Sprout

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

If you’re ever out and about in Kennington Cross you are probably aware that the hardest working man in the patch is Abraham over at Bouquets and Beans in front of St. Anselms, and we interviewed him in 2019. We are proud to announce that the second hardest working man in the Cross is Ned, who set up the fruit and veg stall ‘Sprout’ in March. Ned also works at Bouquets and Beans, and we recently had a chat with him about his spin off project.

Ned’s passion is produce and cooking, and his day job is working in the catering industry with a view to starting his own catering business. Over the past 18 months the world of catering more or less evaporated as a result of you know what, so with more time on his hands Ned, with support from Abraham, identified a big vegetable shaped hole in the Greater Kennington market.

Ned tries to use British suppliers but does not admit to letting a few Italian items populate his stall from time to time. The staples are heritage tomatoes, Sicilian lemons, courgettes, leeks, potatoes, salads, apples, and strawberries. He also likes to feature a couple of herbs such as dill or parsley. The Runoff staff have bought some very healthy vegetables at Sprout and managed to turn them into unimaginably unhealthy creations such as aubergine parmigiana, cauliflower curry and courgette lasagne. And now we would NEVER use this site as a platform for self promotion, but how did this raspberry tart end up getting photographed?

On the practical side, Ned starts setting up his stall at 5:20am (!!!) rain or shine and is open on Friday 7:30 to 5 and Saturday 8:30 to 4. As a cook himself, Ned can also give you some inspiration about what to make. And what happens to the leftover veg at the end of the weekend, you ask? Well he supplies it to our friends over at The Jolly Gardeners in Black Prince Road.

Theos Pizza and Tiramisu

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

Pizza helped us in many ways during lockdown. For some it was like a familiar blanket in troubled times. For us it reconfirmed that we can no longer pull off skinny jeans. We at Runoff Towers find that by a mile the best pizza in Greater Kennington is Theos up in Elephant. Our opinion has been seconded by no less than Vogue Magazine (which might not be an accolade as I doubt their readers actually eat pizza). And now they feature award winning Tiramisu.

Gorgonzola
Anchovy

On the pizza front my colleague had the aubergine and Gorgonzola. An adventurous choice, the aubergine was very soft and this was offset by the sharp hit of pecorino followed by the blue hit of Gorgonzola. Your scribe had a ‘my pressure needs to be checked’ salt kick of an anchovy, capers, olive and mozzarella pizza. All the salty elements were balanced well, and the best element of these pizzas is that they are served on a sourdough bread that is blistered on just the good side of being burned.

Indeed, Theo’s has just won an award for best Tiramisu in London, and in our opinion it is well deserved. It ticked all the boxes of ‘Italian almost trifle’ with a perfect balance of strong coffee, dark chocolate, creamy mascarpone and served between layers of soft cream.

Upon hearing about this accolade some female members of the Runoff team, and a surprisingly large number of men, implored us to include a picture of the man behind the triamisu. When we observed that this serves no purpose other to objectify this young man they said ‘yeah, and what’s your point’? So in order to avoid industrial action please find his photo below.

The Ragged Canteen

Posted on September 27, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

Last week we popped over to the lovely but rarely open Beaconsfield Gallery in Vauxhall to check out their Ragged Canteen. It had been closed since before The Event but has now reopened as a ‘vegetarian, not for profit and kind to our planet’ establishment. So everything we aspire to be here at the Runoff. Well other than those days when we’re dealing with work related stress by cramming a £3 meal deal ham sandwich down our gobs…..Moving on…..

Yes we are aware that the sandwiches look exactly the same

Toasties are the main draw at Ragged Canteen, and on this outing my colleague had the carmelised onion, oregano, mozzarella and cheddar. It was nice and crispy around the edge, with a bit of cheese oozing out and well filled. Your scribe indulged in a gherkin and red pepper sandwich. Both on a nice thick sourdough and with all that goodness we just wish there had been more. All sandwiches can be made vegan if you ask them to substitute the mozzarella and cheddar with vegan cheeze. Frequent readers will be aware that we have a long and somewhat tortured relationship with vegan cheeze so we bypassed this option.

Also on offer at the Canteen are a host of snacks including croissants, crisps, brownies, cakes and cookies. Also available are a range of teas and coffees. We sat outside in their ample plant filled garden with just one another diner and a giant cat to keep us company.

The name ‘Ragged Canteen’ prosaically references the buildings’ previous life as school for underprivileged youth in Lambeth, and we wrote about this noble and glorious past a few months ago. When it is open to the public the upstairs gallery is home to some very cutting edge and challenging shows. Some folks here in the office recently enjoyed an immersive exhibit about contemplating seeing art virtually versus seeing it in the flesh with the use of virtual reality goggles.

Voyages at Newport St. Gallery

Posted on September 24, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

The spanking new exhibition at Newport Street Gallery in Vauxhall is called ‘Voyages’ and is the first major show outside the US of the work of New York photorealist Richard Estes. For those of you not in the know, photorealism is the ability to precisely depict a photographed scene by paint. Now you might be saying to yourself ‘then why bother – just because you know how do so something doesn’t mean you should do it’. So a bit like yodeling or skipping. But draw closer and the 45 paintings made over 35 years become abstract and aren’t really photographic at all.

His best work is on the ground floor and NYC is in the spotlight. Estes makes use out or glass, angles, light, refractions and the constant repetition of this urban field. He also examines people examining other things, such landmarks, cameras and their phones. All of these come together to create something that seems photographically familiar to us but when you get closer to the canvas becomes more like wedges of colour that have been thrown together.

Upstairs are more traditional landscapes that capture the small, intimate moments of the artist’s adventures. The paintings tend to become less personal and less real when they aren’t populated by human activity but are nevertheless interesting. Touching down in Copenhagen, approaching Antarctica by sea, and exploring the landscapes of New Zealand, Nepal, and Tanzania all seem even more exotic given that they have been off limits for the past 18 months and you don’t have to take a lateral flow test to see them.

Richard Estes ‘Voyages’ is open now until 12 December. As ever, Newport Street Gallery is totally free and open Wednesday to Sunday.

Runoff Rides the Tube

Posted on September 20, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

The first major addition to the Tube network in the 21^st century opened today and, unless you actually live underground yourself, you’re aware that it cuts a great swathe right through Greater Kennington. Today we took a journey on the new billion pound ride (financed by property developers) with our focus on Nine Elms station in Vauxhall. At the moment trains are running every 10 minutes.

We started our journey on the recently reopened Kennington southbound platform now servicing Battersea, which is rather strange as Battersea is west, but that’s the tube for you. Nine Elms Station is next to the Sainbury’s in Wandsworth and is an exercise in functional steel precision with wide platforms, speedy escalators, a large reception hall and overhang in case it is raining. One of our team timed it, and if you are laden with your Sainsbury shop you are only exposed to the elements for 15 seconds in the case of inclement weather. There is no ticket window but plenty of self serve machines.

If you dare to travel outside of Greater Kennington the line terminates at Battersea Power Station Station (yes, you’ve read that right) which we also visited. It is a grander affair, and architecturally it resembles a giant recumbent cathedral, featuring a gold painted geometric skylight as you exit. Rather dramatic and fitting with the ostentatious buildings behind it.

Four Quarters

Posted on September 17, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

We confess to a degree of shame at our embrace of the soulless juggernaut that has become Elephant Park. That shame is mitigated, however, by the fact that it is now the home of some of the independent shops that were turfed out of the shopping centre (sadly the electric massage chairs didn’t make it over). And also home to some very cool micro chains, and one of them is a 80/90’s video game themed bar called ‘Four Quarters’.

Four Quarters bills itself as a ‘no fills bar’ but they really don’t do themselves justice as they have a good selection of lagers, IPAs, wines and spirits. We booked a table (a Space Invaders table video game, no less) but this is not mandatory. How it works is that you buy real US quarters at the bar and each games costs 25 cents (about 20p).

For those of you who get thrilled by your 80’s games, on offer they have Pac Man (Mr and Ms), Donkey Kong, Galaxian, Asteroids, Frogger and a nice range of pinball machines, among others. For those of you who prefer your 90’s games they have early Guitar Hero, Alien v. Predator, The Simpsons, NBA Jam, and Pole Position II. For those of you into gaming after that period then you probably have no idea what we’re talking about, but we’re impressed that you’ve read this far.

If you register on the Four Quarters website you can compete for a high score with other users which is a fun way to lure you back. They also have console booths with games such as Nintendo and X Box. They do serve food, but we didn’t see anyone eating there in the midst of the fun. If you’re peckish we recommend 400 Rabbits, which we reviewed a few weeks ago and is next door.

Lambeth County Court Art Show

Posted on September 14, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

If you’re a regular reader with a sharp brain you might recall that in 2019 we implored you to check out the temporarily opened Lambeth County Courthouse near Cleaver Square before it was handed over to property developers. Well, after 2 ½ years of being closed (with the exception of the unfortunate time that Lambeth accidently rented it to Extinction Rebellion and it was raided by police) it is again open very briefly to the public, but now probably for the final time.

Without Horizon, Without Shore, is a group show of three female artists who are associated with City and Guilds and have a temporary studio in the Courthouse. The exhibit is somewhat site specific and spans two courtrooms and the corridors/stairwell. It explores themes of nostalgia and contemplation and when we visited, two of the artists were on hand to explain their work and handy viewing notes were provided. The art is very thought provoking, but the real star here is the disused courthouse itself, which still has many remnants from it’s 95 year history and is quite evocative. In the past perhaps more than a few Greater Kenningtonians themselves contemplated their future in these rooms as they waited judge and jury to determine their fate.

Developers are currently trying to obtain planning permission to gentrify the building into (you guessed it) luxury flats but this is being stridently opposed by local residents. Please don’t ask us for our opinion on planning permission, as last time we weighed in we opened an almighty can of worms which we are still unsuccessfully trying to put back into the tin. Inchalla…….

Without Horizon, Without Shore is open now until 26 Sept, Thursday to Sunday 12-6. The Courthouse is in Cleaver St.

Orbit Brewery

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

Were you aware that Greater Kennington has it’s own top flight micro brewery? Well if not we’re here to tell you about Orbit Brewery, located in a tiny pocket at the corner of the KR catchment area, off Walworth Road. We wrote about it’s more embryonic concept in 2016.

Orbit Brewery is the brainchild of Scotsman Robert Middleton, who has been producing beers under the arches in Walworth since 2014. Orbit used to sell a small volume of beers on site and about three months ago hired another arch across the road to create taproom selling their wares and, straight on the pulse, pop up food. We went on a Friday evening and sat outside and it proved to be a little urban oasis. Well, if you can escape the notion that you could be in the forecourt of a car repair shop or that place behind a nightclub where they store the bins. BUT, it had a good mix of locals and we were very pleased to see groups of women in what is sometimes construed as a male space.

In a very challenging assignment, your dedicated scribe opted for the ‘IVO’ pale ale. I was getting hits of tangerine and some tropical fruits, cream and honey with just a bit of bitterness. My colleague had the ‘Peel’ pale ale. It was Belgian and intensely hoppy, with notes of lemon and lime zest and bits of pepper and other forms of citrus. The colleague then had the ‘Dead Wax’ London porter, with a great deal of malt, not a great deal of bitterness, and spicy hops. And it was particularly coffee flavoured. They also feature a tzatziki flavoured beer which featured notes of cucumber and, yes, yogurt if you want to create illusion that you’re drinking something healthy. The beer is served in pints, 2/3 and half pints if you like to mix things up.

On the food front, we must disappointedly report that it was adequate but did not just really justify the £12 price point for a burger and potatoes. Granted, the potatoes were well cooked and the right side of greasy. We had the Challah baps which just didn’t really hit the mark on the flavour and seasoning front. We think bar snacks are the best accompaniment to your very own delicious Walworth crafted beer. And, like us, after a few you might find yourself in Orbit too.

St. Anselm’s Festival

Posted on September 6, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

We don’t have a great degree of inside intel on the St. Anselm’s Festival, but we are aware that it is this Saturday, 11 September, in Cleaver Square. If it is the new iteration of the Cleaver Square Festival, and we think it is, then it’s certainly a highlight on the Greater Kennington social calendar. Recently this magical and hilarious festival has transported us to some mythical location 200 miles and 20 years from from Greater Kennington. A tipsy Vicar! A tombola! A wholly inappropriate Punch and Judy show! Kate Hoey giving out Brexit Flyers! Posh dudes in Barbour jackets slurring into their fifth Pimms!

But aside from all the side splitting antics outlined above, it looks like the day will feature loads of great stuff for kids, a dog show, music and good food. But most importantly, it will likely feature local small businesses and people selling their wares (Kennington Tandoori and Bee Urban usually pop over) and people selling homemade cakes and pies. The Festival is from 12 to 4, and there is a Festival church service from 10 to 11 at St. Anselm’s itself with refreshments (probably not involving Pimms, but one lives in hope).

Open House London 2021

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Kennington Runoff

If, like us, you can think of nothing more enjoyable than sticking your nose in other people’s business, then you’re in luck! It’s our favourite time of year again (we know we’ve said this five times in 2021) and it is Open House London. After taking a hiatus in 2020, Open House is back but as an understandably more circumscribed affair. There are a number of venues open to the public and others available online for viewing. As per usual, most of the buildings are staffed by friendly people who can tell you all you need to know about the place and what goes on or went on there.

For those of you not in the know, Open House London is an event which promotes the appreciation of architecture by flinging open the doors of otherwise closed spaces to the public, and is totally free. It is happening this weekend (4-5 September) and next weekend (11-12 September). What we have included below are local Open House venues where you do not need to book, but look carefully as not all venues are open both weekends. And if you possess the audacious gall to travel outside Greater Kennington you’ll find below other nearby bountiful buildings.

Greater Kennington

St. Paul’s, Newington

Nearby

Lambeth Town Hall

Reliance Arcade, Brixton

Waterloo City Farm

Kaymet Tray and Biscuit Factory, Old Kent Road

Kirkaldy Testing Works, Borough