In the busy lives we lived – before we were forced to slow down ‘cause of Corona – spending time in your local area was often limited to weekends or days off. Even since lockdown has lightened, the temptation to travel far has quickly been shot down with the thought of germ-ridden public transport and spending hours with our mouths and noses covered. With that in mind, and because the team have revelled in spending time in their neighbourhoods as opposed to our central London headquarters, we thought we’d create a mini guide to each location we reside in.

First to show what’s going on in her ends, and to inspire those of you within the residing areas to shop local, is our Project Co-ordinator, Nasreen Osman, as she shares her hotspots around Battersea.


Full disclaimer: I recently moved to Battersea just a few months ago and much of the exploring that I had hoped to do has been spent in lockdown searching Google Maps, so this guide is much more a newbie's discovery of the area than an insider's guide. Nonetheless, living with 2 housemates who have spent years in the SW11 borough and making repeated visits has given me the confidence to say that if you do find yourself on this side of the river, these places are worth the visit. 

Did you know that Battersea is home to (possibly) to longest garden centre in London? No, neither did I and despite the independently-owned store being right by the bus stop I go to every morning, I've never stepped inside. I'm not huge on flowers but walking through the long path surrounded by an abundance of plants, flowers and ceramic pots has got me inspired to get that green thumb going. 



Battersea Flower Station is located at 320 Battersea Park Rd, Battersea, London SW11 3BX

After you've picked up one too many succulents, the next must-see (
or should I say eat?) is right in front of you. Across the street we have the connoisseurs of the absolute delight that is sourdough pizza, Flour to the People. This hotspot is right by my place but even then, you have to get in early because as soon as it's 17:30, people are already forming a queue outside the little roadside hotspot. 


Flour to the People is located at 573 Battersea Park Rd, Battersea, London SW11 3BJ

At this point, you've only seen approximately 500m of Battersea so to get a better grasp of the area, walk about 15 minutes up to Northcote Road. It's no secret to those who know me that I can be a little bit lazy now and again so one stretch of road where I can eat, relax, walk and enjoy the view is perfect for me and ever since I happened upon Northcote Road, I've gone there almost every weekend. It's less of a market area than somewhere like Broadway market, but the shopping street does offer great pubs, restaurants, cafes and the odd food stall here and there. 


The copious amount of people outside the pubs can point you in the right direction but if you want a slightly quieter outdoor area to enjoy some antipasti or Aperol Spritz, head to Buona Sera (they do some great bruschetta). If you're just passing by and want something on the go, pay a visit to the Bread Stall car that has amazing pizza (clearly, I love pizza), bread and savoury pastries. 



Buona Sera is located at 22-26 Northcote Rd, London, SW11 1NX and Bread Stall at 56 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1PA

A short walk down the road will bring you to my favourite gelato place, Oddono's. As the bright blue signage proudly proclaims, it serves 'Award winning gelato' and though I'm no judge of the vast gelati competition, it's pretty damn good and you can't go wrong with the salted caramel flavour.


Oddono's Gelati is located at 69 Northcote Road, London, SW11 1NP

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the expanse of land that is Battersea park and though it is a beautiful place full of spots to have a picnic, play tennis, exercise or simply sit on a park bench, most of the time it's packed with people, especially in the summer. So, I often escape to Wandsworth Common park. It's not super lush or as intricate as other parks – it's pretty average if I'm honest – but if you're coming from Northcote road or want a quieter reading spot on the weekends, it's just right. 


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