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Kung Fu Mama opens its doors in Jubilee Place at Canary Wharf

Second site for Taiwanese takeaway brand comes as Chris Hsu and Noam Bar target hungry office workers with potent noodles in east London

Kung Fu Mama co-founder Chris Hsu - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Kung Fu Mama co-founder Chris Hsu – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

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Chris Hsu, co-founder of Kung Fu Mama – has been on a lifelong mission to promote Taiwanese cuisine.

Having founded a sun-dried noodle business, Shuang Ren Hsu, in the country of his birth in 2009, he decided to explore opportunities for selling pre-packaged products into the European market.

“I also have two daughters and I wanted them to be educated in the UK – luckily I had a visa to come here and we arrived in 2019,” he said.

“We also looked at some business opportunities, travelling to Germany and France, but also around the UK.

“The British were the most open to new cuisines and different food cultures, so I thought this was the best opportunity to set up a business here.”

After Chris moved to London, it was actually through his daughters that he met his business partner, Noam Bar – co-founder of the Ottolenghi food empire.

A selection of dishes available at Kung Fu Mama - image supplied by Kung Fu Mama
A selection of dishes available at Kung Fu Mama – image supplied by Kung Fu Mama

a chance meeting…

Chris said: “Our kids are the same age and went to the same playgroup.

“Noam’s husband is also Taiwanese and we became close friends.

“About three years ago we started to think about bringing Taiwanese food to London.

“I’d been selling pre-packed noodles for the retail market to supermarkets.

“It was with Noam that I started to explore the restaurant opportunity in the UK.”

Having stepped away from Ottolenghi, Noam was looking for a fresh challenge. 

“I’d co-founded that business with my former partner, Yotam Ottolenghi, in 2002, after we’d broken up,” said Noam. 

“He came to me saying he wanted to start a food business and asked whether I would help him. 

“All the people who worked with us were extremely talented and we were very lucky in where we were and when we were.

“Notting Hill was just on the rise in terms of gentrification – people really wanted a new kind of food.

“British cuisine was dead to them and there were few alternatives, so we benefited from that.

“It was right in terms of the zeitgeist and also correct in terms of what people wanted for their health.

“It was very successful – we were employing 450 people – but it also became very bureaucratic and I’ve always hated meetings, so we brought in a CEO four or five years ago and I stepped back and took some time off.

“Then I was ready for a new adventure.”

That journey began with the launch of Kung Fu Mama in Covent Garden and is now continuing with the recent opening of its second branch in Canary Wharf’s Jubilee Place.

Chris said: “Noodles are a very traditional food in Taiwan – most commonly in soups. At Kung Fu Mama we realised British people prefer dry noodles.

“In Taiwan if you order dry noodles, they come without sauce and all the toppings added separately.

“Here we’ve created dishes with a Taiwanese flavour but that has everything in one bowl. You have noodles, protein, vegetables and sauce, together making a wholesome meal.

“We try to bring this to the next level using recipes from my family and Noam’s expertise in the market to make the taste and presentation more attractive to the people here.

“We also take into account our customers’ desire to eat healthy food.

“You don’t see these things in Taiwanese or Chinese food.

“All our ingredients are natural and we use ovens to cook them rather than stir fry or deep frying dishes.

“The noodles we use are dried in the sun, which is a very traditional way of doing it in Taiwan because of the climate.

“These are imported and the texture is phenomenal. It’s nothing like noodles from anywhere else.

“We’re combining Taiwanese flavours with western cooking techniques on our menu.”

Fung Fu Mama co-founder Noam Bar - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Fung Fu Mama co-founder Noam Bar – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

finding the market

Noam added: “I’m running the business operations side of things and Chris is dealing with the food. It’s been a great adventure so far. 

“We opened our first restaurant in Covent Garden a year ago and we’ve had a great response from the word go.

“People love the food, the presentation and the fact they can get very flavoursome dishes very quickly.

“Essentially it’s very similar to night market food in Taiwan, which is very plentiful, delicious and relatively cheap.

“It’s quite rare to get grab-and-go food that tastes as good as this and is as fast.

“We opened in Covent Garden because we weren’t quite sure who our customers were going to be – would it be foodies, students or tourists? 

“We thought it was an interesting area because it’s got a bit of everything.

“Now we know office workers are our best customers so we asked ourselves where those people are.

“It’s nicer than the City because here you also get people in the evenings and at weekends.

“We have high hopes that as we’re busy in Covent Garden without many office workers that here we’ll do even better.”

Noodles in preparation at Kung Fu Mama - image supplied by Kung Fu Mama
Noodles in preparation at Kung Fu Mama – image supplied by Kung Fu Mama

signature dishes

So what to order from Kung Fu Mama, now that the restaurant is up and running following its launch on March 20, 2026?

Chris said: We have two signature dishes. One is 12-hour Beef With Szechuan Pepper style – a little bit numbing, a little bit spicy.

“You’ll feel a kick, but it’s not too strong. The meat is very tender.

“Then we have our Ginger And Sesame Chicken, which is a transformation of a traditional Taiwanese dish.

“We do it with fresh ginger, sesame oil and crispy skin on the thighs.

“The meat is still juicy and I think it’s quite an unusual approach to this cuisine.

“My favourite is the beef, I could eat it every day.

“My grandparents were from mainland China and were migrants to Taiwan when the government moved there.

“Everyone at that time found themselves living alongside people from many different areas in China and it was normal to share recipes, ingredients and techniques between families.

“In Taiwan you can say we preserved a lot of authentic Chinese flavours and techniques  meaning our cuisine has a really rich heritage, that has since developed further.

“We are proud of our food culture and its history.

“I’ve always tried to promote Taiwanese food and Kung Fu Mama feels like destiny calling.”

key details: Kung Fu Mama

Kung Fu Mama is located on the lower level of Jubilee Place next to Wharf Kitchen.

The restaurant and takeaway is open from 11am-9pm on weekdays and from noon-9pm on Saturdays and noon-7pm on Sundays. 

Find out more about the new opening here

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MoreYoga to open Wood Wharf studio as brand continues to grow

Latest space is 41st in the company’s portfolio, which began a decade ago with a stripped-down facility in Old Street

MoreYoga is set to open its latest studio at Wood Wharf in Canary Wharf – image supplied by MoreYoga

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MoreYoga has found a niche.

While there are plenty of high-end studios offering boutique spaces and glossy facilities, the company is expanding with a simpler, more accessible proposition.

The brand is set to open its 41st location in Wood Wharf’s West Lane on March 30, 2026 – one of an increasingly vibrant community of businesses to call the area home.

Their arrival is down to a collaboration between Canary Wharf Group and Tower Hamlets Council, offering companies affordable commercial space.

On the health, wellbeing and lifestyle front, the neighbourhood already boasts the likes of floristry from The Flower Club, Wayne Hairdresser Salon, beauty salon Awe London, Pawsome Pet Grooming And Spa, The Island Reformer Pilates Studio, clothing repair business Omnifix and music school Kitchen Jam.

Hospitality arrivals include Mama Li, Nora, Ong Lai Kopitaim, Cafe Seek, Lockdown, Supershakes and Signorelli.

This emerging cluster is an ideal site for MoreYoga, according to the company’s chief operating officer, Daniel Marin.

MoreYoga's chief operating officer, Daniel Marin - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
MoreYoga’s chief operating officer, Daniel Marin – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

creating a community

He said: “Wherever we open, we want to create a community.

“Yoga is a practice where people are moving together – there’s a real energy to that.

“It’s one of the reasons we designed MoreYoga to keep our prices down. 

“We noticed many businesses were focused on the services – the free towels, the showers and complex interior design as ways to create customer loyalty.

“That left a space for us to manoeuvre into – we wanted to keep the cost of coming to classes down, so we stripped back our offering to providing the space, the mats, the props and really great teaching. 

“Initially, our first studio in Old Street grew out of a personal training business – a way to offer our clients something extra.

“But over time we started getting a name for ourselves providing Yoga and we were having real success delivering that.”

Daniel has been with the business since the beginning, helping run and grow the organisation for 10 years alongside founder and CEO Shamir Sidhu.

The team has now grown to more than 15 people, coordinating classes by over 400 Yoga teachers.

MoreYoga’s typical class size is 28 students, with instructors empowered to teach their preferred style over and above a proven level of proficiency and all the standardised health and safety practices you’d expect.

Daniel, whose passion for football saw him embark on a career in fitness and training before becoming a founding member of the MoreYoga team, enjoys practising fortnightly as an addition to his gym training.

“I always say to people that Yoga is what you make of it,” he said.

“While you’re in a group, it’s a personal practice.

“If you do another sport and you just want to stretch on the side, it could be perfect for you. It can also be your main exercise.

“Ultimately it can be whatever you want to make it.

“There are styles that are more prescriptive and many people enjoy that. 

“As well as the physical, there are mental health benefits too. It can simply be about movement, but it can also be more spiritual.

“That’s the reason we have teachers offering different styles that are personal to them.

“We want to have a wide variety of classes for people to choose from and students react very positively to that.

“Our aim is to open studios so people can practise wherever they want whether that’s close to work or to home.

“One of the attractive things about Canary Wharf for us is that there’s a real mix of homes and offices here.

“One of the key things for MoreYoga is that it is about creating communities both around the studios, but also led by our amazing teachers.”

Each studio offers multiple styles of Yoga - image supplied by MoreYoga
Each studio offers multiple styles of Yoga – image supplied by MoreYoga

keeping the costs down

MoreYoga typically offers between 10 and 15 different styles of Yoga at each of its studios.

It also delivers mat Pilates classes and sound baths in its facilities, options that were introduced to meet increasing demand from its clients.

While a multitude of options are available, Vinyasa-based classes are the most common on MoreYoga’s timetables.

The overriding message to Wharfers, however is one of value, with multiple ways to access both the new studio and all of the company’s other locations, including nearby Blackwall.

There are monthly memberships with a headline offer of £1 for the first month and half price for life at £44 per month (usually £88) for a minimum of two months.

This includes unlimited classes. There are pay-as-you-go class packs of four, eight and 12 – the latter working out at £8.33 per class.

There’s also an up-front annual membership for £450, which saves £656 on regular membership and equates to £3.84 per class, based on two per week.

Daniel said: “For Wood Wharf, we’re also offering an Early Bird deal where people can pay £129 and get six months at over 50% off.

“Only 150 of these founder memberships are available and they work out at £21.50 per month. 

“Those choosing this option must take at least half their classes at the new studio.

“We are so excited to be opening here.

“We’ve found that people really want our facilities close to where they live because they don’t want to travel far to use them on a regular basis.

“They want them on their doorsteps – that’s London life.

“We’ve found our studios can help establish communities, especially in areas with newly built homes where people are moving in for the first time.

“Going to classes is a great way to meet your neighbours.”

key details: MoreYoga

MoreYoga is set to launch at 17 West Lane in Wood Wharf on March 30, 2026.

Full details of its membership packages and introductory offers can be found on its website here.

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Chinese Limehouse exhibition opens in London’s first Chinatown

St Anne’s Limehouse is celebrating a key moment in the area’s story with an exhibition examining the myths and realities of the East End communities

Sculptor and Chines Limehouse co-curator, TienAn Ng - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Sculptor and Chines Limehouse co-curator, TienAn Ng – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

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“Growing up in Singapore – a British colony – our image of Chinatown was very vivid in popular culture and it was never Soho,” said east London sculptor TienAn Ng.

“I was really disappointed to see there was nothing left of it when I moved here and found my house was just yards away from the epicentre of those former communities.” 

Outwardly, the Limehouse of today yields few traces of this remarkable period in its history, which began with Chinese sailors employed by the East India Company first staying in the area in the late 1700s. 

With communities established – those from Shanghai living in Pennyfields, Amoy Place and Ming Street and people from southern China living along Limehouse Causeway and Gill Street – the migrants started businesses in the 1880s including restaurants, laundries, hostels and grocery stores to cater to the seafarers.

A combination of economic depression – resulting in a drop in trade between Britain and China – slum clearances in the 1930s and the Second World War saw those who’d settled in east London displaced resulting in the relocation of many to Soho and the almost complete disappearance of the community in east London.  

Today, one of the only clues to the area’s past is a 1990s art installation near Westferry DLR station – Dragon’s Gate by Peter Dunn – although this has little to do with the people who once called it home.

It was funded by the London Docklands Development Corporation as part of its project to regenerate an east London suffering from the demise of its role as a port. 

Chinese people settled in Limehouse with Chinatown firmly established there in the 1880s - image supplied by Care For St Anne's
Chinese people settled in Limehouse with Chinatown firmly established there in the 1880s – image supplied by Care For St Anne’s

a story that needs to be told

“Very few people seem to know that London’s original Chinatown was here in Limehouse,” said Philip Reddaway, chair of Care For St Anne’s, a charity with a mission to conserve and celebrate St Anne’s Limehouse.

“We felt that it’s a story that needs to be told and told well.”

With exactly that aim, Philip, together with his wife Jude and TienAn, have co-curated Chinese Limehouse an exhibition at the east London church that will be on show until July this year.

“We wanted to deal both with the mythology and the reality,” said Philip.

“One of the first things that emerges when you mention the words Chinatown and Limehouse is the fictional villain Dr Fu Manchu and the demonetisation of the people who lived there both in literature and the national press.

“Local publications tended to be a bit fairer.

“It started with the Victorians. Dickens’ Edwin Drood opens with terrible scenes in an opium den.

“Conan Doyle’s Holmes came to Limehouse for the same reason.

“Oscar Wilde makes a similar reference in The Picture Of Dorian Grey.

“They set the scene for associating Limehouse, Chinese people and crime.

“We look at how the place was attacked in novels, music and movies such as Limehouse Blues, which starred Anna May Wong.

“She was the most famous actor of Chinese heritage to get involved in those films and actually visited Limehouse in the 1920s.

“This is the material people will see displayed along the north gallery of the church.

“The south deals with the realities rather than the myths.

“Jude has also contributed a whole section  on Chinoiserie, and how that coloured the perception of all things oriental for hundreds of years.”

Some of TienAn's sculptures depicting buildings in Limehouse's Chinatown - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Some of TienAn’s sculptures depicting buildings in Limehouse’s Chinatown – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

beyond myth to reality

TienAn said: “My brief was to deal with that historical reality. 

“At the heart of this part of the exhibition are the stories of families who lived here.

“We thought, for this project, it was important to do something original.

“Chinatown had its heyday from about 1910 to 1925 – during that period maybe one in six people living in the area had an English name.

“Basically, the Chinese were there because they were cheap labour coming in on the ships.

“They were dumped in Britain and often had difficulty getting a return passage so they had to make a life here.

“Some did go back, some were deported after being convicted, but many stayed.

“They were quite successful economically – they ran a lot of businesses such as restaurants and laundries.”

The exhibition features oral histories, photography from the time and even a 2023 Barbie, produced to honour Anna May Wong.

It also features a collection of ceramic works by TienAn, made to evoke the spirit of a lost place.

Care For St Anne's chair, Philip Reddaway - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Care For St Anne’s chair, Philip Reddaway – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

echoes of lost buildings

He said: “As I am a sculptor, I thought it would be a good subject for making things.

“Then I found there was a real connection between Limehouse and ceramics.

“There area was named after the lime kilns used for firing the pots.

“One of the earliest porcelain manufacturers in the country was on Narrow Street, just yards from where I lived.

“I thought I would monumentalise Chinatown by recreating houses and businesses from the area in ceramics, much as the Tang emperors used to do with terracotta armies and palaces.

“My work is a nod to these grave goods which remind us of a vanished world. 

“I’ve had to do a lot of research and that’s been very useful for my work.

“I quite like the ‘mortuary houses’ I’ve created.

“The vernacular architecture of Limehouse is Georgian but, even though the Chinese elements are very superficial, they completely transform the ambience of the place.

“It’s amazing what a shop sign or a lantern can do.

“In some of my pieces there is a seam of porcelain running through the buildings.

“I wanted to contrast machine-made elements with the wonky construction of the old houses. 

“Chinatown here was at least partly destroyed by the London County Council because the houses were condemned as unfit for human habitation – this was long before the Blitz in the Second World War.

“You have to question how true that really was because some of the properties that survive are now houses worth £1million or more with some owned by celebrities.

“There was a huge element of social reform to what happened in Limehouse and we do focus on the largely manufactured demonisation of a whole race as a pretext for those slum clearances.”

The exhibition makes a compelling case for this, showcasing the overtly racist attitudes of the day lapped up and amplified by the press. 

With the vast majority of Chinese migrants being male, there were also clear attempts made to whip up moral panics around the supposed strategies used to lure women into marriage, a possible further motive for moves to break up the community.

“One of the more surprising elements for me was that this was a predominantly mixed race community,” said Philip.

“Ultimately that was another reason why it disappeared and dissipated over time.”

Today, Tower Hamlets has a new Asian community, attracted by the investment opportunities found in new-build housing on the Isle Of Dogs and in similar schemes across east London. 

Restaurants, supermarkets and all kinds of businesses have opened in recent years to serve this emerging market not so very far from where London’s original Chinatown once stood.

Chinese Limehouse celebrates the outsize impact this part of the capital once had on culture – music, film, art and literature, echoing down the years to the present day.

Time will tell whether the more recent arrivals in east London will generate a similar legacy worthy of future exhibitions.

key details: Chinese Limehouse

Chinese Limehouse is on show at St Anne’s Limehouse in east London until July, 2026.

The exhibition is free to view on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.

No booking is necessary.

You can find out more about the exhibition here

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Theatreship’s Man With A Movie Camera night shows venue’s value

The floating venue has firmly established itself as a cultural powerhouse in Tower Hamlets and must be supported and protected by those in power

Man With A Movie Camera was released 97 years ago and recently received a screening at Theatreship complete with live music
Man With A Movie Camera was released 97 years ago and recently received a screening at Theatreship complete with live music

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The reason silent films,  were presented with live musical accompaniment before the advent of the talkies is hardly a mystery.

Overlay images with melody and the combination of sound and vision immediately delivers double the sensory input for the audience.

We’ve evolved to depend on both our ears and our eyes, so the fact we respond so readily to the two together isn’t especially surprising.

What is unexpected, perhaps, is the depth of the reaction they can provoke.

Recently, Theatreship on the Isle Of Dogs hosted a screening of Soviet classic Man With A Movie Camera alongside largely improvised music from Owen Spafford on violin and Joe Harvey-Whyte on pedal steel and electronics.

Part of the venue’s Silent Film With New Sound season, supported by the BFI, the evening was sold out.

Who knew in 2026 that people, with all the digital distractions in the world, would choose to spend an evening watching a 97-year-old black and white movie?

The improvised soundtrack by Owen Spafford and Joe Harvey-Whyte added remarkable depth to an already fascinating work
The improvised soundtrack by Owen Spafford and Joe Harvey-Whyte added remarkable depth to an already fascinating work

But those who attended won’t need me to tell them what a treat this marriage of the sonic and the silver screen was. 

Firstly, there’s the film itself. Directed by Dziga Vertov and shot in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa in Ukraine, the feel is of a day-in-the-life piece showing the activities, technologies and behaviours of the time.

But its far more than that. Deliberately experimental, the film constantly shows the camera man and the set-up of the shots before revealing the results. 

There are even scenes where we see the painstaking process of editing the piece together, with rolls of celluloid sliced up and labelled ready for composition.

But, while the piece is in part a meditation of the process of making film, it’s also brave, funny, sweet and, at times, shocking.

Amongst other things we see are a live birth and a corpse of a man in an open casket, presumably on his way to a funeral.

We’re shown trolley buses, factories and city dwellers at work and play. 

In some senses it’s like stepping into a time machine. In others it’s more familiar than you might expect, after nearly a century of change.

But it’s really the skill of Owen and Joe that lends this extraordinary work meaning.

It takes a special kind of genius to craft sounds that sit so perfectly with the flickering screen and make it almost impossible to imagine watching Man With A Movie Camera without them. 

From the musicians we get a highly nuanced spectrum of emotions that burst forth from the monochrome shots – Irish-tinged melancholy, exuberance, jagged, dissonant uncertainty, passion and even fear.

Watching is a rich experience, heavy with almost tangible appreciation from a packed auditorium.

5/5

*****

Theatreship features a 100-seat auditorium and is moored on the Isle Of Dogs
Theatreship features a 100-seat auditorium and is moored on the Isle Of Dogs – image supplied by Theatreship

protecting the future

  • The benefit of having Theatreship locally might be seen as similarly complementary to the lift that Owen and Joe’s music can deliver to silent images.

If normal everyday lives are the reels of film, then cultural venues are the soundtrack. 

Taking the latter away is akin to muting existence for those who have come to relish and participate in this community.

I mention this because plans to demolish the nearby Sierra Quebec Bravo building at 77 Marsh Wall and replace it with a new residential tower are in the works and place something of a question mark over the future of Theatreship and Artship’s ability to operate.

At a time when venues are closing, the first new significant cultural additions to the Isle Of Dogs for many years must be protected and supported in their activities both during the build and after. 

Hopefully the developer, Tower Hamlets Council and the Canal And River Trust will jointly recognise and fight for the clear benefits these remarkable craft deliver for local residents and, indeed, those considering a move to the area through the planning process.

These boats are golden assets for the borough and are just getting into their stride.

They should be treated as such by all parties to these proposals.

key details: Theatreship / 77 Marsh Wall

You can find out more about Theatreship and Artship here, Owen Spafford here and Joe Harvey-Whyte here.

You can see the 77 Marsh Wall consultation website here and the planning application here.

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Mastmaker Court set for two residential towers as plans approved

Central Isle Of Dogs site will see two warehouses demolished to make way for co-living and affordable housing blocks from Pirin and Fifth State

An artist's impression of the two towers that are set to be built on the Mastmaker Court site - image by Fifth State
An artist’s impression of the two towers that are set to be built on the Mastmaker Court site – image by Fifth State

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what’s happening?

A sizeable chunk of the centre of the Isle Of Dogs is set to be developed following the approval of a planning application by Tower Hamlets Council.

Mastmaker Court, a joint venture by landowner Pirin Ltd and developer Fifth State, will see two towers built on a site just off Mastmaker Road.

two towers?

That’s right. One will rise to 43 storeys and the other to 27. The larger one will contain 843 co-living apartments, while the other will house 153 affordable homes.

They have been designed by Squire And Partners architects, also known for Landmark Pinnacle locally.

The scheme includes landscaping at ground level - image by Fifth State
The scheme includes landscaping at ground level – image by Fifth State

co-living?

Essentially the larger block will be rental only following a wider trend in the residential development market.

The offer is typically self-contained flats with communal facilities to encourage socialising.

These are usually marketed to young professionals and key workers.

While Fifth State has built out a couple of office blocks in Shoreditch, its projects in Bermondsey, Hampstead, Croydon, Southwark, Deptford, Hornsey and Leicester Square – spanning co-living student accommodation and affordable housing – have yet to be completed.

Its website promises that accommodation includes a shower room, a kitchenette, a double bed, storage space, high speed broadband and flexibility on length of stay with a three-month minimum.

While details of its Mastmaker Court scheme have yet to be released, the company says its projects include wellbeing studios  and facilities with a programme of classes and events for residents such as seminars and debates, cooking classes, brunch and supper clubs, guided group meditation, circuit and weights workouts and more.

co-working?

Again, while specifics have not been released, Fifth State says co-creating spaces lie at the heart of its schemes with facilities such as artists studios, private desks, communal workspaces, recording studios and conference walls to be expected.

The scheme features Squire And Partners - image by Fifth State
The scheme features Squire And Partners – image by Fifth State

what about the affordable housing?

For its Isle Of Dogs scheme, the affordable tower will house 121 properties for social rent and 32  earmarked as intermediate homes, which may be offered as below market rent or shared ownership apartments.

Around two thirds of the social rent flats will have three or four bedrooms aimed at families.

a new school?

Two existing warehouse buildings will be knocked down to make way for the towers.

At ground level the affordable housing block will include a 161sq m community facility facing onto a new 1,500sq m park located in the south-west corner of the site.

The plans also include outline permission for a new alternative provision school for up to 100 pupils in the north-west corner of the site, which could deliver up to 4,510sq m of educational space.

key details: Mastmaker Court

Planning consent has been granted for the two-tower scheme at Mastmaker Court.

Find out more about the scheme here

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University Of Sunderland In London offers fintech and trading MSc

The business course has been developed by Dr Yahaya Alhassan with the aim of equipping students with skills for employment and entrepreneurship

University Of Sunderland head of academic operations, Dr Yahaya Alhassan - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
University Of Sunderland head of academic operations, Dr Yahaya Alhassan – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

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“Our first students are in their last few months of the course,” said Dr Yahaya Alhassan, head of academic operations at the University Of Sunderland In London.

“For me, it will be very emotional when they graduate from our first MSc Fintech And Trading course.”

In line with the university’s consistently practical approach, the programme was developed after Yahaya spotted a gap in the market.

“It was while I was working as an external examiner for another institution that I realised people were offering trading courses,” he said.

“Some were delivering fintech elements, but these were usually add-ons to finance courses dealing with things like online banking.

“My understanding of fintech is that it relates to specific technologies – things like artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrencies and machine learning – and how you apply those to finance. 

“I couldn’t find a programme like that, which also included trading so, following some market research, I decided to develop a course that would bring the two together.

“I defy anyone to find a similar offering – as of today we are unique.”

Based at the University Of Sunderland In London’s Isle Of Dogs campus at Harbour Exchange, the one-year course features a dedicated Fintech Lab created in partnership with the London Stock Exchange.

The London Stock Exchange Group Fintech Lab at the University Of Sunderland In London - image supplied by UOSiL
The London Stock Exchange Group Fintech Lab at the University Of Sunderland In London – image supplied by UOSiL

putting practice at the heart of the course

“The approach we adopt with the delivery of this programme is hands-on, practice-based, with a small number of students to ensure we give them a very good level of experience,” said Yahaya. 

“We work with a number of prestigious partners, with those on the course also receiving certificates from them as part of the programme.

“Students learn how to trade and invest in stocks – which are doing well and which are not?

“But the reason we combine this with fintech is so they can use technology to make predictions based on the data flowing into the lab.

“In the past, traders have made decisions based on their own experience while looking at such information.

“But with technologies such as AI, once you have a lot of data, you can use it to start forecasting whether the price of a stock will rise or fall.

“With blockchain and machine learning, our students are taught how to model and to build apps, enabling them to potentially create their own fintech businesses.

“We also work with companies to ensure our courses are delivering what employers, such as those at Level39 in Canary Wharf, expect from someone with an MSc from this university.

“We also constantly look at the needs of the students and changes in the market.

“Our programmes come up for review every five years, which is when they get revalidated.

“But with technology developing so fast, we can’t wait that long so we’ve adopted an enhancement plan where we look at our programmes every two months to make sure we’re flexible and giving the market what it needs.”

The University Of Sunderland In London is based at Harbour Exchange on the Isle Of Dogs - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
The University Of Sunderland In London is based at Harbour Exchange on the Isle Of Dogs – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

from Ghana to London via Sunderland

Yahaya himself is a good case study for the way in which education and exposure to new ideas can have a profound impact on the direction of a person’s life.

Originally from Ghana, he began his career in the higher education sector at the University Of Development Studies in Tamale not as an academic but as a member of its support staff as an assistant accountant.

“One day I was in the vice chancellor’s office and I saw an advert in a magazine for an MBA course at the University Of Sunderland,” he said.

“The VC had been in the UK himself, studying and working in Nottingham before he was recruited back to Ghana. 

“I’d never thought about travelling abroad in my life, but I decided I might give it a go – I applied and then, honestly, I forgot about it.

“About two months later, a letter arrived containing a provisional offer to go on the course.

“I was supposed to pay £13,500 but it was a lot of money and I had no idea where I would get that from.”

In the end, Yahaya’s employer awarded him a scholarship to go on the course and he wound up bound for the North East and arrived improperly dressed for the weather. 

“Arriving in Sunderland was the first time I’d seen snow in my life and I didn’t have a proper jacket,” he said.

“I didn’t know how to get to the university campus and I couldn’t understand the accent of the first man I met.

“Fortunately, I found someone who showed me where to go. I completed my MBA and returned to Ghana in 2003.

“That was part of the agreement for my scholarship but, after about nine months I was feeling discontented.

“Everything was so slow.

“When I came to the UK people were working from 8am, but I realised in Ghana it was going to be difficult for me because of the difference in pace.

“I told my boss I had to go back to England, and he said he understood, so I moved to London in 2004. 

“My first job was at a college in Greenwich, teaching English in 2005 and I remained there until 2011.

“That’s when I saw that the University Of Sunderland was opening a London campus and I decided to apply.

“At first I was working 10 hours a week, then 20 and, after a couple of months, full-time – teaching on its MBA programme. 

“After a year, the programme manager was leaving and so I applied and got that job in 2014 before going on to become assistant head of academic operations.

“Now, as head of academic operations, I make sure all the teaching and learning at the London campus goes well, dealing with quality assurance and making sure everything is done in line with our academic regulations.

“I am part of the senior managers team as well and I am responsible for the day-to-day running of the London-based academic programmes.

“The courses are led from Sunderland and run down here, which is why our campus has programme managers rather than leaders.

“I never thought I’d be working where I am now. I even told my friends in Ghana I would be coming back in a year.

“I still have that vision, to return one day, perhaps to follow my father in a political career.

“When I’m teaching, I say: ‘Who knows, maybe I’ll be president one day’.”

In the meantime, Yahaya’s passion is continuing to help develop the university’s offering with a BSc in Fintech And Digital Finance now available.

The intention of this three-year course is to act as a pipeline for those seeking to study the MSc, providing them with the relevant skills and knowledge to prepare them for the postgraduate course. 

key details:

The University Of Sunderland In London offers a BSc Fintech And Digital Finance course as well as an MSc in Finance And Trading based at its Isle Of Dogs campus at Harbour Exchange.

The university welcomes new students several times during the year, so there are plenty of opportunities to apply.

Find out more about the Fintech And Trading MSc here

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EarLab set to expand wax removal services to Canary Wharf

Clinics offer micro-suctioning technique, guided by a surgical microscope to ensure rapid, accurate clearing of the ear canal

EarLab's David Walker clears a patient's ears using micro-suctioning guided by a surgical microscope - image supplied by EarLab
EarLab’s David Walker clears a patient’s ears using micro-suctioning guided by a surgical microscope – image supplied by EarLab

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Earwax. Right now, if you’re reading this, it’s slowly, imperceptibly flowing out of your ears.

The movement of our jaws and muscles in our faces is usually enough to create a gentle current that renews and refreshes this essential substance, whose role is to protect and sanitise our ear canals.

However, for a range of reasons, this smooth and natural process can go wrong.

Drainage fails and build-up occurs, potentially leading to hearing loss, earache, tinnitus and even vertigo.

“I was seriously ill with leukaemia and in hospital for about eight months,” said Tim Galvin, co-founder and director of EarLab.

“Sometimes I would wake up during that period and I wouldn’t be able to hear.

“When I was up, the wax would shift and I’d be able to hear again. 

“I’m OK now, but one of the lasting side effects of that period is that my ears still block up quite regularly.

“While I was in hospital, a good friend of mine – David Walker – came to visit me.

“He happens to be an ear, nose and throat surgeon and he said I needed to get my ears micro-suctioned to remove the wax.

“He described the process as using a miniature vacuum cleaner to clear the ear canal.

“It’s the modern alternative to syringing – squirting warm water in there and hoping for the best – and it’s much safer.

“With the older technique, some people’s ears can be quite damaged by the pressure. 

“I couldn’t get them suctioned in hospital but, when I got back home I tried to get it done locally but had to travel for the procedure.

“When I had it done, it was instant relief.

“I hadn’t realised that my ears were basically dirty, I’d just lived with it.

“Suddenly I could hear clearly.

“There was no muffling, it was just fantastic.” 

EarLab co-founder Tim Galvin - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
EarLab co-founder Tim Galvin – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

the birth of a business

A couple of months later, Tim saw David again at a barbecue and the two got talking.

The NHS no longer provides syringing as a core service and GPs tend to advise using drops to tackle troublesome ear wax, but this does not work for all cases.

In some areas referral for micro-suctioning may be possible but long waiting times can be involved.

“Together, we realised there was a gap in the market,” said Tim.

“David had the medical qualifications and the expertise, but no time to handle a side business. 

“I have a background in IT and experience in property, so we  formed a 50-50 partnership, starting in 2022.”

EarLab operates clinics in Haslemere, Guildford, Andover and Cranleigh.

It’s now set to open a branch at Canary Wharf in facilities at Cabot Place. 

“We’ve found people are happy to pay £85 for an instant service and that’s what we’ve built our business around,” said Tim.

“Hearing is really important. Without it people can feel really isolated.

“Some of our clients tell us they feel like they’ve got their lives back after the treatment.

“One elderly gentleman said he couldn’t hear conversations but, once we’d removed the wax, it turned out he didn’t need hearing aids after all.

“We have lots of wonderful stories like that.

“When you wake up in the morning and you can’t hear, it’s horrible – you don’t want to wait six months, you want to get it done as soon as possible. That’s what we offer.”

EarLab is not the only business to offer private micro-suctioning, but Tim believes the service it provides has some key benefits not found elsewhere.

“The first is that our clinicians use surgical microscopes to look inside the ears and guide the procedure,” he said.

“These give you the best possible view inside the ear canal.

“The equipment provides binocular vision at a very great magnification under a very bright light.

“It doesn’t touch your body at all and it doesn’t hurt in the slightest, but it allows the practitioner to see everything they’re doing and to have both hands free.

“We use a small funnel-like device called an ear speculum that allows us full access to the ear canal, which is curved.

“Together with the microscope, this enables us to be very precise with the suctioning and to ensure we don’t touch the ear drum, which is very delicate, and to make certain we remove all of the wax.

“With the average case, there will be some build-up of wax there, but it might not be completely blocked.”

David clears England Rugby captain Maro Itoje's ears - image supplied by EarLab
David clears England Rugby captain Maro Itoje’s ears – image supplied by EarLab

why EarLab employs medical professionals

In addition to precision, EarLab prides itself on the level of expertise its practitioners offer, employing qualified nurses and doctors to carry out the procedure.

“We’ve grown the business organically, often expanding when we’ve found a clinician to work with,” said Tim.

“Our criteria have always been that we offer these services in an excellent medical environment with good transport links so people can access it easily.

“With David’s background and reputation, we’ll never cut corners on the service we provide.

“Having highly qualified professionals working for us means we can offer the complete procedure in 20 minutes because the people doing it are so experienced.

“We’ve expanded to Canary Wharf for two reasons.

“Firstly, I knew the area because I used to live here and also one of our existing doctors recently relocated to Lewisham and said he would love to host a clinic here.

“We prefer to grow like this and the demand is obviously there.

“When we started, we honestly thought a few hours a week would be enough, but that quickly became multiple days as word spread and people came.

“Friends tell each other and we have husbands and wives coming together to get their wax removed.

“Over the four years we’ve been going, we’ve had some people who have come 12 times during that period.

“It’s a very personal business and we have a phone line which is answered by a human being.

“Everything can be done online, but some people like to call and ask questions.

“We pride ourselves on being able to offer that reassurance.”

David and Tim with England Rugby's Sam Underhill - image supplied by EarLab
David and Tim with England Rugby’s Sam Underhill – image supplied by EarLab

clearing the ears of the England rugby squad

EarLab also has quite a significant claim to fame as it provides its service to the England Rugby Union squad, having been approached through the team’s full-time doctor.

“We’ve been to Twickenham three times now after David was asked to set up a temporary clinic there,” said Tim. 

“The first time, we were expecting 10 players, then 20 were listed, but we ended up doing many more than that during the course of the afternoon, including the likes of Maro Itoje and Sam Underhill. 

“Being able to hear clearly is an essential part of the game and they’d never had this done before.

“As a business more widely we have been surprised by the demand for our services, although there are things people do that can cause wax to build up.

“Normally, when your jaw moves during the course of a day it flexes the ear canal slightly and this creates a system where little flakes of wax are gradually expelled naturally and imperceptibly.

“That’s the natural order of things and, in a normal healthy person that’s exactly what happens.

“However, if you do anything to impede that process – using ear plugs or in-ear headphones – you interrupt that flow.

“The more you do it, the less wax can get out and the more likely you are to get a build up.

“It can get to the point where, when you’re putting the ear plug or headphone in, you’re pushing wax back down the canal towards the ear drum.

“We’ve also seen people who do a lot of swimming are prone to wax issues and others just have naturally narrow ear canals.

“Everyone is different, we’re all unique and just the shape of your anatomy can, unfortunately, cause problems for some people.

“Putting things in the ear like cotton buds is definitely not a good idea and, similarly, practices such as ear candling and using small plastic screw-like devices can be really dangerous.

“It’s so easy to cause damage with these methods because you can’t see what’s in there and you’re going in and experimenting.

“The ear is incredibly delicate and should always be treated with the utmost care by people who know what they’re doing using microscopes to guide them.

“At EarLab, we keep things simple.

“We just offer micro-suctioning and also expert advice because we can see what’s going on in the ear.

“We’re now right at the heart of Canary Wharf meaning people working or living in the area don’t need to travel to have this procedure. 

“As it only takes 20 minutes, it’s easy for people to have it done in their lunch hour or even a break.

“That’s plenty of time to take the medical information we need and then to complete the treatment.”

key details: EarLab

EarLab is set to run a clinic in Canary Wharf’s Cabot Place, initially on Wednesdays, with scope to expand depending on demand. 

A 20-minute treatment costs £85 and includes micro-suctioning in both ears.

Find out more about the service here

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Cleopatra: The Experience set to open at Excel’s Immerse LDN

Exhibition uses virtual reality, 360º projection, holograms, artefacts and interactive displays to bring the story of the Egyptian ruler to life

Cleopatra: The Experience features 360º projection - image supplied by MAD
Cleopatra: The Experience features 360º projection – image supplied by MAD

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Shakespeare, Chaucer, Plutarch, Hollywood, Asterix.

Stories of Cleopatra VII – the last ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom Of Egypt – have long echoed down the years, spun into great romances and decorated with Elizabeth Taylor’s vibrant eye shadow.

But, while Cleopatra: The Experience – an immersive exhibition that’s set for a 15-week run at Excel’s Immerse LDN in Royal Docks from March 26 – has its genesis in her enduring popularity, it’s been created with the aim of revealing the person at the heart of those tales.

“She’s a pop icon and there’s a legend behind her, but we wanted to show the real woman, drawing on what contemporary sources and classical authors said about her,” said Nacho Ares, scriptwriter and curator of the exhibition for its producer Madrid Artes Digitales (MAD). 

Nacho, a broadcaster and Egyptologist isn’t new at this.

He first worked with MAD on Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition, which enjoyed a run at Excel last year and has now been seen by more than 2million people. 

In similar vein, the new show uses technology – holograms, virtual reality, 360º projection and even scents – to bring Cleopatra and her world to life for visitors.

“I’ve been interested in Egyptology since I was a young teenager,” said Nacho.

“I read a history of archaeology – Gods, Graves And Scholars – and I fell in love with the history of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

“I was interested in anything related to ancient Egypt.

“I first visited in 1991 at the age of 21 and it was incredible. I became involved with MAD in 2022 through a friend who is a member of the Spanish Egyptology Association in Madrid.

“They were looking for a writer with experience of TV and so on – back then it was a company of four people and now we have 30.

“It was a dream to bring our Tutankhamun exhibition to Britain, the home of Howard Carter, who discovered his tomb – that was a lovely moment in my life.

“I think Cleopatra will also be a great success because there are so many mysteries and she’s an amazing character.

“We still don’t know where her tomb is – many people have looked around Alexandria and they are still searching today.

“She remains very popular and we’re here to present her biography.” 

The exhibition aims to bring her story to life – image supplied by MAD
The exhibition aims to bring her story to life – image supplied by MAD

Cleopatra: The Experience – unlocking an audience

Part of the exhibition’s mission is to bring that story to a new audience.

Dr Chris Naunton, is a British Egyptologist, writer and broadcaster, acting as official ambassador for Cleopatra: The Experience.

He said: “I worked for the Egypt Exploration Society from 2001 to 2016, and was its director for the last few years of the period.

“My work nowadays is mostly writing, some of which has informed the content of this exhibition, which is a great honour for me.

“I think the technical side of it is amazing.

“It’s important for Egyptology to use whatever methods there are to reach a wider audience and Cleopatra is an obvious subject for that.

“While her story is superficially well known, that has more to do with her legend.

“There was a real woman and this exhibition grounds audiences very well in what the evidence really shows about her life.

“What people will see isn’t made up, it’s based on historical sources.

“The trouble with trying to present a story like this in a conventional way is that there are so many gaps.

“It’s difficult to tell the story of Cleopatra through objects, because we have so little – except classical sources, which were often written by her enemies, and aren’t all contemporary accounts.

“Sometimes they were written with particular intentions in mind.

“The exhibition treads the line very well.

“It’s not dry, which just presenting the evidence we have, might be.

“My sense is that the video game generation will not be engaged by a traditional exhibition.

“But what this exhibition gives us as Egyptologists, is the opportunity to reach people who would never leave their sofas to visit a museum.”

What we do know is that Cleopatra VII’s story is remarkable – one of finely balanced power and intrigue.

Audiences can expect a number of different experiences including chair-based virtual reality - image supplied by MAD
Audiences can expect a number of different experiences including chair-based virtual reality – image supplied by MAD

a skilled politician

“She ruled at the end of a period of 300 years, during which Egypt was run from Alexandria by a family of Macedonian Greek origin, descending from Ptolemy I,” said Chris.

“He was one of Alexander The Great’s generals. During this period, the kingdom was influenced to some extent by Greek culture – the Greek language and script became the administrative language, for example – but it was still very much the Egypt of its traditional gods.

“Cleopatra comes in at the end of this dynasty, ruling initially alongside her brother, at a time when Egypt was very much part of an international scene.

“By the end of the Ptolemaic period in Egypt, Rome has become the most important power.

“The versions found in the movie and Asterix tell a story of a richly drawn character, a wily, beautiful woman.

“What all the ancient sources agree on is that Rome is increasingly important, exerting more influence on Cleopatra and her family.

“In making allies of Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, regardless of any romance that may or may not have happened, she was undoubtedly doing the right thing for Egypt.

“I think we can certainly say she was extremely skilful politically and she was a great survivor.

“It was a time of great in-fighting in the Ptolemaic family, a time of great intrigue.

“Her relationship with her brother, Ptolemy XIII, doesn’t work out very well – there’s a war – then her relationship with Caesar is disrupted by his assassination in Rome.

“Her relationship with Antony is only brought to an end by the irresistible force of Octavian, who defeats them.

“The threat of Rome taking over the whole of the Mediterranean had been coming for decades, something that could be seen as having been held back by her for quite a long time.

“There is a fascinating story to tease out, which I think is historically valid and goes beyond the Hollywood version.

“My take is she was a very successful politician.”

The story even includes the death of Caesar in Rome - image supplied by MAD
The story even includes the death of Caesar in Rome – image supplied by MAD

key details: Cleopatra: The Experience

Cleopatra: The Experience is set to run at Immerse LDN on the southern edge of Excel from March 26 for 15 weeks.

Tickets are on sale now, from £29 for adults and from £24 for children aged 4-15. Group packages and school bookings are available.

The experience lasts around 90 minutes and is open every day from 10am. 

Find out more here

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Choir Boy gears up for joyful run in London at Stratford East

Co-director Tatenda Shamiso talks resonance and empathy as the Bristol Old Vic a capella production arrives in east London, refreshed and ready

Daon Broni as Headmaster Marrow and Terique Jarrett as Pharus star in Choir Boy - image by Camilla Greenwell
Daon Broni as Headmaster Marrow and Terique Jarrett  as Pharus star in Choir Boy – image by Camilla Greenwell

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“Choir Boy absolutely resonates with me,” said Tatenda Shamiso, co-director of the show that’s set to arrive on Stratford East’s stage later this month.

“I grew up in the US, in a Catholic school and I’m queer.

“To be a queer person in a rigid and hyper-traditional religious environment makes it very difficult to discover who you are when you’re discouraged at every turn.

“The show dates from 2008, but it gets updated every time it’s remounted and it feels all the more pressing at the moment, even from when we revived it in 2023.

“It can be hard to be black and queer in an environment that tries to force-feed you the idea that there is no space for you.”

This iteration of Choir Boy – written by Tarell Alvin McCraney – was first created by director Nancy Medina at the Bristol Old Vic and is now effectively set to transfer to east London with only a couple of changes in the cast. 

Tatenda’s role has grown from associate director to co-director for the new show.

He frequently runs the rehearsals, with Nancy typically in the West Country as the production is updated for its run in the capital. 

a struggle to access softness

“Choir Boy is about an all-boys black preparatory school in upstate New York in the US,” said Tatenda.

“These boys are under immense pressure to understand what it means to be the black leaders of tomorrow – the black men of the future – and to hold onto the labels and duties we associate with masculinity and black excellence.

“It’s a struggle to access any softness in this environment and to identify how to step into your real self when there isn’t any room for it.” 

The show follows the story of Pharus (Terique Jarrett), a gifted singer who has earned his position as a soloist, but falters when his pride is sullied by one of his peers, forcing him to question what it means to be a young, black, openly queer man in such an institution.

“We’re taken on this journey with a really beautiful score of a capella gospel music, sung by the boys,” said Tatenda.

“Choir Boy is hilarious – definitely expect to laugh – but it’s also deeply joyful and cathartic.

“Whether you believe in something or not, the spirit will move through you when you hear these boys sing. It’s beautiful and very tender.

“One of the big changes we’ve had is two new cast members – Rabi Kondé playing Bobby and Freddie MacBruce as AJ – which has given us a really great opportunity to refresh the whole show.

“We have a star-studded team in the cast and backstage and it’s still very much a family affair.

“It’s really great to bring fresh talent into the piece.

“One of our former cast members said that while he was sad to leave, he was really happy to pass the gift of being able to play the role on to someone else who needs it. 

“In Bristol, we had five weeks to prepare the show for the stage and this extra time has given us an opportunity to maybe deepen our thoughts.

“With the cast a couple of years older now, we’re asking what it means to be a teenager right now? 

“I hope we’re offering audiences a cornucopia of things to take away.

“I hope they leave with greater empathy and compassion for the people they’ve been watching and those around them, perhaps a softness and a strong urge to sing.”

Kalid Daley is back in the role of JR - image by Camilla Greenwell
Kalid Daley is back in the role of JR – image by Camilla Greenwell

echoes of Choir Boy

As a director, writer, performer and artist, Tatenda’s own theatrical journey began at school.

He said: “Children’s hobbies are taken ridiculously seriously in California and I started off as a performer in musicals.

“I was doing about three shows a year for most of my time in school. I was a really shy child, but there was something about being a performer, being something bigger than yourself, that really appealed to me.

“You can enrapture an audience and take them on a journey.

“For me it was like a mission to learn how to be an extrovert, which was really lovely.

“It got me out of my shell and introduced me to a beautiful community of people who were as strange as I was, which was a very joyful experience.

“That’s the core theme, whatever I’m doing, which keeps me in theatre now.

“It’s the ritual of transformation you go through as a company, but also what you’re bringing to those who are watching.”

Martin Turner as Mr Pendleton and his pupil, Pharus - image by Camilla Greenwell
Martin Turner as Mr Pendleton and his pupil, Pharus – image by Camilla Greenwell

from performer to writer and director

After moving to Europe as a teenager, Tatenda’s path began to broaden while at university.

“I fell in love with directing while I was training at Goldsmith’s,” he said.

“When I wasn’t on stage, I spent the time figuring out what everyone else was supposed to be doing, so I ended up doing a lot of different tasks.

“I turned that into a career as a writer. As far as directing goes, I started off as an assistant director on other shows, then directing my own work and performing it at fringe venues.

“My first big show was assisting on A Streetcar Named Desire, back in 2022 at the Almeida Theatre, before going on to work on productions in the States and getting the chance to contribute to Choir Boy.

“I’ve developed a really beautiful working relationship with Nancy and a friendship too. She’s such a generous collaborator.

“I’ve been really moved by this show.

“It’s quite rare in this role to see yourself in what you’re making and what’s being put on stage. 

“It feels incredible when you see a message being communicated so beautifully by this cast.

“Every creative steer you give them, they multiply it ten-fold with their bodies, their spirit, their minds and their voices.

“What they bring to these characters, these experiences, is almost overwhelming.

“One of the amazing things about seeing live theatre is that you get to have a collective experience, that the audience is going to be roughly in the same place emotionally as they watch. 

“That’s something you don’t get in the digital world and I do think people are hungry for that kind of connection.”

Daon Broni as Headmaster Marrow - image by Camilla Greenwell
Daon Broni as Headmaster Marrow – image by Camilla Greenwell

key details: Choir Boy

Choir Boy is set to run at Stratford East from March 26 until April 25, 2026.

Performances are typically at 7.30pm with shows at 2.30pm on selected Thursdays and Saturdays. Tickets start at £10.

Find out more about the show here

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Wapping Docklands Market celebrates fifth birthday in business

Traders and customers have been gathering at Brussels Wharf each Saturday for half a decade to sell, shop, eat, drink, make merry and meet

Wapping Docklands Market founder Will Cutteridge - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Wapping Docklands Market founder Will Cutteridge – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

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“The best thing about running Wapping Docklands Market is being able to connect people in a world that’s more and more isolated,” said Will Cutteridge, founder of The Market Network. 

“It’s also having the ability to offer grassroots enterprises access to audiences and to get that instant feedback.”

Brussels Wharf was, in 2020, a disused car park – an irregular pentagon of earth, cobbles and quayside jutting out into Shadwell Basin, nominally described as a park.

But Will, having spent half a decade learning the ropes of commercial real estate before leaving that world to sell cheese on a market stall, saw an opportunity – a site that might be put to better use.

Wapping Docklands Market opened in 2021 and is now set to celebrate its fifth birthday in April, 2026.

There might even be a cake.

Wapping Docklands Market hosts a wide range of hot food traders throughout the year - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Wapping Docklands Market hosts a wide range of hot food traders throughout the year – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

creating a community

“The thing that’s really great is the community we’ve got here – the regular customers who come back week to week– that’s what really keeps us afloat,” said Will. 

“They just happen to be lovely people, and it’s a nice place to be every Saturday. 

“We have evolved over the years but hot food – which has always been the primary driver for us – has become more popular and we have live music and a pop-up pub.”

As we talk, pleasant jazz wafts over the assembled crowd played by gentlemen in attractive woollen hats.

Tables and benches are full despite the 6ºC February weather, with visitors keeping out the chill with toasty dishes from the food traders and mulled cider from the bar.

On the lower level of the site, traders sell fresh produce, plants and crafts, adding to the mix.

“It’s morphed over the years – we have up to 12 hot food vendors in the summer months and eight in winter,” said Will.

“One of our mission statements is to empower new and small food enterprises and, as we move towards spring, we typically get a lot of new businesses applying for pitches.

“Firstly what we’re looking for is passion – a reason that someone is doing what they’re doing that isn’t the money.

“Our newest food trader is Tito Vito serving Bocadillos, filled baguettes from the Canary Islands. 

“Vito was persuaded by his partner because of his passion for cooking – she’s good with graphic design and created a brand for the business – and you could tell from day one that the food was amazing, that this was something he’d always wanted to do.

“That’s what we’re looking for.

“Then there’s Bahaa, a Syrian refugee who, along with his mother, runs Sojok.

“He serves up toasties filled with spiced minced meat and a savoury yoghurt drink called ayran on the side, which is made with water and salt.

“When he first started, he wasn’t doing so well but he’s evolved his product over time because he knew the market was busy so it was something he was doing that needed changing.

“Now when he’s not at the market, people ask where he is because the stall is so popular.

“My advice is to dunk the toastie in the drink – you won’t regret it.

“It’s also always a good tip, if you’re struggling to decide what to have, to know what the staff on the market enjoy for breakfast.”

Musicians entertain the crowds at the market - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Musicians entertain the crowds at the market – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

access to the Wapping Docklands Market audience

Community is really at the heart of everything Will does, ably supported by long-term operations coordinator Fabiana Da Cunha. 

Together, they provide the foundation, marketing, support and curation that allows Wapping Docklands Market to continue, providing a platform for commerce, employment and interaction.

“It’s such a good feeling when you’re able to offer people with passion a way to get access to an audience,” said Will.

“I’ve learnt over the last five years that it’s unbelievably hard to run a business but also not to get so stressed and that everything will be fine. 

“It’s really great when we see familiar faces coming here or when you spot people who meet at the market and then are back three weeks later having a beer together.

“We’re giving people the chance to get out of their houses and talk to each other.

“These are things that are important in the world and I wish we could do this more, in more places.

“We’re generating opportunities for new businesses, with our traders often living locally and we’re employing people. 

“We have a 17-year-old working for us who lives locally and gets the London Living Wage because we believe that’s the right thing to do.

“We also pay our musicians, who need opportunities to play because venues are cutting live entertainment at the moment.”

Will’s journey has not been without its headwinds.

Operating markets can be a precarious business with limited security on short licences, predicated on the whims of landowners.

Wapping’s sister operations at Tower Hill and Canada Water have both closed, the former in favour of a Padel Tennis court and the latter due to a licensing dispute.

With the late winter sun beating down through the bare branches of the trees, finely crafted improvisation stealing over the crowd and traders serving queues of eager diners, it seems perverse not to support such endeavours.  

The market is open weekly at Brussels Wharf - image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
The market is open weekly at Brussels Wharf – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life

key details: Wapping Docklands Market

Wapping Docklands Market is open on Saturdays from 10am-4pm at Brussels Wharf on the edge of Shadwell Basin.

The location is around seven minutes’ walk from Wapping station on the Windrush Line or about 10 minutes from Shadwell DLR.

  • Wapping Docklands Market offers people the opportunity to support its operations by becoming a patron.

Friends pay £18 per month, which includes a number of perks including reserved seating at the market.

Members can pay £30 per month, getting all the same perks plus 10% discounts at The Market Tavern and Wapping Roots And Fruits grocery stall.

Find out more about the market here

Read more: How SWR Business Direct delivers on carbon tracking for train travel

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