KOSHER TASTETEST
Crouch End has an urban but villagey feel; think Hampstead with less glitz. Locals have a huge range of i nteresting independents to choose from — many as quirky as the locals themselves. For a flavour of the area, here are a few picks.
Way up in the quirky stakes is Edith’s House — brainchild of actors Michael Camp and Eaton James. It has been open seven months — the pair started their first Edith’s House four years ago in Rye.
“The concept is a coffee shop that actually feels like you’re going to your nan or auntie’s house,” says Camp. Inspiration came from James’s grandmother, Edith Randle and is decorated in the style of her home. “The wallpaper in the kitchen at our Crouch End store is the same as Eaton’s mum had at home and we have an old electric stove here that was my gran’s. We’ve converted it into a dishwasher.”
Clutter is key to the concept, which includes a bedroom and a bathroom graced by a pink ceramic sink, toilet and washing basket with pink frilly cover. “Kids love the toilet,” says Camp. The décor involved six months of combing car boot sales, eBay and closing-down sales.
Scones feature prominently on the menu in this daytime-only palace of kitsch — “the idea was an update on Nana food”. There are all manner of versions, from gluten-free potato scone topped with eggs for breakfast to a peanut butter scone served as the base for hot, caramelised banana. Other options include a fruity cinnamon scone slathered with stewed