Author: Wansteadium

Wanstead’s Provender makes it to Michelin Guide

Bravo to Provender, the modern French bistro on Wanstead High Street, which is to be named as one of Michelin’s “Bib Gourmands”, a title which denotes “good food at a moderate price”.

There are just 137 restaurants in Britain and Ireland which will be given the title when the new Michelin Guide is published next week, including Rick Stein’s restaurant in Padstow (the full list is available here).

Congratulations to chef Max Renzland, who is noted for his previous restaurants including Monsieur Max in Hampton Hill which was Michelin-starred. Earlier this year he defended his inclusion of pate de fois gras on the menu at Provender, after local Green Party activists called for it to be removed. He said at the time: “You can eat and buy foie gras in any European country because it’s not inherently cruel. There are bad foie gras farms like there are bad chicken farms and chicken is eaten by a far bigger proportion of the population. A tiny proportion of our customers eat it but it’s about freedom of choice.”

You can read reviews of Provender from our own food blogger Suki Orange and fellow Wansteadium readers here.

 

Live on the edge… spend Saturday at Nice Croissant

It’s not probably anyone’s idea of living dangerously, but try this: pop in to Nice Croissant this weekend, and sip your coffee in defiance of planning regulations.

Nice Croissant has been on Wanstead High Street for more than 15 years, but in getting their local authority licensing updated they needed to demonstrate that they had been operating in the same spot for 10 years. The evidence submitted to the council did not meet the requirements (in spite of the evidence of everyone’s eyes and memories, including several councillors who are long-time customers). So the application for a “certificate of lawful development” has been rejected.

A spokesperson for Redbridge Council told Wansteadium:

“This is not retrospective planning permission, it is submitted to establish that the use at the site has been in operation for 10 or more years, which would mean it is lawful and would not require planning permission. The application was refused due to lack of information but the applicant would be able to submit a further application at any time. This means there is currently not planning permission for the use outlined however, if there is sufficient proof that the use currently operating at the site has been in place for 10 or more years, an application for Certificate of Lawful Development or Use (Existing) would be approved.”

So it seems there is no reason to panic – and boss Kerrie Dainty is certainly not panicking – and that the red tape can be solved with the right forms. But if the coffee feels like it’s got a bit of extra kick, you’ll know why.

Er… excuse us, Wanstead, but WTF???

Wansteadium readers love Wanstead for its tranquility, civility, and for the shared belief that it’s a jolly nice place. So, with all due respect, Wansteadium feels duty bound to ask: “Wanstead? WTF?”

We refer to headlines from the past two weeks.

• Wanstead man steps in to tackle mugger at Santander cashpoint in Wanstead High Street
Scaffolder Tommy Stapleton, sitting at Bar Room Bar and telling his mate how nice Wanstead was, sees an old man getting mugged. He chases and catches one of the muggers and, in his words, gave him a “proper hiding”. There was blood. Some people apparently accused Tommy of committing a racist assault. The mugger ran off.

• Cat is shot in Drummond Road, Wanstead
A two-year-old girl was distraught after her pet cat Coco came home having been shot with an air rifle. In Drummond Road.

• A 22-year-old man was shot in the hand in Sidney Road (not strictly Wanstead, but on the edge of Wanstead Flats)

• OAPs are mugged at Barclays and Natwest cashpoints on Wanstead High Street within space of three days
TWO pensioners have slammed plans to close the area’s police stations after being robbed within three days of each other at neighbouring cashpoints.

• Wanstead is named as 13th worst area in the country for car thefts, according to Swinton Insurance. South Woodford is 10th worst.

All readers are requested to suck their teeth and shake their head slowly while staring into the middle distance.

Wanstead property update: Reach for the Alka-Seltzer

Wansteadium’s property blogger George C Parker writes:

Dear Wansteadians, once again the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness is upon us. Horse chestnuts and wild blackberries abound, and the streets are once more abuzz with swarms of smart young people in their school uniforms which are not quite yet scruffy.

This time a year ago, I commented on the opening of the behemoth Stratford Westfield centre, with a note of cautious optimism for Wanstead High Street. It was interesting to note that our appeal for nominations for anyone from Wanstead who had not yet been to Westfield garnered a single response. Can it really be true that only one person hasn’t been there? Surely some mistake.

Overall I think our half-full glass was justified. Despite the economic pinch, there have been some very welcome new business openings – the new ice cream/milkshake bar (or “milshake”, as their banners had it) being an example. Initiatives such as Independents Day did a good job of helping to remind residents about the great little owner-run enterprises in our midst. And slowly but surely, some of the tardier building projects appear to be edging closer to completion. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Now that the fabulous summer of Games is over, some normality is returning to the Wanstead lettings market. Team GB may have showered themselves in Olympic gold in a way that some short-term landlords could only dream of. The BBC discovered that too many properties were advertised at unrealistic price levels. Some lettings professionals may be gloomily talking of the ‘post-Olympic hangover’; no doubt a dose of the Alka-Seltzer of reality would do the market some good. However, quality properties in good areas should be resilient investments. Perhaps a family with an eye for ceramic fittings might like this six-bedroomed property, available either furnished or unfurnished, and ideally located for both horse chestnuts and smart young people in new school uniforms.

Finally, as Ron Burgundy once said, I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany. But others prefer a more contemporary decor, their La Defense to my Louvre. City workers who toil surrounded by highly-polished steel and glass may find something to their taste here – a superbly located modern apartment with easy access to both Tube stations. Very smart.

• One further point. Dedicated followers of Wansteadium might be interested to note our guest appearance in a rather glossy property magazine produced and distributed by those Woodbine stalwarts Petty Son & Prestwich. If you didn’t receive a copy, I’m sure you could pop into the shop to ask for one.

All of which gave us an idea. I know I’m full of interesting facts and fascinating details, but what if someone had some real actual serious queries about house buying, selling, renting, improving, that sort of thing… Who could give such advice? Step forward John Wagstaff Esq of aforementioned estate agents. Let us have your questions – keep them property-based, please – by email to info@wansteadium.com. John will endeavour to give some answers.