People of Bermondsey : Christine Hall, Owner of Giddy Grocer
Please introduce yourself and your business.
I am Christine Hall, co-owner of Giddy Grocer on Bermondsey Street. I’ve spent most of my working life as a documentary maker but, becoming disillusioned with the industry I once loved, I decided to pursue another of my passions and open a food shop.
As a traditional independent grocery store, we’re proud to champion local producers and suppliers who share our ethos of ‘local, sustainable, British and delicious’. The shop echoes my grandparent’s grocery store they opened in the New Forest in the 1950’s in that we are there to serve the immediate community, just as they did, and offer a personal and traditional customer service with an air of tradition and nostalgia
Photography in Giddy Grocer of grandparent’s grocery store they opened in the New Forest in the 1950’s
How did your Bermondsey/SE1 story begin?
I moved to SE1 from NW London in 2008, not really knowing much about the area. My husband had bought our flat on Bermondsey Street in 1999 when the Garrison pub was called The Honest Cabbage, and there was nothing more than a couple of sandwich bars and of course the legendary Al’s café.
I immediately fell in love with the street and surrounding area and have enjoyed watching it grow into the vibrant hub it is today.
What does a typical day/week look like for you at Giddy Grocer?
I’m incredibly fortunate to have a wonderful team to support me, so whilst I would love to spend every day in the shop serving and chatting to our customers that’s just not practical.
Sophie, our masterful manager, keeps a close guard on day to day business and makes sure everything is running smoothly which allows me to spend time sourcing new products, keeping in touch with suppliers and coming up with new ideas for in store tastings.
Another part of the job I absolutely love is cooking up some favourite ‘giddy’ treats for the counter. I’ve always been a keen cook and it’s a joy to share home-cooked food with our customers. I like to work a couple of the shifts in the shop each week as well, as it’s important to engage with customers and it also gives me a chance to view the business from the sharp end. Saturday mornings are my favourite time as the shelves and fridges are full to the brim and most of our regulars come in for their weekend supplies.
Sustainability and local artisan produce have always been at the forefront of your business. Can you tell us a bit more about this?
I was brought up in a small town in Hampshire. My Dad made delicious cakes and grew vegetables in the garden and my Mum was an amazing home cook. As children, we learned about the importance of local produce and being self-sufficient without knowing there was any other way. So when I opened the shop I wanted other people to understand that way of eating and to appreciate seasonality and local produce and, most importantly, not to waste food.
I am passionate about using up every scrap of food and that’s the reason we have an off-site kitchen – utilising anything that is nearing the end of its’ shelf life to make delicious soups, sandwiches, tarts & pies.
Please can you share one of your beautiful recipes utilising produce from the shop, focussing on Veganuary?
Giddy Lentil Ragu (serves 4)
Here’s a store cupboard favourite and it’s versatile so you can add any green veg’ you have in the fridge, or put your own spin on it with chilli and spices. Double up the recipe and freeze half to save on cooking time.
This is the basis of the recipe … use it as a Bolognese sauce, the base of a cottage pie, or a topping for a baked potato. Grate Parmesan over the top or a vegan cheese of your choice.
Ingredients:
200g Hodmedods green lentils (grown in Kent), rinsed and drained
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 large golden onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Olive oil
500ml vegetable stock (make your own using any trimmings of onions, carrots, celery, bay leaf, peppercorns, coriander seeds, leek tops) or use a good stock cube
1 tbspn chopped fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano or sage are all good)
1 bay leaf
1 tbspn Halen Mon Black Garlic ketchup (or you could use marmite or Worcestershire sauce to give it that rich umami flavour)
100ml red wine (optional)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Method:
In a deep, roomy frying pan, sauté the onion, carrot & celery in 2 tbspns of good olive oil. Keep on a low heat - you want the vegetables to soften and turn a pale golden brown so allow a good 20 minutes for this process
When golden add 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic and cook for a few minutes. If the mixture is looking dry, add another splash of olive oil. You could add the chopped herbs at this point if you’re using them.
When all is softened and golden, add the green lentils and stir to coat them in the oily vegetables.
Turn up the heat and add the red wine if you’re using it and let it bubble away to burn off the alcohol.
Once this has reduced, add the chopped tomatoes and 250ml vegetable stock using the veg stock to rinse out the tomato tin. As soon as it starts to come to the boil, turn it down and leave on a gentle simmer.
Let it bubble away for a good 40 minutes, stirring every now and again and adding more stock as you need it (the lentils will soak up a lot of the liquid so if you run out of stock, just use water). Check after 30 minutes to see if the lentils are cooked, if not keep it going until they are soft with a bit of bite. Add salt & pepper to taste
When you reach this stage, you want to add the black garlic ketchup – 1 tablespoon or more if you want a deeper flavour. Stir it in and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
If you have any green leafy veg (kale, spinach, cabbage) that needs using up, shred and blanch it and add at the end.
Businesses in Bermondsey/SE1 you couldn’t live without?
Trove at 167 Bermondsey Street – a treasure trove of the most beautifully curated gifts and homewares you can imagine. There’s a present in here for everyone!
Borough Kitchen – I can’t go in here too often as I always end up spending a fortune but they stock some of the very best pots, pans and utensils
The cobbler at Tower Bridge Shoe & Luggage Repairs – Mark is a master of his craft and works miracles on shoe repairs. He has even re-built some of my worn-out favourite boots so they’re just like new again
Where in Bermondsey/SE1/SE16 do you like to spend your down time?
A river walk to Southwark Park with Molly, our Irish Terrier
Dinner at 40 Maltby Street (sadly doesn’t happen often enough!)
The Kino Cinema in Bermondsey Square
