Feast It - Book Street Food Traders & Private Bars for your Wedding or Party

Feast It is a company that allows you to book your favourite, big name street food traders and mobile bars for private parties and events.  It's a great idea, and their site is very easy to use.  If you have a big event coming up this year, have a look here.

I very rarely allow guest posts - although people ask all the time - but I'm making an exception for Feast It. 

(Full disclosure - I have a small financial investment in Feast It.  I liked the idea (& the people) so much etc.)

Feast It 

Book awesome street food trucks and pop-up bars for your wedding, corporate event or party in just 4 clicks! 

From juicy jerk chicken and mind blowing macaroni cheese, to fresh coffee and aromatic gin cocktails, Feast It have got a pop-up for pretty much everything! Offer your guests a lifeline in the early hours at your birthday bash with gourmet bacon butties served out the side of a retro ambulance, or give your colleagues the morale boost they need with an authentic wood fired pizza stall at the next big office event. The food-loving team at Feast It have handpicked only the best street food traders and mobile bars to put on their site, so you know that the quality will be just great. Using their seriously easy and hassle-free booking system, get catering ticked off your event planning list today! Here are just six of the talented traders than you can book on Feast It… 


The Cheese Truck 

These tasty toastie pioneers have been serving cheesy goods out the side of their bright yellow van since 2013, making a serious impact on the cheese-loving world… rightly so, they’re absolutely delicious! The Cheese Truck make the toasties of your dreams, with thick rustic buttery toasted bread, hot melty cheese, and additional fillings to make your mouth water, from chorizo and jalapeno salsa, to goats cheese, honey and rosemary butter. The Cheese Truck have a real passion for traditionally made British cheese and all their fresh ingredients come from UK farms, so you know that your affordable toastie has been made with love and care. The Telegraph even awarded them ‘The Best Grilled Cheese in Britain, so what are you waiting for? Book The Cheese Truck now for your next event! 

The Cocktail Car Company 

One of the most charming mobile bars you can book with Feast It, The Cocktail Car Company takes the form of a converted classic red VW camper. The roof opens and the sides come down to transform this beautiful vehicle into a fully functioning bar. There are even glowing yellow light bulbs around the inside of the roof that come on after dark, creating a really wonderful celebratory atmosphere. Both trendy and graceful, The Cocktail Car Company serves a range of beer, cider, spirits, prosecco and champagne, as well as they fabulous bespoke cocktails specially for your event. They are made using homemade syrups and purees and their citrus fruits are always freshly squeezed. Having a summer wedding or garden party? These guys make the most delicious Pimms with fresh fruit. Premium drinks from a gorgeous retro campervan, positively brimming with individuality and charm, what more could you want? Book The Cocktail Car Company today! 


Gelatology

Let’s not beat around the bush, this is possibly the best gelato in London. Totally authentic, with recipes straight from Italy, Gelatology is a lovely brand that only uses natural ingredients to create their fascinating flavours and delicate textures. Don’t worry, your dietary requirements will not get in the way of you joining the gelato revolution, as these guys have vegan and gluten free options (including the cones) that taste just as wonderful! As well as the classic menu, which consists of all time favourites with a sophisticated twist, like the vanilla bean and custard, and strawberry sorbet with real berries, there are a few boozy additions, such as the Pimms, lemonade and mint. There are also a myriad of unusual and innovative flavours on offer… Feast It’s favourite is the Marie Antoinette, laced with brioche, nutella and nuts. Give your guests the gift of gelato and book Gelatology for your next event! Find them in Camden Market Stables from Thursday to Sunday, one till six. 


Speckmobile

For an authentic taste of Austria with a trendy street food truck twist, look no further than the stupendous Speck Mobile. Founded by Franz Schinagl, an Austrian chef with 20 years experience in the restaurant industry, the Speckmobile has received a lot of attention since its birth, consistently included amongst London’s best food trucks. I mean, who doesn’t love schnitzel, bratwurst and dumplings? Answer: people with no taste buds. Combining a genuine passion for hospitality and heartwarming, homemade food, this is a perfect choice for event like an Apres Ski party or a corporate Christmas (they even do Austrian strudel making classes!) As for the food, it’s really quite brilliant. Feast It’s favourite is the bratwurst with sautéed potatoes and sauerkraut, with a cheeky side of grilled cheese dumplings and sour cream sauce. Book the truly ‘ausgezeichnet’ Speckmobile today for your next event! Find them in Speckmobile Arch, 76 Druid Street SE1 from eleven till five on weekends. 

Waffle On

The Evening Standard have claimed that this is London’s best waffle, and it’s hard for us to disagree. Waffle On create the ultimate comfort food, lip smacking waffles made from buttermilk, mixed totally by hand and served with a range of sweet and savoury toppings, so your guests can take their pick. Using the best ingredients on the market for their recipes, many of Waffle On’s producers are biodynamic and organic certified, because honest food definitely tastes better! From music festivals to weddings, these guys have done it all and can guarantee professional and fantastically friendly service. Feast It’s favourite savoury waffle has to be the Slow-Cooked Beef Waffle, served with a spiced red cabbage and lashings of horseradish cream. Their favourite sugary addition is the classic Chocolate Waffle, smothered with homemade hot Belgian chocolate sauce, meringues, strawberries and chantilly cream. Hungry yet? Book Waffle On for your next event! Find them on Maltby Street in Bermondsey, Brockley Market and Columbia Road Flower Market. 

Mini Bean

Small but most definitely mighty, Mini Bean Coffee are absolutely overflowing with personality, serving delicious freshly roasted small batch coffee and a range of whole leaf teas out the back of a cute converted vintage red Mini Cooper. These guys also have a selection of fresh cakes each day, including gooey salted caramel millionaire shortbread and classic raspberry bakewells. Mini Bean are more than happy to put logos on their car for corporate events and can serve a whopping 2000 drinks a day! They also work exceptionally well at private celebrations, putting a really lovely touch on the day with their adorable car and market stall, with tables made from old fashioned suitcases stacked on top of one another. If you envisioned your guests milling around your garden party with a fresh mint tea and a lemon polenta cake, Mini Bean Coffee could be the perfect answer. Book them for your next event today on Feast It. 


So there they are, some of Feast It’s best traders! You can check out the hundreds of other food traders and quirky mobile bars on their site. It’s really straightforward to enquire online and the friendly Feast It team are quick at getting back to you to discuss your trader choices and get everything booked. 

London Private Dining with Grub Club

Guest Post

"Looking to dine beyond the restaurant? Grub Club has been changing the way we dine for the past 3 years. It all began in 2010 when Liv and Sid, two foodies met in the jungles of South India.

Grub Club specialise in night after night of bespoke dining, all with talented chefs inside the most unique spaces! Since launch, they have had chefs go on to set up restaurants and some have left restaurants to  work full time with Grub Club.

Now they are giving you the chance to create your own pop up. You can choose from their 1,000 venues and pick one of their 500 chefs to create your own special evening. It will change the way you look at Private Dining

You can celebrate everything from birthdays to engagement parties. Grub Club  have a range of chefs from Michelin trained  to Cordon Bleu graduates all with a passion to create experiences you will remember"

Link - Grub Club's Private Dining

Guest Post - iZettle: A Payment Solution for Pop-ups

iZettle is a company that lets you process card payments payments on a mobile, using their app and card reader.  It's used by a number of people who run pop-ups, for example the very popular B.O.B's Lobster - full details below in this guest post.

"Setting up a pop-up shop is an exciting way to trial an idea or product, test a location or create a marketing opportunity and after putting in the hard work to get a pop-up business up and running, it’s important that owners maximise their sales opportunities. 

One way to do this is to offer a range of payment options so that customers have choice and flexibility. There’s nothing worse than a consumer reaching the point of sale and realising they don’t have enough cash to make a purchase. It's a lose-lose situation all around - for the customer who wanted to buy the product or service and the pop-up owner who just lost a sale. The good news is there is an easy way to avoid this by using a mobile phone or tablet. iZettle allows anyone to accept card payments and monitor sales transactions via smartphones and tablets.

To get started all you have to do, is download iZettle’s free app, create an account and purchase the Chip & PIN reader. Using iZettle is easy. It’s simple to set up and super secure. You can accept payments and view sales transactions at any time, anywhere and with iZettle’s Smart Rate pricing the more you sell, the less you pay in transaction fees.

Newcomer Wines is a brand that introduces handpicked Austrian winemakers to the UK. Its pop-up shop in Shoreditch’s Boxpark, uses iZettle to take payments. Co-owner Peter Honegger says: “For us iZettle is perfect, it goes hand in hand with our approach to mix wine craftsmanship with latest innovations in technology. We want to do things differently here and iZettle matches our progressive brand. Accepting payments using our tablet always sparks conversations with customers.”

And it isn’t just pop-up stores that are using iZettle. Stephanie Flanagan who runs Bob’s Lobster, a pop-up Lobster bar in London comments: “We love how quickly iZettle processes card payments, no matter where we have set up to work for the day. Our work is fast paced and high pressured, but thanks to iZettle's speed and reliability we never keep our customers waiting. We find people talk as much about the device as they do the food!”

The feedback we’ve had from pop-up owners is that iZettle is a perfect solution for anyone looking to accept card payments and manage their business on the go; a win for customers and business owners. 

To find out more visit www.iZettle.com."

Guest Post - Designer-Makers wanted for Camden Lock Market

The organisers of Camden Lock Friday Market are after new designer-makers to sell at their canal side location.  If this is you then get in touch - details at the bottom

Throughout the year cool-hunters flock to our thriving market and shops for our world class street food, music, fashion and bars. Now within this microcosm of creativity, and as part of Camden Lock Fridays, we have created a showcase for designer-makers to celebrate the best in arts and crafts.

 In this stunning Central London canal-side location, underneath our Victorian canopy we have defined, branded and produced a hub for arts and crafts lovers and we would love you to be a part of it. We want to introduce the 8 million visitors we receive a year to the best makers, designers and artists in the country.

If you feel you have the right offering and want to be a part of this vibrant retail area please get in touch at crafty@camdenlockmarket.com.

More information available via the website www.camdenlockmarket.com"

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Guest Post - Please Help French & Grace open in Camden

Get French & Grace to Camden Lock! DONATE HERE: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-french-grace-open-in-camden-lock/x/33103 from Mariam Caulkett on Vimeo.

French & Grace, one of my favourites from Brixton Village, are hoping to open in Camden Lock, but need your help to raise the funds.  Rosie and Ellie are a great London food success story - they started off as a supper club, then opened up in Brixton Village a few days a week, and now open every day, plus do street food events.  Watch the video above, read the text below, and please help them to bring their 'uber wraps' to Camden!

Fund them via IndieGoGo here

"Hello! We are Rosie French & Ellie Grace and our homegrown food business was born in 2009 with a little blog called Salad Club and a supper club of the same name. In 2010 the blog won a pretigious Observer Food Monthly award and pretty soon everyone wanted a taste of our wares. So, we took to the road with our street food stall and here, on the streets of London, the Über wrap was born! After that hot summer of Über love it was time to lay down some roots in Brixton, the spiritual home of French & Grace, and our small but perfectly formed restaurant landed in October 2011.  In the Spring of 2012 we celebrated publication of our first cookbook, Kitchen & Co, and continued to feed the masses on the streets of London, at various UK festivals and in buzzing Brixton Village.

Where do we go from here? Well, this is where you come in... We've been offered a very exciting opportunity to bring French & Grace to the people of North London with a little takeaway spot in Camden Lock market, alongside other fresh young brands currently storming the food world. The landlords are regenerating the area and keen to make Camden Lock a food destination. Our energetic young cooks will be whipping up fresh flatbreads every day to stuff full of spiced lamb, halloumi, salads, pickles, pomegranate seeds, chorizo, fresh mint, harissa, tahini - the very best of our street food stall every single day! There will also be fantastic coffee courtesy of our friends at Volcano Ltd.

With summer looming, we don't have long to get this up and running and we need your help to get set up. By contributing you will be helping a friendly, independent food business expand into a new London market hub as we grow our young brand into something bigger and better.   

Take a look at our delicious perks and join us on our exciting journey!   

What We Need & What You Get

We need £6500 for the deposit, legal fees and rebranding of 'French & Grace: The Hatch'  

There is no minimum donation and there are some amazing perks up for grabs including a free signed copy of our cookbook, a meal for all your mates with wine and adoration at French & Grace and even free Über wraps for life if you're feeling generous!!

Even if you can't afford to donate, please share this link and shout about our campaign from the rooftops to help us reach our goal in the limited time we have.

Thank you for reading this far... our fingers and toes are crossed! 

Rosie & Ellie x"

Fund them via IndieGoGo here

Guest Post - Win a Pop-up Shop in Greenwich for Jewellery Week 2013

Greenwich Hospital & Jewellery Week 2013 are offering the chance to win a pop-up shop in Greenwich from 7th - 30th June.  You need to send photographs of your jewellery, a CV, a design for how the shop would look, and a brief description of why you would like to have the shop.

I'm a bit late on this one, but please enter - the competition closes on 20th May.

"Are you hankering to have  your own retail space to merchandise and sell your designs in?  

Would you like the opportunity to run a shop  this summer  in a World Heritage Site with a unique independent designer shopping experience ?   

Well now's your chance..!

Three talented jewellers will win the opportunity to host a shop this June (2013) in Greenwich and experience retailing first-hand. They will also be given full membership of Jewellery Week 2013 for one year.

Interested entrants are invited to submit the following before closing deadline of 20 May 2013:

1. Photographs of up to five pieces of their current jewellery collection (photo size 15 cms or 72 dpi only)

2. A brief Curriculum Vitae
. A4 sketch or mood board showing merchandising concept for the shop
4. 200 words on why you would like to have a shop in Greenwich
5. Enclose your full contact details – mobile, email and address

Please email entries to Anna Rakitina at anna@grenhosp.org.uk.

Entries will be judged by: Della Tinsley, Jewellery Week Director, Johnny Rocket Greenwich based Jewellery Designer, Sophia Afxentiou and Matt Savage of Sophia & Matt, Greenwich based handbag and accessory designers , Victoria Purcell ,Editor of The Guide Magazine and Gillie Bexson, Greenwich Hospital Estate Portfolio Manager .

Sponsored by Greenwich Hospital and Jewellery Week 2013.

Please see full terms & conditions for the competition on the Jewellery Week website.

For press information please contact: pr@jewelleryweek.com"

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Guest Post - Supper Clubs Wanted by Wonderland Ceramics in Hackney

I've had some success finding people for spaces - for example The Hoxton Hotel, and The Victoria in Dalston - and now hear is a call for supper clubs to use the 32 seat space in Wonderland Ceramics in Victoria Village, just north of Victoria Park, either with ceramic-painting as part of the night, or as a space on its own:

"Wonderland Ceramics is a newly set up Ceramic Café situated in Victoria Village parade of shops with a modern Alice in Wonderland theme decor. We can seat  up to 32 people 28 on number chairs and 4 on high stools around a poseur table.

We are currently hosting one supper club once a month and this has been a real success. So we are keen to host pop up restaurant or supper clubs more often.

We would like to find a chef partner that would have a keen interest in arranging the guests to paint ceramics before or during the meal making this evening really special experience.  Otherwise we would simply charge a fee for the space.

We have a bar area with lever coffee machine display fridges, freezer etc…

There is also a self-contained kitchen downstairs with a double oven and induction plates.

We are not currently licenced and guests Bring their Own wine expertly paired by the local wine shop Bottle Apostle.

If you would like to visit please email us at info@wonderlandceramics.com 
or alternatively give us a call 07 515 889 028 or 020 8985 1214"




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Guest Post - Brands wanted for Pop-ups at The Hoxton Hotel

The Hoxton Hotel have spaces that they are looking to fill with interesting pop-ups.  If this sounds good please read on:

"The trendy Hoxton Hotel is looking for brands to partner with to run pop-ups/events in the meeting rooms. There are 6 meeting rooms in total, with exposed brickwork and big windows they are the perfect venues for up and coming brands and designers and can be decorated for events. We can accommodate a maximum of 30 people and the events will need to take place either on an evening or through the weekend. Previous events have included ‘An Evening With London Liberty Girl’, A mosaic skull workshop with Lauren Baker and a Molly Bakes pop-up cake shop.

There is no charge for using the rooms and the events will be promoted to the Hoxton fan base of 250,00 people as well as on the hotel’s social media sites. Massey as the PR agency will also send out press releases on the various events so it’s great exposure for brands! Unfortunately we don’t have cooking facilities on site so we can’t accommodate any pop-ups that need to cook food.

For more info on the hotel check out the website and email Julia.pearson@massey.co.uk if you would like to be involved!"

Link - Hoxton Hotel

Map

Guest Post - Food Wanted for Pub in Dalston

AK from The Victoria in Dalston has been in touch to put this offer out to readers of the site.  As he explains below, this could be a really good opportunity for someone to get involved in providing food for the pub, either as street-food type snacks on one or more evenings a week, or to use it as a venue for a pop-up restaurant or a supper club.

"I help run The Victoria in Dalston. It's a family run locals venue and we have live music on several nights of the week. In the last few years we've played host to recent Mercury Winners Alt J, Scritti Politti, Wolf Alice and UK Soul Legend Omar among many others.

In terms of food The Victoria has long been renowned for it's African cuisine but recent changes in the Dalston's demographic has meant this food is not as profitable as it once was and recognizing this trend I'm really keen to offer something different to our newer customers (light bites, snacks, smaller and cheaper meals that can be purchased during a gig with quick turnover), something quite similar to what Lucky Chip are doing or what Rita's offers to Birthdays on Kingsland Road.

The kitchen is fully functioning with a large fan assisted gas oven, microwaves, fridge/freezers, preparation and work areas and storage space for utensils.

As a pub we currently do not open in the afternoon as we no longer have those older customers who might pop in for a pint earlier and equally we do not do coffee- which might attract a more eclectic audience.

We open from 6pm-12pm Sunday to Thursday and 6pm-2am Friday to Saturday- a similar time scheme to most venues in the area.

I'm keen to offer it up to people on a short or long term basis."

If you're interested please contact AK directly either on email - ak@thedalstonvic.co.uk or by calling him on 07807866104

Guest Post - Jupiter Wharf, a New 10,000sqm Event space in East London

A new event space has opened in East London, near to the Olympic site.  It sounds like a very flexible site, and they're looking for people who want to something with it.  Read on:

"An industrial warehouse complex, situated in Hackney Wick, E3. Over 85,000 sq ft (8,000 sq m) of open plan floor space and 43,000 sq ft (4,000 sq m) of outdoor space. 

Nestled in the fringes of the 2012 Olympic park and just a 5 minute walk from Hackney Wick Overground Station, transport links are exceptional. The site can also offer of street parking.

This space can accommodate a wide range of short-term lettings, anything from pop up retail outlets, markets, dining experiences, cinema experiences, exhibitions and music events."

Link - Jupiter Wharf

For more information contact:  Nic Ostacchini - njostacchini@gmail.com

Guest Post - Chefs Wanted for New Space in Hackney

Bar Kino is a new bar in Morning Lane, Hackney.  It's currently being renovated, but when it opens the owners have decided to focus on the bar, and are looking for people willing to run the kitchen - see mockups below.

Dara writes:

"We were going to operate the kitchen ourselves but we've decided for the time-being anyway to concentrate on the bar side of things which leaves us with a nice sized kitchen area and nothing to go in it.

We'd like to hear from anyone who has an idea of something nice and after we've chatted with them we can come to an agreement re: rent, division of profit, etc.

The catch is that the kitchen is almost a shell and needs a bit of TLC. At the moment it's only got a new oven (which isn't hooked up to the gas...) and a sink (which isn't hooked up to the water...) so whoever takes the place will need to invest however much they think is appropriate into turning it into a workable kitchen."

If you're interested you can contact Dara by email at daragilroy@gmail.com

You can also see the Facebook page to see their progress - www.facebook.com/KinoHackney

Guest Post - The tasty business of food trucks

A fun and informative infographic about the business of food trucks in the US:

 

Source:  CarInsurance.org

Guest post - Food Hosts needed for new project at St Ethelburga's in Bishopsgate

Laura Alexander works at St Ethelburga's, the centre for reconcilliation and peace in Bishopsgate.  They are looking for food providers to host events (see below).  If this sounds like it's something you could do, please contact her at the email address below.

"Wanted: young pop up restaurant business looking for opportunity to showcase talent and feed hungry party goers

We are looking for a foodie business to work with to deliver all sorts of catering in our venue as we raise money for our charity (who own the venue) based in the City near Liverpool St Station. Initially we would like new talent in pop up restaurants to do the food for a pop up party that will take place at our venue. Then as we get more successful, we want the foodie business to come along with us and do weddings, corporate events, private parties, private dinners, standing receptions, product launches, gigs, press days...really anything that means gathering people together to celebrate, eat and drink."

If this sounds good, please contact Laura by emailing laura.alexander@stethelburgas.org

Link - St Ethelburga's

Guest Post - Pop up shops – A nuisance? Or a solution to fixing the high street?

Charlie Burrows from Design4Retail has written this guest post about how pop-up shops can help both businesses and the high street.  Charlie's company designs pop-up stores for major brands.  Over to Charlie:

"With today`s High Street struggling to keep up with consumer demands being met elsewhere, it`s tough for business owners to keep their store fresh and exciting, with that special “pull” to draw customers in. The Internet is the main shopping attraction for most people now and if for nothing else, they will at least check prices online before visiting a store. Admittedly, some will still buy from a shop, preferring to handle the product first before making a choice and with items such as clothing, this is one area in which customers still remain loyal to physical shops. But with exchange policies becoming more simple with “e-tailers” such as Amazon and the speed, convenience and simplicity of ordering online, there just isn`t a big enough benefit to visiting a specific location, let alone pay for parking and the cost of fuel to get there.
So is there anything that can turn the fortunes of the high street around?

Pop up Shops could be the answer
Pop up shops are literally what they sound like. Small, easily set-up shops that may take form inside an empty shop building or even outside and they have been bemoaned at in the past by existing shop owners who don`t like the idea of not knowing from week to week who their main competition is. This is a fair point. But there is no denying that by companies utilising pop up shop strategies they can make a big impact at low cost and in a short amount of time, know whether what they are selling is going to be popular.

So what are the benefits of a pop up shop?
1. It`s a cheap testing method for new products or brands
2. Companies can get rid of old inventories and stock at reduced prices, utilising the opportunity to sell off unwanted stock items they are unable to sell in-store.
3. It`s a good test for strategizing on space. It`s difficult to know how much space a shop will need for a product stand for example. Pop up shops enable companies to see space requirements.
4. It`s a great way to test brand awareness and gauge reaction from the public on whether the brand is popular and noticed or perhaps ignored. The strength of a brand is difficult to predict until you get customer reaction.

Does the market need them?
Ultimately, the question is can we afford not to use them. The high street is still a popular form of retail and of course there are still millions of people who use it every year at Christmas and in the summer. There are peaks and troughs like with anything that relates to different demographics, however, the fact remains that shopping online is now even more convenient with online retailers investing in responsive mobile websites for those who like to browse online through their Smartphone or tablet devices. Nearly everything is at the touch of a button and people connect in an instant and this means people need not be inconvenienced by the possibility of rude staff, hectic crowds, expensive parking and traffic anymore. They can just shop online.

So, Yes. The high street needs pop up shops to help re-invigorate the retail experience and to pump some shop-life back into certain areas in the country. 1 in 6 premises stands empty across the UK and the latest figures show that around 20 shops close every day on the high street. Why shouldn`t companies use those empty buildings to promote new products? To entice customers in with something new and at the same time to gauge brand reaction and possibly gain valuable knowledge that will help them grow as a business, which will eventually funnel back into the industry?
They could revive town centres and help showcase new ideas, providing a fresh approach to retail in that area and this can only be a good thing, especially with the recent bleak outlook of our retail economy.

Business owners, large and small, shop owners and landlords should all be getting behind the idea of pop up shops. After all, if it drives footfall back onto the high street it can only be good news for the industry."

Link - Design4Retail
Charlie Burrows - charliedesign4retail@gmail.com

Guest Post - Traders wanted for new London Fields Brewery Sunday Market

Time for another guest post, this time from the London Fields Brewery.  From 2nd September the London Fields Brewery will be playing host to a regular Sunday market, and they are looking for traders to run stalls.  Full details are below:

"The market will run Sundays on a weekly basis, and represent, local , independent businesses, retailers and producers.There will be 35 x 6ft stalls available as a single pitch, multiples of or for the super small producers half stalls too. Including everything from fashion, jewellery, accessories, artworks and prints, bike repairs, baby wear ,coffee/tea, tasty food and home made treats. 

The venue comprises of 2 large railway arches, 1650sq ft each, with a large outdoor 2000sq ft courtyard, that will be covered come Autumn. This allows us to provide a space that unlike the vast majority of local markets is not weather affected. Additionally, we are able to provide our stallholders with stall tables, mains electricity, toilet facilities, running water and Internet access

For the opening month, there will be a fully functional bar serving freshly brewed beer from 'The London fields Brewery', as well as your usual bar spread. Live bands through out the day and on-sight staff to assist. Plus, as a welcome present, stalls for the month of September are all FREE.
Doors open to the public from 10am-6pm, giving stall holders an hour on either side to set up and pack down their stalls.

We're looking to create and opportunity for people to come down and meet their local creative community, an opportunity for stall holders to network amongst each other and build a new more intimate, market institution. 

The 'London Fields Brewery’ it's self has over 3000 twitter followers, 1300 Facebook followers and over 1000 unique website visitors per week. In conjunction with each market stallholder’s own following, we will promote this market well to its ideal target audience! 
If this is a project you are interested to get involved in, we would love to have you on board."

To apply please email Charlie:  TheBrewHouse@LondonFieldsBrewery.co.uk

Guest Post – The Pop Spot Festival: Summer 2012

Welcome to the weekly guest post.  I first met Nick Russell of We Are Pop Up a few months ago, when he was looking into opportunities around all things pop-up.  Now he is launching a new app, and a festival to celebrate all sorts of pop-ups around the capital.

"A movement has been transforming London on the quiet for some time now – and it’s time to let the cat out of the bag. We Are Pop Up – and our mission is to connect people craving new experiences with the pioneers offering them. We've made something that honours the independent spirit of the movement whilst making it accessible to everyone.


Throughout August, we’re bringing together pop-up London with the goal of showcasing the city’s dynamic future. The Pop Spot Festival will give everyone a chance to experience the creativity, spontaneity and vibrancy of your projects, and attract a new, diverse audience at a time when London has more visitors than ever.


The Pop Spot Festival heralds the launch of a mobile app and website for navigating London in a new way – by pop-ups – and we’ll showcase the best for both regulars and first-timers. Punters get to experience something unique and see a new side to the city, while pop-ups can attract new visitors and expand their network.


Everyone taking part will be listed on the app and website free of charge and have the opportunity to benefit from our PR and promotion. Our PR team will be highlighting individual projects and the stories behind them throughout the festival; if you’d like to get involved and have your name shouted from London’s rooftops, sign up, tell us your story, and open the door to the world.


All you have to do be involved is hold a one-off promotion or additional event as part of the festival.  How you shape this offer is totally up to you; it could be part of your existing pop-up or an exclusive extra. Perhaps you’d like to give a discount at quieter times; maybe you’d prefer to offer a free drink to the first 30 people who arrive after 6. From early bird discounts to tasting menus, you can get creative, design your offer to make the most of your pop-up – and we’ll make sure everyone knows about it. Once they’ve arrived, you can show them just how amazing pop-ups can be…"

www.thepopspot.com

Guest Post - Pop-up Spaces Available in Central London

Welcome to another guest post.  I get a lot of queries from people interested in finding pop-up spaces, and while there is my 'advice and resources' section for advice and some links, this is a very specific listing on two spaces that are available now.

Over to Emma from Amazing Space & The Venue Collection:


POP-UP SPACES AVAILABLE IN THE HEART OF CENTRAL LONDON


The popularity of pop-up shops never ceases to amaze me, and with vacancy levels raising dramatically in commercial retail spaces the sight of a pop-up shop is now a common occurrence. I’m all for it as it bridges the gap between UK property owners and the creative industries.


Amazing Space has established relationships with key UK property owners that enable the creative industry to have access to a variety of great pop-up spaces  in central locations.
Amazing Space’s location Library includes some well known iconic London buildings,  We  have built our reputation for providing unique and inspirational properties to the creative sector with a thorough understanding of how our buildings operate, and how hirers can benefit from this.


Footfall is obviously one of the biggest criteria’s we need to consider when scouting for  new pop-shop locations and my top locations for this reason are.......

A modern, flexible gallery space in the heart of Soho, totalling 3,800 sqft (353 sq m). The space is spread over 2 areas Ground and Lower Ground floors with good ceiling height, and fantastic glass front window perfect for branding. The two interconnecting levels have contrasting floor surfaces, concrete and polished latex. A recent addition of a bar in the alcove lends itself as an adaptable event/pop-up space. As well as good natural light, the space features the latest LED lighting offering an innovative and forward thinking Central London space. 

Empty retail space, Covent Garden WC2 400 sq ft (35 sq m) of ground floor shop front with full display windows, simple white walls and wooden floors. This temporary event space is opposite the Covent Garden Piazza and benefits from very high footfall. The unit leads to another event space at the rear measuring 1,500 sq ft (142 sq m).


All locations are supplied by The Venue Collection, which is brought to you by location specialists Amazing Space Locations LTD.


Contact: Emma Hutter – 07872 601 470 or emmahutter@amazingspace.co.uk


Web: www.amazingspace.co.uk and www.thevenuecollection.co.uk 


Follow us on Twitter: @VenueCollection @AmazingSpace @EmsHutter

Guest Post - Card payments made easy with iZettle

The is the first guest post I've featured on the site.  I first heard of iZettle a few months ago, though my job and interest in mobile technology.  It's a card reader that you put into the bottom of your phone (iPhone only at the moment).  You can then take payments from people's credit cards.  I've been to lots of events, for example the 'Circus' event at Christmas, where you've had to go to a central point to make card payments.  iZettle is a system that will allow traders to take payments themselves.

Over to iZettle:


Are you tired of turning cashless customers away at the door? Or of missing out on extra sales because visitors only carry the exact amount of cash required to make do for the evening? Then iZettle might be the solution for you. iZettle lets anyone take card payments, anywhere, anytime, using nothing but a free app for iPhone or iPad, and a free mini chip-card reader.

No merchant account is required, and you only pay for successful transactions. For now it is 2.75% for MasterCard or Diners Club payments, and 2.95% for American Express payments, but we’re of course working on letting you take more cards, including Visa. It only takes a few minutes to get an account set up, and you automatically receive daily deposits to your regular bank account.
Does it sound interesting? This is how it works:


Simply take out your iPhone or iPad, and insert the card reader. The iZettle app automatically launches. Insert your buyer's credit card, press "Pay" and ask them to sign on the screen to confirm the purchase. The payment is cleared, and you'll have the money in your account a few days later.
iZettle is EMV approved, and adheres to all the requirements of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, PCI DSS. No sensitive data is ever stored on the card reader or mobile device, and all data traffic is encrypted.


We're currently running a closed beta programme in the UK, and would love to hear your feedback on the service. If you'd like to try us out, please request an invite at www.izettle.com/GB.


You can also visit our website for inspiration on how to use iZettle for your business. For example, bag and accessory designer Larissa Hadjio uses iZettle for her pop-up shops in order to avoid having to hire a mobile card terminal. Read more about her and other users at http://www.izettle.com/GB/stories.