Friends of LiB Christmas catalogue: Part one
Food and drink
We know we said there’d be no Weekend Roundup today, but as we started writing this year’s Christmas Catalogue we realised it was getting quite long, and that the present-buying window was getting quite tight. So we thought we’d split it into two parts and send the first half out to fill the weekend gap.
And in case you weren’t here this time last year: In December 2021 we went back over all the interviews we’d done throughout the year, picked out the most useful tips and recommendations, and compiled them into a kind of crowdsourced gift guide that featured some of the best independent businesses from across London (part one, part two).
This year we’re doing it again, and we’re starting with food and drink. Next week we’ll follow up with stocking fillers, maps, guides, arty stuff and printed things that aren’t books (we’ve already covered them).
Don't forget, if you're not already a paying subscriber and you take out an annual subscription before the end of the year, we'll donate half of the money to CRISIS, the homelessness charity.
Food and drink
Over the summer we interviewed the designer, ephemera fan and sign obsessive, Alistair Hall for our Where Do You Go? series, and his picks were a goldmine for Christmas present inspiration.
Alistair mentioned Labour & Wait as one of the places he always ends up spending too much money, and it’s easy to see why. You could spend hours and a month’s wages just browsing their website. But let us direct you straight to the ‘Gifts’ section and this ‘smoked honey’ whisky sour mix. If you read last year’s Christmas Catalogue then you know we’re a sucker for a handy cocktail enhancer (Gibsons are still selling their’s by the way) and while this doesn’t come with the booze already added, that does mean you get 500ml for your £24 (they also stock a ginger bread old fashioned mixer).
If you’re looking for more of a statement snack or you have a child to buy for who is unimpressed by the usual advent-calendar fare, then you need to go take a look at what’s on offer at Hoxton Street Monster Supplies (Purveyor of Quality Goods for Monsters of Every Kind). The shop supports the Ministry of Stories in Hackney, and has some incredible gifts, including this deliciously realistic chocolate human heart (“acquired while warm and still beating”).
In her recent WDYG? interview Jess Lea-Wilson named The River Cafe as the place she always ends up spending too much money and their online shop is just as wallet-emptying.
They also have a cocktail section, and even though the pre-mixed negroni is sold out as we write this, there’s the River Cafe Arance Amare, which can be warmed up “with a cinnamon stick and some cloves and garnish with a slice of orange”. If you’re going to get stuck into that on Christmas morning then a box of their Cantucci biscuits is the perfect stomach liner (along with a double espresso).
Jess also named wine bar P Franco as one of her places that can never close down, and their sister shop (Noble Fine Liquor) has a flat £10 delivery fee if you’re in London (if you’re within three miles of Broadway market then it’s free if you spend more than £50). There’s a sparkling rosé in a can, some unusual beers, the always-handy gift cards and an impressive ‘£20 or under’ section.
Jess also mentioned Honey & Spice, the grocery store run by the people behind the amazing Middle Eastern restaurant Honey & Co on Lambs Conduit Street. They’ve got an excellent Christmas section in their online shop, which includes words like ‘giant gingergbread cookie’ (above) and ‘chocolate chip panettone’ but the real good stuff is to be found in the ‘Middle Eastern Cupboard’ where you can find some amazing hot sauces and chutneys.
In July, when we interviewed Charlie Baker, editor of The Fence magazine, we talked about ‘the death of Soho’ and Charlie mentioned a bunch of places on Old Compton Street that show Soho is very much alive and kicking. Unfortunately one of those was I Camina & Son, which may not see out the year, but another of Charlie’s favourites was the legendary Gerry’s. If you want something a bit unusual to help you digest Christmas dinner then Gerry’s has you covered. Fig vodka? Gin in a petrol can? Banana bourbon? Or you could just buy your nearest and dearest some rhubarb and raspberry gin in a terrifying ceramic head.
Another Old Compton Street legend mentioned by Charlie was the Algerian Coffee Stores, and they have a great online selection if you want to support them this Christmas. As well as Christmas spice coffee and a limited edition festive Soho tea blend, they also sell things like Christmas pudding fudge and chocolate covered Calabrian figs.
Food and drink adjacent
Back in May we interviewed Jack Chesher, the self-professed ‘London geek’ behind the Living London History blog and guided walks.
His answer to ‘Where do you go if you want to feel comfortable?’ was the Filipino ice cream parlour Mamasons in Kentish Town. Unfortunately you can’t get their toffee apple flavoured ‘dirty ice cream’ in the post, but they do have a good range of merch’ featuring their brilliant logo, and who wouldn’t want to wear an apron that says ‘dirty ice cream’ on it?
Jack's place that would make him cry if it ever closed down was Yardsale Pizza. And while no one is wrapping up a cheese and marmite garlic bread to gift this Christmas we do know a few people who would appreciate one of their beautifully designed shirts, like this Tommy T edition by by Omar Hraib or the Frank Pinello version pictured above.
Going to back to Jess Lea-Wilson’s WDYG? for a second - her ‘perfect thinking spot’ was the Towpath Cafe, and while they’re closed now until the spring, you can pick up a copy of Towpath: Recipes & Stories from their website with the hope that whoever you give it to can recreate both the food and the atmosphere for you until you can go back to the real thing.
We can’t leave the ‘food adjacent’ section without mentioning the books written by Jess herself. There’s a limited number of signed editions of the gorgeous Sea Salt : A Perfectly Seasoned Cookbook available via the Halen Mon website, and you can pick up Do Sea Salt: The Magic of Seasoning for just £8.99.
Finally for part one of this catalogue, we have to mention Andrew Edmunds restaurant in Soho. Charlie Baker named this Soho institution in answer to three separate questions when we spoke to him, and we don’t blame him. It’s an institution for a reason.
As you may know Andrew himself passed away in September of this year, but the restaurant remains open “as he had intended”. and is, apparently, better than ever.
If you’ve never been (or even if you have) then maybe buy someone a gift voucher and hand it over with the stipulation that they have to take you with them when they go.