This autumn we'll be celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Rough Trade with events at the Barbican, The Shacklewell Arms, Islington Assembly Hall and Moth. Back in 1976, Geoff Travis opened his little west London shop and changed the landscape of British music culture. Rough Trade has taken a stand for independent music everywhere by spreading its stores across the globe, establishing a record label and a distribution company.
The line-up for the rest of this month shows how diverse music can truly be with acts from France and Denmark performing sets of new music as well as book-signings by established artists. Noel Fielding will have the crowds laughing as he performs tracks from his newly released LP. Catch Danish musician Trentemoller toying with the boundaries between indie and electronic on the 19th or simply come watch Billie Martin reinvent folk music with tracks from her debut album on the 22nd.
If you remember these lyrics, "Whenever I'm alone with you, You make me feel like I am home again, Whenever I'm alone with you, You make me feel like I am whole again" you'll be excited to hear The Cure's Lol Tolhurst will be coming to our turf to launch his memoir of life on the road with the band on the 24th.
Bruce Maidment, founder and chef of Apartment Kitchen, is one of our fabulous traders in The Boiler House Market on weekends. Bruce is an independent producer of high quality vegan takeaway specialising in sweet and savoury treats.
Here is Bruce’s take on a vegan lifestyle and producing real wholesome food…
"How did you come up with your product?
I grew up in a Wiltshire countryside village on a diet of British classics, home cooked by mum. Desserts were always a feature and we would often make family trips out into the fields nearby to pick hedgerow fruits and nuts to turn into jams, pies and crumbles.
Coupling this with a drive to live sustainably and an avid fascination with food and cookery I set about veganising some of my childhood favourites; bakewell tart, dark chocolate brownies, shortbread etc.
In short the vegan afternoon tea reminds me of home, engages my passions and offers customers an environmentally conscious vegan alternative to a British classic to take away and enjoy.
Where did your passion for food, especially vegan food come from?
Food wise, I owe a lot of my passion and inspiration to my mum. We grew up on a shoestring budget and with four children I was amazed at how resourceful mum was at cooking great tasting, hearty food, from just a handful of ingredients often inspired off the cuff from what was available in the cupboards. Stew and dumplings, jam roly-poly, toad in the hole, pies and crumbles would often feature.
My interest grew and I found myself turning the interest into action. Helping mum out in the kitchen and experimenting on my own. I remember vividly asking for a cooking utensil set for my 10th birthday and sitting on the stairs reading the cookery books from the shelf, Mrs Beeton's was a firm favourite; the pictures looked amazing and I would sit there thinking noting which ones I wanted to have a go at next.
The passion for vegan food comes from my passion to be conscious and supportive of our social and physical environment. I'm always seeking ways to live more sustainably and as with the cooking this started from a very early age. At 11 I started my own recycling business, running weekly recycling collections for our village before the local council offered them and at 15 I shared an allotment with my neighbour to grow our own fruit and veg in the absence of having a large garden. The passion continues and the move to vegan dishes seemed the next logical step, not only to drastically reduce my environmental footprint but also a way to play with new and exciting ingredients and ingredient combinations; nutritional yeast, agar agar and chia pectin are just some of my new ingredient vocabulary.
What’s some advice you’d give someone who’s never “tried” vegan food?
Simply not to get hung up on the vegan element, it's just food that you'll hopefully enjoy the taste of, give it a go see what you think. Also, have a look online for some simple recipes, you'll be surprised how easy it is and if you're a vegetarian you may be surprised at how much of what you eat is already vegan."
Tequila & Mezcal Fest
17th - 18th September
We’re looking forward to closing this summer off with a celebration of Mexico and their amazing ancestral agave spirits. The Tequila & Mezcal Fest is coming to Boiler House on the 17th and 18th to teach us about these traditional drinks and how to use them with modern flair. There will be; cocktail master classes, live music, Mexican art and photography, tasty food pairings and travel, which might even convince you to make your summer last a little longer with a quick getaway.
Nicci Stringfellow (Herradura’s tequila connoisseur) will be talking about: “Agave to Amarillo” exploring the world of chilli and tequila, discussing everything from history and science to flavour. Condesa, DF Mexico, Lupita and Pacifico will be bringing tacos, tamales and loads of other treats.
Welcoming both tequila and mezcal lovers and curious crowds learning about Mexico from the traditional liquor is not a bad way to start.
The Other Art Fair @ ARTBLOCK
6th - 9th October
On 6-9 October as part of ARTBLOCK The Other Art Fair, will be returning to our site, presenting 130 of the hottest emerging artists within a unique and immersive experience for a long weekend of art you just can’t miss! With paper-cutting, terrarium and wood carving workshops as well as TED-style talks by Let's Be Brief's pop-up school. This edition of the fair will continue to delight and inspire with live music, restaurant and bar pop-ups and much, much more.
They are also offering 25% off general tickets with code Truman when booking via otherartfair.seetickets.com
With the return of ARTBLOCK, PHOTOBLOCK will be right on its heels bringing us an array of artists and photographers. Keep your eyes peeled for more information about talks and workshops in the next few weeks.
Alfie Douglas - Back to Zero
20th - 26th September
In honour of their new collection “Back to Zero” Alfie Douglas is coming back to Truman for a six day pop-up. Launching in 2014, but starting as the brain child of Davida and Simon Hadden the company has now become a true family affair with all four daughters playing important roles in the brand’s success. As a team they call themselves “Alfie Douglas”.
With a focus on sustainability the products are made to adapt to our ever changing lifestyles, and in the case of the bags Davida Hadden says; “the more you wear your bag the better it becomes”. The unisex products are made with minimal and understated design bringing emphasis to the materials used. All of the products are designed and manufactured in London using vegetable tanned Italian leather, nickel-plated fittings and hand-stitching.
The pop-up will host a variety of workshops, two afternoons of demos, an opportunity to meet the makers and a few other goodies as well. Learn to make your own belt, camera strap and yoga mat strap that fit the brand’s ethos "products that look good and work, and carry on working".
Abel & Cole, the pioneering organic delivery service, opened their doors on Friday for a four-week pop-up restaurant located in the Brick House on Brick Lane. Open to dine in from noon to 10pm every day apart from Thursday evenings, allowing guests to enjoy relaxed and casual dining from a coffee and cake to a 3-course meal.
The restaurant will serve up an incredible and inspiring menu devised by Head Chef, Leon Aarts using Abel & Cole’s organic and seasonal produce and ingredients. Chef Leon has honed his craft in a number of restaurants in The Netherlands, France and the UK before he set up the Extraordinary Ones Foundation, an initiative to help feed children across the world. Due to the seasonal organic fresh produce, the menu will change weekly, providing guests with the tastiest and fresh experience.
Aarts says “I am very excited to be working with Abel & Cole on their first ever pop-up restaurant. I have the opportunity to cook with some of the most fantastic organic ingredients possible. The dishes we create will be seasonal, perfect for sharing and will have a focus on veg and herbs.”
From East to East
#GiantCatInLondon
From East to East is a show exploring one of the most exciting developments in fashion and design in the 21st century – the new interaction and exchange that occurs as the rising economy of China meets the established creative disciplines of the West.
Showcasing work by the Oriental street fashion brand FUN and iconic American designer Jason Freeny, the show will highlight how modern fashion is both global and local, and how our increasingly connected world encourages dialogue between cultures. As China takes its place on the global fashion stage, join us as we celebrate the opportunities this creates.
To keep you in the loop…
Gallery Six
We're launching a new concept working environment specifically for first year BA graduates. Membership to Gallery Six is available on a three month basis, free of charge. Members will benefit from a fully connected workspace with all the facilities you would need to jump start your career.
Gallery Six is a hub for engagement, a space for members to develop personal projects and to collaborate on in-house Truman projects. We are searching for future tastemakers & forward thinking individuals who are seeking an inspired environment, to be surrounded by like-minded creatives and have a motivation to collaborate.
