The Jolly Gardeners

Posted on July 23, 2025 by Kennington Observer

For reasons relating solely to our ferocious quest to unearth gastronomic excellence for our readership, your scribe recently accompanied Phil from Accounts and Karen from Finance to inspect the Sunday roast at the Jolly Gardeners. We’ve always had a soft spot for the Gardeners as they suffer from BPLS, of course being ‘Bad Pub Location Syndrome’ as it is locked away in that little bit of Vauxhall that actually isn’t Vauxhall anymore.

The Jolly Gardeners is a big pub, with one half dedicated to drinking and the other half to dining. Phil had already arrived and was drinking at the bar, mistaking bar snacks for a Sunday roast. Once settled, as starters we ordered cauliflower wings and crayfish/spinach laksa on grilled sourdough. With the cauliflower we expected something slightly healthy but what was delivered was a deep, almost chocolate like batter oozing with cauliflower and its juice. The crayfish was a buttery, seafood like flavour sensation.

For the mains Phil and Karen had the pork shoulder, which Karen announced by pounding on the table and shouting ‘my vegan stage is OVER’. The pair described their pork as slow cooked, fatty, tender, and robustly mild and sweet. As is the custom at the Gardeners, roasts are served family style and this encompassed roast potatoes, roasted heritage carrots, spring greens, sweet potato mash and creamy cauliflower cheese. The best element was that these sides were replenished for free, creating a joyous ‘all you can eat’ vibe which particularly satisfied Phil.

Your scribe opted for the 28 day beef rump, which was served with roasties and Yorkshire pudding. The pork wasn’t served with a Yorkie, so your scribe donated it to Phil’s plate. The beef was rich, meaty and slightly earthy flavour which held its own when drenched with the Gardener’s homemade ’12 hour’ gravy. And the veg kept coming which padded it all out. So nice were they that when the second round arrived Karen garbled, through a mouthful of carrots, ‘this is so good I might go vegan again’!

The roasts at the Gardeners are £25 so aren’t cheap, but this is mitigated by the endless stream of sides. We were pleased to see that the Gardeners no longer serve beef from retired cows. While more ethical, we felt bad for those poor bovines who managed to spend their entire lives not being turned into a luxury bookcover or decorative belt, only TO END UP IN A HAMBURGER.

The Gardeners has been open a few years now and is a far cry from its previous incarnation Zeitgeist, where they served food that was about as far down the no-frills route you could go without entering ‘humanitarian food drop’ territory. But will it win the best roast in Greater Kennington in our Top Ten List in February? We hope so, as its totally independent and started by five lads who just want to make good food and nice drinks.

Vanished Kennington Exhibit

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Kennington Observer

Grip tightly people, as Observer Towers are about to recommend that you leave Greater Kennington and check out a free exhibit. Your destination is the quite new and spiffy Lambeth Archives in Brixton. The exhibit is called ‘A Vanished Kennington’ and is a miniscule slice of almost 500,000 slides that Manning Studio bequeathed to Lambeth in 2022 and they are now beginning to digitise.

Manning Photographers was founded in 1949 by James Manning, and later taken over by his son Frank. The studio operated from 1952 onwards in Windmill Row, Kennington and continued until 2022, and the closed premises is very much still there. The Manning’s were at their core grafting photographers. They focussed mostly on wedding photos of local people as they were the most lucrative. However, over the years this evolved into local buildings, headshots, photos for industry, commissions from local retailers, even ID card photos.

If you look closely, you can make out local buildings such as a wedding party in a bombed out St. Mary’s church In Kennington Park Road, or buildings still existing in Kennington Cross. Some are even on the homepage of your favourite website. As a commercial photographer you can see photos of Jane Asher dipped in chocolate or the prize shop of Granada Bingo, now The Metro flats in Kennington Road.

Some of the slides can be found on the Lambeth Archives website but it is more fun to traipse down to Brixton to experience the photos and also see what inspired his work, such as African villages. It’s also fun to pick out the famous faces, such as the Queen whizzing through Kennington Cross or Mary Berry baking.

A Vanished Kennington is on now until 16 August at Lambeth Archives and, like everything good in life, is totally free.

The Ever Changing Face of Vauxhall (or, We Attend a Consultation).

Posted on July 11, 2025 by Kennington Observer

As Observer regulars will be aware, we love few things more than attending/disrupting a planning consultation, so we recently headed over to the wonderful Vauxhall City Farm to attend a consultation about the development of the Bondway site in Vauxhall. The site is at the far end of the bus shelter (more on that later) and sits in front of the Versace designed DAMAC tower where for £13 million you too can live in front of the bins at Fire Nightclub. But we digress.

When we entered the consultation we were greeted with signs reading ‘A New Vision for Vauxhall Square’. Frankly we weren’t aware that a Vauxhall Square even existed, but we went along with it as part of the mythmaking. Through a series of posters it was explained that the project will centre on two very large residential towers, with the largest topping out at almost 700 feet. St. George Wharf tower is 590 feet. 35% of this will be dedicated as social and student housing at affordable rents. When we asked how they define ‘affordable’, lets just say the answer was less than direct.

If it can be pulled off, Vauxhall Square has the potential to be interesting. A developer droned on about the exciting inclusion of a medical centre, cinema, bars, restaurants, and a library. To be honest we slightly nodded off at this stage as we’ve heard the ‘we’re giving back to the community’ spiel a hundred times. However, when said developer started to talk about the redevelopment of the railway arches, your scribe perked up and pointed out that some of these arches house nightclubs and restaurants that have been there for decades. Said developer said that they will not be affected. OK

To wake us up fully, we moved over to a 3D model of Vauxhall and got chatting to the perky and positive architect. He said that one goal is to create more walking/cycling areas free of traffic, which we support. As the two towers could actually be lifted out of the 3D model, we asked the architect if the buildings could be lifted over to Pimilco. He took this opportunity to tell us about how the project is funding more affordable housing around Lambeth, and we started to nod off again. The project will be delivered by 2030-2032.

And yes, the bus shelter will be going to that massive bus depot in heaven, but this is has nothing to do with the development at Vauxhall Square. Lambeth sold that scrappy piece of land in front of the bus shelter in 2013 with the agreement that the shelter would go to creating more pedestrianised spaces. On the scrappy piece of land will be two towers, 53 and 42 stories respectively (below), designed by Zaha Hadid and Partners, called Vauxhall Cross Island. This is Vauxhall, people, blink and you see something new at every turn. May the bins of Fire be testament to a more innocent and down to earth Vauxhall.

And yes, you can leave a comment here. But be nice, people, as we know what you lot are like.

Weekend Fun in Vauxhall

Posted on July 8, 2025 by Kennington Observer

We’re here to give you, dear reader, a voice, and if you’re feeling vocal the folks at Be In Vauxhall are once again hosting ‘Bearpit Karaoke’ this weekend. The press release describes it as ‘attracting huge crowds each month of both professional and non professional singers’. We walked by it last year and at first didn’t know if was Karaoke or some kind of weird spiritual revival. But it looked fun, and this year Mother Kelly’s will be on board, in addition to some food stalls. But if you’re anything like us (and you are) just go the corner shop to get some tinnies or wine and load up on crisps.

Bearpit Karaoke takes place this Saturday (12^th) from 4 to 8 and then on every second Saturday of the month over the summer. It also takes place on 9.8 and 13.9. Free tickets can be nabbed here , but we’re pretty sure you can just rock up. It’s located at that sketchy bit at the end of the Pleasure Gardens where you indeed might be accustomed to seeing people singing, but for once it won’t be men on their own bursting into song while gripping a bottle of ‘White Lightning’ or Swifties at the altar of the Black Dog.

Also gracing Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens this summer is the Be In Vauxhall Summer Screen. If the weather obliges it’s a great way to spend a weeknight and enjoy a knees up and singalong with your mates. Also on board is Mother Kelly’s and local food stalls Bokit’la (Oval Market) French Caribbean. Howwever, if you’re saving money please see our comment above. Observer staff will be seeing Mean Girls for the fifteenth time, of course.

8 JUL AT 7PM – ENCANTO | BOOK YOUR PLACE

15 JUL AT 7PM – JUMANJI, WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE | BOOK YOUR PLACE

22 JUL AT 7PM – MEAN GIRLS | BOOK YOUR PLACE

29 JUL AT 7PM – SISTER ACT 2 | BOOK YOUR PLACE

All of these nights look like great and please be aware that the films now start at 7pm. Tickets are free and according to the website should be booked. Having said that, we’re not really sure why you need to book a place at any of these events as you can take part by sitting on a car bonnet or hanging from a tree limb, so just turn up. It’s not like we expect Observer readers to oblige by the rules.

The New Elephant and Castle in CGI

Posted on June 26, 2025 by Kennington Observer

OK people. You all voted with you feet and in 2020 the Pink Elephant Shopping Centre went to that great shopping mall in the sky, and they even took the erotic massage chairs. This is whats going to replace it, please tell us that you’re now happy.

It will be called Elephant and Castle Town Centre, and it reminds us a bit of Westfield. You know Westfield, the place you tell your friends you’ve never been but secretly find yourself there because ‘its just has everything’.

The Bouquet and Beans Breakfast

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Kennington Observer

We recently escaped from our publishing house hatch to pay a visit to Bouquets and Beans in front of St. Anselms Church in Kennington. And unless you’ve been stuck behind a hatch yourself, you’ll be aware that it is run by the hardest working man in Kennington, Abraham.

For this breakfast excursion your scribe was accompanied by office ‘fun guy’ Phil from accounts. We both ordered the savoury stuffed croissant. It was delivered to us grilled, as requested, and this explains why the croissant in the photo looks like Phil sat on it (and not for the first time). To add to the order Phil said ‘can I get a pint with that’. Your scribe tactfully pointed out to Phil that this a breakfast venue, in addition to it being 9:30 in the morning. He then ordered a coffee and your scribe had a tea.

Our croissants were filled with a generous heap of high quality mozzarella cut from a ball, sun dried tomatoes, and a big dollop of pesto. It was almost a shame to see it melted and grilled, but the grilling brought out the buttery feel in the mouth. Plus, it gives us a flimsy excuse to go again and get the non grilled version. At £4.50 we can recommend this. Other options on the day were a pain au chocolate, almond croissant, and pistachio pain au chocolate.

And as you’re devouring your calorific croissant, why not buy some flowers! B&B’s also has a fine selection of blooms and Abraham or one of his perky Gez Z assistants can aid you in making a bouquet.

In the end Phil stared despairingly at his coffee which wasn’t a pint, and confirmed the quality to be rich, rounded, and right up there with another Observer fave, Urban Botanica around the corner. Another reason to go is the great community feeling it has, with many of your fellow Kenningtonians chatting and sipping.

The Craggs, the Kennington Family of Acrobats Who Went Global

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Kennington Observer

In an age before Netflix and Hulu +, Victorian folk of all classes were entertained at music hall entertainment venues. An almost constant presence in the Halls in their early years was the Cragg family who were multigenerational acrobats specialising in trapeze acts, acrobatics, and it looks like basically just throwing each other around. For 45 years the Cragg family lived at 68 Kennington Road (now the China Walk estate) and even installed a private gym to practice their trade.

JW ‘Papa’ Cragg was the scion of the family and was soon joined by his five sons and their probably long suffering wives. It was an expectation that the offspring join the family trade, and eventually the grandchildren were taking part. In the early 1870’s the Craggs upped their game and took residencies in Leicester Square and at the Folies Bergeres in Paris. As there were a number of competing acrobatic acts in London at the time, the Craggs distinguished themselves by donning evening wear, as you do.

After rave reviews In the 1870’s the Craggs went global, and embarked on a kind of Victorian Taylor Swift Eras tour of the world. The troupe made four trips to Australia, the first in 1873, and also toured Europe, New Zealand, India, Asia, and had a two year residency in the USA. After a lifetime of working together the Craggs became a very disciplined troupe and commanded huge audiences for their unique and daring way of flipping, balancing, moving and coordination. At the end of the European jaunt they earned the highest salary of any acrobatic act in the world.

As you can imagine, juggling, rolling on the ground, and throwing people in the air while wearing evening wear can take a toll on even the fittest person, and Papa Cragg retired from performing in 1916 when he was 70 and his oldest son was 53. The family act then ceased performing but Papa continued to teach circus skills and acrobatics in his Kennington home gym until the 1920’s. In an interview in 1928 he was described as ‘the youngest old man in the world’. Proof, if ever needed, that Greater Kennington has always embraced its share of oddballs, and that’s why we live here.

Unique in Black Prince Road.

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Kennington Observer

We’re blessed with an abundance of independent coffee shops in Greater Kennington, and we recently paid a TKO (that’s The Kennington Observer) visit to new kid on the block ‘Unique’ in Black Prince Road. Located close to the Beaconsfield Galley, it inhabits that patch of land that calls itself Vauxhall but really isn’t.

Unique is a pleasing place to work for a few hours for those of you (not us as we’re in and underground bunker in Kennington Cross) fortunate enough to work from home a few days a week. In addition to teas and juices, they also have the traditional compliment of flat whites, Americanos, lattes, mochas and cappuchinos. And they even sell the coffee range ‘Curious Roo’. It is a quiet place to work and to listen to ambient music while chilling with middle class white people. They also serve croissants, cookies and brownies and have some bonkers art the walls.

And while we never objectify people at TKO based on looks alone, the staff are not bad to look at.

The Ten Best Places to Eat in Greater Kennington #6

Posted on March 4, 2025 by Kennington Observer

+ One Sunday Roast

Brunswick House Restaurant

If money were no object then Brunwisck House would nab the top spot, but as money DOES matter they’ve bagged the still respectable six slot. Please note that restaurants on this scale have menus that change almost daily. So what you read below (from 2024) might not still be available.

If you’ve ever noticed a large Georgian mansion which appears to be on the precipice of getting inhaled by skyscrapers in the Vauxhall gyratory, it is called Brunswick House (and we’ve written about it here) and for several years they have run a critically acclaimed restaurant, in addition to its main hustle of selling (very) high end architectural salvage.

The dining room sits effortlessly in a large space in Brunswick House selling mostly chandeliers, light fittings and other gorgeous things. For an upmarket restaurant, the clientele was surprisingly young in a kind of ‘please come to my book launch next week’ kind of way. And no sooner do we sit down than we are joined at the next table by no other than TV presenter Miquita Oliver and a gaggle of her gorgeous, hair flicking friends! They were a nice complement to our botanical and creative cocktails, the favourite being their house eucalyptus martini.

The menu at Brunswick House often requires a diction course or at least a dictionary. But fear not, the drilled to perfection serving staff can help you differentiate between a chicharron and a tardivo. And there is the very modern dilemma of trying to decipher a sharing plate from a mains. Highlights among the snack or starter sizes were the salt cod croquettes, the roasted leeks and the devilled eggs. The croquettes oozed with creamy salty fishiness, while the roasted leeks were winning for an innovative combination with a tangy sauce derived from red peppers and pecans. The devilled eggs had a seventies retro quality but the trout roe filling gave it a more on trend feel.

For the mains, your scribe had the roast cod with sea greens and spring vegetable chowder. The meaty and flaky cod was set off well with what appeared to be a tureen of well matched veg with an aniseed hit. A big hit on the main size dishes was the fresh maccheroni (note proper Italian spelling). This packed a big flavour hit with the curious sounding combination of roast chicken butter, wild garlic and bottarga (translation: grey mullet roe). Curious it was but definitely lovely – rich and satisfying.

And then, after a night spent with Maquita and her chums set amongst glittering chandiliers and food we couldn’t pronounce, our night was over and we were deposited into a bus fumed traffic gyratory in Vauxhall. But the wonderful food made it worthwhile. This kind of food is by no means cheap, but one of the few glories of sharing portions is that you can just pop in for a snack of two £5 plates and they’re fine with that.

The Kennington Observer

Surreptitiously observing Kennington, including the suburbs Vauxhall, Oval, Walworth, and Elephant since 2012

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