This is Stories Wharf by Hyde New Homes, located overlooking the Thames in North Woolwich.
The development offers a collection of properties available to buyers on a shared ownership basis.
With construction work now complete, buyers can move straight into them.
tell me more
Studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments are all available at the scheme.
Buyers can purchase an initial share of 25% or more of a home, then pay rent on the rest. They are free then to increase that share until they own 100% of the property.
One of the advantages of this scheme is that for those taking out a mortgage on the share they purchase, deposits are much smaller than those required to buy a property outright.
When combined, mortgage payments, rent and service charge on a shared ownership home typically come to less than it would cost to rent an equivalent property in the same area.
Studios, one, two and three-bedroom properties are all available at the east London development – image supplied by Hyde New Homes
what’s the area like?
Royal Docks is undergoing a period of regeneration that, even by the standards of east London, is profound.
Billions of pounds of investment are pouring into the area with flourishing communities emerging alongside more established neighbourhoods.
That means more housing, amenities and facilities locally, including plans to relocate Billingsgate and Smithfield fish and meat markets to Royal Albert Island and a scheme to give the waters of Royal Victoria Dock a significant facelift, both recently announced.
The area is already home to City Hall.
With exhibition and conference centre Excel London newly extended and extensive plans for further commercial regeneration, prospective buyers can look forward to moving into a part of London that’s set for at least a decade of improvement and attention.
The development features a communal podium garden – image supplied by Hyde New Homes
why Stories Wharf?
Hyde’s scheme is itself an attractive proposition.
Apartments come with fully fitted kitchens, integrated appliances, tiled bathrooms, a private balcony or terrace and built-in storage.
Communal facilities include a garden, a children’s play area and a rooftop terrace.
The scheme benefits from its own solar panels, designed to power public areas as well as secure cycle storage and the option for buyers to purchase parking spaces on selected properties.
The properties use open-plan design to maximise the use of space – image supplied by Hyde New Homes
what’s the transport like?
Stories Wharf is in a very singular position in the capital.
It’s close to King George V DLR, putting it one stop from both London City Airport and Woolwich Arsenal (a short walk from the Elizabeth Line station).
But in addition to those links to international travel and rapid transport across the capital – Canary Wharf is eight minutes from Woolwich – Hyde’s development has a location few residential schemes can match.
Its proximity to the northern end of the Woolwich Foot Tunnel and the northern dock of the Woolwich Ferry mean it also benefits from unrivalled free access across the Thames on foot or by vehicle.
It’s also well served by buses.
and the local area?
The scheme is located within easy walking distance of Royal Victoria Gardens with the wider area offering a growing blend of cultural attractions at the likes of Immerse LDN and Silverworks Island.
The docks themselves offer a range of watersports including open water swimming, wakeboarding and an invigorating dockside sauna facility.
Further afield, the development is within easy reach of Woolwich, Canary Wharf, Stratford and the City all offering a succession of attractions.
Apartments at Stories Wharf feature private outdoor space – image supplied by Hyde New Homes
key details: Stories Wharf
Studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments are now available to move into at Hyde New Homes’ Stories Wharf scheme in North Woolwich.
Properties are available on a shared ownership basis with prices starting at £74,000 for a 25% share of a studio based on a full market value of £296,000.
It’s been 45 years since the Royal Docks ceased to function for their intended purpose.
Having survived the Second World War, they’d become the busiest facilities of their kind in the 1960s only for containerisation to render them redundant as global trade demanded deeper and more accessible ports.
Since their closure in 1981, they’ve lain relatively vacant as land around them has found new purpose as exhibition and events space, a university campus, housing and a home for businesses.
While the development of London City Airport in the late 1980s saw some of the water lost under its runway and, more recently, its new taxiway and aircraft stands, bar the odd pop-up and vessel of interest, little advantage has been taken of the surface of Newham’s largest liquid asset.
Royal Victoria Dock as it is today – image supplied by RDW
what are the plans?
In short, there are three main uses proposed for the 12 hectare stretch of water adjacent to City Hall – floating wellness, a floating park and floating homes.
Plans for the first include a lido, sauna, spa and expanded support for open water swimming in the dock.
The park will comprise a floating green space, art installations and cultural programming with the possibility of future expansion.
The homes will be provided via residential moorings and floating dwellings.
It’s unclear what will happen to existing watersports and hospitality facilities in the area including the Oiler Bar and WakeUp Docklands.
The plans feature a floating lido and sauna facilities – image supplied by RDW
they say
Scott Derben, managing director of Royal Docks Waterways, said: “This vision represents the biggest step change in the management and development of the Royal Docks since they were closed to commercial shipping at the end of 1981.
“Now, 45 years later, our goal is that the docks that used to feed London will be used to nurture its inhabitants.”
The proposals aim to encourage open water swimming – image by Emma Nathan
what now?
Naturally it’s consultation time.
RDW is seeking to engage with stakeholders and members of the public to help shape the detail of the plans as it begins to establish partnerships with organisations that will deliver them.
Britannia Village Hall will host exhibitions of the proposals on March 4, from 3pm-6pm, so people can view them and discuss the ideas.
Online sessions will be held on March 3 and 12 at noon and 6pm for those who can’t make it down in person.
Then, on March 7-8, Thames Sailing Barge Will is set to be moored at Royal Victoria Dock West.
Open from 10am-3pm each day, the 100-year-old vessel will be carrying a cargo of information boards and plentiful post-it notes for people to jot ideas onto.
At 100ft long, she’s the largest of her kind ever built and is well worth a visit in her own right.
Following the public engagement events, there will be further workshops and opportunities to get involved with – details to be disclosed at a later date.
RDW is also looking to have private meetings with local stakeholders and businesses. Interested organisations should email rvdw@royaldockswaterways.com to set up dates.
A floating park would be open to the public – image supplied by RDW
then what?
Following the consultation, feasibility studies and other administrative gubbins, the first elements of the plans are expected to be delivered by 2030.
“If you’re still looking at your hands, you’re not playing music,” said Darryl Powis, founder of Kitchen Jam.
That sentence may sound a little daunting to rusty players or those who’ve never even tried to strum a guitar, but it needn’t.
The music school Darryl and his wife, Jennifer Barlow, founded more than a decade ago is here to help and it’s opening a second branch in Canary Wharf.
Kitchen Jam is the latest business to launch in Wood Wharf, thanks to a collaboration between Canary Wharf Group and Tower Hamlets Council, offering companies affordable commercial space.
On the food and drink front, Mama Li, Nora, Ong Lai Kopitaim, Cafe Seek, Lockdown, Supershakes and Signorelli are all now trading.
Other openings include floristry from The Flower Club, Wayne Hairdresser Salon, beauty salon Awe London, Pawsome Pet Grooming And Spa, The Island Reformer Pilates Studio and clothing repair business Omnifix.
Kitchen Jam, however, is something truly new for the area – the first time retail premises have been used to offer music tuition in the district.
As a kid, Darryl tried learning the violin and then had some piano lessons aged around 10.
Kitchen Jam’s Wood Wharf school is fully equipped for group lessons – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
obsessed with guitar
“My parents had been musicians in a former life – guitar players – so I was around music the whole time,” he said.
“I really got into guitar at the age of 15, as I was banned from computers because I was so addicted to them.
“I taught myself guitar and bass. My piano teacher, who also taught me some clarinet, came back when I was 15 because he could play guitar a bit.
“He’d sit with me for half an hour while I played and he’d talk to me about music. I did music GCSE, but they didn’t really want me, even at A-level.
“You had to study pieces from the 1800s, and I couldn’t read music or chords at that time, although I could play guitar really well.
“I always had a good ear, so I could listen and then play what I’d heard.
“I just knew it was what I wanted to do.
“I played in a couple of bands in my school. Then, aged 17, I became the lead guitarist in my brother’s band.
“He was older than me and at university already.
“That took many different forms and that was my education – getting gigs and playing to very few people.
“I moved to London in 2012 with my band Neon Nurse, determined to make it.
“We thought retro-funk was going to have a resurgence. It didn’t. In fact, I’m not sure there was really a ‘surgence’ in the first place.
“When I came to London, I played in a lot of bands, although it was all by ear.
“I still didn’t really know the notes on the guitar neck, but people would book me for gigs and said what I was doing was great.
“When I first started teaching, I was really fixing my own problems.
“Initially I thought I was going to support my music career, but I ended up falling in love with the actual teaching itself – seeing people grow.”
The school is one of a number of independent businesses now calling Wood Wharf home – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
developing a system of tuition
At first, Darryl taught students in the kitchen of the house he was sharing in Leyton.
More traditional methods of tuition follow graded exams as a way to mark progress and provide goals for players, but Kitchen Jam goes its own way.
Darryl said: “All the times I’d made progress as a musician were when I was playing in a band – it gave me something bigger to play for, like a gig coming up.
“So, I was looking for how I could give someone a personalised experience and that took me about six years to figure out.
“Once you get guitarists jamming in a room with others – people you may have thought you’d never spend time with – suddenly you all have something in common.
“It’s a community.
“I’ve been using the method I developed for more than a decade and we’ve had adults who couldn’t play the guitar at all go from that to fronting a band and playing gigs.
“Our approach is quite structured, but it’s intended to feel very fluid and be great fun.
“Everything you learn is in context and these are the milestones that unlock people’s abilities.
“We use a system of levels on the guitar so we can work out where people are before it then branches out into personal musical tastes.
“For example, someone might be able to play chords and some scales but doesn’t know how to solo.
“That’s a typical entry point at Kitchen Jam.”
Kitchen Jam comes complete with amps, guitar and a vintage Triumph motorbike – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
from a kitchen table to a school
With a sound philosophy established, the next chapter in the business’ story began with a new location.
“Jen, my then girlfriend, who’s now my wife, couldn’t believe it was actually working, that I was getting people to come for lessons in my horrible house,” said Darryl.
“I was already using a community centre across the road as a venue where I’d invite guitarists from around the world to come and do workshops for my students.
“But she said she would figure out how to get a proper space.
“We looked at loads of places but the first unit we viewed – in Stratford’s East Village – was the one.
“It was closer to the stations and was a safer walk, so we thought we’d get more people. When we started trading it just exploded.”
Having grown and expanded, Kitchen Jam now caters to students of almost any age with sessions for babies as young as four months, guitar and ukelele programmes for younger children, lessons for teenagers and lessons for adults of all levels.
Darryl’s oldest student is in his 80s. It even welcomes bass players.
“This whole thing is about creating the space for what people want to do,” said Darryl.
“It’s about how we can help people fall in love with playing – with trying to do this thing.
“The first session is free and it’s always on a one-to-one basis – people need to know that relationship is going to work before they commit.
“If you’re a complete beginner, we’ll teach you something.
vIf you’re more experienced, you’ll go through an assessment to find out what your skills are, where it is you want to go and then we’ll formulate a plan.
“We also ask people to go away and list 30 songs that they love so we can get a rounder picture of who they are as a musician.
“They might be guitar related or not.
“Mozart, Metallica and Eminem will all help us see where you may be going and what techniques you’re going to need to get there.
“It also helps us refine what we teach – we’re not going to force a student to learn power chords if they have no interest in music that uses them.
“Through this process, we produce a sheet for your teacher and that becomes the plan when you come to your first group lesson.
“Every class is an hour long and they’re themed so the student understands the context – it might be guitar theory, phrasing, soloing and so on.
“These allow players to build confidence by playing real songs and jamming regularly.
“Our monthly rate includes five classes plus a workshop at the end of the month which is a larger, three-hour jam session based around one song.
“We break it down and play it through. Then there’s space to hang out after.”
a different offering to online
Kitchen Jam also organises gigs, open mic nights and facilitates the formation of bands to give students as much real-world experience as possible.
Darryl is passionate about the benefits that playing in a group can bring, partly as an alternative to learning online in isolation.
“Playing with people or in a band on stage is completely different,” he said.
“You might end up learning really impressive things online – because that’s what gets attention – but they don’t always make sense when you’re jamming with a group.
“When you listen to the Beatles, for example, the musicianship is incredible but the individual parts probably wouldn’t get much attention on TikTok or Instagram.
“Real playing is about learning how to fit in with other musicians and understanding how the sounds are created and work together.”
The business’ latest branch feels like the ideal place to facilitate that understanding.
Fully equipped with high-end amps and walls dripping with mics, guitars, basses and even tools to keep the instruments in shape, it’s an impressive addition to the Wood Wharf street scene, not least because of the hefty (working) Triumph motorbike in the window.
With a drum kit that’s always set up, substantial rugs on the floor and walls painted black, it’s just waiting to be filled with the sound of strings strummed.
key details: Kitchen Jam
Kitchen Jam’s Canary Wharf branch is located in Wood Wharf’s East Lane on the ground floor to the rear of 8 Harbord Square.
Initial one-to-one taster sessions are free. Guitarists signing up before April 1, 2026, will also benefit from the Founders discount, with monthly rates at £200 for adults, normally £257.
Three, six and 12 month packages are also available.
The honeyed brick-built expanse of the Fireworks Factory at Woolwich Works is set to ring with the subtle clink of glasses and the sound of distilled liquids gently filling them, as Whisky Live And Fine Spirits London returns towards the end of March.
Over two days, around 3,000 visitors are expected to taste products from a wide range of distillers at the showcase, this year celebrating its 26th edition.
“It’s the ultimate whisky event,” said Jamie Brodie, media director at Paragraph Publishing – a company that founded WhiskyMagazine in 1997 and put on its first show three years later.
“We license Whisky Live all over the globe – in France, Ireland, Spain, Germany and many more countries – it’s gone from strength to strength.
“Visiting the event is a real journey of tastes and flavours from all over the world.
“For our 2026 London show we’ll have more than 50 stands with different brands – the best from Scotland, Ireland, Europe, America, India and Japan.
“We have visitors coming who are seasoned enthusiasts alongside beginners who are trying whisky for the first time.
“Whether you’re new or returning to the show, this is a chance for you to come to an event where you can spend a day talking to people about whisky and other spirits.
“It’s not just about tasting them.
“It’s finding out about their heritage, how they are created and made – things like the maturation processes, how long it takes and the differences between all the different brands and expressions.
“People coming have the opportunity to try whiskies from all over the globe, not just the straightforward single malts, but wheats, ryes, grains, blends – a real variety of different types.
“We’ll also have tequillas, vodkas and gins.”
The gathering will see enthusiasts and producers brought together in the venue’s Fireworks Factory – image supplied by Whisky Live
tastings at Whisky Live
The format is straightforward.
Standard ticket holders get unlimited whisky pourings in their Glencairn tasting glass over a three-hour period, with five-hour and six-hour packages also available, the latter with a succession of premium perks.
Street food vendors will be on hand to provide fuel for those who need it, alongside soft drink options and plenty of water stations.
“It’s very important for people to stay hydrated,” said Jamie.
“Whisky Live is all about enjoying these spirits responsibly – tasting them in the right environment and appreciating them.
“The show is for finding out more about whisky and making it accessible without being patronising, so people can understand what they’re tasting in a comfortable, welcoming space.
“We want people to take back some really strong memories and to have a fun day out.”
Brands represented include Glencadam, Tomintoul, Aber Falls, Green River, Fuji, Jura, Fettercairn and Crazy Cock.
The show will also feature entertainment from pianist and sing-a-long specialist Tom Carradine as well as plenty of movers and shakers from the world of whisky.
Masterclasses include the opportunity to blend your own whisky on the day – image supplied by Whisky Live
masterclass experiences
Jamie said: “You’ve got some of the great master blenders working today as well as the writing teams from Whisky Magazine on hand to share their expertise.
“We’re not about swilling whisky, we’re about sipping and talking it over.
“People who come to these events often want to take something special away with them and brands will be retailing throughout the two days.
“We’ll also be running a number of masterclasses – an opportunity for people to find out more about particular whiskies from the people who make them.
“For example we’ll have master blender Dan Callaway from Bardstown Bourbon Company in the USA and master blender Jota Tanaka from Fuji Gotemba in Japan running sessions and inviting visitors to taste some of their range.
“Whisky Magazine editor, Bradley Weir will be hosting a masterclass where people can learn to blend their own whisky.
“It’s something we’ve been doing for a number of years now and visitors can choose to have their whisky bottled and then engraved ready for collection the same day.”
Ticket prices include unlimited pourings during a set period – image supplied by Whisky Live
the world’s best at Whisky Live
In addition to the wide array of tasting options, the show is also an opportunity to sample some of the very best spirits the world has to offer.
“We run the World Whiskies Awards and the winners are set to be announced on March 25,” said Jamie.
“We’ll have those brands available on our World Whiskies Awards Premium Stand at Whisky Live for visitors to try.
“Those who opt for premium tickets get that experience included – the opportunity to try the very best across a range of categories.
“Some distilleries will also be bringing special casks produced specifically for the event along for people to taste – whiskies that are not available anywhere else on the planet.
“This will be our third time at Woolwich Works, which is easily accessible thanks to the Elizabeth Line.
“We deliberately keep it as an intimate show that’s designed to be very straightforward.
“It’s not overwhelming or intimidating.
“It’s not about the look, but about the flavour, whether you’re new to whisky or already enthusiastic about it.
“People can choose to taste and ingest or taste and spit – the important thing is that they have the opportunity to try unique whiskies that they wouldn’t normally get to sample and they find something they like.”
key details: Whisky Live And Fine Spirits London
Whisky Live And Fine Spirits London is set to take place on March 27 and 28 at Woolwich Works.
Tickets start at £61.91 with entry times varying depending on the level of access.
Readers can get 10% off all tickets to the show by using code LDN26 when booking.
…my feet slip in first, breaking the gently shifting blue surface of the water, liquid so chilled it feels silken as I sink down into it.
Muscles tensing, heart-rate climbing, my breathing quickens as my body goes into full fight or flight mode in response to the unrelenting cold.
But I don’t lose it to the panic, I take deeper breaths, bringing the shock under control, then relax into the balm of the icy water, counting my inhales and my exhales.
The monolithic sensation of the chill is all I can think about – sensory overload – until a few minutes later it’s time to wake and emerge from the water…
Third Space mind and body master trainer, Clare Walters – image supplied by Third Space
some like it chilled…
“Contrast therapy and cold exposure are not new disciplines, they’ve been around since ancient times,” said Clare Walters, mind and body master trainer at Third Space.
“There has been a really rich culture of sauna and polar plunges in lots of the Scandinavian and eastern European countries and the practices in this country go back at least to Roman times with baths of different temperatures.
“However, there’s a growing recognition of their benefits in the wellness industry.”
Recently, in response to this demand, the luxury health club fitted a Brass Monkey cold plunge facility at its Wood Wharf branch, offering members who’ve heated up in its steam room and sauna, or who just feel the need for a profound full-body chill, a poolside option overlooking the dock far below.
“The brand is one of the leading providers of ice baths and they really know their stuff,” said Clare.
“The products are of a really high standard with the water constantly filtered to ensure its clean and that the temperature remains stable.
“That’s important, because you need that cold shock to get the benefits.
“Recovery and wellness is very much something we’re prioritising in our clubs and, for me, it’s a mission to help people regulate their nervous systems.
“We have lots of ways of doing that and cold exposure is an important tool we can use.
“We offer cryotherapy at our Recovery Spa in Third Space Canary Wharf, which some people prefer.
“It’s much colder than the water of a plunge could ever be, but it’s a dry cold for up to three minutes and you warm up quickly afterwards.
“You still get the benefits, but it doesn’t feel quite as intense.
“An ice bath can feel more dramatic and, because exposure is for a longer time, there’s an aspect of building mental resilience to it as well.
“When you go into the cold, you’re experiencing something which, in large quantities, could be very bad and possibly fatal – but is very beneficial for small amounts of time.
“Doing hard things you don’t necessarily want to do can help build mental and emotional resilience.
“It’s similar to training really hard in the gym.
“When you push yourself lifting weights, for instance, you know you’ve accomplished something and you feel really good about yourself.
“There’s also a neurological aspect to cold exposure.
“When you plunge or do cryo, you get a huge rush of dopamine into the bloodstream – around 200% higher than your baseline rate.
“Drugs may induce that kind of change but only for a few minutes whereas, a cold water rush can last for many hours.
“When I do a cold plunge, I can walk around the city for hours feeling happy.
“It can be really good for regulating mental health, particularly in the winter months, when it’s grey and dark and there’s very little Vitamin D coming to us.”
Ready and waiting, the Brass Monkey cold plunge at the Wood Wharf Club – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
advice on cold plunging at Third Space
Alternating between hot and cold is also widely thought to further boost these benefits with both environments having the added bonus of easing muscle pain and other physical stresses.
But how best to approach the icy depths?
Clare said: “First of all I’d say you should not aim for a long period of time in the water.
“If you’re new to cold plunging, you should aim for 30 seconds plus, but definitely try to get all the way in.
“I’ve seen so many people going in, getting to knee height, saying ‘no’ and getting straight back out again.
“Some get straight in and then out again.
There will be benefits, because you’ll be getting into your fight or flight response, but the real benefits come if you stick to it for a little bit longer.
“Doing it gradually can be real torture, so get in swiftly, but smoothly, not in a chaotic way.
“Get the water to neck height if you can – over you shoulders and to the back of your neck. It will feel more intense, but you’ll be able to calm down quicker.
“The gasp reflex is what we want – your sympathetic nervous system is triggered and your stress hormones are released.
“The heart rate starts to speed up and you get more blood flow around the body, but the longer we’re in the cold, we want to calm ourselves down – that’s when we think about breath.
“Focus on exhaling through pursed lips, which will force you to extend your exhale and start to calm down.
“Once you feel that’s happening, start to take an even, slow breath – breathing in for a slow count of four and then out for the same.
“Hold still. You can even close your eyes if you like.
“When I’m in the cold, my mind just goes clear, I just sit there and it feels amazing.
“Some people feel their extremities get cold – that’s because your blood vessels constrict and direct the blood flow to your vital organs to keep you alive.
“Combining a plunge with the sauna is great for this because in the heat your blood vessels open up and going between the two can be really good for circulation.
“Hands can also be kept out of the water for those who feel the cold in them.
“Ultimately a good rule of thumb to aim for is about one minute of immersion per degree of the ice bath.
“At Wood Wharf it’s kept between 5ºC and 7ºC.
“Typically women need less time, while men tolerate the cold a bit better.
“Conversely the opposite is true in the sauna.
“Across a week, we say 11 minutes of cold plunging and an hour in the sauna will give you optimum benefit for both, although not in a single session.”
The sauna at Third Space Wood Wharf – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
embracing contrast therapy
With the facility at Wood Wharf up and running, further change is coming to the Canary Wharf club, which is set to open a new Wellness Spa later in the year.
This will include a hydropool, a cold plunge pool, a steam room, heated loungers as well as two different kinds of sauna.
There will also be a sky garden for members to relax in.
We’ll bring you more news on this major development in a future issue of Wharf Life.
key details: Third Space membership at Canary Wharf
The Wharf membership at Third Space includes access to both its Wood Wharf and Canary Wharf clubs and costs £245 per month.
Group and Group Plus memberships, which include access to other sites are also available.
“It was while I was working in finance in the City that I had the idea,” said Catherine Hua, founder of Mama Li.
“My mum has an extensive background working in Chinese restaurants and each day she would make me a packed lunch with Cantonese roast meats, rice and vegetables.
“I’d bring in food and heat it up because I didn’t really like the options around me – nowhere was offering the type of food or the quality my mum was making.
“Some of my colleagues noticed and started asking where I’d got my lunch.
“When I told them I was bringing the meals in from home, they asked whether they could get some too.
“That’s when I thought there might be something here.”
During the pandemic, Catherine’s mum was furloughed amid the uncertainty and the pair decided to start a business together, initially cooking takeaway orders from a small kitchen in Shoreditch.
“We named it after mum – it’s also what the chefs would call her in the kitchens that she worked in – and began with a small selection of rice, noodles and roast meats to see if people would like the food or not,” said Catherine.
“We had crispy pork, roast duck, soy chicken and our BBQ pork.
“We also had egg fried rice, a small selection of noodles, beansprout chow mein, Singapore noodles and a selection of other wok dishes.
“We were delivery only at that point – it was easier because we were testing an idea.
“Then, we opened our first store in Tower Hill about a year and half later.”
Mama Li founder, Catherine Hua – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
expanding Mama Li to Canary Wharf
Since then, the business’ five-year journey has seen it open a second branch at London Wall in the heart of the City and now a third at Canary Wharf.
The new location recently opened its doors on Wood Wharf’s Union Square – one of a multitude of independent businesses that now call the area home thanks to a collaboration between Canary Wharf Group and Tower Hamlets Council to offer companies affordable commercial space.
In addition to Mama Li, those in search of food and drink can check out Nora, Ong Lai Kopitaim, Cafe Seek, Lockdown, Supershakes and Signorelli.
Other openings include floristry from The Flower Club, Wayne Hairdresser Salon, beauty salon Awe London, Pawsome Pet Grooming And Spa, The Island Reformer Pilates Studio and clothing repair business Omnifix.
Catherine, who recently moved to the Isle Of Dogs, said Mama Li has evolved with each opening and that the brand’s latest site was an opportunity to try something new.
Mama Li’s new Wood Wharf store includes sit-down dining – image supplied by Mama Li
the evolution of a brand
“We call them stores because we were not offering a sit-down, restaurant-style table service in our first two branches,” she said.
“They’re more like a cafe. Customers order at our kiosk, go to the counter, get their food, find a seat, eat and then go.
“Of course, they can also get their meal as takeaway.
“This one is a bit of an evolution where we have introduced a sit-down dining experience with table service and a bar.
“That enables us to deliver a more extensive menu for those who want to spend a bit more time with us.
“Over the other side, we still have the to-go elements where people can order on the screens and either have a quick bite or grab their food and head off.”
Catherine remains in tune with her busy customer base, working full-time in tech as an analyst, while also running Mama Li.
Her mum continues as “the core of the business” overseeing its kitchens and operations.
“Without her, I don’t think there would be a Mama Li,” said Catherine.
“She makes sure we deliver and is constantly quality-testing to make sure everything is where it needs to be and everyone is doing what they need to do.
“She’s one of my biggest supports, as I am one of hers.
“Then there’s our incredible team, without whom we just wouldn’t be here.
“It is wild to see how far we’ve come in such a short space of time.
“I tell people this is still the beginning, but the journey has been incredible, the people we’ve met and worked with.
“I’m really grateful for the experience of building something together.”
Brightly coloured crockery stands ready at the new branch – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
based on the data
With a growing Asian population, opening in Canary Wharf felt like a good fit for Mama Li, but the decision to open further east was soundly based on the numbers.
“I’m a data person – every choice I make has to be backed by data,” said Catherine.
“I noticed a lot of our orders came from this area, so I thought, why not open a store nearer to our customers?
“We’ve had a lot of requests to open new branches, especially from this area.
“The opportunity for this space came up, so we thought it would be silly not to take the opportunity and run with it.
“It does make sense to be here and it’s a step in the right direction.
“We wanted to extend our footprint out of the City and Canary Wharf was the natural direction to go in, both because of our current customer base, but also the office crowd too.
“I’d love to open more stores across London and perhaps beyond, but we’ll see how this one goes first.”
The Canary Wharf branch has an extended menu featuring a wide range of dishes including noodle soups – image supplied by Mama Li
‘I want to see what they think…’
For Catherine, opening on the Wharf is all about watching the impact Mama Li has.
She said: “I’m excited to see people coming, for them to try our food – both those who have not been to us before and are eating it for the first time and those who have been before and are coming again.
“I want to see what they think and then use that feedback to do even better.
“We have a menu that caters for different groups. If you’re a meat eater, then we have our signature roast meats.
“These are hung on our meat display for everyone to see and you can see our chefs in action as well.
“Every meat order is chopped to order, so you know you’re going to get the freshest slices. Presentation is key for us too, we always try to make our dishes look nice and appetising.
“With our range of Cantonese roast meats, customers can have one, two or three different types paired with rice and vegetables, which is a complete, wholesome meal – my go-to is duck and crispy pork. It’s very comforting.
“In Canary Wharf, we’ll also be offering a new menu with noodle soups. The broth is made in-house and simmered for 24 hours for the flavour.
“Again, customers will be able to choose to have different types of meats and vegetables paired with either more traditional thin, flat noodles or with a chewier, rounder variety.
“I started Mama Li because I wanted more people to experience the lunches my mum made for me.
“Having something to connect with is really important – when we were starting out, people would message us and tell us the food reminded them of home and that’s exactly what we wanted.
“I hope people will continue to connect with us and get that comfort from what we’re doing.”
key details: Mama Li
Mama Li is located on Union Square in Wood Wharf’s 3 West Lane building.
“When I first went to university, it was all about theory,” said Dr Alessandro Ferrazza.
“Working in industry, I’d have to ask how to transfer that theory into practice.
“The ideas sounded good in the book, but I didn’t know how to apply them in reality. What we try to do here is to break down those barriers.”
As senior lecturer and programme manager for the MSc International Business Management (IBM) course at the University Of Sunderland In London, Alessandro is perhaps perfectly placed to take on that task.
A long career in industry – interwoven with a consistent thread of study and personal development – preceded his move into academia, after he enjoyed guest lecturing at the University Of Sunderland In London, following completion of an MBA in business administration, management and operations there in 2017.
Going full-time in 2019, initially as an associate lecturer, Alessandro completed his doctorate in business and remains passionate – alongside the wider team – about continuing to develop the university’s IBM offering.
And, frankly, who better to teach international business?
Born in Switzerland, Alessandro grew up in Rome, completing a diploma from the Institute For Hospitality Management in the Italian capital.
The University Of Sunderland In London is based at Harbour Exchange on the Isle Of Dogs – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
starting out in hospitality
“I started off washing dishes in Guernsey and I hated every single minute of it,” he said.
“After one week, I packed it in and walked out. They didn’t even pay me.
“My lecturer in hospitality had told me I needed to speak English, so I’d moved to the Channel Islands and, after I’d quit my first job, I walked into the hotel next door.
“I hardly spoke any English – I couldn’t even read the name of the place – but I said I wanted to see the manager.
“It might have been luck, but this Italian guy came out.
“We got chatting and he agreed to take me on.
“My first job was to take the dirty dishes to the kitchen, so already it was a step up.
“My career took off from there.”
Moving to mainland UK a couple of years later, Alessandro built his career in hotels in London and rediscovered education.
He said: “I met someone really clever, the then manager of the Cavendish Hotel, and he suggested I should go to university.
“That sounded really good and, in those days it was free, so I signed up at the Ealing College Of Higher Education, which is now West London University.
“On the first day, I sat down in the lecture room on the first floor with my pad and pen out. The lecturer came in and said: ‘Good Morning’.
“After that, I couldn’t understand anything else, so I left.
“But then I took elocution lessons for a year and a half, went back and completed my degree – I was very proud of that.
“One of the things the Cavendish’s manager did was put in my head the idea of personal development.
“It’s something I tell my students. Annual reviews are really bizarre things in business.
“Your boss sits you down once a year and points out where you’re going wrong.
“But what I tell my students is they should go to those meetings armed with what they want. It should be a two-way conversation.
“Do you have all the training and tools to achieve what they want you to do?
“If the answer is yes and there are issues, perhaps the role isn’t right for you.
“But, if the answer is no, then you must ask for what you need to bring your work up to the level the firm expects.”
The university offers wide range of courses, including an MSc in International Business Management – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
connecting with the University Of Sunderland In London
Having spent many years working in the hospitality sector in London, Switzerland, Italy and France, Alessandro joined catering giant Compass Group in 2001, initially as a general manager before rising through the ranks to become regional account director.
There, with contracts across England, Italy and Switzerland through his contacts, he had responsibility for more than 500 employees, with the company also sponsoring him to pursue first an MSc in strategic management and leadership and then the MBA that led him to the University Of Sunderland In London.
Today, Alessandro continues to use his links to industry to enrich his students’ experience by inviting senior contacts including CEOs of top companies to participate in their programmes.
“It gives them hands-on knowledge,” he said.
“They get to understand what it’s really like to be in an international managerial setting, running operations remotely across the world.
“Anyone can read a book, the one thing you cannot buy is experience.
“What we try to do with our IBM programme is to create something tangible our students can bring with them to their careers.
“Things have changed. When I first went to university, the Government paid for the course via a grant.
“Now our students are customers – we need to include the element of added value, to ask ourselves what makes our programme different?
“Theory is important, but our IBM course has more of the feel of a hands-on apprenticeship.
“For example, we run a game simulation where students become the board of directors for a company.
“They need to make all the decisions, and those choices then determine how the organisation they’re running progresses.
“The questions for me are: ‘How do I make the books come to life? How can real businesses reflect and use what’s in the books?’.
“There needs to be a real synergy between what’s written in the books and what happens in industry.
“For example, over the years I’ve invited CEOs to come in as associate lecturers, to set the students a problem and then have them report back.
“In the latest one, they’ve been given an issue that a person is actually trying to fix in their business and, in March, he’s going to come back with the head of the global company and listen to their proposals.
“You can’t get any closer to being in the boardroom than that.”
staying relevant
With the business landscape constantly changing and evolving, the University Of Sunderland In London believes such links to real organisations are essential in maintaining the relevance of its courses, with Alessandro also stressing the importance of developing, honing and implementing essential skills.
“One of the reasons I made the move into education is that I want to help shape the managers of the future,” he said.
“When I was in industry, I’d sometimes recruit managers who looked really good on paper, but who turned out not to be very effective on the ground.
“That wasn’t because of an inability to understand business concepts, it was because of an inability to put the theory into practice.
“That’s what I wanted to change. I’d seen lots of people who’d achieved qualifications and wanted more senior roles as a result but then failed.
“Often they didn’t understand how to deal with people. In senior management you are really only managing two things.
“The first is resources. The second is people. If you can’t deal with colleagues, then you’ve had it.
“You’ve got to make sure your team follows your leadership, your strengths, or they won’t do what you want them to do. In the end, the company will recognise that and you’ll be out of a job.
“This is why we run group exercises and encourage collaboration to equip them with those experiences.
“I’m not saying it will be easy for students embarking on our courses. It can’t be, they won’t be spoon-fed.
“But I do want to make sure I give them all the tools possible from the toolbox I’ve built up over my years in industry so that the next generation of management coming out of programmes like our MSc in IBM is going to be well equipped for whatever industry they choose to make their career in or whatever else they do in the future.”
key details: Business
The University Of Sunderland In London offers a wide range of business-focussed courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Its MSc in International Business Management is a full-time course over one year, based at UOSiL’s Isle Of Dogs campus.
University College London’s School Of Management is a good example of one of the things people often get wrong about Canary Wharf.
While today financial services companies continue to play a major part in the life of the estate, its diversification that is driving it forward.
Alongside residential towers, space for construction firms, events companies and life sciences bodies, has been created.
Towers originally conceived to house trading floors have been retooled, done up and re-leased to all kinds of different organisations.
Even 10 years ago – when UCL’s school relocated to the 38th floor of One Canada Square, just one year after its creation – things were already changing.
The mixed development at Wood Wharf had won planning permission two years earlier and the estate was preparing to become a place to live as well as work and visit.
Having initially been attracted to the area’s status as a “major global business district”, UCL’s school has since grown into more space and developed its offering.
However, few – even today – might guess that the very highest floors of the Wharf’s landmark tower are occupied by academics and students rather than bankers.
The university announced earlier this month that, in addition to floors it already leases in One Canada Square – 38, 48, 49 and 50 – it would also be taking on 46 and 47 too, levelling up to a total of six.
UCL School Of Management’s Professor Susan Smith – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
opening the spaces
“We’ll be opening up 48 this coming September and then the other two new floors the following year,” said Professor Susan Smith, a specialist in accountancy and deputy director for student experience at UCL School Of Management.
“Then we’ll have five floors all connected by a fantastic internal staircase.
“It’s really very exciting and we’re all going to get super fit.
“When we open level 47 we’ll also gain a terrace, which will act as one of our social spaces.”
When fully operational, the six floors together will accommodate the needs of some 4,000 students, all benefiting from the new facilities and spaces.
Susan said: “We’ll be adding a new Bloomberg room, extra classroom space and informal study facilities.
“We already have signs from the Tube to help people find their way here.
“We’ve worked with our architects and have managed to get what we want, in terms of additional teaching space, which is incredibly important for us.
“There will also be places for students to hang out between classes.
“That includes more fun additions like table tennis and a café so people can buy refreshments up here as well as using the kitchen facilities to make their own.
“Of course, there are many options downstairs in the malls too.”
The school’s upper floors will all be connected by an internal staircase when work is completed – image supplied by UCL
expanding opportunity
Susan said being a part of the wider estate was attractive to students, given its offering.
“Being in Canary Wharf offers a huge number of opportunities, both for us and our students,” she said.
“They are part of a thriving neighbourhood that provides everything they need.
“There are lots of things for them to do here – sports facilities and arts facilities, for example.
“A lot of our students also use our main campus in Bloomsbury too but, with the students’ union presence here and our expansion over the next few years, we’ll have a range of activities on-site, as any other campus would do.”
UCL is an increasingly potent presence in east London with two campuses in Stratford playing a major part in the East Bank cluster.
As well as benefiting from interplay with those, the School Of Management also stands to gain from the arrival of Urbanest, a complex of three towers built beside Trafalgar Way just off the Wharf’s eastern edge.
When they open later this year, the facility will be the largest student accommodation building in the capital with 1,672 student beds, 80 residential flats and a Drive-Thru McDonalds expected to open on its lower level in place of the restaurant that once occupied the site.
“This new accommodation means our students will be able to live and study in close proximity,” said Susan.
“As a university, we’ve consciously taken the decision to build around the locations we have in east London and, as we’re growing at Canary Wharf, it’s made sense to take more space in the tower too.”
The campus will be able to accommodate 4,000 students following the expansion – image supplied by UCL
shifting focus
The school offers a wide range of courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. In addition to degrees in such areas as Information Management In Business, Management Science and International Management, new undergrad courses for 2026 include Management For Social Change and Technology And Innovation.
“We have something to offer people whether they are starting out in their careers or looking to maybe shift the focus of what they’re doing,” said Susan.
“Typically, the latter might be looking at our MBA programmes or more specialist areas to take a different path.
“For example, we run a course in using data to improve leadership – our MSc in People Analytics And Human-Centric Management.
“We’re always horizon scanning – networking with the business community, other academics and thinkers in various fields – to ensure what we’re offering is relevant.
“One thing that remains constant is the foundational skill of adaptability – we want our students to be independent and critical thinkers, to be flexible, so they can thrive as the world changes.
“They will need to do that much more than we have had to as their careers will likely be very different from the ones we’ve experienced or can imagine.”
The new floors will offer students and staff more facilities including teaching spaces – image supplied by UCL
an attractive location for UCL
As one of the world’s top university’s, UCL attracts students from across the world.
“A large proportion of those studying with us in Canary Wharf are international and come from a diverse range of countries,” said Susan.
“I think they feel at home in the environment we’ve created here.
“We feel we provide an excellent student journey, but it’s not just about what happens in class.
“They have access to some amazing opportunities and a wonderful peer group, which will hopefully be with them for life.
“They also have the chance to work with businesses on the Wharf and we are engaged in projects with a number of local companies.
“We also run a summer school with Canary Wharf Group and I’m a trustee of the University Schools Trust which supports primary and secondary education in Tower Hamlets so we have links to the community here too.
“I’m most excited about the school having a critical mass here and becoming a fully fledged campus. It will be even more of a destination for staff and students.”
Visitors enter the walk-through inflatable via an airlock to explore the structure’s winding pathways and vistas in stockinged feet as daylight shines through translucent panels.
The massive artwork is by AOA, a creative production company founded by artist and maker Alan Parkinson that has been creating inflatable installations since the 1990s.
The Nottingham-based organisation has its roots in a charitable project, which saw offenders tasked with building and repairing inflatable play equipment for kids.
Initially, Alan drove the minibus for the probation service and supervised part-time and then full-time.
Luminarium: Myriad looks quite different from the outside – image supplied by Architects Of Air
going inside
He said: “The bouncy airbed we were using was quite tall – about six foot off the ground with a tube around it to break the children’s fall – and it was restrained by internal ropes.
“To fix it, I’d have to go inside it to carry out repairs.
“That wasn’t actually very healthy – working in a confined space with glue wasn’t great – but I survived.”
Aside from entering that inflatable structure, Alan drew inspiration from his “bible” – Sheet Metalwork For Welders – a book that dealt with the joining of different forms as well as other inflatable structures such as Colourscape on Clapham Common.
All these influences led to the construction of Alan’s first inflatable environment or Luminarium in 1986 and going on to experiment with more, still working under the auspices of the charity and culminating in the creation of Eggopolis.
This promenade performance space for mixed-ability actors toured the UK in 1990 and, while the charity was forced to close, Alan retained the structure and successfully toured it in Germany under the ownership of AOA.
Ever since, he and the now six-strong company, have been developing a lineage of installations and opening them to the public.
He said: “It typically takes about five months to build one and it’s, in some ways, a basic process.
“We make templates, cut out the PVC and glue the edges together.
“There’s a lot of teamwork involved and manual labour.
“Each new structure we create tries something different in the way we shape and construct them.
“Myriad, which is coming to Woolwich is quite a subtle structure.
“You don’t really know what you’re going to get until you blow it up and go inside.
“It’s lit principally from above with windows that let the light in too.
“We’ve punctuated some of the surfaces with translucent material to give them a star-like quality.
“When I first saw it, the main dome was a lovely surprise. We ask people to empty their minds.
“They might come with expectations but really we’re asking visitors to step inside and experience a sense of wonder, light and colour.
“Accompanying that, there may be a sense of inspiration and there’s always a wow factor when you first go in.
“Different people will take different things from the installation.
“Families and young children will have different experiences to an older person coming on their own, who may have a different kind of connection, for example.
“I think it’s often the children, rather than parents, who are enthused.
“It’s a good thing that they make adults come to something like this.”
Alan said he never knows how a structure will turn out until it’s inflated for the first time – image supplied by Architects Of Air
key details: Luminarium: Myriad
Luminarium: Myriad is set to open at Woolwich Works at Royal Arsenal Riverside on April 2 with visitors able to explore the installation until April 6, 2026.
Tickets cost £8 per person or £28 for groups of four.
Beka Kereselidze’s story is one of obsession and, literally, drive.
The Royal Docks resident, along with his wife, Tatia Bichashvili, opened Sad Meli Georgian Gastronomy And Raw Wines close to Gallions Reach DLR a little over a year ago and it’s been quite the journey.
Born in Tbilisi, Beka initially came to the UK to visit friends in 2007 and decided to stay.
“At 23, I saw opportunities here for work and I wanted some fun in my life, but I was also going back to Georgia quite often,” he said.
“My family has a summer place in a small village called Sadmeli in the Racha region – it’s where my grandfather used to make wine.
“Georgia is the homeland of wine – we’ve been making it for 8,000 years. Georgian culture and wine come together.
“We have it in our blood, with the forest and the vineyards. It’s normal to have a family tradition of making it and everyone compares theirs with everyone else’s.”
Beka Kereselidze of Sad Meli restaurant and Sadmeli winery – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
dreaming big
While Beka’s father had continued to make some wine on the site for family consumption, his son had bigger dreams.
After getting married in 2016, as is customary, the couple made a wine together using the traditional qvevri – massive clay pots buried in the ground as vessels for fermentation and ageing.
Buoyed by its reception at a wine festival, Beka was further enthused and began studying production in earnest.
He spent a decade working as a long-distance lorry driver for Sainsbury’s in the UK, raising money to build the Sadmeli property in Georgia into a proper winery with a terrace restaurant and a guest-house.
“My parents thought I was crazy at first, but when you want something, you do it,” said Beka.
“I was taking online courses on natural wine making.
“On the road I would listen to lessons and other drivers would make fun of me for reading about wine all the time.
“But I was really interested – it was quite an obsession.
“While I was studying I was building a wine cellar and starting to make wine.
“By 2019 I was starting to import the wine to the UK, selling it in restaurants and now wine shops and, by 2022, we finished building Sadmeli, ready to welcome guests.”
The venue has an open kitchen and also serves coffee – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
building Sad Meli
Supported by his family and funded through long hours on the road and a loan from Lloyds bank, the business has since flourished.
However, having relocated to east London, Beka saw further opportunity.
“I’d noticed these mostly empty units close to where I lived, found out who owned them and made the offer,” he said.
“At first, they said no, but then they agreed. I was happy, but also a little bit scared because I didn’t have the money at that time.”
With cash from the Sadmeli operation, more support from Lloyds, contributions from family and help from friends, he overcame that hurdle and began fitting out what was initially supposed to be a wine shop and subsequently morphed into a restaurant and bar.
“Somehow we did it,” said Beka. “We opened on October 11, 2024 – a Friday and my god it was scary.
“I wasn’t really ready but we’d announced it and then we got a booking.
“A few minutes later we got another one. I don’t think I slept for the three or four days beforehand.
“Then, from that day, I haven’t had a day off. But people really like it.
“They enjoy the wine and we’ve made lots of friends. It’s very rewarding.”
Khinkali dumplings at Sad Meli – image by Sad Meli
Sad Meli in Royal Docks
Sad Meli Georgian Gastronomy And Raw Wines serves up a selection of traditional dishes from Georgia such as Pkhali, Adjaruli Khachapuri, Kharcho soup alongside sides and imported soft drinks.
Providing the backbone of the menu, however, are Khinkali dumplings, filled with meat, cheese or mushrooms.
Beka said: “I’m cooking and I have all my mum’s recipes. It’s what we wanted for this place, that the experience comes directly from Georgia.
“There’s a large eastern European community here and they like Georgian food and wine.
“I try to make everything fresh, which takes time, but we have an open kitchen and people see me cooking and they love this kind of process.
“Guests might have to wait sometimes, but then they drink more wine, which is good for business.
“Our biggest seller is the Khinkali dumplings – they will always be on the menu – but other things I like to change to keep it fresh.
“We are very proud that we have customers who have never tried Georgian food before.
“It’s not just a restaurant, but it’s the country and culture and the wine as well.
“They’re happy because they’ve tried something new.”
The restaurant and bar offers a wide selection of wines to go with its food – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
stocking the bottles
Having studied wine extensively at leading global centre of excellence, the Wine And Spirit Education Trust in Southwark, Beka is delighted to curate a wide range of bottles alongside the wines he’s produced at Sadmeli.
“We make six or seven types of wine ourselves including our signature Saparevi, a full-bodied red made with the most common grape in Georgia,” he said.
“It’s been popular and this year’s has now sold out.
“All the work at the winery is done by hand because my father isn’t used to mechanical processes and we don’t use chemicals on the vines or in production.
“The vineyards we get our grapes from are small. We make good quality wine in small quantities.
“We don’t add sulphites, for example, and we don’t add yeast through the fermentation.
“Since we opened Sad Meli in Royal Docks, once I’ve poured my wine for them, no-one asks for anything else or says they don’t like it.
“That’s a source of pride for me. People love it and it feels almost unreal.
“Sometimes I’m tired, but its that feedback from the customers that gives us the motivation to continue.
“Mine and my wife’s lives have completely changed.
“We had an aim together and we’ve achieved it.
“For me, I wanted to do something here instead of driving and now I do.”
Sadmeli Saparevi, Beka’s signature wine – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
key details: Sad Meli Georgian Gastronomy And Raw Wines
Sad Meli Georgian Gastronomy And Raw Wines is located on the eastern edge of Gallions Roundabout, south of the junction with Atlantis Avenue.
It’s within easy walking distance of Gallions Reach DLR station and is open daily from noon.
