As field project madness intensified and the deadlines loomed closer, team Harvey Nichols returned to London for a second round to spend more time in the city. The focus of this visit was to soak up the British culture, check out some of the newest local trends, explore the food and hospitality scene, spend more time in the Harvey Nichols store on Knightsbridge, and check-in with our internal coach. To achieve these goals, my team and I visited the Shoreditch, Soho, Covent Garden, South Kensington and Chelsea, and Marylebone neighborhoods to see what was hot. All of the communities were inspiring and unique in their own way, but probably the most memorable was Shoreditch in East London with its gritty vibe and graffiti art. After experiencing the best breakfast cake I’ve ever had at Dirty Coffee, we made our way to Boxpark, a pop-up mall that puts mono brand pop-ups to shame. Boxpark is constructed of shipping containers and features a constantly rotating mix of fashion and lifestyle brands, galleries, cafés and restaurants. We visited Boxpark in the morning, but wished we had come in the afternoon to be able to enjoy some of the delicious food that was available!
Tapas and tasting plates seemed to be taking over the restaurant scene in London, but to really see what the city had to offer we trekked out to Borough Market near London Bridge to experience one of London’s most renowned food markets with British and international offerings. We were not disappointed! The size of the market was immense and products ranged from traditional British pies to organic, locally sourced produce.After sampling nearly everything in the market, we had a pretty good idea of what was popular with the foodies in London! After four memorable days, we checked everything off of our to-do list and returned to Paris, refreshed and full of new ideas to continue on with the field project!
