Steaks, ales and oat lattes — Wimbledon workers share their favourite spots in SW19

This week we speak to local businesses about their best-selling items, their biggest challenges, and their favourite neighbourhood spots.

Hello Wimblers — and a happy Thursday to you all! I hope that everyone is enjoying their week so far. Please do share the newsletter with friends or family who might not have signed up yet:

This week’s post is all about getting to know your neighbourhood. I’ve spent the last few days chatting with different businesses about everything from their best-selling items to their local recommendations. Scroll down to hear about Wimbledon’s obsession with oat lattes, the difficulty of footfall in non-commuter areas and the best pub for a Sunday roast.

You can also expect your usual news snippets, a stunning “cottagecore” property of the week and some fantastic recommendations for the week ahead.

Share your photos of the week and send ideas, leads, stories and feedback to zak@thewimble.com.

Oh, and if anyone has any photos from this year’s fireworks display, please send those my way too.

Happy reading!

---

News snippets 🗞

🎇 Wimbledon Park was the only main capital park to host a fireworks display for Bonfire Night this year. The occasion was supported by a musical score (Taylor Swift was a notable feature) as well as food stalls and a funfair. Check out host Charlie Shakespeare’s Twitter to see a video of the impressive pyrotechnics here.

⚽️ AFC Wimbledon beat their bitter rivals MK Dons 2-0 on Sunday, securing their progression to the next round of the FA Cup. The feud between the two teams dates back to the relocation of Wimbledon FC to Milton Keynes with both sides claiming the term “Dons”. The rivalry has been named one of "5 of the fiercest rivalries in the Football League”.

🎄Christmas comes to Wimbledon with the Quarter’s ice rink opening on the 16th of November and Winterfest taking place on the 23rd of November. Grab your ice rink tickets here.

📚 Wimbledon BookFest reached its largest audience since the festival was founded 17 years ago. Despite having lost its second-biggest funder earlier this year, the BookFest has continued to go from strength to strength. More than 15,000 people attended the 70 events held over 10 days. Learn more about the successes of this year’s festival.

🤍 A tea room dedicated to the memory of a young woman who lost her life in a tragic road accident will have its grand opening this weekend. Lillie’s in the Garden is celebrating its launch in Merton and Sutton Joint Cemetery. The tea room has been created by Lillie’s mother, Debbie. Read about Lillie’s story and the motivation behind the tea room here.

🍺 A former local pub is set to become a 24-hour gym. The Edward Rayne pub on Coombe Lane — a Wetherspoon’s — held the title for “cheapest pint in the area” before closing its doors in 2021. Now Snap Fitness is planning to open a three-storey gym complex in its place.

---

Property of the week 🏡

Thornton Road, Wimbledon, SW19

This is what they mean when they say Wimbledon is where “town meets country”. This two-bedroom Victorian terraced house reminds me of a country cottage — think Jude Law and Cameron Diaz sitting by the fire in The Holiday. The property boasts a feature fireplace, a front and back garden, and a kitchen/breakfast room straight out of a 19th century period drama. All that for £1,400,000! Here’s hoping I win the lottery. Check out more details here.

---

The Wimble’s to do list 🎯

🎊 Loy Krathong Festival at the Buddhapadipa Temple — the Thai festival takes place this Sunday. Those wishing to celebrate can head over to Wimbledon’s very own Buddhapadipa Temple to take part in floating krathongs (lotus-shaped vessels) across the pond, experiencing cultural performances on stage, merit making and blessings, and enjoying authentic Thai food. Oh, and I should probably mention that it’s free!

Where: Buddhapadipa Temple, 14 Calonne Road London SW19 5HJ

When: Sunday 10th November, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

💓 Life Coaching Through a Male Lens with Massimo Comuzzi — this “Movember”, join Massimo at Wimbledon Library for three free sessions all about growth, men’s mental health and reframing challenges as positive stepping stones. You’ll need to book your spot here if you’d like to attend. The workshops are a “non-judgemental space” and a chance to express vulnerability alongside practical strategies and “actionable advice”.

Where: Wimbledon Library, 35 Wimbledon High Road, SW19 7NB

When: Monday 11th November (first session), 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

🍺 Beer Masterclass at the Hand in Hand — general manager Andrew is back with another evening of sipping and learning. Andrew will take you through the beer basics and the raw materials, explain the brewing process and give each of you a chance to try some beer (the best part). Tickets can be purchased here. All proceeds go to Wimbledon and Putney Commons.

Where: The Hand in Hand, 6 Crooked Billet, SW19 4RQ

When: Wednesday 13th November, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

⛲️ Three Great Families and Their Gardens: An Arts Society Lecture by Caroline Rahman — this talk delves into the stories of three successful families: the Sackville-Wests, the Astors and the Rothschilds. Caroline will discuss the history of each family, consider their contributions to England and commemorate the beautiful gardens that they created at Sissinghurst, Cliveden and Waddesdon. Grab your tickets here.

Where: Sacred Heart Church Hall, Edge Hill, London SW19 4LU (and on Zoom)

When: Wednesday 13th November, 8:00 PM

🍜 Cooking demonstration: Artisan Ramen — Vallebona’s Vineria wine bar is holding another cooking masterclass next week. This time it’s all about ramen! Tickets are £20 and include a welcome drink, lunch, tasting samples and those all-important recipes.

Where: Vallebona’s Vineria wine bar, Wimbledon Village

When: Wednesday 13th November, 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM

---

Have you ever wondered where the workers of Wimbledon go when they’re not on shift?📍

This week, I hit the streets of Wimbledon to ask the folks who toil in local businesses about life in SW19. I asked the same three questions in each place I visited: What’s your best-selling item at the moment? What is the biggest challenge as a local business? Which spot in Wimbledon — not including your own — would you recommend to our readers? After a few days of running around and sweating like a pig (I wore too many layers), here is what I found.

Jack from Provenance Butcher

Provenance Butcher — Jack

Best-selling item:

Ribeye steaks sell really well, as do sausages, chicken legs and chicken breasts. This time of year it’s a lot of slow-cooking stuff.

Biggest challenges:

I’d say the big supermarkets. Online can also be a problem. But I think that nowadays a good butcher will always do well.

Favourite spot:

I love the Rose and Crown or the Hand in Hand — both lovely little pubs. Oh, and Prezzemolo & Vitale is great.

Rose and Crown — Grace + Rosie

Best-selling item:

One of the Young’s ales — probably the Young’s London Original.

Biggest challenges:

The end of the summer is usually the dead period — sort of mid-September into October. Then we get the Halloween rush and the Christmas boom before the dry month of January.

Favourite spot:

Definitely the Hand in Hand.

Carluccio’s — Georgia

Best-selling item:

The Penne Giardiniera.

Biggest challenges:

The quiet period, which starts in the middle of August and ends … last week [laughs].

Favourite spot:

The Dog and Fox. Oh, and the Giggling Squid!

Abby from Demitasse

Demitasse — Abby

Best-selling item:

It has to be coffee. I’d say an oat flat white.

Biggest challenges:

Definitely losing business to chains.

Favourite spot:

The Fox and Grapes for the Sunday Roast — it’s amazing!

Chango Empanadas — Jacque

Best-selling item:

The classic beef, the spicy chicken and the pumpkin and goat cheese for the veggie option.

Biggest challenges:

I think weekdays are challenging, because they’re quieter, but then we do get very busy on the weekends.

Favourite spot:

Patara.

Stage Door Steakhouse & Greek Cuisine — Soto

Best-selling item:

It’s got to be the steaks. Any of the steaks. That’s our speciality.

Biggest challenges:

Footfall. It just stops around the corner — right by the TK Maxx.

Favourite spot:

Al Forno is great. Great pizzas.

Bliss Coffee — Mark

Best-selling item:

Apart from the coffees, I’d say our homemade banana bread and carrot cake.

Biggest challenges:

Footfall can be unpredictable though we’re lucky to catch the commuters here on The Broadway. But the biggest challenge for us as a local business came this year in May when a driver drove through our shop window at 6 in the morning on a Sunday. We had to close the place for three weeks.

Favourite spot:

Bombay Delight.

Francisco (left) and Johannes (right) from Jeroboams

Jeroboams — Johannes + Francisco

Best-selling item:

I’d probably say Amy’s wine, which has a great backstory. It’s from Western Australia and is named after the lady who previously owned the land to the winery. After she sold her beef farm to Moss Wood, she continued to live on the land, serving tea and feeding the workers there. When she died, they named this wine after her as a sort of homage.

Biggest challenges:

I think Wimbledon Village is very weather orientated. When it chucks it down with rain, we’re going to be empty. It’s like a ghost town when the weather is really bad. And the Village is not a commuter area, so we’re reliant on locals.

Favourite spot:

The Black Lamb, who we actually have a wine collab with on Tuesdays!

Gardenia: Florist — Francesca

Best-selling item:

I think all of our flowers are selling really well. If I had to pick, I’d say hydrangeas.

Biggest challenges:

I don’t know about challenges, but we’ve been open 25 years, and we have great customers as a local business.

Favourite spot:

Patara is really nice.

Prezzemolo & Vitale — Eleonora + Alessandro

Best-selling item:

Any of Le Eccellenze di P&V pasta varieties sell really well.

Biggest challenges:

During the week it can be really slow in Wimbledon because, well, we cater to locals and they’re usually at work then.

Favourite spot:

Carluccio’s.

Julio from Al Forno

Al Forno — Julio

Best-selling item:

Saltimbocca alla Romana.

Biggest challenges:

Lunchtimes are dead as a local business, but when there’s a show on at the New Wimbledon Theatre, our footfall really picks up.

Favourite spot:

Wahaca.

Bailey & Sage — Mariana

Best-selling item:

The Gordal olives are always a bestseller.

Biggest challenges:

I think Christmas time is really good for a local business, but holidays like half term can really slow down business.

Favourite spot:

I haven’t actually had a chance to try anywhere yet, but I’d really like to go to the Black Lamb and The Ivy.

---

Question of the week 🔍

Last week I asked which famous singer — whose first album was titled Panic Prevention — hails from Wimbledon. The answer: Jamie T.

Q: How many bombs fell on the grounds of the All England Club on October 11th, 1940?

---

You’re up to date 👋

Thanks for reading! I hope that you enjoyed the newsletter. Please do check out some of the spots that local workers recommended. Drop me an email if you have a recommendation for a cafe, pub, bar or business that wasn’t featured above. As ever, get in touch with ideas, leads, feedback and stories at zak@thewimble.com. Oh, and please hit that share button below!