.
“Even with issues of privacy, people often don’t mind revealing personal details if it improves their experience.
“In the future, you won’t even have to think about how you interact with the AI.
“People are already using their voices more to control devices.
“Organisations will know the context of the conversation you’re having and will switch to different channels, so you can start off on the phone, then move to the web, with everything seamlessly connected together.
“We’re starting to develop architecture that will make this really easy to do.
“The big companies we work with talk about the composable enterprise, where we can slot all these different systems together.
“Organisations then don’t have to worry what’s coming from this company or that firm – they can select the technology that’s best of breed, and platforms which create an overall digital customer experience.”
- 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
The mayors of London and Newham joined UEL’s vice-chancellor to unveil a wooden plaque to mark the December 6, 2024 opening, hailing the move as the “dawn of a new era in innovation and sustainability
“The opening of this centre is an incredibly special milestone for UEL and for the future of our city,” said Mayor Of London, Sadiq Khan.
“I believe this centre is best seen as symbolising two of the most profound changes happening in London right now – our shift eastwards and our shift to net zero.
“The RDCS embodies London’s direction of travel.
“City Hall moved to this area because I believe great things will be done in the Royal Docks.
“This centre is now integral to one of the most significant regeneration projects in Britain and will help drive the entire venture forward over the coming decades – delivering good, inclusive growth as well as well-paid, high-skilled, meaningful jobs for east Londoners.
“The work that will be done here presents an opportunity to demonstrate how we can achieve both economic progress and environmental protection.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor Of London
“There’s also the chance to accelerate the sustainability aspects of existing work in the community – the list of possibilities is long, but the time in which we have to act is short.”
The RDCS is billed as a “regional hatchery for innovation, skills and enterprise” offering local people, companies and UEL students access to affordable workspace as well as academic research and expertise.
Headed by director Robert De Jong, it will also run programmes aimed at launching and growing businesses or boosting east Londoners’ skills.
“As a centre we have to be an enabler and bring people in,” said Robert.
“We’re not starting from ground zero.
“We already have some amazing initiatives – the talent is here. RDCS will be a platform for us to connect, collaborate, form new partnerships and also strengthen existing ones.”
The RDCS itself is arranged over three floors of a building at UEL’s Royal Albert Dock campus.
Part-funded by the Royal Docks Team’s Good Growth Fund, it’s intended to be a hub for innovation and creativity, forming part of the university’s plans to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Alongside other facilities it will house UEL’s Living Lab, a partnership with Siemens that aims to offer students, researchers and local businesses a place to test, research and adapt technology to real-world environments.
“The RDCS is not just a building, it is a vision brought to life,” said Professor Amanda Broderick, vice-chancellor at UEL.
“It is a space where researchers, students, alumni, businesses, and local residents converge to create ideas, goals, and ambitions.
“It breaks down the barriers that often separate academia from its neighbours, offering a space where fresh perspectives and the cross-pollination of ideas flourish.
Professor Amanda Broderick, vice-chancellor at UEL
“And recognising that the success of any enterprise rests on the calibre of its workforce, the centre is poised to supply the region’s businesses with a skilled, green workforce ready to tackle the challenges of a rapidly evolving world.
“Aligned with the objectives of London’s only Enterprise Zone and building on UEL’s lead in business incubation and acceleration, this is a ground-breaking investment into our communities’ growth and development within east London and in our gateway to the world.”
Aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, the centre has ambitious goals to contribute to the local economy, address challenges here and across the planet and to help foster a cleaner, safer world.
“The RDSC brings together entrepreneurial ingredients from across Newham to support the development of future skills while driving needed collaboration between industry, academia and our people,” said Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor Of Newham.
Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor Of Newham
“Partnerships and collaboration resulting from the launch of the new centre will help to implement the borough’s Just Transition Plan, upskilling residents and providing opportunities to deliver new solutions that will be essential for adapting to climate change and transitioning towards a green economy.
“This new space allows Newham and broader east London to convene with partners from various sectors to help collectively solve all the interconnected challenges that the climate emergency presents us.
“While the challenges may be known, the solutions will look different in every sector, in every neighbourhood, so it’s critical to have a centre like this helping solve global challenges in a local way.”
The launch of the centre was also a platform for UEL to launch its Year Of Science, which is set to culminate with hosting the British Science Festival – a gathering of scientists, innovators, inventors, researchers and artists keen to show their work to the public.
Next year will see the 193rd iteration of the festival and mark the first time it has been held in London for more than 20 years.
- 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
“It was a fun name, but ‘Tower Bridge Studios’ says where we are and what we are,” said co-founder James Vellacott. “It’s time for a change.”
The move is very much a return to focusing on the company’s core operation – hiring out five studio spaces and a plethora of equipment for photographic and video shoots.
“We’ve seen a big push now for higher end shoots coming back to the studio,” said James.
“During Covid people were using their mobile phones for user generated content and the apps like TikTok and Instagram are great for that.
“But bigger organisations are back using the studios for press days, shoots, photography and video.
“This week we’ve had two studios hired for a rugby team with a photographer and camera crew on site.
“We’ve also had a live streaming company that likes to broadcast to its clients.
“Then a national newspaper has taken one of our studios full time, as of next year.
“They shoot a lot of fashion for a weekly magazine with lots of celebrities and they’ve moved here because of our video capability.
“They want to create in-house content but didn’t have the set up that we do and we have all the equipment they need, ready to hire off the shelf.
“We’re seeing the studios really pick up which is brilliant as 2023 has been tough.
Five spaces are available at Tower Bridge Studios
“The writers’ strike in the US has meant that places like Pinewood and Shepperton, which would normally be producing film and television, were empty – so commercial clients could hire them at a much reduced rate.
“This may have been an urban myth, but the lull has certainly picked up now and we’re busy up until Christmas.
“We generally run at around 65% or 70% occupancy although clients typically want to shoot on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
“We are in central London, but we have parking right outside so the convenience factor is there. It’s even possible to drive vehicles into two of the studios.
“We’ve tightened things up here and we’re confident we’re ready for whatever 2024 brings us.”
The business was set up in 2008 by husband and wife team James and Michelle, who own the studio spaces they rent out together.
In 2016, the pair invested further in Wapping, buying a neighbouring property and converting it into shared office space and launching it as The Nest in 2018.
The Nest co-working space boasts an interior designed by Gensler
“It took a couple of years to refit,” said James.
“It had been run as residential housing by an old-fashioned family who used a rent book and took cash.
“It definitely wasn’t compliant with building regulations. When we got in, we found the gas meter had been bypassed – that sort of thing.
“We got it running and initially it was a place for creative businesses.
“We were really busy and then Covid came and nobody wanted office space.”
This has meant a change of approach, with The Nest now changed into a co-working space for companies and locals.
It boasts interiors by Gensler – known for working with major corporations and Silicon Valley giants – and includes a fresh air system, a screening cinema, breakout spaces and plenty of walls made from rope. That’s a nod to the building’s history on the site of a former hemp warehouse.
There’s also a full barista set-up for those who prefer their coffee frothy, superfast wi-fi and lots of exposed reclaimed timber to lounge against.
“My personal opinion is that some home working can be good for some businesses – especially for more senior people,” said James.
“But to make a company succeed you have to have drive.
“People who come here, typically want a more collaborative element in their work.
A wide range of spaces are available at The Nest
“It’s not about trusting people to work remotely, it’s about communication – getting people around a table and asking what we’re going to do next, how we’re going to push things forward.
“We can accommodate businesses of various sizes, including people who just want to work on their own and fancy a change of scene.
“Working from home can be a bit laborious, especially if you’re sharing the space with a partner. People coming here get free tea and coffee and they can swipe in and out to come and go as they please.
“We’ve started to get a lot of locals in and we have various firms that use the space – some for three days a week and others more.
“We’d love the space to be a bit busier and currently offer a daily rate of £25 for people who just want to come and work for a day.”
Those doing so might well bump into actor and local resident Dame Helen Mirren, who regularly uses The Nest’s sound recording facilities for her projects.
But even without an A-list appearance there are plenty of attractions, including a firefighters’ pole to slide down and themed meeting rooms that are available on a flexible basis.
“We’re currently re-strategising as a business to ensure we’re nimble and able to go after growth,” said James.
“I’m massively enjoying the hands-on side of the businesses.
“Drive is what we need right now. We’re in every day, meeting clients and helping them with their set-ups in the studios.
“This might be helping to build a set, arrange lighting or sorting out lunch.
“Then, at the end of the shoot, we’ll help them pack down, check the equipment back in and help them out to the cars.
“Then we’ll repaint the white shooting area if needed.
“With The Nest, it’s a great space to be. I love being in there and making the coffees – talking to people and finding out what kind of business they’re in.
“It’s great when it’s buzzing – it has a really nice atmosphere and we’d love more people to come down and check it out.”
Desk rates at The Nest start at £25+VAT with various packages available including full time permanent seats.
- 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
I first met Marcus Lyall beneath a flyover in Royal Docks.
It was December 2020, the wind was biting and various restrictions were in place thanks to the pandemic’s Christmas-cancelling second wave.
As a result, his epic installation Presence was attracting the attention of only a few, shifty passers-by.
Nevertheless, the piece remained the most impactful work of that year’s Join The Docks festival – with viewers performing short messages into a microphone then seeing them echo between the concrete pillars of the roadway, with visualisation courtesy of an urgent laser and plenty of smoke machines.
Had the times been normal, it would have been a blockbuster – recalling the success the artist had at Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights festival in 2017.
Then, On Your Wavelength – a series of 32 square LED-lit portals drew visitors in droves to Crossrail Place’s once empty shopping level.
This year, the Homerton resident is set to return to the estate for Winter Lights 2024 – with something much bigger than either of these creations.
Idle Time will be projected onto a 50sq m canvas formed by white-wrapped scaffolding behind Wood Wharf’s Union Square.
“The idea for it came from our lives today and how we’re encouraged very much to think about optimisation and efficiency – what we can fit into a day,” said Marcus, who works from studios at Fish Island near Hackney Wick.
“There have been various anthropological studies of pre-industrial societies and one of the things the scientists noticed when they went to hunter-gatherer cultures was the amount of time that people spent not doing anything.
“It feels right now, when everything is being optimised, that there is very little time for not doing anything, despite the fact that everything has apparently been made more efficient so we all have more leisure time.
Marcus Lyall’s On Your Wavelength from Winter Lights 2017
“To me, it doesn’t feel like that.
“The question now is: ‘Are you spending your free time productively?’.
“With Idle Time, there are three elements connected to efficiency and productivity.
“Firstly there’s the backdrop – Canary Wharf – a global centre of hyper-capitalism, where companies dedicate every moment to trying to extract capital from labour.
“Secondly I’m using lasers, which are a hyper-efficient light source.
“You can use them in lots of ways, but here I’m using them like a big pen to draw and animate an image.
“With lasers you have the beam and a couple of mirrors that move at something like 30,000 times a second.
“Projecting 50 or 60 drawings per second lets the eye perceive the image as though it’s moving.
“Thirdly, I’m also working with motion capture technology where we have people act out various movements and use the data captured to drive the image.
“Normally this is done with dancers, acrobats, stunt people or physical theatre performers – subjects that are incredibly good at moving, so the data can be used to create animation sequences.
“It tends to be about capturing stuff that’s exceptional – actors performing the most amazing moves they can.
“What I’m doing with Idle Time is deliberately using people who aren’t terribly good at movement as my subjects – they’re mostly artists from the building I share in east London and they are doing things that are not terribly productive.
“One of the real pleasures of being an artist is that it’s not all about the effort you put in.
“A lot of it is about talking and thinking – stuff that’s difficult to quantify or capture.
“What I’m trying to do is celebrate the more mundane bits of life, the fact that most of our experience comes through incredibly subtle movement.
“Our experience of other people isn’t necessarily about them doing cartwheels.
“What’s interesting is that, when we’ve done tests on this work, people find these characters we’ve captured quite intriguing.
“Viewers immediately try to work out what they’re doing and then project characters onto them. It’s leaving a bit of a gap for the audience.”
Idle Time is one of 12 temporary installations that will pop up across the estate for Winter Lights 2024. The festival is set to run daily from 5pm-10pm and is free to visit.
Having seen around 1million visitors come to the estate for 2023, new one-way systems have been implemented to help manage numbers, with larger, more crowd-friendly pieces commissioned.
Alongside the visiting works, six permanent artworks will be illuminated for the show, including an LED twist on Shine Your Colours at Canary Riverside.
Marcus said: “It’s great that Canary Wharf Group is commissioning work and nice that they’re valuing art – it makes a difference.
“Idle Time is a bit more of a slow burn rather than a five-minute spectacular.
“Part of it is getting people to look at how they spend their time, getting people to question whether this constant drive for productivity is the best way to live their lives.
“I’m also hoping they feel some sort of empathy with the people they’re seeing, that there’s a connection with them, that they put themselves in those characters’ places.
“It’s very much about reflection and contemplation.
“There’s something nice about the fact that it’s projected onto a building that’s not in use yet – something that’s still going up.
Marcus Lyall’s Presence in Royal Docks
“It also feels a little bit subversive to be doing a bit of graffiti with lasers in a part of the estate where people actually live.
“Sometimes this kind of work can be more for show, but this has been designed as something people can live with for a while.
“It’s ironic – I’m creating something in a hyper-efficient location with hyper-efficient projection technology and hyper-efficient motion capture, where my subjects are actually doing very little.”
The perfect antidote, perhaps, to the hustle and bustle of the Wharf – especially during the festival.
- 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
A higher education provider, which delivers a range of courses on behalf of various institutions, it’s expanded to seven sites across the country supporting some 9,500 students.
Its operation includes campuses in Birmingham, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester and Northampton as well as two in London.
Alongside its Holborn site, ESL recently moved into Harbour Exchange on the Isle Of Dogs with a second floor of the building already in the pipeline.
For the institution’s provost, Professor Ian Luke, himself a recent arrival, it’s a time of great opportunity for the organisation.
“The exciting part of ESL is that it’s in its infancy, so what I would like to see is it pushing the boundaries of teaching and giving students authentic experiences so they can immediately use what they’ve learnt in their careers or even during their time with us,” he said.
“Canary Wharf is an inspiring place, especially if you’re working in the sectors covered by our courses.
“The fact that students are working around multi-million pound companies, and we are creating links with those firms, is very special.”
ESL has a growing campus at Harbour Exchange on the Isle Of Dogs
ESL provides teaching and facilities on behalf of a number of organisations that act as awarding bodies on its courses.
It offers courses in the areas of business and management; finance and accounting; health and social care; construction and computing, attracting many students seeking a change of direction.
“We currently have about 9,500 students,” said Ian.
“Many are mature students who are looking to make a career change or who higher education may have passed by.
“For ESL, it’s all about providing access to opportunity.
“The joy of our system is that we haven’t got the infrastructural arrangements of a university.
“Most universities engage in research. But generally they will only receive at best 75% funding for those activities.
“We’re not a research institution, although we’re very much about scholarly research-informed teaching.
“That means all our resources can be focused on the students themselves rather than anything else – hence the investment in campuses such as Harbour Exchange.
The campus is arranged over one floor, with a second in the pipeline
“While many universities have fixed locations, ESL has the flexibility to go where its services are needed.
“The benefit to the student experience is incredibly positive and, for the partners we work with, it means they don’t have to invest in a new campus themselves in these locations.”
Part of Planet Education Networks, a collection of institutions based at Marsh Wall, ESL’s expansion has seen a whole floor of Harbour Exchange’s main building fully refurbished.
“There are IT suites, media rooms, lecture rooms, a canteen, break-out areas and even a Dragons’ Den-style pitching area,” said Ian.
“The whole place has been designed for the students to have fluidity in physical and digital resources.
“Because we’re not trapped in campus buildings, we’ve been able to design this new facility for the way we want to teach students.
“One of the key things for us is that we’ve designed the actual timetable to support people.
“We understand that there’s a cost of living crisis and that many students have to work while they’re studying – we understand that they’re got care responsibilities.
“That’s why we operate over six days.
“Students get very focused work so they can manage their parental and other commitments.
“We also deliver evening and weekend sessions, so we try to make the timetable as bespoke for them as possible.
“What we’re delivering in terms of pedagogy is different to a university, in that we’re trying to tailor everything to an understanding of students’ lives, and more importantly, to their careers and employability afterwards.
“We know our students very, very well – who they are – and when that’s the case, you can cater for their needs.
“ESL is really about people who want to change their lives, and we’ve got the flexibility to help them do that.
“It’s crucial for us to be able to move with our students so we can offer something bespoke.”
This is all very much in Ian’s wheelhouse.
“With an academic and professional background in education, it’s no surprise he’s decided to join an institution where the importance of teaching is stated as a core value.
“I was deputy vice-chancellor at Plymouth Marjon University, a very small organisation down in the south-west, and I looked after everything there, apart from research – the academic schools, the quality of the teaching and the digital development,” he said.
“London is a complete shift for me, but I was a teacher and my PhD and professorial were in learning and teaching so I’m hoping to bring that to ESL.
“I have an understanding of quality systems and how they work, and how to make them more robust.
“There’s something incredible happening here with ESL – there’s a very big demand for what it’s doing – and it’s very successful.
ESL boasts extensive facilities close to Canary Wharf
“The focus is heavily on the students – they want to come – so it’s up to us to manage that growth well for them.
“The joy of multiple institution awarding is that you get the best practice from everyone, and you can make sure that we represent the programmes.
“In doing so, we try to serve the community, individuals and their careers.
“We get a whole range of people coming to study with us – they are multicultural, often older and may be returning to higher education.
“ESL is rigorous in terms of the students it accepts to ensure we are recruiting people we think we can support appropriately.
“Because the students are more mature, there is an engagement level here that not all universities experience.
“The staff are very passionate and the students really want to make the most of these opportunities.
“It’s very inspiring for me in my role to see how they are working to grasp those at ESL.”
- 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
The legacy of global trade has left its mark across east London in vast spaces created to handle the wealth of cargo that once flowed up the Thames.
There were huge docks to safely berth the ships, wharves to unload them and warehouses to store and protect the goods and commodities.
The ongoing regeneration of Docklands has seen this infrastructure repurposed in myriad ways – as housing, accommodation for yachts, bars, hotels, restaurants, watersports centres and many more.
With many of the spaces being of a significant size and well connected to the rest of London, several have been reimagined as events venues.
The latest of these to launch is Dockside Vaults, a 10,000sq ft underground space beneath Ivory House in St Katharine Docks.
Built in 1852, the building is the only original warehouse still standing in the area and is today filled with residential apartments and restaurants at ground level.
Apt, perhaps, that its brick vaulted basement, which was once used to store imported barrels of wine is once again being used for hospitality and entertaining, having been the site of a Henry VIII-themed Medieval banqueting experience for decades.
“Funnily enough they were doing an immersive show long before the likes of Secret Cinema and those theatre concepts,” said Ben Gamble.
“The banqueting started in the 1970s with a fine dining, silver service dinner – but by the time it closed it certainly wasn’t that.
“It had become a tourist trap – all you could eat and drink for £30.”
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Go to docksidevaults.com for more information or to book
Ben Gamble, owner of Dockside Vaults
The space, however, was what interested Ben.
Having initially locked on to a career as a fighter pilot with the RAF, a shortage of training places prompted a rethink and he fell into the events industry after landing a job with the London Film Museum, having hawked his CV around the capital in search of gainful employment.
After establishing it as a venue for corporate shindigs at County Hall on the banks of the Thames, he left to start his own events business shortly after its relocation to Covent Garden.
“Having been involved with the owners to launch that and at a point I was just about to be earning good money, I handed in my resignation to start by own business,” he said.
“During my time at the museum I’d met a lot of events companies and had realised they were the ones with the big clients, big budgets.
“It seemed, as venue finders, all they would do is come round with the client and talk about the blooming obvious, which of course is not how it is at all.
“But I’d built up enough contacts, spoken to a few of them and told them I was thinking of doing my own thing.
“I asked them if they would trust me to find their venues.
“So that was the initial idea – it seemed like there was a gap in the market.
“I realised that everyone had been everywhere, so there was a need for a company that specialised in finding venues that had never been used before.
“So that’s what I did for seven years and then the pandemic shut down the industry.”
The venue is in St Katharine Docks
His company, Shout About London, worked across the capital often as a pioneer at venues such as Southwark Cathedral, the Archbishop Of Canterbury’s private library and at the Leadenhall Building, making a point of aiming to be the first company to bring clients into a space.
Gradually the business shifted to representing venues for longer periods of time and working with well-known institutions such as the V&A to create events around new exhibitions or attractions.
The evolution continued as Ben’s firm shifted into creative production and wound up managing several venues exclusively in the run-up to Covid.
“I actually signed a lease with a nightclub in January 2020 in London Fields, which was bad timing for me – it’s no longer there,” he said.
“Then the pandemic happened, so I went to UCL and did an MBA for two years.
“With hindsight, it was a perfect use of my time as I’ve been able to employ that knowledge in my new events and venue consultancy Nylon Pie, and now Dockside.”
The 450-capacity venue opened in September and features 10 alcoves all joined by an expansive central concourse, which can be used for events with 50 guests or more.
The venue is a blank canvas for clients to use
“I first saw the venue when I started Nylon Pie and I really liked the space,” said Ben.
“It was still full of mediaeval gear for the banquets so it needed emptying and modernising. Now it’s 10,000sq ft of premium event space with 150-year-old exposed brickwork.
“Tower Hill is synonymous with the old and the new – you have the Tower Of London and Tower Bridge with The Shard in the background.
“We’re from the same period as Tobacco Dock but we’ve got large TVs at the end of each of our alcoves and lighting where the colours can be changed at the touch of a button.
“Having great audio and visual tech is important and we have in-house microphones if people want to do speeches, too.
“The idea is that everything is plug-in and play.
“Of course, if you’ve got a big budget, we can do projection mapping on the brickwork and go all out – but if you don’t, we can operate on a minimum spend basis at the bar.
“We’re a cashless venue, but we’re also the largest venue in London to take payment in Bitcoin.
“So far we’ve done about 20 events including screenings of things like the Rugby World Cup – we had 450 South Africans here for the final.
“First and foremost we’re a corporate events space, however, and we’ve worked with Identify – one of the best events management companies in the UK – on a two-day conference.
“That showed a good use of the space, for smaller immersive events with 150 to 200 people.
“The alcoves can be used as breakout spaces and can easily be given a personal touch with branding, signs or logos.
“We’re also keen to be a part of the local community – not a closed door – and we’d love people to get in touch.”
- 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
In a world where people’s experiences and cultural references are increasingly diffuse, Disney100: The Exhibition prompts a conversation pretty much anyone can participate in.
The question: “What’s your favourite Disney movie?” is one that, perhaps, unites more people globally under the umbrella of a single producer than any other.
Its answers are frequently generational, surprising and in some cases contested – can Marvel and Star Wars really be counted when so much of the original development of those brands happened before they were brought into the fold?
But almost invariably, it’s a question that’s met with fondness and warmth – often a connection to a childhood remembered or time spent with one’s own children.
That, of course, is before we even consider the TV output, the theme parks and the theatre shows.
With such resonance in the public mind, curating an exhibition that celebrates the output of The Walt Disney Company to mark its centenary, is a mammoth undertaking.
Little wonder, perhaps, that this creative titan has risen to that challenge with characteristic zeal resulting in Disney100: The Exhibition running at Excel in Royal Docks until January 21.
“Selecting the exhibits was probably the biggest challenge we had because Disney has an embarrassment of riches in terms of the assets we can show,” said Matthew Adams, manager, exhibitions for the Walt Disney Archives.
Matthew Adams of the Walt Disney Archives
“We’ve had 100 years and we have so many different business units now which have all contributed to Disney’s success, so it was really difficult.
“The great thing about Disney is, because it’s been around for so long, I can’t think of another company that has left such an indelible mark on people’s lives.
“There are meaningful moments for baby boomers all the way up to the children of today and everyone in between.
“I think about all the films I watched as a kid including all the movies like Hocus Pocus that came out in the 1990s.
“I was also a big fan of Sword In The Stone – those are two that really resonated with me when I saw props from the movies, so I can imagine how other people will feel.
“I often joke with people that the archives are the keepers of their childhood memories – but I also really mean it.
“Many are unique and we have both a domestic version of the exhibition in the US and an international touring collection, so deciding what would be in each was challenging.”
With the exception of the first gallery – which tells the story of how Walt set up the company and created his first animations including the pioneering Steamboat Willie with its synchronised soundtrack – the exhibition is not arranged chronologically.
The exhibition features a host of exhibits from Disney’s first 100 years
Instead its nine galleries are thematic, each looking at a different aspect of the company’s operations.
“That really helped us narrow down what we were going to put on show,” said Matthew, who started off his career in theatre before going on to work at 20th Century Fox in themed entertainment and joining Disney when it bought his previous employer.
“Everything after the first gallery is based on the philosophy of Walt Disney – whether that’s storytelling, creating believable characters, adventure and discovery and so on, which helped us decide what to include.
“Then we were only selecting exhibits that were in service to that story of each gallery.
“For example, everything in the music gallery helps tell the story of how important the music and sound effects are in Disney films.
“One thing that Disney is really well known for and comes into clear view when you’re in the exhibition, is the attention to detail with everything the company does.
“For instance there’s a display about creating the sound effects and you would never think those noises were made in the way they were – the minds that came up with those ideas were pretty astounding.
There’s also an extensive gift shop selling official merchandise
“Another example is when you’re looking at the costumes for The Lion King stage show and the level of detail that goes into them, which audiences would never even see at a distance.
“It’s those things that make the Disney difference.
“In The Illusion Of Life gallery, we talk about all these individual characters and what makes them seem real.
“There are the minute personality details, which may seem obscure and unimportant, but combine to create the effect of a living, breathing character.
“To me, seeing those things is a ‘wow moment’.
“In the exhibition, you really get a sense that everyone, from Walt Disney up to the people who work for the company today, has been really passionate about the work and our history, our legacy, and the stories we continue to tell today.
“These people really believe in it and really love it.
“They realise what they are doing has made a huge impact on their lives and makes a real impact on other people’s lives – that’s why being part of the exhibition is really something special for me.”
That Disney100: The Exhibition is in the UK is apt.
Walt and the company he built has had a long association with Britain.
Its first live action film, 1950’s Treasure Island, was shot in Cornwall and Buckinghamshire with Robert Newton creating a host of immortal pirate tropes as the wild-eyed, one-legged Long John Silver.
Walt also traced his roots to the village of Norton Disney in Lincolnshire, visiting during filming and cementing the link by placing his family’s coat of arms above the archway to the company’s famous castle.
“This started something that was consistent with many of the company’s most famous stories like Mary Poppins and Bedknobs And Broomsticks, which feature in the exhibition,” said Matthew.
The exhibition features all kinds of exhibits including costumes from live action movies
“There’s a definite affinity with London and the UK. I hope that seeing the exhibition will reignite people’s passion and love for Disney films, parks and everything else we produce.
“There’s so much content out there these days – it’s over-saturated – but it’s really nice spending an hour or two going back and looking at those touchstone moments in our lives, saying: ‘I remember this being really important in my life’ and remembering.
“An exhibition spanning 100 years is a really huge moment that will only come once in our lifetimes, so we want everyone to feel inspired and happy when they leave, and hopeful about the future.”
Spare a thought, then, for the next generation who will likely have more than double the archive to draw on when 200 years have passed.
“The collection is huge and already spans multiple buildings and locations,” said Matthew.
“We have buildings that are dedicated to our three-dimensional assets, others that are dedicated to our photo collection – it is a pretty enormous operational undertaking.
“We rely on the actual creators and the production teams of those films or park attractions to tell us what’s important to keep.
“Similarly, with park attractions, when they are changed or updated, we ask what the fans’ most popular items are and which are worth keeping.
“We wish we could keep everything, but that’s just not possible when we have a finite amount of space and, with the advent of Disney+, output has increased significantly.”
Fortunately, thanks to the acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012, there is potentially a solution.
That deal means it now owns the warehouse from Indiana Jones flick Raiders Of The Lost Ark – plenty of room for another century of stuff.
- 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
Around five years ago, his family relocated from Jordan to the UK with the aim of establishing a global business – building on the work of its Middle Eastern company, International Technical Sources For Industrial Equipment.
Based first at One Canada Square and now in 25 Cabot Square, the company offers a range of services including hospital design, planning and the supply of equipment, especially related to medical gas systems.
“After more than 20 years in Jordan, working in the Middle East, we had the know-how, as my father likes to say,” said Ali, who heads business development for the company.
“So we thought about coming to the UK to create a worldwide operation and we’ve more or less been based on the Wharf the whole time.
“We’ve mostly been working in exports around the world.
“We wanted a base that was close to where we were living on the Isle Of Dogs.
“As a family, you need somewhere that’s quieter where there’s not always something going on 24 hours a day and we found this place near the Wharf.
“You have the water, the sky at night and you can get everything here with lots of facilities for the same price as a place in Swiss Cottage that has fewer amenities.”
However, this isn’t an article about the family’s medical business. It’s about a problem Ali identified while working on the Wharf.
“To be honest, I think we’re struggling here with dry cleaning,” he said.
“It’s a very big business area, there are lots of people in the towers and every time you want to do dry cleaning, you wind up queueing for a long time just to drop off your clothes.
“That’s a waste of your lunch hour that day. It’s your break, you deserve it.
“So we thought: ‘why not create and offer a service to all the people working and living locally?’.”
Canary Wash is a dry cleaning and laundry business for Canary Wharf and the Isle Of Dogs
The solution he came up with was to start a business.
“The app we’ve created is live and we’re competitively priced,” said Ali.
“We’ll collect your dry cleaning and laundry, do it for you and then bring it back for the same price as you would pay if you went into a shop, queued there, dropped off your clothes and then went back another day to pick them up via the same process.
“We picked the name Canary Wash, because this is where we are operating, with a logo that features the towers.
“We started two months ago with Canary Wharf and then added the Isle Of Dogs.
“We’re expecting it mostly to serve businesses and residential addresses in the area.
“We offer dry cleaning, washing, ironing – and washing and ironing together.
“For example, customers can send pieces just for ironing or bulky items just for washing, such as duvets or blankets.
“Of course, we deal with all kinds of delicate clothes that can’t be washed at home.
“People always need dry cleaning – with delicates you just can’t risk it.
“I lost one shirt that way myself. I put it in the washing machine at home and it shrunk.
“When I put it on it was really tight – I’d been exercising in the gym, but not enough to get quite so big.”
The process has been designed to be simple.
The app deals with washing, ironing and dry cleaning for ally types of garments
Customers download the Canary Wash app, itemise which pieces of clothing they are sending and which service they require.
Then they pick a two-hour time slot for collection.
A driver arrives to collect the laundry, the order is checked, cleaned and then returned 48 hours later.
“When you make an order via the app, you will select which services you want and then we’ll know what to expect when we get the order,” said Ali, who coaches kids’ football in his spare time.
“Before we wash, we confirm the order against what has been supplied and that we know exactly what we’re doing with each item of clothing.
“If we get a piece we’re not expecting or that doesn’t fit with the order, then we contact the customer via the app to tell them that their order needs to be adjusted.
“We send all the relevant details.
“For example, if an order is for two pieces and there’s a third included, then we’ll ask whether it’s for dry cleaning, ironing or washing and, once confirmed, then we can proceed.
“For me, this business is a new challenge. There have been a lot of things to learn.
“Obviously, when you’re getting into something new you want to do as much research as possible, so we’ve been doing that.
“We’ve visited lots of businesses and seen how it could be done before designing our service where we’ve tried to merge everything we learnt.
“Our aim is to deliver the best possible quality for the customer.
“People in this area mostly care about the quality of the service and the time more than anything else – so those are the two things we’ve focused on.
“We’ve been live for two months now and it’s been going well, but we’re looking to reach more and more people to take this as big as we can.
“We have the capacity and we’re excited for that to happen and then to expand further.
“Our plan is to roll this out to other business areas such as Liverpool Street, where people need their time to be saved through our collection and delivery service.
“We aim to collect, clean and deliver a customer’s order back to them within 48 hours.
“That includes extra time built-in, so we can easily achieve that goal and not disappoint anybody.”
To give readers an idea of pricing, Canary Wash offers suits and dresses dry cleaned for £16.50 and £12.99 respectively.
Comparative prices from retail dry cleaners on the Wharf are from £21 and £15 for the same pieces.
Canary Wash’s app offers free pick-up and delivery on orders over £5.
- 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
There’s been much talk of late about the future direction of Canary Wharf.
HSBC’s forthcoming departure, Clifford Chance’s move and Credit Suisse’s enforced purchase by UBS are all significant changes for the estate.
But, quite apart from the flourishing retail and hospitality scene that has seen a deluge of openings in recent years, the direction of travel in the office market is far from one-way.
Areas of London evolve continually. Companies’ requirements change over time, generating a constant churn of relocations.
The City is packed with wine bars and hotels in buildings that once held banks, vacated by the businesses they were built for. It’s a natural process as firms grow, merge or close.
Whatever the Wharf looks like in 20 years’ time, for now, it’s continuing to attract companies.
Growing construction firm McLaren is delighted with its light and airy space at 20 Churchill Place, having got significantly more square footage for its budget than alternative locations in the City.
Digital challenger bank Revolut, currently based at Westferry Circus, is also apparently eyeing a chunk of YY London in Reuters Plaza by the Tube station rather than moving out as it navigates its ongoing expansion.
“Our decision was driven by value for money but also by different ways of working,” said Andrew Ball, chief executive at BLME.
“We had an opportunity to come out of our existing lease and as well as it making financial sense, we wanted to improve the space we use.
“In addition to BLME, we have a fintech company that sits under our licence and delivers technology for our fintech bank Nomo.
“Obviously that’s a different way of working to traditional banking – software engineers, for example, need collaboration space rather than separate offices.
“While I do have a small office for private discussions with shareholders and so on, we’ve made the rest open space.
Canary Wharf is getting busier again
“There are phone booths for people to have private calls, but the design allows for hybrid working and gives people flexibility for the time that they are in the office.
“It’s a space they can really use rather than cramming into little meeting rooms.
“It’s possible to get stuck in an office environment which you’ve always been used to having, with the same desk layout.
“Here we’re coming to something we can actually use.
“The executive management used to have their own offices, but now they are sitting amongst people, whether it’s with the payment team, the tech guys around the corner or the customer service team.
“Now people are finding out things about the organisation, just by sitting somewhere different with different people.
“We have a desk booking system and nobody gets the same desk, unless they have a role where they have to be in the same place every day, such as IT.”
BLME employs around 250 people, with space in its offices for 90, meaning staff rotate in and out depending on need.
Andrew said the bank had ambitious growth plans and would hopefully be looking for more space in three years.
“We’ve grown quite a lot as we have come out of the pandemic,” he said.
“We launched Nomo completely remotely during Covid – a digital bank for clients in the Middle East, who want a British bank account. In that way we saw what was doable.
“You have to offer flexibility if you want to attract the best staff.
“But, if you’re a graduate, starting your career, then sitting with someone, talking to them and finding out what they do is vital.
“When people do come into the office – and we’ve had a lot of new staff starting in the last year – they actually welcome the fact that they can meet people in person.
“This is a very different environment to what we had over in Cannon Street – our plan is to live in it, figure out what works and what doesn’t and then adapt working styles accordingly.
“On Wednesdays, for example, our fintech compant takes over the office so they can get that engagement and rapport going, otherwise it will be to the detriment of corporate culture.
“We like to be very open – so people know each other.
“We’re not about working unseen on the 50th floor – a lot of what we do is driven by relationships, whether internally or with our clients.”
Andrew says BLME has ambitious growth plans
What BLME does is a little different to most of the other financial institutions on the Wharf.
Both the firm and Nomo are Sharia’a compliant institutions, offering Islamic banking and financial services to customer in the UK and the Middle East.
“There are lots of debates about what Islamic finance is,” said Andrew, who has a long history of working in the Gulf.
“BLME is the first Islamic institution I’ve worked for – prior to this role, all my experience was with conventional banks.
“In essence, Islamic finance is very open and transparent. For many clients it’s a different way of working.
“In essence, it’s a contract between two different parties, with a notion of shared risk.
“Everybody goes into a transaction knowing what they’re going to pay, what the bank’s obligations are and what the client’s obligations are – that makes it very transparent.
“If it isn’t in a document, we can’t do it and we can’t charge you for it.
“What’s in the contract is key. There are no hidden fees or agreements. It’s very clear – we’re a very simple business.
“Once an organisation has got its head around the paperwork, they can see it’s a better way of doing business.
“We had a firm that did one development with us who initially found it difficult.
“But now we’re their go-to bank because they saw the advantages.
“We handle real estate finance, whether it’s developments, investment properties or big buy-to-let portfolios.
“We also offer private banking, which may be around property, and then we have our digital bank, which is focussed on affluent customers who want to operate in the UK.
“Perhaps they have children studying here, or they are investing here or looking to buy here.
“We don’t do things we don’t understand and we’re pretty cautious as an organisation and we see UK regulation as an asset – people want to know their money is safe.
“We don’t finance things which have anything to do with tobacco, defence or arms – anything that wouldn’t comply with Sharia’a law.”
That also means BLME essentially doesn’t pay or collect interest on money – customers instead get a portion of the profits on shared investments – a system the Bank Of England now supports through its Alternative Liquidity Fund.
“That levels the playing field to a certain extent because it means we can get a return on our surplus liquidity,” said Andrew.
“Our future very much lies in the Gulf, which is where our clients are.
“You can divide our bank into two –we have pure UK-based clients who invest, build and rent UK property and then we have clients based in the Gulf who are investing in the UK.
“I think that part of our competitive advantage is that BLME was conceived to bridge that gap in terms of inward investment.
“Then we believe what we offer through Nomo is a world-first, where a client can sit in their armchair in Kuwait and open an account in eight minutes – that’s unheard of because dealing with UK banks is usually a long process.”
For Greenwich resident Andrew, the return to the Wharf was not without some personal anxiety.
“I was filled with a sense of trepidation, coming back to the this area, having worked here at Citibank 20 years ago – but I’ve been more than pleasantly surprised and the feedback we’ve got from the teams has been brilliant,” he said.
“People were worried what it was going to do for their commute, that Canary Wharf is a soulless place where you can’t get a decent sandwich with no restaurants, but it’s not like that at all.
“From a business perspective it’s certainly value for money – and there’s a real buzz around the place.
“The atmosphere here, even at the weekend is great – people are coming to Canary Wharf as a destination.
“Dishoom is one of my favourite restaurants and now there’s a branch a stone’s throw away. When you think what it was like 20 years ago, it’s fantastic.”
- 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
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 – WhenEast 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.
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…
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…
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
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..
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)
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.
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)
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
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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).
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…
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….
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.
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…
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…
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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?
- 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
