The man behind Monsieur Le Duck is at his happiest when he’s soaring through the air on a circus trapeze! For a few hours each week Richard Humphreys leaves his Clerkenwell Restaurant and heads to Flying Fantastic to practice aerial circus skills, hoop and trapeze. He said: “I’m usually hanging on for dear life! It’s great fun, great for fitness, a real adrenaline rush and a great escape from the stress of running a restaurant.” The 35-year-old set up Monsieur Le Duck with two fellow investors in November, bringing food from the French region of Gascony to the heart of London. He’d spent all his holidays there as a child and loved the food and the way of life. After over a decade working in

One of Columbia Road’s most colourful businesses celebrates 15 years of trading this year. Dandy Star has had a remarkable journey. It started life as a small T-shirt printing business set up by two artistic mums, had a spell supplying some of the Capital’s leading department stores and is now a beautiful shop and wholesale business. The Local Buyers Club met with one its founders Charlotte Day, who originally started the business with her friend Rose and now runs it alone. She said: “Rose and I were friends in a similar situation with young kids - both artists who wanted to be around for our children but weren’t feeling fulfilled creatively. Dandy Star was a parent project. It started with

We're turning Halloween on its head this year. As well as trick-or-treating for sweets, families are invited to don their scary costumes and ask neighbours for food donations for Hackney Food Bank. The scheme is being run by the Local Buyers Club in partnership with Location Location estate agency in Stoke Newington. Both companies have been long-term supporters of the Food Bank. Jenna Fansa, co-founder of the Local Buyers Club, said: “Halloween is such a lovely, fun night in Stoke Newington – like most children, mine love the thrill of dressing up and tearing around the neighbourhood and while they enjoy a couple of sweets on the way round, the volume of treats they get is crazy. So, this y

The Twisted Fork Magic Café has teamed up with Thai restaurant Yum Yum for a series of shows. Taking place in the basement bar of the Stoke Newington restaurant, the fist show is on Friday October 18th at 7pm featuring world class card magician Laura London (star of The Next Great Magician and Penn and Teller Fool Us, and also a Member of the Inner Magic Circle). The show will also feature incredible metal bending magic from Rich Clark, founder of The Twisted Fork. There will be Prosecco and Thai Canapés included. Rich Clark, who is also a Member of the Magic Circle, said: “Yum Yum is a really good place for magic – it has lovely décor and the food is so good! They’re already very well estab

Two organisations dedicated to making life better in Islington have teamed up. The Local Buyers Club, a discount card promoting independent businesses, is working closely with Islington Giving, an organisation helping those experiencing poverty, mental illness or isolation. For every new member who joins the Local Buyers Club with the code ISGIVE, they’ll donate £5 to Islington Giving to support local good causes. (Info here) Basil Fansa, founder of the Local Buyers Club, said: “We’ve long been admirers of Islington Giving and the tremendous difference they make locally, and we’re delighted to be supporting their amazing work. Many of our businesses are determined to help the communities the

Two organisations dedicated to making life better in Islington have teamed up. The Local Buyers Club, a discount card promoting independent businesses, is working closely with Islington Giving, an organisation helping those experiencing poverty, mental illness or isolation. For every new member who joins the Local Buyers Club with the code ISGIVE, they’ll donate £5 to Islington Giving to support local good causes. (Info here) Basil Fansa, founder of the Local Buyers Club, said: “We’ve long been admirers of Islington Giving and the tremendous difference they make locally, and we’re delighted to be supporting their amazing work. Many of our businesses are determined to help the communities the

Generations of the Shah family have believed in the healing power of herbs and spices – using them to maintain well-being and cure minor ailments. Urban Veda's founding father, Manganlal Shah was an Ayurveda practitioner and became one of the first to bring the ancient Indian healing philosophy to the UK. He was fascinated to learn how these exotic herbs could treat internal ailments and brought his wealth of knowledge to the UK when he moved here in the 60s. Neem for example, has potent antiseptic and antibacterial properties and turmeric is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant when taken internally. He then founded Fudco, one of the biggest nuts and spices distributors currently in the UK, wh

As a little boy growing up in Grimsby, the fishing industry was a huge part of Lewis Sparkes’ life. His grandfather was a fisherman aboard a massive trawler – heading out to the North Sea for a week at a time and his father still runs a fish processing factory ‘Jaines Seafood’. Lewis’ childhood memories are of waking at the crack of dawn and heading to the docks with his dad for the fish auctions. Now the 31-year-old runs his own fish shop on Stoke Newington’s Church Street selling top quality sustainably sourced fish - and he’s named it after the family business Jaines & Son. Local Buyers Club members save 10%. He said: “In Victorian times Grimsby was beautiful – full of Victorian buildings