BROWN AND GREEN CAFE’S NEW VENTURE – WITH MAYOW-NNAISE!
THE BROWN AND GREEN CAFE chain’s latest venture officially opens in Mayow Park, Sydenham on Sunday 31st August.
The chain, run by sisters Laura and Jess Tilli, opened with a cafe at Gipsy Hill station. The Mayow Park cafe will be their fourth venture – they have another cafe in the ticket hall at Crystal Palace station while a third has recently arrived on platform one of the same station.
Mayow Park sits between Mayow Road and Silverdale. Originally named Sydenham recreation ground, it is the borough’s oldest municipal park.
A Lewisham council press release states: “It has been the aspiration of all involved with Mayow Park in recent years to transform the former Pavilion into a vibrant café with changing room facilities on the upper floor.
“The reintroduction of cricket at the park enabled officers to secure external funding from Sport England ‘Inspired Facility’ Olympic Legacy fund together with section 106 planning contributions and make the dream a reality.
“Cricket is now a major pastime in the park with the banking round the side especially designed to accommodate spectators” the release adds.
On Thursday (27th August) at 1pm, the Jimmy Mizen Foundation will officially open their new venture in Ladywell Fields – the third café to be run by young people from the Foundation.
The café, Ten Thousand Hands, has been project managed by young people who have gained skills in recruitment, finance, refurbishment and marketing.
Both Mayow Park and Ladywell Fields were recently awarded Green Flag status by Keep Britain Tidy, bringing the total number of flags awarded in Lewisham to 14.
FREE SPACE FOR SEVEN FOOD TRADERS
It will also offer six months’ support to help them build their businesses.
This will include a tailored package of training and mentoring and will also offer a professional marketing campaign to help promote the area as a destination for lovers of quality street food.
The hub itself is to be located in a currently vacant retail unit in the middle of the market street. It will be transformed with the creation of a demonstration kitchen, six individual food stalls, space for food-related workshops and food courses, and a seating area for customers.
The aim is to create at least 14 new jobs from supporting these businesses (two jobs each per business).
The demonstration kitchen and workshop space would enable chefs and local food sellers to show people how to create a range of dishes, with the focus being on locally sourced fresh produce.
As well as the council, the project has the backing of the Greater London Authority and the Croydon Old Town Portas pilot town team.
“Surrey Street Market is already a great place to buy fresh food and there are a number of established and new street food stalls serving up a range of different cuisines from around the world” said a council spokesman.
As stallholders would be self-employed and taking on staff, they would have to ensure they comply with relevant tax and employment laws.
They would also have to check what impact this would have on any benefits they might currently be receiving. The project team would provide advice on these issues as part of the overall support package. (Source: Croydon council press release)
“AVOID UNLICENSED WASTE COLLECTORS – OR FACE FINES AND A CRIMINAL RECORD”
RESIDENTS ARE being warned NOT to deal with unlicensed waste collectors – as they could face fines.
The warning comes after two recent cases of fly-tipping that have left one council with a bill for tens of thousands of pounds in clearance charges
Croydon council’s trading standards team are now offering five top tips to help find a reputable trader.
NEVER do business with cold callers or respond to flyers dropped through your letterbox.
ALWAYS get at least three quotes, and follow up any references supplied.
ALWAYS use a website such as www.trustmark.org.uk or http://trustedtraders.which.co.uk to find traders who are vetted and approved by an independent body, such as trading standards. Don’t rely on websites offering only recommendations by people you don’t know and cannot contact, or that the business pays a fee to join.
NEVER pay cash – it’s untraceable and you won’t get it back. If the business is prepared to defraud the taxman, it may be just as ready to defraud you of your money.
ALWAYS ask to see relevant paperwork, including public liability insurance, the waste carrier’s licence and any specialist documentation for the work, such as Gas Safe registration, etc. The business can be checked on websites such as
v https://www.gov.uk/find-registered-waste-carrier for waste carriers’ licences
v http://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/help/check_a_business_or_engineer.aspx for gas-related work
v http://www.niceic.com/Page/SearchContractors for electrical-related work
“Householders have a legal obligation (duty of care) to take all reasonable measures to ensure that their waste is disposed of properly” say the council..
“The Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations require all householders to make sure their waste is removed from their premises only by registered waste carriers.
“These include our own domestic waste collections service and any private waste collector who holds a waste carrier’s licence issued by the Environment Agency.
“Residents found paying unlicensed waste carriers to remove their waste may be liable to prosecution and face a court appearance, a large fine and a criminal record.”
Cllr Mark Watson, cabinet member for safety and justice, said: “It’s important residents realise that they can’t simply get a man with a van to take away household, garden or building waste.
“If they do, there’s a good chance it’ll be dumped at the side of the road somewhere, and they could end up paying a much higher price than if they’d employed a registered carrier.
“Rogue traders, including unlicensed waste carriers, and fly-tipping are very real threats to residents and their communities.
“In the past couple of weeks we’ve seen two high-profile cases of fly-tipping that have left the council with a bill for tens of thousands of pounds in clearance charges – money that, at the end of the day, comes out of council taxpayers’ pockets.
“As a council, we’re determined to stamp out this criminal activity and ask that if anybody has information that could lead to the prosecution of a fly-tipper, they give us a call on 020 8726 6200.” (Source: Croydon council press release)
CROYDON BECOMES FLAGSHIP FOOD BOROUGH FOR LONDON
Croydon has been chosen as the flagship food borough for outer London to promote healthy eating, cooking better food and reduce obesity in schools and communities.
It has been selected by the Greater London Authority as the five-year flagship borough for outer London to pioneer school-based and community projects to improve health through better quality of food.
As a flagship, Croydon will receive support from the GLA’s food, health, education and sport teams, along with the Mayor’s Fund for London, to transform the food environment in the borough.
It will receive £600,000 in funding from the Department for Education and GLA over the next two years to help achieve this.
The flagship food borough initiative is borne out of the School Food Plan, written by Leon restaurant founders Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent, which is centred round encouraging the growing, cooking and eating of proper food.
The council already has plans in place to help residents lead longer, healthier lives after being awarded Heart Town status by the British Heart Foundation, the only area out of 50 across the UK to have committed to the project for five years.
Croydon also has a successful healthy schools programme, with almost all schools having achieved bronze status and a further 25 due to receive silver status in the summer of 2015.
As a flagship food borough, Croydon is proposing to:-
– Bring in a grants scheme for community cooking and healthy eating projects
– Set up a Croydon food festival community engagement scheme
– Target nutrition education in areas and schools where there is most need
– Provide support for food entrepreneurs and business start-ups
– Provide cookery classes in the community
Cllr Louisa Woodley, cabinet member for people and communities, said: “Food matters – the public health of our society depends on it. “As a flagship food borough, Croydon gets to play a leading role in improving London’s food system as a whole, by sharing the benefits learnt with other areas of the capital.
“This initiative will provide the opportunity to use food to transform our environment, improve health, tackle obesity and reduce inequalities in Croydon.
“It will support the commitments we already have in place to improve the health of Croydon residents, as a Heart Town, and through our healthy schools programme.”
Two London boroughs were awarded flagship food borough status – the other was Lambeth for inner London. (Source: Croydon council press release)
