Special Shops

Welcome to our Special Shops page

Reviews/recommendations are for selected shops who advertise on LAYL. We are happy to advocate them as local and known to be good places to shop.Some are specialist and some are simply special. But all will provide you with a good service and save you going to a supermarket or shopping centre. If you are new to the area...please shop at these shops and support LAYL at the same time.

PESTLINE

Reviewed by Suzy Roston 6/11/2011

Winter months are coming and as the mice come in to shelter it might be hard to show them the door.

I’ve lived in Stoke Newington for 25 yrs and had many and varied grotesque Infestation moments.

11 yrs ago, and with mice, I randomly reached for the yellow pages. £300 including £120 for a 10 min job to cover the airbricks, had no impact on the invasion.  I was left poor and angry and had to discover the benefits of wire wall and mastic on my own. Then I found Pestline.

Ahmet Baletti is Pestline (helped occasionally by his cousin). I doubt you’ll find a better and cheaper service. It is friendly, caring, professional and discreet (no marked cars),  at a very feasible price.

He mixes his own poisons (10 times better than commercial non equivalents) and the mice seem to die before the 2nd visit.

3 mice visits cost £100 compared to Hackney’s usual charge of £129.

Ahmet has a flexible approach and an accommodating pricing policy. He may come once and then you pop by the Newington Green office to top up the poison.He encourages self help and will educate you till you know!

As well as Mice, he can deal with Rats, Cockroaches, Wasps, Birds, Insects and Bed Bugs.

For full details look it up on Local and Recommended.

  local and recommended  (Pest Control)

LONDON FIELD CYCLES

Reviewed by Suzy Roston 25/7/11

London Field Cycles must be the best shop in Mare St.  The bright and spacious architecturally designed store (now 6yrs old), is the biggest in Hackney and beyond.

There's an  immense stock, catering for just about any and all of the diverse needs of the average and not so typical cyclist.  The service is also good.  Joint owners Joe and Robin employ friendly, helpful staff, who seem to like their pay and conditions enough to hang around.

Their ‘have it in stock’ policy is reflected by the vast swathes of adult bikes (£300-£1,000) about 60 men’s and 40 women’s, with all types of Commuting, Racing, Mountain. For kids there’s a mere 15/20 on display and all the reflective jackets/coats/tops/shorts to match.

A free test spin is encouraged if you want to go beyond the limitations of an internet buying experience but bring a card for collateral.  And as well as being a ‘Brooks Centre of Excellence’ there’s a plethora of brand names: Ortlieb and Altura for bags; Charge/Specialized/Trek/Pashley/Brompton/Genesis/Ridgeback for bikes; extra gear comes in streams-gloves/hats/coats/helmets.

Treat your bike to one of their services (£30/£70/£100 plus parts or free with a new purchase) and watch the team at work through their stunning internal glass wall.  Handy people in emergency situations are still welcome.  Ask nicely and they’ll hopefully lend you a tool or their luxury instant pump, to help you back on the road.  For anyone wanting to maintain their bike on a budget Joe advices “keep your tyres pumped up and your chain lubed.”

For scared first timers get details of Transport for London Cycle Training courses and for kids the Hackney cycling Club.

THE ROYAL BAKERY

Reviewed by Suzy Roston 16/7/2011

At the corner of Brooke Rd, opposite the Post Office, you’ll find a traditional English style bakery that’s a truly hidden gem.

A past requirement of the traditional British High St, is now a local luxury. That such a shop still exists amidst the array of mini Supermarkets , or the trendy ‘quality’ bread found in expensive wholefood shops and delis,isattributable to the hard and enduring work of an exceptionally friendly Moroccan family.

Monika (the chef) and her husband Jamal (the baker) are a pleasure to know.

Using traditional baking methods all the food is made from scratch, the bread’s allowed to rise naturally. It’s quality and cheap!

There are three types of bread, white, granary and wholemeal.Go at 9am and you’ll find hot white (£1.10) and crusty rolls(20p)..the Granary at 11am and Wholemeal ( £1.20/25p) some point mid morning.At 1pm you may miss out altogether!

Maya the relaxed and ever enduring frontline assistant, courteously serves everyone in turn.“it’s much too hot to cut” she repeatedly exclaims.

Their delicious bread is best eaten at once, later in the day’s fine and the wholemeal toasted, is great for days.

If you’re after organic...keep asking they’re very responsive to customer demand.

Lunch can be selected from the home cooked range of take away meals (lasagne/ Chilli Con Carne/Spag Boll/Chicken and Mushroom pasta/) (£2.50-£3) pizza and a variety of pasties.

Brian from next door A and B Glass exclaimed “the Cornish (£1.20) is the best I’ve ever eaten, even better than one’s I’ve had in Cornwall!”

Their Moroccan Pancakes (£1.75 ) (spinach and cheese, or chicken) both in a divine sauce, makes them a must. You’ll be lucky to catch them during Ramadam or at other odd moments.

Sandwiches (£2.10) are fresh and tasty. Eat in (about 4 tables ) or out, tea only (60p), coffee (£1).

Cake lovers are generally impressed with the vast cross cultural selection of cakes and biscuits. Small Cupcakes, Chocolate Crisp(50p), Viennese Fingers (80p), 4 types of Brhwat, Doughnuts, Danish Pastries, Chocolate Fudge, Semolina, Date slices.. about 20 in all. The Apple Pie’s my best (50P a slice) and delicious hot, with custard.

For birthdays peruse their catalogue of Individual birthday cakes range from £6-£20 handmade by Monica’s husband.....A good present might be a Tagine (£6-20).Monika will explain how you use it!

MUDFOOT AND SCRUFF

Situated with style in a bright and contemporary corner of Stoke Newington Church Street is a seriously elegant shoe shop. Inside you’ll find a calm and a beautifully designed interior where you can relax and retreat.

Opened 3 years ago, the family run shop has a reputation for being extremely friendly and helpful. With an excellent no pressure to buy fitting service Norbert, who opened the shop 3 years ago shies away from selling shoes that are obviously unsuitable.His belief “that shoe shopping should be a pleasure” is borne out the number of people who comfortably pop in just to browse.

The shop offers an alternative to the usual high street by selling an eclectic, imaginative and practical range of everyday shoes with a bit of flair. All well made and carefully crafted, using quality materials some shoes are for special occasions but they try to keep them at a wearable level (i.e. not too high!)

As a hardcore Mudfoot addict I must be on my sixth pair.Trying them on was so quick and easy and the shoes so comfortable, I bought them on the spot.

There are shoes of all descriptions.One customer remarked “it’s a nice shop and complements other Church St. clothes and vintage shops”.Obviously the place to head for when in possession of a new outfit!

The range, mostly for women and kids but with a few hybrids for men, includes European designers; Lattitude Farm and Grotesque, and adding to the season’s collection, two local designers, Esska and Rakish Heels..

For the kids Mudfoot and Scruff stock Camper, Primigi, Pediped and Ricosta.and soon to be arriving in July, Ecco and the Start-rite Back To School Autumn collection.

As a Camper Footwear Specialist Norbert assiduously applies his training and then gives a free Camper Kagool and beach ball with every purchase.A great plus if you’re caught in the rain or about to go on holiday!

You can definitely get some bargains. There seems to be a permanent sale shelf but the average pair is reasonably priced and would definitely be more in a similar shop on Upper Street or in Covent Garden.

Look out for their new handbag range to offset the new shoes or go to one of their sample sales or promotions.Full details can be found on their Facebook page.