Pop Up
Fairtrade is imagining the supermarket of the future and spotlighting the staple items, like coffee, chocolate and bananas, that are most at risk of becoming endangered from the climate crisis with pop-up shop The Endangered Aisle. The store will include info on how choosing Fairtrade products helps to support farmers in adapting to climate change and protect the future of food. A limited number of produce will be given away each day The Endangered Aisle is open, and any surplus food will be donated to The Felix Project.
CUE POINT AT GOD'S GARDEN
Award-winning British Afghan smokehouse Cue Point is moving west with their latest residency at God’s Garden in Marylebone. You can head to the winter terrace hideout from Weds-Sun to enjoy Cue Point’s acclaimed menu of British classics infused with Afghan flavours. Expect the likes of a whole rack of oak smoked lamb ribs served with Afghan chutney, soured yoghurt & pickles; a brisket, smoked aubergine or chicken ‘naco’ (naan taco), a smashed beef burger; and a deep-fried root veg burger. Plus, there’ll be sides such as fries with smoked aioli, three-cheese mac & cheese and sweetcorn ribs with a Cue Point house rub. And on Sundays, you’ll be able to grab a special roast, featuring smoked meats paired with all the traditional trimmings.
CALCIFER'S KITCHEN AT SELFRIDGES
In honour of the final Loewe collab with Studio Ghibli – this collection is based on Howl’s Moving Castle – the brand has got French culinary studio Balbosté to take over Dolly’s Cafe in Selfridges and turn it into Calcifer’s Kitchen (he’s the little fire demon who cooks in the movie FYI). You’ll be able to try breakfast and aperitivo menus based on scenes from the film, but the afternoon tea is the real showstopper – it includes a lobster-filled charcoal chou Fire bun, Broomstick with sauce in a hat, Calcifer & Loewe macarons, verbena jelly Cloud terrine, and apricot & marzipan-filled Flower pie.
YAYOI KUSAMA X LOUIS VUITTON
Harrods is celebrating the latest collab between legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton with a totally dotty immersive pop-up. As well as pieces from the range on display, there’s an animatronic Kusama in the window, a claw machine where you can win prizes, a free photobooth, a patisserie counter stocked with colourful choux buns and eclairs, and of course, there are polka dots absolutely everywhere, with mirrored surfaces creating that infinity room feel. There’s no need to book, so walk on in and explore.
FROM THE ASHES AT DEVIANT & DANDY
They’ve shut up the hatch in Hackney Wick where it all started and but the From The Ashes crew are bringing their BBQ back east for a one-off pop up at the Deviant & Dandy taproom in Hackney Central. The trio will be serving up a very limited menu – aka ribs – with the D&D team taking care of the brews. Once the meat is gone, it’s gone, so you’ll want to get there when they start serving at 1pm!
ANYA'ZZZ
Anya Hindmarch is back with another pop-up and this one is all about sleep. Anya’ZZZ, a soft and serene space dedicated to helping you catch those zzzs with ease, is filled with a range of sleep products from the likes of Dyson, Lumie and Mono Pillow. You’ll also be able to check out the Anya Hindmarch sleep capsule collection, which includes all over eyes sleep masks and Corn Flakes pyjamas, and get involved in workshops led by world-renowned sleep experts.
Following their autumn pop-up at Louie Louie in Kennington, Retan, the supperclub from sommelier and chef team Cameron Dewar and Josh Dallaway, is pitching up at Renegade Winery in Walthamstow. The menu will feature dishes like Chalk Stream trout crudo with winter citrus, urfa chilli & buttermilk; Norfolk guinea fowl with baked squash & pumpkin seed pesto; and Peterhead pollock with Mayan Golds & sauce Americaine, with a wine selection curated by Cameron. As well as running the set menu, Retan will offer a £15 plat du jour menu on Wednesdays and a regularly changing bar snack menu.
After a successful inaugural pop-up on Carnaby Street in the autumn, Are You Mad is back with a second edition – this time on Soho’s Berwick Street. The concept makes recycling visible and comes as an experiment in circularity and creativity, finding inventive ways to give plastic a second life. By collecting high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene from broken hangers, milk bottles, bottle caps, and food crates, Are You Mad is able to turn the single-use materials into over 100 different useful products for sale at the limited-time shop. Now, you can drop by and turn your coffee cup lids, shampoo bottles and takeaway cutlery into the likes of coasters, hair combs, incense holders and fruit bowls all with that signature recycled plastic marbled effect.
Eleven98, run by chef Aidan Brooks, is one of the most sustainable dining experiences in London. 100% of the produce used on its menus comes from within the borough of Hackney, with Aidan growing a lot himself in London Fields, foraging for fruits and berries, and sourcing ingredients from Growing Communities’ Patchwork Farm market gardens and St Mary’s Secret Garden, meaning his food has almost no food miles or carbon foortprint. The 12-seat supper clubs, held on Friday nights at a secret Hackney location, include welcome cocktails made using spirits from the 58 & Co distillery in Haggerston and a nine-course tasting menu showcasing the best organically-grown produce in the borough, with dishes like cucumber, labneh & pumpernickel; potato gnocchi with brown butter, parmesan & sage; and rhubarb, brownie crumbs & French toast. Who knew Hackney was so tasty?
Jermyn Street is taking a layer of stress off of your Christmas shopping by pedestrianising the whole strip for one full day. Right in the heart of St James, the historic shopping street is lined with some of the city’s finest men’s tailors, shirt makers, suppliers of leather goods, food and wine merchants, restaurants, hotels and art galleries and now you’ll be able to enjoy them without a constant hum of traffic. To sweeten the deal even more, there’ll be a whole host of circus-inspired entertainment, including theatrical performers, gospel singers, DJs, mirrored ballerinas and LED jugglers. And if you’re feeling peckish, you’ll be able to grab a bite to eat at the KERB-curated street food market, meanwhile, Nyetimber will be serving up fizz from a stationary Routemaster bus. But wave bye bye to your car or bus, they can’t join you here, this event is for bipeds only.
ONE Essentials, a premium circular basics brand, has teamed up with slow fashion specialists Saywood Studio to launch pop-up shop ‘The Collective’ in Leyton this December. Taking over the residency space at Yardarm, ‘The Collective’ will feature a selection of local and independent brands selling a range of sustainable ceramics, homeware, scent, jewellery and clothing.
ECCLESTON YARDS CHRISTMAS MARKET
A Christmas market is popping up in Eccleston Yards with a whole range of gifts to shop, including homewares, accessories, jewellery, art, ceramics and baked goods, with 20 makers curated by Studio Pottery London. There’ll be live music, seasonal food and mulled wine on offer too to make it extra festive.
Shop from traditional and contemporary Japanese arts and crafts at this spesh Yokimono market curated by Furuki Yo-Kimono. There’ll be ceramics, illustrations, vintage kimono, stationery, clothing, jewellery and more made in Japan or produced by Japanese artists in London on offer, alongside lots of Japanese food, sweets and tea. With live music, furoshiki gift wrapping, kimono dressing, and tea ceremony demos too, there’ll be plenty to keep you entertained in between all that shopping and snacking.
SNOWDAY IN BROOKLYN
Westbourne Grove’s resident American, Sunday in Brooklyn, is rolling out the snow carpet this Christmas for their seasonal pop-up. The ground floor of the restaurant has been transformed into a cosy winter wonderland full of twinkly lights, baubles and blankets. The cocktail list has been given a festive makeover too, with 15 new and limited-time drinks making an appearance. Expect the likes of the Grinch Don’t Kill My Vibe (mezcal, pisco, menthe, cacao, douglas fir & patchouli), Hot for Santa (mezcal, krupnik honey, cassis, hot apple cider, ginger beer, lime & horseradish) and Dude, Where’s My Sled? (Japanese gin, calvados, apple, basil, celery, porcini, blueberry, lime & absinthe). Cheers to that!
Santa Claus is taking time out of his busy schedule to visit Anya’s Village in Chelsea this Christmas. From now until Christmas Eve, kids of all ages can venture through moonlit forests and snow to Anya’s Grotto, designer Anya Hindmarch’s very own winter wonderland. Inside, there’ll be hot drinks, festive treats and a story read by Santa himself. Afterwards, you can visit the gift shop full of limited-edition gifts and Christmas decorations, including baubles, teddies, puzzles and Christmas crackers. Tickets are priced at £45 for one adult and one child – just make sure to book ahead.
NEEM ECOLOGICAL EMPORIUM
Neem London, a climate-conscious menswear brand, has launched a limited-time, eco-friendly shopping destination in St James – just in time for Christmas. The pop-up stocks a carefully curated range of low-emitting and innovative brands, so you can browse the likes of circular basics from ONE Essentials, sustainable sunglasses from Pala, luxury candles and homeware from Concrete & Wax and coffee from 39 Steps.
Foodie marketplace DELLI is popping up IRL at Brixton Village’s Market Row, so you can shop from cool indie food and drink brands, like Dr. Sting’s Hot Honey, Two Hot Asians’ XO Sauce and Sambal, Rio Nuevo Chocolate’s Cinnamon Hot Chocolate, Kefir Magic’s Coconut Milk Kefir and Fallow Goods’ Red Hot Pepper Jelly, in the run up to Christmas. As well as weekend retail opportunities, the pop-up will also host three Tuesday supper clubs from Bre Graham, who’ll be serving up comforting dishes from her debut cookbook; a Tunisian family-style dinner from Lamiri Harissa; and a porchetta roast dinner from Madame Pigg’s Adam Hardiman.
Harrods is living its best Hansel & Gretel fantasy this winter with the gingerbread-themed Dior Cafe popping up inside the department store. The space is decked out with gingerbread, Dior motifs, gold tableware, and toile de Jouy seating, and the food menu is just as luxe, featuring the likes of smoked salmon & caviar omelette, roasted chestnut veloute with chanterelles & black truffle, lobster thermidor, halibut meuniere with samphire, Christmas tree honey cake with creme anglaise, and poached pear baba with ginger creme. And you can take a little bit of the cafe – and Dior – home with you in the shape of Saddle and Lady Dior bags, J’adore perfume, and Oblique suit gingerbread biscuits.