The jury is still out as to whether the mind boggling juggernaut that is Elephant Park is actually in the Runoff catchment area (if you live there don’t get your hopes up). However, for the purpose of this review it is, as one of the few good things to emerge from it is a social enterprise coffee and cocktail shop called ‘Change Please’, which opened in December.
Change Please is a London based social enterprise venture started five years ago by Cemal Ezel. Disillusioned with his work in the City, Ezel set up Change Please in order to help homeless people become expert Baristas by a offering them training and a London wage job. They also assist people with housing, getting a bank account and therapeutic support if needed. All profits from the company go to reduce homelessness more generally in the UK. How is this possible, you might ask? According to Ezel, ‘The margins in coffee are very wide indeed, but usually not used in the right places’. And that even goes for you, Starbucks.
There are several branches of ‘Change Please’ and our little outpost enticingly advertises cocktails as well. When we enquired about this the Barista explained that cocktails aren’t on the menu at the moment as lockdown takeaway alcohol just ain’t happenin’, but will be back. This was probably all for the best as it was 10am. For coffee, they have your standard bearer espresso, macchiato, Americana, latte, flat white, cappuccino, teas and baked goods. All of their cups are 100% recyclable. They also stock an impressive range of non coffee items such as soaps, chocolates, peanut butter, teacups and little gift hampers.
We would love to tell you that we discovered Change Please as a result of our deep and abiding contacts within the social enterprise community. We actually saw it profiled on ‘Jamie and Jimmie’s Friday Night Feast’ on Channel 4. Scroll down on the Change Please website to see what they found.
Change Please is at 131 Walworth Road and well worth a lunchtime/weekend wander.
