Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Chicken Town in Time Out
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Yes, who would have thought it?
Anyone would suppose there's been a co-ordinated media campaign, what with a full article in the Observer and even a small plug in The Guardian. Plus of course a full-page advertorial in the Council's Haringey People magazine and on our Local Authority's website.
I have to wonder whether all this free publicity can compensate for a poor location and a questionable business model, that depends on £300,000 of public money.
If the Council Cabinet really wanted to take a step to improve public health, they could have not approved the cigarette pavilion in Finsbury Park two years running: and another cigarette sales facility this coming summer.
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Permalink Reply by Justin Hinchcliffe on
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A co-ordinated attempt by council spinners in the vain hope of getting their dosh back!
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Permalink Reply by Sarah on
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The location is very convenient to me and my friends. We pop in after our GoodGym run on a Wednesday evening (which meets at the equally convenient location of Tottenham Green Pools and Leisure). I don't even eat chicken but I love the fish and veg burgers, and all of the great sides - mac n cheese, kale, Jerusalem artichokes. Then there's the local beers.
The place is always heaving and deservedly so.
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Permalink Reply by Pat on
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I know, it's disgusting that they should try to encourage healthier eating and offer real job opportunities and training. And to locate it in Tottenham when they should be spending the money on Finsbury Park to open a free-range coffee shop for my convenience.
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Permalink Reply by katherinejane on
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I'm surprised to see such dissent. As a social enterprise (which as I understand it will need seed funding but thereafter should be sustainable), offering healthier options, it's surely a positive thing? I'm looking forward to going even though I neither live in Tottenham nor eat chicken, so in my mind, it's a much needed placemaker for Tottenham, no?
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Permalink Reply by Vicki M on
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I agree that Tottenham could do with more ventures like this, when you contrast our high road with Walthamstow's new restaurants/general improvements its clear we don't have enough decent eateries.
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Yes, it IS a positive thing. Not been there (yet) but I am sure the food is great. That's not the issue. The Council has made some terrible cuts - including day centre closures for autistic and elderly people - however, like a magician taking a rabbit out of a hat, found £300,000 to give to a start up business. If, for some reason, it goes belly up, the hard-pressed taxpayer bears the brunt (again).
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I thought that money was ring fenced post-riot regen funding? Can anyone confirm?
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A lot of the regeneration funding comes from a special GLA funding stream and is ring fenced.
It is good to see that small entrepreneurship is being encouraged and not only 'big business'. If we don't invest in viable loss leaders how will we turn this place around.This place needs to succeed. Hopefully, the more 'regular' opening hours planned will result in more customers since you won't have to consult the oracle to see when it is open.
Tottenham Green has potential - Bernie Grant Arts Centre organises theme evenings that complement the presence of Chickentown on the Green. You can pop in there before or after the jazz lounge or cinema at BGAC. But there is choice too, as cafe Bloomin' Scent cafe located in the BGAC courtyard which offers a seelction of good West Indian food. It opens evenings sometimes too.
I don't think it woill discourage customers of the chicken place on the corner of Arnold rd and Philip LAne though. The prices differ radically and you still see their patrons eating their chickne and fries on the T Green benches. The more places the merrier!
There is also a new cafe-studio called Tri that has opened at 124 West Green Rd. The decor and signage is quite attractive. They offer artisan-roasted coffee, superfood smoothies, pastries and a range of speciality breads, vegan and gluten free cakes, along with award-winning herbal teas blended by Shan, a local Tottenham resident. All sit in or take out. There is free wifi available. It has only had its soft opening so watch 'this space'.
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Hello, JJ! If you were a councillor, and with money being tight, where would you spend the money? Support our vulnerable residents by keeping their day centres open or give the money to a fried chicken shop (or send the Dear Leader to Cannes/keep Haringey People going/ hike up councillors' pay)? Tough one, isn't it. Anyway, am off to CT now. Hope they're open. Justin
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Goodness I thought it was Alan Stanton writing - are you sure you're still a Conservative?
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I am not one for defending the ineptitude of (improving...a bit) Haringey council.
I ain't no Tory supporter.
But in a previous life as a public officer in the Tourism department of a so-called developing country of the Caribbean, I was asked to prepare funding requests to access EU development aid funding.
The local health services could definitely have used loads of investment. The water distribution and other infrastructure services could definitely have used more funding too. But the grants were allocated specifically to support Tourism development projects. So we weren't going to tell the EU funding body "We don't want your grant, we need money for hospitals." We put foward our case, took the grant and a separate case was made for health and infrastructure investment aid.
And by the way, we didn't use the money to redo all the staff badges and the Tourism development logo!
Does that help to explain what has happened at Chicken town?
Of course there is the situation that when Labour were in power our 'deprived' area was not given due attention it deserved. And Labour politicians at a local and national level did/do not seem to want to grapple with the fundamental problems with the inequitable way in which London's resources are distributed and how that impacts area's like Tottenham.
Excuses are bandied about to explain why the place looks and feels so bad. Of course the discourse now is that regeneration is taking place and that in 20 years it will all be much better. But look at the model even Labour has adopoted for us and agaisnt the wishes of so many people!
The excuses are used to foist massive redevelopment of property sites, many of which are/were once in public ownership. And this is being done to the detriment of local small-scale entrepreneurs and long-standing residents who have been grafting for years to keep the place alive and vibrant.
They are a cynical bunch.
Let's not talk of the whole-scale destruction by the Tory Party of the social and health services that have served the UK so well in the past and their own pandering to hypoer bug business concerns that serve a small network of the advantaged.
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