Waitrose to open in Notting Hill Gate

A new little Waitrose is to open in Notting Hill Gate on Tuesday 29 July and create approximately 55 new local jobs. The branch will be the third little Waitrose in the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and will offer customers a bakery, fresh fruit and vegetables, a range of take-away sandwiches and snacks, and hundreds of everyday essential items.

When the branch officially opens its doors, it will also be launching a number of initiatives to help support the local community in Notting Hill. Every month, it will donate £500 to local charities and groups nominated by customers as part of its Community Matters scheme. Staff will also provide 100 hours of their time each year to causes through the Waitrose Partner Volunteering programme.

Waitrose Notting Hill Gate branch manager, Justin Pearce, said: “Notting Hill is known for its wealth of culture and fantastic carnival. Its unique markets also draw in tourists from all over the world. We are very happy to announce an opening date and we can’t wait to play our part in the local community.”

‘Blur Is The Colour, Football is the game’

Damon Albarn took time out to explain to Miss Planet Beach and TV reporter Antoinette Alexis his love for Chelsea FC recently over the aubergines in Waitrose – like you do – and his excitement for the season ahead is obvious, especially as “I unfortunately had to miss the Chelsea vs Man Utd game, the biggest home game of last season.

I was however lucky enough to meet Jose Mourinho at the training ground last season after the club invited me down for the day and I told him: “I’ve had the same seat for 20 seasons.” Make that a happy 21st Damon.

West One to open Agape showroom

West One Bathrooms is set to open a solus Agape showroom in Notting Hill, London at the end of July, bringing its total showroom network to eight throughout London and the South East.

According to the bathroom retailer, it will be the company’s most contemporary showroom to date. It will  focus almost exclusively on Agape’s signature style of design-focused, minimalism and has been designed to attract architects and homeowners.

The showroom space will also include a consultation area, specification studio and visual media wall.

Commenting on the flagship store opening, owner and managing director of West One Bathrooms Duncan Waters said: “Our commitment to this flagship store is an indication of our passion for Agape and our firm belief that this area of London is the perfect market for their products”.

West One Bathrooms also operates the Bold Look of Kohler showroom in Clerkenwell, London.

Jonathan Adler Opens New Notting Hill Boutique

See inside the most whimsical interiors store in west London

 

It’s impossible not to be delighted by Jonathan Adler’s irreverent, whimsical designs. The New York potter-turned-designer’s collection of furniture, textiles, lighting and objets d’art could convert even the most die-hard minimalist.

Not convinced? Then head to the new store in Notting Hill. The double-fronted, 3000 square-foot boutique sits on the corner of Portobello Road and Westbourne Grove and sings with colour and print. From quirky faux-zebra rugs to sequined cushions and statement lighting, everything feels luxurious but lighthearted in its approach.

If you love the look but are unsure of how to incorporate it into your own home, try the complimentary in-store design service. They won’t necessarily encourage a full-blown Adler approach but will, rather, help add playful punctuation to a more classic scheme.

There is also the opportunity to design your own rugs, pillows and throws, or choose your own upholstery for their furniture designs.

The store is the second to open in the UK, following on from the success of the Chelsea boutique, which opened on Sloane Avenue in 2011.

Jonathan Adler, 287-289 Westbourne Grove, London. W11 2QA.

www.jonathanadler.com

Hat’s off to Royal Ascot

We know you’ll have been busy with the serious business of calculating probabilities to back a winner, but Royal Ascot is at least half about the outfit and, more to the point, the head candy.

Move over equine beasts and enter, then, the milliners, for it is these often-flamboyant creations that give the Ascot its je ne sais quoi.

A hat may well be the difference between looking good and feeling spectacular, and it is in pursuit of just such sparkling form that Jess Collett has been creating marvellous millinery in her Notting Hill atelier since 1999. Here she crafts each piece individually to make sure the finished product is as sensational as the people that wear them.

Her new SS14 collection ‘Japanese Garden’ includes the use of pheasant feathers amongst others, and is stylish as ever. You can expect to pay between £260 and £900.

Jess Collett Milliner, Studio 4, 18 All Saints Road, W11 1HH, jesscollettmilliner.com

Jess learnt her craft from one of the masters of millinery, Edwina Ibbotsen. She furthered her technique at Kensington and Chelsea College. She founded her atelier in Notting Hill in 1999 and since then has worked with couture designers including Lindka Cierach and Ulrich Engler to create bespoke pieces to complement individual styles and outfits. Jess takes a multidisciplinary approach to her practice and has collaborated with a range of distinguished designers such as superstar florist Ercole Moroni, the Queen of lingerie, Damaris and the luxury costume jewellery label, Bex Rox. Although her work has graced the heads of Royalty and film actresses Jess aims to make everyone feel a million dollars.

All the pieces are individually crafted and hand made in the studio in Notting Hill, London and the core to her homegrown practice is founded upon high quality and impeccable finish. Jess employs traditional millinery techniques fused with contemporary styling and materials to deliver a signature style that is wearable and authentic yet modern. The exhibitionist will find striking pieces and the less confident will be charmed by headwear that tenderly encourages a subtle new expression of their style.

14th June: Notting Hill Summer Street Party

Join Daylesford Farmshop on Saturday 14th June at their Notting Hill farmshop for the annual Westbourne Grove Street Party.

See the street come alive as they celebrate our beautiful Notting Hill neighbourhood alongside fellow Westbourne Grove retailers and restaurants, with street stalls, live music, family entertainment, face painting and delicious organic food from Daylesford.

This year the stalls will be offering freshly pressed juices – from rhubarb, carrot & ginger to our nourishing green juice – and championing the start of the strawberry season with organic strawberries & cream and homemade strawberry patisserie, as well as strawberry plants and punnets available to take home.

The Westbourne Grove Street Party is held in aid of local charity the Rugby Portobello Trust. Raffle tickets for fabulous prizes will be available from the farmshop and others on Westbourne Grove – giving away a camping hamper worth £150!

DAYLESFORD FARMSHOP & CAFÉ IN THE HEART OF NOTTING HILL

208-212 Westbourne Grove
Notting Hill
London W11 2RH

Telephone: 020 7313 8050
Manager: jenny.andrade@daylesford.com

FARMSHOP & CAFÉ HOURS
Monday – Friday 8am – 8pm
Saturday 8am – 9pm
Sunday 10am – 4pm

Fresh, seasonal produce delivered daily from our farms’ market garden, artisan cheese and breads from our farm’s creamery and bakery, organic meat from our animals – serviced by a real butcher; everything you need for your fresh weekly organic shop.

Organic cafe is open all day, a place to eat, drink and relax with friends and family – see the menu.

Butcher, bakery, fruit, vegetables, dairy, larder, meals and soups, wine. They also have a cookshop, homeware, gifts and the Bamford bath and body range.

Vilebrequin’s latest London outpost opens in Notting Hill

Looking for a new pair of swimmers for the summer? Then you’re in luck: Saint Tropez swimwear maker Vilebrequin has just opened the doors to its latest store on our side of the Channel in west London. Situated just off Portobello Road in Notting Hill, the shop has distinct Mediterranean vibes: whitewashed floors, ocean prints on the walls and – in case the shorts and sun hats hanging from every rail weren’t enough of a giveaway – beach hut shaped cabinets containing all the beachwear on offer.

 

Inside these you’ll find a whole host of Vilebrequin’s shorts, all cut from kinds of limited edition eye-popping prints that have made the label famous over the past 40 years – winning big-name fans along the way like George Clooney and Jay Z. The shop will also be home to the label’s new season line, which is made up of bold Californian surfer-inspired patterns which are going to look good whether you have the board skills to back back them up or not.

Vilebrequin is now open at 57 Ledbury Street, London, W1. vilebrequin.com