Local stories
John Hatch, Sambrook’s
To mark international beer day which takes place August 7th, we caught up with John Hatch - renown heritage brewer, historian and Heritage Centre Manager at the Ram Sambrook’s Brewery - a unique operation housed on the grounds of the old Young’s brewery in Wandsworth.
Two Little Giraffes
Nicholas Scipioni is the Italian-born founder and director of Two Little Giraffes, an artisanal café and gelato shop located in Nine Elms.
Soul Brother
Soul Brothers Records has been based on Keswick Road, Putney since the early 1990s, specialising in Soul, Funk and Jazz alongside other genres. The family‑run shop highlights the continued relevance of physical record stores through in‑person browsing, music discovery and specialist knowledge.
Pawpadour
Pawpadour Dog & Cat Grooming is located in Tooting and their services include Teddy Bear cuts, Asian Fusion styles, breed-standard trims and ultra sonic teeth cleaning. Founder Wiktoria Blazynska shares her story.
VLH Fashion
IWD spotlight on Valerie Lawrence‑Hylton, founder of VLH Fashion, sharing her journey from council officer to designer creating empowering clothing for curvy women.
Home Community Cafe
IWD spotlight on Meg Fry, founder of Home Café, a community hub tackling isolation and creating connection through inclusivity and local support.
Ascetic Aesthete
IWD spotlight on Asma Sharapova, founder of Ascetic Aesthete, sharing her inspiring journey, love of perfume, and support that helped her business grow.
Pizza Metro Pizza
Diego Palladino, founder and head chef of Pizza Metro Pizza, has been serving authentic Neapolitan pizza in Battersea for over 30 years. A Napoli native and world champion pizzaiolo, he’s known for his 72‑hour fermented dough and iconic metre‑long pizzas, a true Battersea staple this National Pizza Day.
HannDrawn
Hannah Skyes is an illustrator and founder of HannDrawn a local business that creates bespoke window and wall murals for brands and local businesses. This Christmas she has created Christmas windows for many businesses in Wandsworth. Read about her work here.
SOMA Yoga Wandsworth
Gea Krajcar, founder of SOMA Yoga Studio in Battersea Reach, studied maths and computer science before teaching yoga at the University of Washington. Now in London, she won Health & Wellbeing Business of the Year at the 2025 Wandsworth Awards.
Cargo Bike Care
Founded by lifelong local Nick Von-Vader and partner Maeva Fabre, Cargo Bike Care is a mobile bicycle repair service dedicated to keeping families moving safely on cargo bikes—especially on the school run. Maeva shares their story.
Waste Not Want Not Battersea
Hadas Hagos, founder of Waste Not Want Not Battersea, transforms surplus food into opportunity, community, and sustainability while championing inclusion for newcomers to the UK.
Well Kneaded – Couples Special
Bridget & Lance Callaghan, a husband-and-wife couple, run Well Kneaded, serving regeneratively sourced food while creating job opportunities for young adults.
Quick Brown Fox – Couples Special
Award-winning video production agency founded by husband-and-wife duo Victor Castejon & Karina Perdomo, Quick Brown Fox has been crafting compelling content since 2014.