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@mcdulwich so sorry ;) I think they sell floral flame-retardant blankets at Dulwich trader x
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Sunday: sunny intervals, Max Temp: 23°C (73°F), Min Temp: 14°C (57°F)
Max Temp: 23°C (73°F), Min Temp: 14°C (57°F), Wind Direction: W, Wind Speed: 8mph, Visibility: very good, Pressure: 1013mb, Humidity: 65%, UV risk: moderate, Pollution: low, Sunrise: 05:25BST, Sunset: 20:48BSTtwitter
Writing in bed going less well than the EDT. Hi, East Dulwich, mind coming to Highbury today?
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Friday: sunny intervals, Max Temp: 23°C (73°F), Min Temp: 16°C (61°F)
Max Temp: 23°C (73°F), Min Temp: 16°C (61°F), Wind Direction: W, Wind Speed: 7mph, Visibility: moderate, Pressure: 1015mb, Humidity: 47%, UV risk: moderate, Pollution: low, Sunrise: 05:22BST, Sunset: 20:51BSTweather
Saturday: light rain, Max Temp: 25°C (77°F), Min Temp: 15°C (59°F)
Max Temp: 25°C (77°F), Min Temp: 15°C (59°F), Wind Direction: WSW, Wind Speed: 10mph, Visibility: moderate, Pressure: 1011mb, Humidity: 45%, UV risk: moderate, Pollution: low, Sunrise: 05:23BST, Sunset: 20:49BSTgoogle blog search
Sainsbury's Local's affect on Val's Store
When we asked Nisha about her views she told us with a smile that she loves Dulwich and she can't imagine living or working anywhere else, her children attend a nearby secondary school and they also loved it in Dulwich. ...google blog search
Sainsbury's Local's affect on Val's Store
Val's Store is a grocery shop in Lordship Lane which has been around for 13 years. The owners of the shop are Joseph and his lovely wife Nisha. Originally from Sri Lanka, Joseph has been living and working in the UK since 1988, ...dulwich on view
Sainsbury’s Local’s affect on Val’s Store
Val's Store
Val's Store
The opening of Sainsbury’s Local in Lordship Lane has affected some of the local businesses in the area; Val’s Store is one of the shops under threat and struggling to survive.
Val’s Store is a grocery shop in Lordship Lane which has been around for 13 years. The owners of the shop are Joseph and his lovely wife Nisha. Originally from Sri Lanka, Joseph has been living and working in the UK since 1988, he met and married his wife Nisha who settled in the UK 8 years ago, they both have two children.
Ingrid (editor of DOV), who is a regular customer at Val’s Store told me how Sainsbury’s Local is affecting the business. So we both decided to interview the owners of the shop to gain an insight into the situation.
Joseph told us that most of the local businesses in the area are suffering just like Val’s. It came as a huge surprise when Joseph told us that the actual weekly loss he has been making due to Sainsbury’s Local was £4000 a week! Due to the significant loss they have been facing they’ve had to cut staff numbers and now only have one person working there on a part-time basis.
Joseph and Nisha
During the summer season business is usually high in the area, but now it’s a different story. Joseph told us that new customers aren’t aware of the low prices that Val’s Store offers since shopping at Sainsbury’s Local is much more convenient. When we asked Nisha about her views she told us with a smile that she loves Dulwich and she can’t imagine living or working anywhere else, her children attend a nearby secondary school and they also loved it in Dulwich. But her main worry was to be able to make ends meet.
Nisha is a very positive person and always smiling, her husband Joseph said that Nisha attracts the customers and provides excellent customer service; I myself have witnessed this when Nisha was helping customers – she is the life of the shop and works very hard.
Ingrid and I asked Nisha what their future plans or considerations were for Val’s Store. Nisha was quite positive and is thinking about different ideas and products to sell, perhaps going down the organic route. On the other hand Joseph said that he’ll consider advertising products and prices on a blackboard outside the shop to attract customers.
While observing the store’s products Ingrid and I did find that many of the prices were actually quite cheap compared to Sainsbury’s Local, but most of the products were also available at Sainsbury’s Local. Small businesses such as Val’s Store need to specialise in products big supermarket chains don’t sell.
After interviewing Joseph and Nisha, Ingrid and I decided to walk down to Sainsbury’s Local where we met a lovely employee of the store who was happy to talk to us. ‘I’m very lucky that I got a job here, I sympathise with the local shops such as Val’s, the lady who works there is very kind. But there is not much that can be done from Sainsbury’s side, it’s all about competing with Tesco, Sainsbury’s won’t change for small businesses in the area. Some businesses in the area have thrived because of Sainsbury’s Local, not groceries but the DIY shop for instance, but others have suffered. I think that local shops should specialise in products Sainsbury’s don’t sell such as organic products. I strongly believe that local shops would have to make changes in order to survive because Sainsbury’s would not’.
Sainsbury's Local in Lordship Lane
I contacted Sainsbury’s Press Office to get their view about the situation, this is what they said:
‘We have no wish to see local shops go out of business. It is in our interests to be part of a thriving local community and our experience is that a small Sainsbury’s can benefit the area by providing added investment and increasing footfall. Overall, this can support the vibrancy of local parades attracting new business, providing new jobs and helping to fill vacant units. Our Local stores provide people with a grocery and convenience offer within walking distance of their homes and for those needing to top up their shopping, rather than one of our larger store formats.
They do not offer the specialist knowledge and ranges that others, such as local butchers, greengrocers and delicatessens, can provide. We have a standard range and offer in our Sainsbury’s Local stores, however, where
possible we try to tailor this offer in special circumstances to complement other traders, rather than compete with them.’
I believe that local shops will have to specialise in their products and knowledge in order to thrive as a business. But we as customers will have to support our local shops in order for them to survive or big supermarkets will continue destroying small businesses.
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<b>Dulwich</b> Wine Society in Touraine
For the last ten years Greville has led wine tours to France, he regularly gives tutored wine tastings and lectures to wine societies and is a contributing editor to wineontheweb.co.uk. He is an active member of the Dulwich Wine Society ...dulwich on view
Dulwich Wine Society in Touraine
Each year, round about Easter, the Dulwich Wine Society goes on a vineyard trip. 2010 saw them in the Touraine. Greville Havenhand helped organise it.
The Touraine is one of the most underrated wine areas of France. Time was when it was notorious in some circles for somewhat “stalky” reds made with Cabernet Franc and perhaps too acidic whites made from Chenin Blanc and Sauvignonn Blanc.
There were, of course, exceptions – luscious sweet Vouvray and a few good Chinons and Bourgeuils. The rest did not all merit the sharp criticism. The past few years have seen a vast improvement.
The “Project Cabernet Franc” aimed to change the style and improve its appeal. A great many producers realised that they needed to appeal more to a wider market and enlisted the help of English Master of Wine, Sam Harrop, as an adviser. The scheme has been extended to Sauvignon Blanc. Dulwich Wine Society, reinforced by some members from the Deal Society, set out to test the results.
Loches from Luccotel
Finding a hotel for these trips is always tricky. There has to be sufficient rooms and car parking, a restaurant and it must not too expensive. After extensive searching we settled on the “Luccotel” on the edge of the beautiful and historic town of Loches. It was some way from the vineyards but ticked all the other boxes, as they say. After the customary reception and regional meal on the first evening all 28 participants were ready for the next day’s visits.
The morning began with the Domaine Huët, the leading produce of Vouvray-the queen of Loire whites. Gaston Huët and his father started the domaine in 1928. Gaston was a prisoner of war in the Second World War but returned to take the domaine to great heights. His son-in-law, Noël Pinguet took over in the nineteen seventies and began practising Biodynamic viticulture in the eighties. American investment has meant a very modern tasting room and reception but the winery and more than a kilometer of cellar carved into the rock are of another age. The wines were superb, especially the mature dessert wines.
Lunchtime was a time for eating or sightseeing in the old town of Amboise. The more culturally minded visited the house where Leonardo da Vinci ended his days, others merely ate!
The afternoon was a contrast. A visit to a very new enterprise – the “Closerie de Chanteloup” just outside the town
. It was set up by three young men who had met at wine school.
The Guichard family owned the Domaine de Chanteloup for three generations and Vincent Guichard brings vines from the family farm, others are leased , so there are grapes from Amboise and Montlouis. A few years ago they built the first stage of their winery – it looks like a small industrial unit in a field. Frederick Plou left a large family farm to be independent and they were joined by Willy Debenne in 2007. We were shown round by Freddy and his delightful English wife. Some of the wines, notably a Malbec and a Montlouis were excellent. These young men are going places. Look out for their wines being widely available in the UK.
Chinon was the destination for the next morning’s tasting at the winery of Baudry-Dutour. Christophe Baudry and Jean-Martin Dutour joined forces in the nineties to form what is now the foremost enterprise in Chinon. They recently added the renowned Château de la Grille to their existing three domaines. We were met at their ultra-modern and environmentally friendly winery by Sylvine Teston who presented a range of award winning reds and rosés. She will be coming to Dulwich in October to introduce the wines to those who did not travel.
Damien Lorieux wines ready for lunch in a cave
Damien Lorieux, a young winemaker in Bourgeuil arranged a memorable lunch and tasting in a vast cave cut deep int a hillside. He is a small independent producer but is making a name for himself far outside the appellation.
On to neighbouring St Nicolas-de-Bourgeuil for a tasting at Frederic Mabileau. Although St Nicolas is adjacent to Bourgeuil the “terroir” gives a different character to the wines and Monsieur Mabileau brings full expression to modern style Cabernet Franc. You can buy some from the Wine Society and from Waitrose.
Serious tasting at Antoine Simoneau
Antoine Simoneau produces some of the best value wines in the Touraine. An ancestor had worked on the estate of the Château de Chenonceau but in 1790 when the French revolution got rid of the “aristos” he was given one hectare. In the following 220 years the estate has grown to almost 60 hectares.
The family produce a large range of wines – some good sparkling, some Cabernets, Malbec (known as Cot hereabouts) and some excellent Sauvignon Blanc, available from Naked Wines. We were greeted by Carine, the daughter and after a walk through the vines, an inspection of the winery we went upstairs to the tasting room where we tasted about a dozen wines, led by Carine and her mother who had provided appropriate nibbles. Incidentally Carine will be giving a tasting to the Dulwich Wine Society early next year.
The tour changed many members perceptions of Touraine wine – they tasted many and, in the evenings, drank a good deal.
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