Boulangerie Bon Matin

Marquis · March 2011

I also have the impression that prices have gone up since opening. I seem to remember paying £2.30 for a baguette on Friday which suddenly cost £2.80 yesterday morning. I still intend to get my lunch from there at least a couple of times every week in the near future - unless the inflation of their prices continues at the same rate.

Roy · March 2011

@Misscara: no, I wouldn't expect them to keep food in the window overnight, but I still think shops look more attractive if you can see into them. Blinds completely covering the windows just comes across to me as meaning "we've gone out of business" or some such. I'm clearly in a minority of one here in finding this odd, though. I'm sure I'll get used to it. -roy

Caboose · March 2011

Very impressed with BBM, the seating at the back is lovely with the sunshine coming through the glass roof.

Had to pay in cash - they will have their card machines ready by next week, in case anyone was wondering.

dorothy · March 2011

@Roy, I've always hated the shutters, but they're everywhere. I've worked on a few regeneration schemes, where I've really fought against the shutters on buildings There are some more artistic alternatives. The lattice ones, I think are favoured now by planners. Sometimes planners insist on a certain style in conservation areas etc. I know Evans the bike shop in Crouch End went without shutters in the first few weeks of opening. Someone eventually rammed through the window and took the one lovely red £2,000 bike in the window. They've got shutters now. I've worked in a couple of shop front offices and when we didn't use the shutters, we always regretted it. It's a shame though. If SGR/Tollington Road, really become gentrified, we may slowly get some lovely metal grills. Its the kind of thing local people can influence the Council about, in my experience.

badkitteh · March 2011

Garufa in Highbury also had their front window smashed in a few weeks after they opened and immediately installed shutters after the robbery. The owner said that some of the surrounding shops had the same experience a few weeks after opening, kind like a "welcome to the neighbourhood" kind of thing.

Rona · March 2011

BBM looks lovely - I was one of the ones staring in at the window last Saturday but my friend wanted to go to the Front Room. I think she had the same problem with the grammar but I said I didn't think titles of cafes would have the 'du' in them. Anyway I will try it next weekend - is it open on Sunday? Is it owned by the same people as the Sable D'Or?

Mirandola · March 2011

Dorothy

So how do we influence the council?

sincers · March 2011

Have someone take a picture of you pointing at stuff and shaking your fist. Then send it into H&CE Journal explaining what really grinds your gears.

dorothy · March 2011

Yes, that too. @Mirandola I'm not sure what the planning regs are at the moment regarding shutters on SGR, but generally: Email local councillors and when you see them on the street or in the pub mention it again. Email the members of the planning committee. Email planning officers. Go to those Stroud Green meetings which I'm afraid I never go to and ask a question about it, get it minuted and ask for a formal reply. Speak to local Traders, there's a Finsbury Park Traders' group I know Kieran in Snowhite is on it, get one of them to champion the cause. Most traders won't bother with getting nice fancy new shutters because of the cost, so concentrate on the ones that can. There may be some 'planning gain' money from all the new developments which the Council can use for shop front improvements. Not sure if the Finsbury Park Partnership does anything much, but getting some new shutters for traders might be a 'quick win' for them.

Roy · March 2011

@dorothy: good point about conservation areas. A number of shopping streets in Cambridge are in conservation areas, which is perhaps part of the reason we had fewer shutters. -roy

Murphy · March 2011

Boulangerie Bon Matin, Tollington Park (for the person who wanted the address) is brilliant. I adore it. I didn't even know it was there until Saturday, which made the whole thing more exciting. Front Room has been resting on it's laurels for a while now and while it's coffee is, for the moment, outperforming Boulangerie - it's other offerings have deteriorated to the point that I'd rather travel to H&I or Stokey for a nice breakfast-until now.

ADGS · March 2011

Speaking of shutters, no idea whether it was a) official or b) permanent but Season had a painting attached to theirs when I went past this morning, and it did brighten the facade considerably.

bennyfromtheblok · March 2011

Slightly off topic but perhaps we could persuade a local artist to come and paint all the shutters like Ben Eine did on "Alphabet Street" - <http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/jun/27/streetart>; Perhaps this could be done through John Jones and their gallery?

Mirandola · March 2011

Bennyfromtheblok,

That's rather a nice idea. Perhaps numbers rather than letters?

WillM · March 2011

Just had a pain au chocolat + a latte from BBM. Brilliant PaC - crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, retained its shape, and the chocolate was bitter and reassuringly solid. Marvellous. The latte's pretty good as well, though maybe the coffee was very slightly burnt?

Jenowl · March 2011

WillM, what a lovely description of a pain au chocolat!

WillM · March 2011

Why thank you. Luckily for the discussion board, my waistline prevents me from trying every item they sell that I would like.

bennyfromtheblok · March 2011

@ Mirandola - some of his latest works are numbers so guess it can be done. We could also get I Love N4 and other slogans down the road like this <http://spitalfieldslife.com/2010/10/30/further-adventures-of-ben-eine/>;

ActionVerb · March 2011

Ah, didn't realise the Change sign was his. It has only been vandalised once so far, which isn't too bad really.

Arkady · March 2011

What an excellent idea.

Ali · March 2011

They look terrible not particularly grown up graffiti !

Emma · March 2011

What is grown up graffiti?

Thomas · March 2011

Good idea, but i'd prefer it if somebody painted the railway bridges. Could even paint on Welcome to Stroud Green.

WillM · March 2011

"...abandon hope all ye who enter..."

miss annie · March 2011

'Here be dragons'

Arkady · March 2011

'Please take your drink indoors after ten thirty'

Ian · March 2011

What about each shutter on lower SGR having 'wigs' and 'not wigs'.

ShaunG · March 2011

The new "LOW BRIDGE" on the (low) bridge is an eyesore, and I do wonder how effective this sort of thing is at stopping the occasional crash. If they had to put something on it, I think I'd be more likely to notice "AAAAAGH!!!"

Marquis · March 2011

WillM - that was a sprayed on a skip on Regina Road a while ago. I did have a little chuckle.

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