A Grade II listed, art nouveau building in the heart of Camberwell, south London, has become the home of a high-end independent grocery.
Set to open on 19 March, Gladwell’s will stock premium products from London suppliers, including bakery items from Flor, Papos Bagels and St John Bakery, meat from The Butchery and Fosse Meadows, cheese from Mons Cheesemongers and Neal’s Yard, and fruit & veg from All Greens.
The new business will also feature a deli offering coffee, pastries and sandwiches such as salt beef bagels and spiced aubergine focaccia.
The basement of the building, formerly a bank vault, will be a wine cellar and bottle shop, with wine from Wines Under the Bonnet and beer from Kernel and Braybrooke. The space will host regular tasting sessions and be available for private hire.
Gladwell’s also plans to add a range of weekly grocery boxes for home delivery, featuring the likes of a seasonal fruit & vegetable box, essentials, breakfast goods and Sunday lunch. Local social justice charity St Giles Trust Pantry will receive £5 from the sale of every box.
The retailer’s mission was to provide “great value, exceptional food and drink” it said. “The aim is to serve as a one-stop shop for those wanting to buy groceries.”
The building that houses Gladwell’s is more than 100 years old, having been a bank from 1918 until the 1980s. For the past 30 years, it was a solicitors office. The grocer’s team aims to restore the 1,200 sq ft space to accentuate the double height windows and art nouveau frontage – and introduce light and open interiors “that let the produce speak for itself”.
“If there is one thing that successive lockdowns have proved, it is that every neighbourhood needs a local, independent grocery store,” said restaurateur James Dye, who co-founded Gladwell’s with Stanley Allen. Both have considerable experience in food and drink.
During the first lockdown in 2020, Dye was forced to close his restaurant in Camberwell. Having turned it into a temporary grocery store, he “saw first-hand the important role that independent shops can play at the heart of local communities” he adds. “So, I am very excited that we have been able to embark on a brand new project.”
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