The battle to save Britain’s ailing high streets rages on, with a number of proposals being put forward to challenge recommendations laid out in Mary Portas’ review. However, some high streets appear to be faring better than others, with consumers flocking to sample gastronomic delights in Islington.
Upper Street, N1, has become something of a mecca for British foodies, with a number of high end restaurants acquiring property in the area. In fact, one Evening Standard writer has coined the phrase “Supper Street” when describing the available offerings thanks to the recent boom in restaurateurs.
Hamburger, Upper St, N1
In an interview with Evening Standard columnist Victoria Stewart, the unnamed food critic and Islington local spoke of the change.
She said; “Twenty years ago you couldn’t get a decent coffee anywhere.
“It was all rundown buildings, greasy spoons and old man pubs.
“Now you can’t move for Babychinos and Innocent smoothies – I even saw the term ‘Piebury Corner’ in Vogue magazine the other day.”
The influx of trendy restaurants and cafes in Upper Street was triggered over a decade ago, when the N1 shopping centre opened in the area in 2002. Big names in retail and leisure, such as Vue, Gap and French Connection, attracted a higher volume of consumers to the N1 postcode, making the area suddenly much more profitable for local establishments.
In turn, this led to an increase in property prices and prestige, almost entirely transforming the area and establishing its place as a London hot spot.
However, the process has not been easy, largely thanks to the economic downturn causing entrepreneurs and businesses to scale back their commercial property portfolios. Now that the economy seems on the road to recovery, interest has once more picked up.
Trendy Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca recently chose to open its ninth restaurant on Upper Street, taking advantage of a certain gastronomic buzz which has caused foodies from all over the city to flock to Islington. Co-founder Mark Selby believes that the secret to the street’s success is the dedication towards consumer needs demonstrated by both retailers and leisure firms.
He says; “We had been looking for over a year in Islington and ideally wanted to be near the green, which we felt was the central hub of Islington life.
“Upper Street had in the past been taken over by some fairly weak operations.
“We felt that the opportunities to really invest in the street and slowly bring it up to be a place where quality restaurants and shops could shine was exciting.”
While this strategy certainly appears to have worked in Islington, the possibility of it becoming as successful outside the fashionable London borough has been questioned by critics. However, should big brands eschew out of town retail parks in favour of the high street in future, there can be little doubt that the consumers would soon follow.
Should more leisure facilities such as restaurants, gyms and cinemas take advantage of space on the high street, there is a real chance that local retailers and whole communities would benefit from a more vibrant town centre.
Do you think the future of the high street is entirely dependent on the interest of big brands?
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