Friday 12th September 2025
Blog Page 198

Varsity Football: Women’s past is the future

Iona Bennett
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Varsity Football: Women’s past is the future

This Sunday’s football Varsity against Cambridge will be the 138th played by the men and the 37th by the women since the club was founded in 1872. The dark blues will be looking for a repeat of last year’s double victory, a success which saw Oxford lifting both trophies.

However, for many, 2022 will go down in footballing history for another (and perhaps more significant) reason: the sensational performance of England’s Lionesses at the Euros.  Their historic win brought a trophy back to England for the first time since the much-vaunted 1966 men’s World Cup victory. Looking back to last year’s various football successes, and forwards towards this weekend’s Varsity, I have been reflecting upon both my own personal experience playing football, and also the (often unknown and untold) history of women’s football in the UK.

From a young age I always had a ball at my feet, regardless of where I was. Eventually, after a few smashed plates, lamps, and other household objects, my parents decided that it was time to find somewhere for my sister and I to get some real training – and maybe increase our accuracy. Excited at the prospect of playing football properly, we set off to the local park with our mum to find the team that my dad had arranged for us to train with the previous week. On arrival, we were promptly berated by the coach for not having shin pads and sent away without playing. Dreams of becoming a professional footballer crushed, seven-year-old me burst into tears. Fast-forward a couple of weeks, and our parents found us a different team with a supportive coach. We were the only girls there, but that didn’t faze us at all: we were finally playing football.

However, when I went on to join a local Sunday league girls’ team, the differences between my own experience and that of my male counterparts begin to show. I played at places with no toilets, in leagues which would be cancelled midway through the season because of teams dropping out, and on sloping pitches resembling meadows, with lines marked out in cones. These were right next to the well-maintained pitches, always reserved for the boys. These imbalances began especially to frustrate me when I became involved in the sport more seriously. I played for the first team of my Regional Talent Centre while my friend played for the men’s equivalent reserve team. Unlike me and my teammates, he got access to ice baths and specialised physios. This disparity particularly annoyed me because I knew such facilities would greatly aid my development. As this happened, many of the girls I had played with were stopping football completely. Looking back, this is hardly surprising given that 64% of girls drop out of sports by the age of 17. By this point, it had become clear to me that women’s football could only progress significantly with increased funding, distributed from grassroots to a professional level, and with a changed public attitude.

At the same time, teams in the WSL, the top division of English women’s football, were lucky to get one thousand supporters a week, while men’s premier league teams would easily get upwards of fifty thousand. Women’s football seemed anything but popular, and, to me, the prospect of attracting even half of the men’s numbers seemed to be stuff of a distant future. As it turns out, the future was the last place I needed to be looking: women’s football had already attracted the same numbers as the men’s – and nearly an entire century earlier! As someone heavily involved in the sport from a young age, I was surprised to discover its hidden history. Just twenty-five years after the first women’s football match in 1895, a Boxing Day match at Goodison Park attracted 53,000 supporters, an international record that was only broken a decade ago. Why had I not known about this before? How had this regression in popularity occurred? What happened to Women’s football?

The answer is simple, and shocking – in 1921 the Football Association banned Women’s football from affiliated grounds. Their accompanying statement that “the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged” reflected the social politics of the time, and the wider attempts to make women return to pre-war conditions. Many women were unhappy about this, seeing much of their new-found independence during the first-world war taken from them. Women wanted to be able to determine their own futures and have keys rights – political, social and reproductive. Therefore, although the FA’s decision was undoubtedly a setback, the 1920s was also period in which women campaigned hard for their rights, and achieved a series of successes. The Matrimonial Causes Act (1923) made adultery by either husband or wife the sole ground for divorce. The Summary Jurisdiction Act (1925) extended the criteria on which either a husband or wife could obtain separation.  The Legitimacy Act (1926) allows for children born outside of marriage to be legitimated by the subsequent marriage of their parents. The Adoption Act (1926) introduced adoption procedures. While women over 30 were given the right to vote in 1918, women were only given electoral equality in 1928.  The following year the Ages at Marriage Act raised the minimum age to 16 and the so-called ‘Flapper’ election of 1929 took place.

Until 1969, women’s football was only played in amateur leagues, with small crowds and limited funding. In this time, the campaigning of second wave feminist saw women gain further rights. The Married Women’s Property Act (1964) entitled a woman to keep half of any savings she has made from the allowance she is given by her husband, Barbara Castle became the first female minister of state (1965), Labour MP David Steel sponsored an Abortion Law Reform Bill, which becomes the Abortion Act (1967), and women went on strike at the Ford car factory over equal pay – a protest that led directly to the passing of the Equal Pay Act. Yet, in and amongst all of this, it was not until 1969 the Women’s Football Association (WFA) was formed. Further, it would be another two years before the FA would lift the ban which stopped women playing on the grounds of affiliated clubs.

Despite this huge fifty-year setback, women’s football grew steadily from this point up until the start of the new century. By the time I was born in 2002, football had become the top participation sport for girls and women in England. In the same year, Gurinder Chadha’s Bend it Like Beckham was released. Starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, the film follows two 18-year-old girls who love football, and are determined to play at any cost. It was an instant success, and cemented itself, and women’s football, firmly within popular culture. Watching it for the first time, I identified particularly with the Indian character Jesminder. When the film finished, I turned to my mum and said, ‘that girl is just like me’.

Now, in 2023, there are hundreds of (real!) role-models for young girls starting out in the sport to look up to, from England’s captain Leah Williamson to former footballer turned television presenter Alex Scott. The progress the sport has made in the last few years alone has been incredible to see, and women’s football is being played and watched by more than ever before. When I go home to Leeds and walk through my local park on a weekend, the pitches are still, as they were over a decade ago when I first started out, inevitably full. This time, however, men, girls, women, and boys are all playing next to one another.

Therefore, while there is a long way to go for women’s football, particularly in terms of increasing funding and continuing to change public attitudes, its recent progress is something to be celebrated. As we look forward to what the future of the sport may hold, we must also look back to the often-forgotten women who paved the way for us, and had to fight simply to play a game they loved.

So, reflecting upon all of this in the build-up to this Sunday’s Varsity I want to urge you to reverse the deliberate setback imposed on the women’s game just over one hundred years ago and head down to London on Sunday, to support Oxford. The women are playing at 12.00 at Leyton Orient F.C, and the men at 15. 00. The women’s game has come a long way, and while we won’t be able to match the huge crowds who used to watch all those years ago, it would be fantastic if there were good numbers cheering on the dark blues. Let’s reverse the FA’s 1921 pronouncement and show that in 2023 we know that ‘the game of football is quite suitable for females and ought to be encouraged.’ 

Image Credit: Iona Bennett

Dismissed academic visitor ran unofficial “Oxbridge fellowship” scheme for financial associates

Cherwell News
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<strong>Dismissed academic visitor ran unofficial “Oxbridge fellowship” scheme for financial associates</strong>

Onyeka Nwelue, whose Academic Visitor status at Oxford and Cambridge was terminated last month, used his position at the two universities to set up a fellowship scheme for the benefit of his financial associates, an ongoing investigation by Cherwell has found. This comes after he established his own place at Oxbridge through payment of at least £12,000 in donations and academic visitorship fees. 

The Fellowships

The James Currey Fellowships were created by the James Currey Society, which Nwelue incorporated as a for-profit company in May 2022. They provide funding for African writers to visit Oxford or Cambridge in a research capacity, although Oxford and Cambridge confirmed the fellowships have not been administered, funded, or awarded by either university. Recipients have been listed as academic visitors rather than fellows on the university websites and Nwelue said their visitorship fees were paid: “From my own pocket”.

Before the recipients of this year’s James Currey Fellowships were announced, Nwelue posted about the scheme online, tweeting: “I am not a billionaire but I have established two Fellowships in Oxford and Cambridge” and “Philanthropy is a messy thing. If you’re a criminal, a fraudster (sic) … invest in things that will cleanse your stained heart”.

Both the James Currey Fellowships and the society awarding them are named after Oxford alumnus James Currey, a celebrated publisher of African literature. When asked about the society, Nwelue told Cherwell: “Mr James Currey approves everything before I go ahead”. Currey is elderly and has recently been in ill health. His son, commenting on his behalf, confirmed: “The James Currey Society was not set up at his behest, he has not been involved in programming events – though has attended some – and he has not provided financial support.”

Cherwell found that both individuals who were awarded the James Currey Fellowships this year had existing financial relationships with Nwelue before receiving them.

David Hundeyin, a Nigerian blogger, was announced as the James Currey Fellow at Cambridge in October 2022, after signing a book deal with Nwelue’s publishing house Abibiman Publishers in September. Hundeyin later faced complaints for making misogynistic remarks to students at a launch event for this book in Oxford on 31st January 2023, which he promoted under the university logo without the university’s permission. He has also claimed on Twitter that Cambridge awarded him a “Fellowship” despite the university consistently denying any input in selecting the James Currey Fellows and confirming to Cherwell that Hundeyin’s status was that of an academic visitor.

Mitterand Okorie, the current James Currey Fellow at Oxford, co-founded the World Arts Agency, a Johannesburg-based literary agency, with Nwelue in 2019 as well as publishing his first book in 2017 with Nwelue’s company Blues & Hills. He also wrote Nwelue’s biography, Onyeka Nwelue: A Troubled Life, which he published through Abibiman in 2022.

Asked why the James Currey Fellowships had been awarded to these individuals, Nwelue said: “I have no answer to your questions.” However, after his associations with Oxbridge were terminated, Nwelue wrote in an email to Oxford staff: “I did not mean to tarnish the image of the African Studies Centre … I am very sorry to have brought the embarrassment I brought. About bringing David Hundeyin here, I didn’t read the signs properly. I am also sorry about that.”

The Winner

The James Currey Fellowship in Oxford was actually offered to another writer before being given to Mitterand Okorie, Cherwell discovered. In September 2022, aspiring Nigerian author Rosemary Okeke won the James Currey Prize, a competition she entered through the James Currey Society several months earlier. Along with prize money, one of the benefits of the prize was a funded James Currey Fellowship at Oxford, contingent on signing a book deal with Abibiman Publishers. 

Nwelue appointed a jury of nine people to judge the work of authors who entered the prize, although several of the five jurors who spoke to Cherwell were unaware that Oxbridge fellowships were promised as one of the prize’s benefits.

In October, Mitterand Okorie contacted Okeke as a literary agent with the World Arts Agency, offering her a contract of representation for her book. Okeke stated that she hoped to have a female literary agent, after which she received no further correspondence from Okorie. She subsequently discovered he had been appointed as the James Currey Fellow at Oxford instead.

Okeke received no formal contact from Oxford University throughout this. After questioning the fellowship’s re-allocation, she received an email from Nwelue saying: “I was sent your response to the contract offer. You mentioned that … you were looking forward to a female agent. Why is the Fellowship important to you, since I am a man?”

She told Cherwell: “There was, and is, a lot of confusion about the fellowship on my end, especially because people who weren’t even among the shortlisted candidates [for the James Currey Prize] were getting appointed fellowships by the Society. They seemed to be uncoordinated.”

One of the James Currey Prize jurors told Cherwell: “I was unaware that Rosemary Okeke never received the fellowship. This is unfortunate and unfair to Rosemary Okeke. The assessment process was very rigorous and time-consuming. It took two rounds of assessment, and to prevail as the winner means that Okeke deserved everything that was promised to her by the award organisers.” 

Oxford University declined to comment on the situation with Okeke, reiterating that the University was not involved in selecting recipients of the James Currey Fellowship.

“Dr. Onyeka Nwelue was here”

In September 2022, before this year’s fellowships were awarded, Nwelue donated a bust of James Currey to Wadham College. Wadham said: “we accepted a bust of [James Currey] from the organisers of the James Currey Literary Festival”, adding “Wadham College has no direct association with Onyeka Nwelue.” However, Nwelue was photographed alongside the Warden of Wadham College during the bust’s unveiling ceremony and he was one of the organisers of the festival.

While running the James Currey Fellowship scheme, Nwelue also continued to pay for his own associations with Oxford and Cambridge. Neither institution confirmed whether all academic visitors pay a set bench fee, but documents show Nwelue has paid £1000 per academic year for access to Oxford’s university libraries since 2021. At Cambridge, he was charged £9000 for one year’s association with the Centre for African Studies in 2022-23.

He told Cherwell that his Academic Visitorship “was a platform to be seen as powerful, a platform to leverage on… What money and power can not do, does not exist!”

Nwelue also made online claims about donating to Oxford University, posting a letter addressed to “Professor Nwelue” from former Vice-Chancellor Louise Richardson thanking him for his “generous support”. Oxford University did not respond to Cherwell’s inquiries about the full sum that Nwelue donated. 

However, it was confirmed that Nwelue paid £1000 to have his name engraved on a chair in Oxford’s Weston Library; the words “Dr. Onyeka Nwelue was here” are inscribed on its armrest. Although Cherwell revealed that Nwelue has no professorial position or PhD, Weston Library confirmed that the plaque on the chair will remain in place.

Investigations into whether any background checks were carried out on Nwelue and the fellowship holders he appointed are ongoing.

Bbuona – Italia a Oxford

Oliver Hall
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Bbuona – Italia a Oxford

I visited Bbuona 18 months ago to record my first ever Oxford Eats podcast. A lot has happened in the world since then but Bbuona’s charm is evergreen — the remarkable quality of authentic imported ingredients and products served in a restaurant perfectly reminiscent of an Italian bar makes stepping inside feel like teleporting to a different world. That world is one of good food, good weather, and great people.

Owner Andi first set up the restaurant alongside Alessandro as ‘Buongiorno & Buonasera’. Back then the goal was to create a Roman-style bar with authentic pinsa just one of the offerings. It quickly became clear though that pizza was the star of the show and a quick rebrand later, Bbuona was born. Now, the restaurant maintains the Italian-style bar (I often find myself standing here enjoying an espresso and a cannoli) but also operates as a more formal sit-down restaurant with table service.

Everything here is authentic — I can’t stress that enough. I brought my Italian friend here on his first day in Oxford and it is now our regular haunt. Any Italians in Oxford will find themselves in a dreamland of Ichnusa (Sicilian beer), Crodino, and products from across the country — think of it as a kind of ‘Italian greatest hits album’. The biscuits on the bar are imported from the same Sicilian people as Italiamo and some of the other desserts arrive weekly from Rome. Cheeses, salamis, and vegetables are similarly drafted in from a range of suppliers and producers.

Pinsa is a uniquely Roman pizza variety and is worth explaining. It is a much lighter, healthier, and thinner dish than the Neopolitan style that is most common in the UK. I’ve never seen it offered in England anywhere else and it is of course made in-house here daily by the team. In Rome, pinsa is traditionally prepared in the morning and heated to order by the slice but here that approach obviously isn’t sustainable. Instead, the bases are prepped by hand early on and left to rise and aerate before being dressed and cooked to order. The dough itself is completely unique — much easier to digest, it uses non-GMO rice, soy, wheat, and sourdough flours to make it 80% more hydrated than a traditional base. The same starter has been used by Bbuona since 2017 and the pressing and hand-tossing process (pinsa derives from the word pinsere, to press, in Italian) gives it its signature light and airy crust. 

That focus on non-GMO products is hugely important to Andi. In fact, he is quick to point out that it is a hugely important part of Italian and Mediterranean food as a whole. Fats and carbohydrates have been a natural part of our diet for all time but he preaches the evils of the introduction of artificial sugars and other products. You simply won’t find them here.

And so on to the food — and what food it is. There is an extremely diverse range of dishes here with all price points and budgets catered for. Andi says that that is something that was important to him. Ingredients are high quality throughout all of the dishes but you can still get a pizza for less than £9. Alternatively, there is scope to go all out for the Tartufo option at £15.95 or add your own ingredients and toppings.

The new gluten-free pinsa is something that Andi is particularly passionate about. In the past, there was always a gluten-free offering but it was a Neopolitan-style base due to the extreme difficulty in creating authentic pinsa without gluten. Now though, the restaurant has partnered with a supplier in Rome to exclusively create and supply them with an authentic pinsa-style dough for gluten-free customers. Cooked on a different surface and in a different oven from the other pizzas, catering for allergies and dietary requirements is a core part of the menu at Bbuona.

From the starters, we sampled the bruschetta and they were delightful. The dish comes with three different varieties; topped with aubergine, cherry tomatoes, and peppers. The cherry tomatoes are definitely the simplest of the trio but for me their freshness was by far the most refreshing.

Bruschetta

Salads are also on the menu for those looking for a light option and our Energetica was a very well-rounded dish. Not overdressed at all, the customer is left to drizzle any mix of oils and vinegars to their liking. The leaves are mixed with Puglian olives that pack a huge punch, cherry tomatoes, and prosciutto crudo before a grating of gran reserva Grana Padano cheese. If you manage a bite of all the elements together then the balance is perfect and the addition of some garlic and chilli oils is highly recommended. The only drawback for me was the quantity of olives. There are so many that their intense flavour does risk becoming overpowering.

Energetica salad

The parmigiana melanzane again manages to tread that line between filling and heavy. The portion size is generous but the fact that the aubergine are grilled and not fried means that their flavour is given space to stand out. This, together with the light amount of cheese, means that the tomatoes and garlic are also able to really add the depth of flavour to the dish that is often drowned out by oil.

Parmigiana melanzane

Pizza-wise, we got three different options. Firstly came the Bbuona. Andy’s favourite (hence taking the name of the restaurant), it is simply a tomato base with prosciutto crudo and burrata cheese. This burrata is my favourite of the many kinds of cheese here. As I have written before, I really think that many pizzas are ruined by ‘over-cheesing’. This couldn’t be more different — the burrata falls apart beautifully and the creamy interior breaks away and spreads over the base to create a cold, creamy contrast to the hot tomato base.

Bbuona pinsa

Alongside it we ordered the Ortolana. Coming from the Italian word for garden, ‘orto’, this is a vegan option that puts vegetables front and centre. With aubergine, peppers, olives, onions, and garlic, the flavours are intense but contrasted well with the addition of fresh basil. None of the vegan pizzas here have cheese — Andi simply hasn’t found a vegan cheese good enough to put on the menu and that should be reassuring to everyone: there is simply no compromise on flavour at Bbuona.

Ortolana

To try the new gluten-free base, we created our own pinsa and went slightly crazy. The addition of friarelli, anchovies, and mushrooms on an artichoke cream base meant that the centre of the base was slightly undercooked. The friarelli does jump out though and is another of the uniquely Italian offerings: a type of broccoli rabe only usually found in the Mediterranean, it has a sour and earthy flavour that make it stand out from whatever dish it is in.

The ‘Olieatsitall’ creation!

Desserts here are a whole different equation. You can go crazy if you have room with the Nutella pinsa. The name though is deceiving — the base here isn’t actually Nutella but instead a different and much darker, creamier, hazelnut chocolate base that definitely makes for a dish that needs sharing. Ice cream is also on offer in all the classic flavours alongside the biscuits of several varieties that are on the bar. The hazelnut aragostine are superb but the pistachio profiterole style pastries are a different option to pair with your espresso.

Nutella pinsa and biscuit selection

Really though, that espresso wouldn’t be complete without a Bbuona cannolo. Alongside Gusto, this is one of the only places in Oxford that freshly pipes its cannoli and the only place in Oxford that will do it in front of you. There are pistachio and chocolate fillings but the star of the show is the traditional ricotta dipped in pistachios — given how hard it is to find in the UK, you would be remised to get anything else. If you are between meals when you wander through Gloucester Green, I have found that a cannolo and an espresso or cocktail at Bbuona can solve any internal crisis.

Cannolo

Bbuona on Gloucester Green is another one of those restaurants that I love so much. There is so much going on and yet it still manages to stay perfectly simple. The focus is on authenticity and good quality ingredients in everything that comes out of the kitchen. The sheer quantity of regulars from Oxford’s Italian community is a testament to this and you simply can’t miss the passion of every single member of the team. That passion and warmth really do make it feel like home. Whether you are in need of a pick-me-up, a midweek lunch, or a celebratory dinner, Bbuona can fit the bill for any occasion.

Review: Punk

Anonymous
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Review: Punk

This play was a wild ride and I’m still trying to figure it out a week later. Perhaps the greatest of praises: the play was a hefty 80 minutes but felt a lot shorter. That’s not only a testament to writer-director Aaron Low, but to the entire cast and crew. However, worth mentioning again, I’m still slightly confused – but I think that’s the point.

Punk is a play about a man, Emory (Edgar Viola), who finds himself turning into a machine. The play is also “about anger”, as our helpful Narrator (Matt Sheldon) tells us right at the beginning. The Narrator is evidently Emory after his transformation, helpfully indicated by the glitches and tweaks in his voice. Sound design (a credit to Imi) in general is at the forefront of this play, conveying much of Emory’s metamorphosis from man to machine. 

Emory is an everyman, yet at the same time he is an outcast – this tension seems to characterise the play as a whole. Viola plays this fantastically, carefully taking us through the relatable scenes of mindlessly scrolling on TikTok, right through to the gut-wrenching scenes of Emory’s complete alienation from his circle of friends. This awkwardness is basically a result of Emory desperately trying to get the story out about the transformation to his journalist friend Mercy (AJ Culpepper-Wehr). At the same time, the play hints that Emory has always been the “weird one” of the group. It also explains that Emory is grieving his two parents. It’s unclear whether his personality, his grief, or the ‘becoming-robot’ is the central issue, but the play seems to suggest it’s all three. Sorry Emory. 

Oh, I almost forgot to mention. Emory is enlisted by parody-of-an-evil-supervillain Gina Kavorkian (Flora Symington) to take the main role in her upcoming ‘snuff film’. I did not know what a snuff film was before entering the Burton Taylor, and I’m not sure I’m glad I know now. There were some audience members who let out an uncomfortable half-chuckle upon hearing about it, which probably says more about them. 

To save you all the Google search, Gina asks Emory to star in a film depicting his own slow, eventual death. Admittedly, this did confuse me, since of course Emory’s computer self speaks to us throughout the play, but I suppose ‘death’ in this case was in a more mental, spiritual sense. 

From this point onwards, the play takes a more sinister turn. It runs through Emory’s painful falling out with his supposed-friend Robin (Alex Bridges) culminating in a very shout-y scene that was either a highly moving scene of heartbreak at the loss of a friend, or a slightly overdone display of rage. The play was about anger, after all…

To be fair to them, there was definitely a lot of anger. There’s a particularly amusing scene (definitely on the absurd side) where Mercy and his partner Maria (Alice Bergoënd) shout at Emory’s neighbour for annoying him, resulting in a very quick escalation, names being called, gunshots. At this point you’ll see why the 80 minutes seemed to pass quickly. We were not bored. At all.

In general, the play seemed to have it all. Funny characters, an absurd plot, and surprisingly naturalistic writing, especially for a play about a man turning into a machine who has his slow death documented by a snuff-film director. 

I would say I don’t know whether the play needed a Narrator. I ended up leaving feeling like some parts were over-explained, whilst still leaving the theatre in an overall confused state. Some explanations felt superfluous: starting a play explaining what it’s about; Gina explaining to Emory that his desire to put the story out about the transformation actually stems from an innate human desire to make something of one’s life. I think the machine stuff was a metaphor, but judging by the crazy robot-dance that rounds off the play’s action, it was definitely more real than not. 

A laptop that is left open on a bar throughout the play is closed at the end. On leaving the theatre, I indeed felt like throwing away all my devices, and if that was the original goal of the play it definitely succeeded. Members of the audience I managed to speak to seemed to agree that the sound design was superb. In particular, a scene where Emory’s phone malfunctions and plays horrible music at maximum volume was chilling and led me to trust issues with my phone for at least a couple days after.

Overall, Punk was fun. It was light-hearted when it needed to be, and at other points rich and profound. The points mentioned above were ultimately nit-picking – the play was great at what it wanted to do, and this was only enhanced by a hilarious cast. I can’t wait to see what Edgar Viola performs in next, and likewise what Apropos of Nothing Productions has up their sleeve for the future. 

Just Lokma — Oxford’s Turkish dessert location

Oliver Hall
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Just Lokma — Oxford’s Turkish dessert location

Two weeks ago, Just Lokma opened to little fanfare on Cowley Road. It has quickly attracted a customer base ranging from the large Turkish community that is already in Oxford to students discovering new delicacies for the first time.

Traditional Lokma

The offerings here are diverse but the star of the show is without a doubt the store’s namesake — Lokma. These are essentially tiny deep-fried dough balls that are traditionally soaked in syrup or honey. That is undoubtedly how they are best enjoyed here but there is also an extremely tempting dessert bar of sauces ranging from various chocolates to delicious pistachio.

My favourite version of the Lokma was definitely the traditional option but they can also be filled with any of the sauces. We also tried them filled with dark chocolate and drizzled in a selection of the sauces and toppings. One or two of them in this state is delightfully sweet but any more is very overpowering.

In a break from the Turkish theme, there are churros too — the thick kind as opposed to the authentic Spanish variety. Usually, I am very against these but these are fried long enough at a high temperature to mean that they are cooked through and properly crisp on the outside. They are ideally paired with the pistachio sauce (the owner tells me he already has people coming back to buy tubs of this and take it away).

Churros and pistachio sauce

Next came the baklava. There is a huge array here, all with different styles of pastries and coatings but all containing the same high-quality pistachios. These are delivered freshly each week by a specialist store in London.

Baklava

Vanilla cheesecake is also a move away from classic Turkish options but a good choice. It comes in at £4.70 for a huge slice and can be coated in any wild and wonderful mix of toppings. The vanilla element was nice but I would have liked a chunkier biscuit base.

Cheesecake

Drinks here also stand out. Turkish coffee is available and authentically strong and punchy but there is also Turkish tea. At just £2 it is amazingly sweet and refreshing and I was pleasantly surprised, as a non-tea drinker, to enjoy something I had never even seen on a menu before.

Turkish tea and Turkish coffee

All in all, Just Lokma is yet another exciting and interesting addition to international stores and offerings on Cowley Road. You can choose your own selection of lokma and get six for £6.50 or four churros for £4.50. Open until 11 PM on the weekends it is certainly a new option for the mid-pub crawl snack or to fuel up before a night out. Not a night owl? The creamery is also a nice stop-off for a treat on a weekday wonder.

Pompette — Relaxed, refined, and perfectly French

Oliver Hall
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Pompette — Relaxed, refined, and perfectly French

Hidden away on South Parade in Summertown is the only restaurant in Oxford with two AA Rosettes. Featured in the Michelin Guide and highly acclaimed by reviewers such as Tim Hayward, Jay Rayner, and Giles Coren, visitors would of course expect high quality. What is surprising is the superbly relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere, the care, dedication, and kindness of the owners, and the pleasingly approachable price points.

Pompette is owned by Laura and Pascal Wiedemann and in 2018 the couple completed the move from London to Oxford. Here, they have completed their ‘dream’ — owning and running a restaurant of their own creation. Laura combined her interior design experience with Pascal’s highly decorated culinary background in restaurants such as Racine, Terroir, and Six Portland Road, to create a uniquely fun and stylish bistro right here in Oxford.

Passion and friendliness are very much the not so secret ‘secret ingredients’ of this industry and when we arrived I was immediately struck by Laura talking to a group of her regulars for at least ten minutes. That more than set the tone and speaks to the real delight Laura takes in customer service. She later revealed just how important regulars are to her and the business as a whole with some customers coming back weekly or even more regularly for their reassuring indulgence. The atmosphere and personalities here really make it feel like home and that was reflected in Pompette’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They continued trading with their ‘Pompette at Home’ boxes throughout and later opened a deli at the front of the shop. Laura hand-delivered countless items and meals around the community and divulged of how some regulars turned to group Zoom calls, eating the same meal at the same time as they were used to every week, complete with a background photo of the restaurant itself!

Anyway, time to move on to the food itself. Here too, Pompette is fascinating. The French classics are present but blended with some other Mediterranean options and dishes grounded in Pascal’s Strasbourg roots to complete a delightfully short, concise, and ever-changing menu.

We kicked things off with a Pousse Rapiere (Orange cognac with Champagne) and a St. Germain Spritz to fully ground ourselves in France before browsing the remarkable wine list (better described really as a book). Again though, there is more than just the classics here. The selection is curated by Laura and regularly revamped to bring in new and interesting producers and grapes alongside the well-known vintages. In the podcast I recorded with Laura, we talked about how Coravin has really opened up the potential of the wine industry in an interesting way, making previously daunting blends and grapes much more approachable. I was delighted to find a Blaufränkisch offered by the glass and settled in for the food.

We started with both the ham and manchego croquettes and the Cervelle de canut. The first is definitely dominated by the cheese but does have a pleasingly crispy exterior to add the crunch that is often missing from English attempts at the nibble. The Cervelle is quite the creation. Served with croutons (made from yesterday’s unfinished homemade baguette), and crudités, it is a whipped walnut and herb dip with Lyonnaise cheese. I’ve never encountered it before but it has that kind of irresistible ‘come back for more’ factor that is dangerous when ordered with a pre-dinner drink!

Ham & Manchego croquettes, Oeuf en meurette, fish soup

Starters included the Oeuf en meurette and the ever-popular fish soup. Laura tells me they considered removing the fish soup from the menu when they took the site over — it is safe to say that they have avoided a local revolt by continuing to offer it daily. All of the fish is brought in fresh each morning and the soup is left cooking for hours to create a distinctive depth. The Oeuf en meurette was another completely new discovery for me. The sauce is red wine and bourguignon-style with bacon, onions and mushrooms, and a crouton in the centre topped by a poached egg. Baguette is more than required for the sauce and the egg was perfectly cooked to break and soak the crouton.

Next came the mains and we started with Spatzle, an Alsatian speciality I adore but that rarely makes it beyond those borders. The dish combines artichokes and mushrooms with hazelnuts and watercress. The result is a pleasantly complete bite with the pasta itself airing on the lightly cooked side to make sure that it maintains its form. After that was the cod. This dish offered a freshness that made it stand out from other offerings and was served on a base of butter beans and chorizo in a manzanilla sauce with homemade aioli on the side. The manzanilla works well to balance the intense chorizo and the butter beans soak the sauce to ensure they avoid lacking the flavour that is often the case. The fish itself was cooked well with the crispy skin that always leaves me happy. 

Spatzle and Cod 

Somehow I seem to have gotten this far in reviewing a French restaurant without mentioning steak frites but fear not, the wait is over. Again here, the options are perfectly simple: sirloin or ribeye served with fries and your choice of sauce. Cooked rare (and French rare at that) the sirloin melted in my mouth in a way that really proves the quality of ingredients used at Pompette. The provenance of everything is key to Laura and Pascal and the use of high-quality meat, even if it does command a high price, means that the taste is of the highest order. With an accompanying green salad to balance the intense flavour, I’ve no doubt that this is the dish many will return for.

Steak frites and salad

Cheese, oh cheese. I am increasingly of the belief that God created cheese to test human discipline — I am sorry to report that I have very much failed that test. Three arrived gloriously alongside more red wine and an Amaretto coffee on this occasion and were served with a fig chutney and some of that homemade baguette I mentioned earlier. The blue 1924 stared for me but I’d certainly caution non-blue cheese lovers to steer clear. Marechal and Saint-Nectare completed the selection to ensure a diversity of intensities and consistencies.

The dessert list is also home to regulars’ favourites, most notably the Kirsch Choux Bun. Essentially a giant profiterole I was expecting a heavy, over-creamy affair that I would move on from after a quick bite. Unfortunately for my day’s calorie count but luckily for my tastebuds, the reality was quite different. The bun itself is crisp and filled with a creamy but somehow still light filling that is very different from the pure heavy and unflavoured version served up en masse in English supermarkets. The top is rock hard with crystallised syrup and Griottines that mix with a warm dark chocolate sauce for a bite that combines all the consistencies and sweet flavours you could desire. I must warn you though — order this to share or prepare to be wheeled out. There’s also a tiramisu to reflect the Mediterranean options not exclusive to France. It’s good. To be honest, it is probably very good, but I was so enamoured by chocolate cherry goodness that I would struggle to recommend it instead.

Kirsch choux bun
Tiramisu

There is no doubt that the price point a la carte at Pompette can rack up — starters average around £11 and mains in the mid-twenties. As much as I believe there is nothing better to spend money on than food and experiences, if you settle in for an evening or afternoon here there is potential to go large. However, the Prix Fixe menu comes in £26 and £32 for two and three courses respectively to make it a more than affordable treat. The Wednesday Poulet Frites nights are even better. For just £20 each, two people can share half a roast chicken, a house salad, and unlimited fries with a carafe of Viognier. I wasn’t surprised to hear from laura just how popular this has been and it is definitely the kind of experience that I will be returning for.

Alternatively, the bar is also a great place for a drink, nibble, and catch-up. It offers its own menu of meats and nibbles and if you come in the week between 5 and 6 PM, select cocktails include a snack. It certainly offers a different and exciting option to start an evening with a friend.

The defining thing about Pompette is just how lovely it feels. Every team member is knowledgeable and friendly and owner Laura is even more so. The decor is fun but not chaotic and the atmosphere bustling but more than pleasant. The food matches that — indulgent but not sickening and refined but not pretentious, the best way to describe the whole experience is perfectly French. Come expecting warmth, authenticity, and a good time. Leave feeling stuffed, satisfied, and delighted.

“Bursts of love, hate, and everything in between”: A Review of ‘Love and Money’

Katerina Lygaki
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“Bursts of love, hate, and everything in between”: A Review of ‘Love and Money’

Love and Money by Dennis Kelly is a deep exploration into two of the most pertinent anxieties in today’s world: well, love and money. Performed at the Burton Taylor Studio, with this bare backdrop and intimate seating, the play’s short bursts of love, hate, and everything in between are allowed to speak for themselves.

The play begins with David (played by Isaac Wighton) flirtatiously emailing his French co-worker Sandrine (played by Olivia Winnifrith), and through her mix of intensity and intimacy, David admits the sordid details surrounding his wife’s death. With this shocking revelation during the first 15 minutes of the play, the audience is left dumbfounded as Jess (played by Millie Deere) and David’s stories unfold through a counter-chronological timeline. Characters from their lives weave in and out of the narrative through snippets, with the play being composed of scattered vignettes that the characters and audience alike are trying to piece together.

Everything was brilliantly executed, but this play is hard to watch, not only because of its subject-matter but also because of the way it unfolds. There’s a lot of emotional energy that goes into seeing the story of these two people as they get broken by societal pressure, money, and death. This is a powerful look into how capitalism is seeping into our relationships with others and with ourselves, and it is not one that should be taken lightly.

Review: This House

Jakub Trybull
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Review: This House

This House by James Graham is set in the 1970s, starting just before a general election. Pressure boils from either side with whips struggling to grasp onto key regional votes and as the dust settles, it becomes clear that the country is split. Exploring the turmoil involved in navigating a minority government through a hung parliament, the play presents us with determination, desperation, and doom.

It provides a refreshing perspective; we follow the ‘engine room’ of the House of Commons. Based between 1974 and 1979, we watch through very tense periods in Parliament, with Labour and Conservative whips working hard to defend and destroy the government respectively. After a months-long deadlock, a second general election earns the Labour government a majority of 1 seat — meaning that every Labour MP had to vote whenever the Government needed to pass something through the house, occurring multiple times per day.

With scrambled attempts of tracking colleagues, ‘flushing’ them out of the toilet if they are close to missing the vote, unstable coalition and cross-party agreement attempts, the situation gets more difficult as by-elections are lost and members defect to other parties. The ‘regular channels’ are closed. ‘Pairing’, informal agreements between whips where one member from both sides miss the vote intentionally for better stability, is terminated over allegations of cheating, and the ultimate cost is not in banknotes, but in bodies. The Government was finally defeated in a vote of no confidence — by one vote.

The Labour Whips.

On its closing night, the chamber was packed. Seating arranged around the staging, in a debate-style way, and over its two-hour runtime, the audience was delivered an impeccable and immersive experience which left a lasting impression, with such sustained depth in every character, particularly with multiple roles.

Early on, the theme of class settles in as the two sides of the house accustom themselves in their new respective offices — revolving chairs being a surprising, yet accurate, symbol of status. Skilfully tuned accents and dialects present a pleasant dimension to the characters, allowing for comedic digs to show the true, underlying conflict between ‘the professional and and the comp school lads’.

Similar to the House it presents, the dynamics were fast-paced, rarely ever slowing down. For the moments it did though, the air hung still, inviting somber scenes such as Bob’s (played by Alex McGovern) moment alone when he decides to resign, or Jack and Walter’s (played by Jules Upson and Ishy Levy) periodic conversations sewn through the plot like a familiar touchstone. The lighting and blocking kept a firm, yet natural grip on the audience’s attention, as scenes flowed into one another without disruptive blackouts.

Walter (left) and Jack (right) share a somber moment ahead of the Vote of No Confidence.

As a politics-based play, its setting in the Oxford Union cannot be overlooked, where whispers of debate still echo in its chamber. It’s this skilful use of space that was most impressive. The simple, static stage design allowed for dynamism and flexibility. The use of the balcony and the middle corridor, meant the whole room was filled with action, with acoustics echoing around. Although, I have to say the use of multimedia fell short. The projection of a video onto one side of the chamber just felt awkward and didn’t add much value to the performance. If anything, it was an odd detraction from the ‘less is more’, minimalist stage design and overall atmosphere created, leaving many a little confused by this element.

James Graham’s script, a moving and funny insight into the inner workings of British politics, was brought to life with great success by Clarendon Productions. With Charlie Mackintosh’s goal of reigniting the Union’s tradition of a yearly theatre performance, we can only hope for more.

Audrey Wise (right) explains to Ann (left) how she works in the interest of her constituents and not the party, despite them losing key votes in Parliament.

Image Credits: Jakub Trybull

The Rose — Afternoon tea on Oxford High Street

Oliver Hall
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The Rose — Afternoon tea on Oxford High Street

Hidden away at the bottom of Oxford High Street is The Rose, a tea room that offers everything from breakfast sourdoughs to lunch and hot salads on top of the traditional afternoon tea fair. Everything here is made in-house and a focus on local suppliers and produce is at the heart of all the things on offer.

We got a great chance to sample a variety of the things on offer here at The Rose and sat down with the owner and manager as we ate to chat about the food itself but also the story of his ownership. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, the new owner was looking for a site on the High Street to open a cafe/restaurant. After a day of unsuccessful hunting that saw him put off by the sky-high rents of what is now Rick’s Diner, he popped into The Rose for a coffee. By the time he left had struck an informal deal with the owner to take over the site. Many years of negotiations between landlords St Edmund Hall and the pair followed but by the end of lockdown, the site was ready for opening.

The plan when taking over was to build on what the old owners had done so well, making changes here and there to really enhance the business. Now, there is breakfast on offer from 8 and hot food until 6 with vegan choices across every aspect of the menu. All of those breakfasts are served on the same sourdough toast and we tried both the avocado, salmon, and poached egg toast and the portobello mushroom option. The eggs are locally sourced from Mayfield in Witney and clearly of high quality, pairing with the superb salmon for a great dish. The mushrooms are good too but I found myself wanting more garlic and thyme.

Mains vary with everything from burgers (both beef and vegan), to the warm lentil and beetroot salad we had. The latter came with goat’s cheese and that was certainly the star of the show. The lentils were cooked well, not overboiled, and the beetroot paired with red onion for a warming lunch option. Ciabattas are also available with various fillings such as grilled chicken and goat cheese.

Then onto the teas and sweet treats. There is a huge variety of teas on offer, as you would expect, and my dragon was punchy and strong. There are much tamer choices too and you are of course free to let them all brew for as long or as little time as you would like.

All the cakes are made in-house every night, chilled overnight, and then iced and finished in the morning. The same is true of the pastries and the scones. The attention to detail with all of these is remarkable — it took a huge amount of experimentation with various flours but now the use of organic white flour means that they maintain their form to perfection. On an average weekend, they get through about 150 a day here and it is easy to see why. The cakes are all made with almond flour, again the result of much experimentation. We tried both the chocolate and almond and the carrot and walnut. The first’s icing was intense and too sweet for me, with the cake itself too dry. The carrot though was much better and stole the show between the two for sure.

The base afternoon tea costs £32 for two and comes with finger sandwiches, two slices of cake, and two scones as well as a tea or coffee. The scones are served with a homemade clotted cream that is notably more spreadable than the normal store-bought options. I am never a fan of finger sandwiches but the best here was definitely the smoked salmon — the egg mayonnaise and cress were lacking the flavour I was looking for.

Overall, The Rose is a lovely place to treat yourself at any time of day. The focus on local suppliers is mightily impressive, as is the sheer amount of cooking and baking that goes on in the kitchen downstairs. Although it is on the pricey side, the room is a fantastically warm and cosy place to sit and chat the hours away. This contrasts with The Grand Café in every way: understated, homemade food, and a relaxing environment.

In conversation with Oxford’s most iconic kebab vans

Cherwell Editors
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In conversation with Oxford’s most iconic kebab vans

The first pioneering kebab van, Ali’s, cowboy parked on the curbs of 1980s Oxford without a permit, serving students midnight feasts until the police jogged them on. Today, (huts and covered market stalls included) Oxford ‘kebab van culture’ is an institution, as entangled with boilerplate student life as over-caffeination and college puffers. Cherwell stringers did sober what many of you will have done drunk: chatting with the men and women behind the counter.

Hassan’s

Hassan’s

In our brief interview with Hassan’s on Broad Street, it became evident that this ever-popular van is not afraid of rivalry. When asked about their biggest rival, Hassan adamantly assured us, “I’m not interested. I like to focus on myself.” Even when asked the follow-up question of what makes his the best kebab van, Hassan was quick to flip the answer onto us, saying, “you answer this question, not me.”

This confidence is not unwarranted given the popularity of his van and his longevity. Hassan told us that he has been “on the same road for the past 30 years”, providing the Oxford community with some much-needed sustenance after a night-out or during a particularly hard essay crisis. My personal go-to order is chips, hummus and falafel with chilli sauce; try it and thank me later. But I’m not the only one that loves Hassan’s. The owner told us that they still get customers from 20 years ago returning to this van: “when they visit Oxford, it’s the first thing they have to do.”

This cult following around the van has led the owner to start selling Hassan’s merch. “You can buy [the sweatshirts] for 15 pounds,” he told us, “I’ve got plenty. I don’t get any profit, they are a souvenir.” These legendary sweatshirts are a massive hit, not only surfacing here and there when walking down Cornmarket Street, but also popping up in London. Hassan even gave us an anecdote of two customers that bonded over their sweatshirts at a London gym.

Hassan’s future is retirement, with the owner jokingly renouncing kebabs: “No more kebabs. I just want to sit down and relax.” These plans are not in the works right now, so rest assured that Hassan will be livening up Broad Street for a little while longer.

Hussein’s

Hussein’s Kebab van has the lovely Nadiya who Cherwell spoke to. When asked about which van is her main competition, she told us, “none, they’re all good and too nice to pick one out.” However, if she had to pick, it would be “Kebab King.”

What makes Hussein’s stand out is that, in their own words, “the service is always great. Food comes second, service comes first!” An Oxfess about how lovely Nadiya is garnered 300 likes this term.  Nadiya said “It’s just natural. It runs in the family,” adding, “the good vibes of customers helps a lot.” Nadiya has not had any bad experiences with customers.

Hussiens started in 1992, after Nadiya’s Grandad, Ali, started his kebab van on Woodstock Road. “There’s no rivalry,” Nadiya is quick to add, “Everyone has their own business and customers.” Solomon’s is also family – so no Kebab Wars here!

Nadiya thinks kebabs are so popular because they are the ultimate nightime food: “You’re not going to ask for a tagine, are you?”

In the future Nadiya plans to bring different types of chicken to the van: “Peri Peri, Moroccan Chicken in the future. Jerk Chicken has just been added to the menu!” She also hopes to offer Peri Peri Salt soon.

Nadiya’s favourite menu item is “Chicken wings with Peri Peri – OMG.” 

Ali’s

I arrive at Ali’s at 2am on a Monday, just as Ali is closing up and getting ready to go home. Famously friendly, he chomps on a homemade tomato pasta “made by the missus”. The plus side of working here, he says, is you can get two full meals a day; “whenever I fancy something, I just eat it.”

It’s not long till we get to the topic of Ali’s history. Set up by his grandad in the 80s, he maintains “we’re the oldest kebab van in Oxford that’s still working”. How have things changed since the 80s? He explains that you used to be able to park anywhere you want, so all the vans were next to the clubs. But “right next to a nightclub there’s a 95% chance your customers are going to be drunk, and then they get in trouble and in fights.” His grandfather opted for a calmer setting, nestled between St Anne’s and The Royal Oak. “To be honest I’m happy here. People are nice to me and I’m nice to them, and I have a good time, I wouldn’t change that for anything.”

It’s not all friendly customers though, as he recounts an extremely drunk man at 4am, just before closing, asking for a burger. “I was cooking it for him but he didn’t want to wait, so I gave him a can and he walked off. So I said ‘pay for the can at least!’ and he turned around and threw it at the van!”

When I ask what vans are his biggest rival, he laughs. “We are kind of far away from everybody, to be honest with you, they’re not really rivals.” What makes them different is their homemade food: “we do burgers that nobody else does, like New York, Chicago burgers. We try to be different from everybody else, while trying to keep it simple.” He recalls that his Grandad has been working the “same hours, same days, same menus” since the 80s, though he’s winding down a little now. 

His favourite thing on the menu by far (eyes lit up) is the “Super Chicken Burger”, which is “chicken burger, kebab meat, salad, cheese, chips” all in between one burger bun. “That’s my favourite, I eat that almost every day,” he says with a grin. 

Ahmed’s BBQ

Ahmed’s BBQ

We got to Ahmed’s Bar BBQ on a weekday evening, before the midnight rush, so the ‘main man’ was quite happy to chat to Cherwell for a few minutes. Our conversation started off cheerfully; “One can of Diet Coke, and an interview please!” 

A kind and affable man, who answered our questions with a smile, Ahmed declared that he has no competing kebab vans. In fact, he feels a sense of community among all the kebab vans. This is, of course, backed up by the van’s popularity, with its seemingly infinite menu and Ahmed’s claim that he always has enough of every item. He told us that his consistency is what makes his van the best and the quality of his food has met the same, high standards for the 26 years that he has been running it.

In that time, he has gathered enough stories to “write an entire book”. He did not name any names, but he has served quite a few government ministers and politicians from his perch on the High Street. Both his daughter and son said they were astounded by Ahmed’s ability to recognise random figures on the television as someone he served from the van. Even well-known people have late-night essay crises and panic-stricken trips to get a Kebab, it seems.

The kebab is, of course, what got him into this business, with his previous experience in kebab catering leading to the purchase of his first van in the 90s. While his van has definitely come a long way, looking to the future, Ahmed is still waiting for “the second Ahmed who can take over” and then he might just move on, but for the moment, the kebab grill burns hot every evening, so please have a try (with or without a side helping of hangover and/or essay crisis.)

Rozana

Rozana

The new kid on the block, Rozana in the Covered Market has become fondly known among Oxford Students since its opening in December as ‘Fake Najar’s’. The owners here are keen to distinguish this as fiction, not fact. Defined by Rozana’s roots in Aleppo, the Syrian and Lebanese flavours run through the store that now has a daytime queue to rival any of its more established predecessors.

Rozana is quick to bat away rumours of Najar’s links. “It’s different, completely different, and completely different food too.” She is quick to point out that people think falafel is all the same – in reality the differences from country to country, region to region, and city to city across the Middle East are complex and detailed.

Starting with the sujuk, Rozana infuses it with the 12 unique spices of her community in Aleppo. That community is made up of just a million people and is the reason that the flavour is so unique here in Oxford.  

In the centre, the owners simply couldn’t find the takeaway Lebanese and Syrian options they were looking for.  Comptoir Libanais and other chains are no match for their authenticity and other kebab vans use different flavouring, so they simply started their own.

After coming from Aleppo in 2014, Rozana worked as a chef for four years at a larger restaurant before helping in her brother’s restaurant for 12 months. After that experience she finally felt ready and equipped to set up shop on her own.  

Her go-to option? The classic falafel and hummus. The hummus here is homemade by Rozana herself and is notably smooth. She attributes this to the cooking process, which is long and thorough. The chickpeas themselves are cooked first onsite before being used to create the spread. The next-best option is the sujuk because of the way the unique spice blend takes her back to her home city of Aleppo.  

Among students, people go for the lamb, baba ganoush, and tabbouleh. These are the more established tastes of Middle Eastern foods in the UK and the owners think that is why they are perennially so popular.

Plans for the future? Rozana is thinking big. First she wants tables and chairs outside, but before long she wants outlets across the city and to make her family name famous. So, looking for an authentic Syrian twist on your standard order? Head to Rozana, but be prepared to wait…

Najar’s

Najar’s is not a van – it’s a listed building rented yearly from St John’s painted Oxford blue. Alex told us, “we started almost twenty years ago. My brother-in-law started it, and I came over to give a hand. Back then, you could walk in. We liked it because we could keep you lot out of the rain. But actually, it’s better now. A lot better.”

Alex spoke to Cherwell with George, his pet pigeon, perched on the end of his right pointer finger. George the pigeon is Najar’s regular – he lives in the eaves of St John’s and he swoops down when Alex opens up. So much of Najar’s revolves around looking after their relationships with regulars like George, hence their closing time at 9pm, which means they don’t really have to deal with drunk people. Alex says, “we don’t want to fall out with our regulars. People come in, you know, students that come in every day and they’re different people when they’re sober. The last thing we want to do is ruin that relationship that we have with them… we know a lot of people by their first name and they do the same with us.

“The pressure can get to us sometimes, but it’s you guys that make our day, you know, you come in and you ask how’s it going, and just that kind of snaps you out of your bad day.”

And Najar’s is, of course, an ‘us’ – Alex is just the maestro. He tells me, “everyone is from a different part of the world here as well. I’m from Syria, we’ve got one Bengali guy, we’re Kurdish as well. So it’s a real mix, and people come and go here, they don’t tend to stay. The one’s that do are the regular faces that you’ll see here for a long time.”

As for Najar’s menu, Alex tells me, “I like the lighter stuff. I like the tabbouleh either by itself or with bread, a little bit of hummus and a couple of falafels. [I’m] trying to watch my weight after COVID… I guarantee you, go anywhere else and try anybody else’s falafel. You’re never going to taste something like this.”

Alex and George

Image credits: Coco Cottam

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