Nearly two years ago we reported on the opening of Phresh – a new family-run juice bar, coffee shop and deli at 103e Lavender Hill. The business has proved very popular and owners Donna and Steph really appreciated the welcome they saw from the Lavender Hill community – indeed it’s gone so well, that they have been quietly working on a big plan, to grow the business further.
For the last couple of months they have been clearing out and refitting the unit next door (which used to be the Baguette Deli) – and regulars may have spotted a doorway suddenly appearing at the back of the current Cafe, in the area with the big comfy sofa!
We popped in earlier this week for a sneak preview of the works that have been going on – which is about to see Phresh launch its very own ceramics cafe, Phresh Pottery.
It was very much all hands on deck when we took these photos, with the rush to get everything looking perfect underway – but it’s already possible to see the premises taking shape.
Some of the orange colour theme is carrying through – but in contrast with to the cool clean style of Phresh next door, there’s a more hands-on feel here, to allow for things to get a bit messy – no one’s going to panic if some clay or paint ends up on the floor.
A wide range of bisque – unglazed ceramic – is already in place, from animals and fire engines to candle holders, plates and vases – all just waiting to be painted, glazed and fired. There are big and small – with the range starting from a reassuringly affordable £10 to decorate and keep.
The building work has been quite extensive, with the old kitchen and back of house of the Baguette deli swept away and completely re-engineered to a new and more open layout that allows the space to be properly used. The cafe next door hasn’t changed much as part of these works – but its kitchen at the back has been expanded to extend the food on offer, which already includes a mix of cooked all day breakfast options as well as modern classics, pastries, porridges and pancakes.
Firing ceramics in a way that brings out the colours and makes them watertight needs powerful specialist kiln equipment – so readers won’t be surprised to hear the electrics in the new premises have had a complete replacement. The kiln itself was still in a transport depot at the other end of the country at the time of our visit but it’s definitely on the way!
And there’s plenty of room here, with capacity for about 28 people with generous levels of space and comfort. Conscious that this is somewhere that will be perfect for birthday parties and gatherings, capacity can be nudged up to 36 or so in slightly more compact layouts. And this is where a key advantage of the space also comes in to play – that with a well established cafe directly connected to the venue, you can always escape from the kids’ party to next door for a while and have a quality coffee or light lunch!
The plan is for Phresh and Phresh Ceramics to run as linked but parallel venues – so the cafe and deli will carry on just as it does now – but if you’re visiting the ceramics next door you’ll be very welcome to have something to eat or drink from the cafe before or after, or get a nice drink to have while you paint. The only tip is that it’s best not to take plates of food through to the ceramics side (as any greasy fingerprints tend to cause chaos with the glazes).
Speaking of glazes, the whole range is starting to appear – with everything from Pink Poodle and Caramel Swirl to Tomato and Lime. One of the big moments of painting pottery is always how the colours work out – as in our experience the firing and glazing tends to turn even the most unpromising artwork in to something interesting.
The aim is for this to be a fun, hands-on creative space where everyone can unwind and express themselves through pottery painting. Bookings are welcome and can be made straight away – but this very much isn’t just a place for groups and pre-booked events, and walk-in customers are also very welcome. At least once a month, they will run a baby and toddler session where you can make hand and foot prints in clay, and fire them to create a personal treasure. The team will then carefully glaze and fire items in the kiln to make sure they are finished beautifully and ready to take home.
The target audience is very much grown ups as well as children – all ages and levels of experience are covered, with lots of quite sophisticated options for decorating places and making very personal creations. You’ll of course have proper help and guidance. The brushes available include tough child-friendly ones, but also more complex and sophisticated tools aimed more at an adult audience. There are also a wide variety of carved sponges to make prints and shapes – like the stars on the plate below.
Having had a good dig through the various options our favourite is definitely the guinea pig! He definitely wants a mix of pink poodle, caramel swirl, white, black, and maybe some fine fur texture.
The soft launch was on Thursday the 21st – with pottery painting, baby hand and feet clay prints, a free drink with every painted piece and giveaways. Some of the equipment is still arriving so things will continue to build up over the next couple of weeks.
It’s good to see this independent mother-and-daughter business doing so well, and this looks set to bring something very new to Lavender Hill – they’d love to show everyone round, so do visit just to see what has been done over the last couple of months if you have the opportunity – and maybe try your hand at a ceramic masterpiece!
pHresh Pottery, 103f Lavender hill, Battersea SW11 5QL (web / facebook) – attached to Phresh Cafe at 103e. Booking for Phresh Pottery is available here; walk-in customers also welcome. Latest details are on their Google profile.
This article was originally published on lavender-hill.uk.
