From the monasteries of Greece to the homes of SW19
Plus: Is Wimbledon suffering a bicycle theft epidemic?
Good morning, Wimblers — I hope that everyone is having a fine week so far! Halloween is tomorrow, so I trust all of you have your costumes sorted.
This week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Wimbledon locals Markella Kyropoulou and Konstantinos Papadopoulos. The couple, both born in Greece, moved to London in 2015 and have since raised their family here. This February, they decided to launch Mona Healthy Foods, a new venture focusing on bringing traditional cuisine from Greek monasteries to the UK. Scroll down to read all about their life in Wimbledon, what inspired them to start Mona and what life is like for the nuns and monks in these monasteries.
We also have your usual news snippets, plenty of recommendations for the coming days, and a chic property of the week.
Happy reading and please keep sharing The Wimble with your friends, family and whoever else needs to hear the word!
Another exclusive Wimble reader deal at Wimbledon Quarter ⛸
Wimblers are in luck! Wimbledon Quarter has very kindly offered ALL Wimble readers a 15% discount off tickets for their Christmas ice rink throughout the festive season! Talk about a bargain. Readers can claim their discount by using the code “WIMBLEREADER” when buying tickets here. Aren’t we lucky?
News snippets 🗞
🚨 Wimbledon has been deemed a “hotbed of bike theft”, with some cyclists “scared to leave the station”, according to this recent report in MyLondon. Local MP Paul Kohler said that cyclists across Wimbledon are becoming increasingly concerned about bike theft, as there are no real consequences for thieves. Kohler, along with the support of Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, has called for action to be taken after Mr Davey said the crime had become “essentially decriminalised”. The Lib Dems are calling for “Operation Bike Bait”, a targeted policing plan that would use GPS-tracked bikes to catch offenders and share intelligence between boroughs. Let us know if you have been affected by bicycle thefts in Wimbledon by dropping a comment below.
❌ A plea has been issued in Mitcham as the town prepares to lose its last bank (Lloyds). Mitcham and Morden MP Dame Siobhain McDonagh has called on the operator of the UK’s banking hubs, LINK, to reconsider its decision that Mitcham is ineligible for in-person banking. The Lloyds branch in the neighbourhood is due to close in January 2026. Read the full story in the Standard.
🚃 This is your reminder that several tram lines to and from Wimbledon are not running this week. Click here to read the full details and find out which bus replacement services are running.
♻️ Textile recycling banks are being reintroduced across Merton. Eighteen new banks, operated by Astra Recycling, are being installed throughout October across the borough — including supermarket car parks, sports grounds and transport hubs. Residents can drop off clean, reusable items such as clothing, paired shoes, towels and bedding. More details can be found in Merton’s press release.
🏗️ Topland has completed a £17m debt facility for St George’s House East, Wimbledon. The building, opposite Wimbledon Station, is expected to include co-living accommodation as well as a mix of retail and commercial spaces in its redevelopment. Read more about the proposed plans here.
Property of the week 🏡
Fun fact: this building was once home to Queen Victoria’s dentist! Talk about blending history with modernity! And this two-bedroom flat — within the same property — is really rather nice, if I do say so myself. With wooden floorboards, a huge bay window and a mezzanine level accessible by feature stairs, this property possesses a certain sense of grandeur. As one would hope when the price tag is £1m. Salivate over more photos here.
The Wimble’s to-do list 🎃
🎉 Loy Krathong Festival at Wat Buddhapadipa: Celebrate the popular Thai festival this year at the Buddhapadipa Temple in Wimbledon. There will be floating krathongs on the pond, merit making and blessings, authentic Thai food and a cultural performance on stage. The festival is also entirely free to attend.
Where: Buddhapadipa Temple, Wimbledon
When: Sunday 2 November, 10am – 5pm
🦁 The Lion King Exhibition at Wimbledon Quarter: This is your last chance to catch the amazing costumes and puppets from the brilliant stage-adaptation of The Lion King. Remember, this exhibition is entirely free and is a great weekend activity for the whole family.
Where: Wimbledon Quarter
When: Monday 20 October — Saturday 1 November
🎃 Halloween at The Ivy Cafe: Head to The Ivy this Halloween as it transforms into The Ivy Emerald City. Expect goody bags for the kids as well as face painting and live entertainment. Rumour has it there will also be a special Halloween-themed dessert. Book your table here.
Where: The Ivy, Wimbledon Village
When: Friday 31 October, 3–5pm
🃏 Friends of Cannizaro Park Charity Bridge Drive: No, this is not a charity event for those wanting to drive their cars across Wimbledon Bridge. This popular annual event is actually for lovers of bridge, the card game, and is held in aid of Friends of Cannizaro Park. Important info: you will need to bring cards, bidding boxes, a bridge cloth and cash for the raffle.
Where: Bell Epoque room, Hotel Du Vin, Cannizaro House
When: Monday 3 November, 2–5pm
🍷 Wine and music at Friarwood: Join the guitarist Jack Hancher for an evening of Spanish music paired with three carefully curated Spanish wines. This unique event costs £35 per person — tickets can be bought here.
Where: Friarwood Wines, Wimbledon Village
When: Tuesday 4 November, 7.30pm
🍄 Fungi Foray at Wimbledon Common Nature Club: The nature club is back this Sunday, and this time the theme is fungi! This month, Dr June Chatfield of the South London Botanical Institute joins the team for a foray into fungi. As ever, this event is free for your children to attend.
Where: Information Centre, Windmill Road
When: Sunday 2 November, 10am – 12pm
🧶 Poppy-making workshop: This family-friendly event explores the history of Wimbledon during the Blitz — see our article with architect and local historian Norman Plastow about SW19’s history during WWII — and how the village hall next to the museum once housed families who had been bombed during the war. Children will also get to make their own crafted poppies. Note: the entire event is free!
Where: Wimbledon Museum
When: Sunday 9 November, 1–5pm
From the monasteries of Greece to the homes of SW19 🧀
Wimbledon locals Markella Kyropoulou and Konstantinos Papadopoulos were both born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city. The couple met there before relocating to London in 2015. Markella and Konstantinos have spent much of their adult lives working in the corporate world — finance and advertising, respectively — but this year they decided to embark on a new adventure.
Growing up in Greece, they developed a close relationship with the monks and nuns that worked at the various monasteries near to their home. These monasteries have a rich history of producing high-quality traditional Greek food products, and after ten years in London, Markella and Konstantinos decided it was time to share these products with the rest of the UK: enter Mona Healthy Foods. I sat down with the pair this week to talk about everything from the joys of “proper” olive oil and the rich history of monastic food production in Greece to their enduring love for Wimbledon and what it takes to make an authentic Greek cheese.
The Wimble: Let’s start with a simple question. Why did you want to bring products from Greek monasteries to the UK?
Markella: We grew up with these products. From an early age, I was consuming fresh produce: pure and natural olive oils, authentic cheeses made the proper way. We were used to it. For instance, it was very common for us to take a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil every morning as a way to cleanse our system. When we moved to the UK ten years ago, we didn’t realise what we would miss. We didn’t realise how different it would be. And since moving, we’ve struggled to find good-quality Greek products. So for many years, we would pack our bags full of traditional Greek food whenever we travelled home. We also felt that British people should have the option to access these products.
Konstantinos: We also saw it as a means of supporting the monasteries and their work. For us, it was a win-win. We got to share our beautiful cuisine with the UK whilst giving back to the monasteries that we grew up with.
How important are these monasteries in Greece today? Do they still have a big impact on the wider community?
K: Oh, absolutely. I think religion and history go hand-in-hand in Greece, and these monasteries are there to preserve that history. Over the centuries, it’s been their job to maintain the language, culture and traditions of Greece. But they’re also sanctuaries for many people, especially those living in the countryside. They’re there to help you, and they do so for free.
M: They’re also extremely important for charity work. They don’t often advertise this, but they do so much for charity. In fact, one of the monasteries that we partner with has its own medical centre where people go for free treatments. These treatments can be anything from cancer care to therapy. But it’s not just about financial support. Monasteries in Greece are there to help you spiritually and emotionally too. Another one of our partnered monasteries is in Mount Olympus, the Monastery of Saint Dionysius, and we’ve been going there for years. When I visit that monastery, it’s like going home. I can’t describe it, but it feels like nowhere else on earth.
You’ve lived in Wimbledon for many years. What do you think the area has given you? What do you think makes SW19 so special?
M: The people. The people really make Wimbledon what it is. It’s a lovely mix of residents who have been here all their lives and others, like us, who moved here from other places or other countries. Wimbledon feels like a place that keeps evolving. It’s not one of those areas where shops are boarded up and people are moving out — it’s the opposite! I also think it’s a great balance of young people, people with families and elderly people here.
K: And it’s also such a beautiful place. Just walking from our house to meet you today is a joyful experience, especially when it’s sunny. Just being in Wimbledon and walking around can make me feel better.
Where would you like Mona Healthy Foods to be in five years’ time?
M: We’d love to have a physical presence in Wimbledon: a space where people can come and actually taste our food in person. I think there’s something special about doing these things face to face. We’d also like to partner with more monasteries, but that can be tricky. These monasteries don’t really want to “make” money. It’s not a priority for them, nor should it be. But at the same time, we’re able to support their charity work by selling these products for them, so I just hope we can continue to do that. To be honest, our real dream is to be able to reach everyone in the UK with our products, just so everyone has the opportunity to choose our food… if they want to, of course!
So what is it that these monks and nuns actually produce, and why?
K: It’s interesting because it’s something that happened gradually over hundreds of years. It started out as a way of living off the land and being self-sufficient. Of course it also saved them money, and they could even make a small income by selling the produce to locals. But over time, it’s developed into something much bigger. Now, many of these monasteries are famous for their cheeses and olive oils.
M: At the moment, we’re bringing over a variety of authentic cheeses — feta, of course, but also kefalotyri and graviera — as well as naturally and traditionally harvested olives, olive oil, fig and blackcurrant jams, herbs and teas. We’ve even got this very authentic Greek pasta that’s made with yoghurt, milk and flour called Trahanas. And we’ve been amazed by how open British people have been to the idea and how much they’re loving it!
And lastly, what has the local reaction been like to the Greek produce so far?
M: I think people have consistently liked it so far. They often say how surprised they are by how much they enjoy it, and that’s the best feedback we can get, really. We started Mona because we wanted people to have the option to try this sort of produce, and so when people come back to us and tell us that they’ve enjoyed it, that’s a great feeling.
K: One person said it brought back memories of their holiday to Greece, which is such a nice thing to hear. Oh, and another person even went on a holiday to Greece after trying one of our cheeses and then asked the hotel where they could get the cheese locally! The hotel had to look up the name of the cheese on Google, find the monastery and get in touch with us that way.
Check out the lovely produce on the Mona Healthy Foods website. I was lucky enough to try some of their Kalamon-variety olives from the Holy Convent of the Annunciation, Ormylia, Halkidiki, which I’d strongly encourage olive lovers like me to get their hands on. But more than that, let’s support and rally around our local independent businesses!
Question of the week 🔍
Last week, I presented a list of famous actresses and asked which of them was born in Wimbledon. The answer: Victoria Hamilton
Q: In which year did Wimbledon win the FA Cup?
You’re up to date 👋
Thank you for reading this week’s edition of The Wimble. I hope you enjoyed our interview with Markella and Konstantinos — please do look out for an upcoming event where you can have your chance to try their unique Greek produce. As ever, keep sharing The Wimble with your friends, family and neighbours. And get in touch with any ideas for stories: zak@thewimble.com. Other than that, have a great week, and we’ll see you next Thursday.
As a newly-elected Merton Councillor, my road bike got nicked on my first trip to the council offices for my induction. I thought, government building, there's bound to be cctv. There wasn't! The bike was outside the front door. And it was in broad daylight. Glad Paul Kohler is looking into this.