A very English affair with poached salmon, pork pie & picalilli, coronation Chicken, garden salads and delicious home-made lemon verbana ice-cream. All washed down with Elderflower cordial. We plan to eat out amongst the runner beans, tomatoes and courgettes, though if the weather proves gloomy we will move inside after a drink and garden exploration. It will be a small & friendly event.

£29 per person – reservations here: Secret Garden Picnic

Take a secluded urban green space, sow and grow a host of vegetables, herbs and flowers. Fire up a wood-burning stove or two , gently smoke something tasty overnight, open a bottle of something special…Welcome to our secret garden.

We will present three themes over five dates on alternate Sunday afternoons

Brixton meets Crete
With one foot on Brixton hill and one on Crete, sample flame scorched octopus, skordalia, wild greens, tzatziki and lamb cooked with aromatic herbs from our very own mountain in miniature.

Picnic on an English lawn: At the height of summer, a lazy luxury picnic on an English lawn. Whole poached salmon, home-smoked coronation chicken , pork pie, pickles and garden fizz. Jelly and ice cream. We might even have the cricket on in the background.

Sunday BBQ: Chipotle, molasses and lashings of smoke as we present our take on all things BBQ. Maple cured bacon chops, pulled beef, fiery relishes and savoury jams. We’re gonna need a bigger napkin!

We’ll also serve up elements from our tiny garden smokery along with garden grown salads, homemade ice-creams, our own soft cheeses and all the cordials, pickles and preserves you’d expect from Cornercopia’s larder.

Our ‘Secret Garden’ is an oasis of green hidden behind houses and rescued from developers. This is Brixton Cornercopia’s kitchen garden, a constant source of inspiration and a major influence on our approach to food and eating.

Dates:
Brixton meets Crete: Sunday July 26th
Picnic on an English lawn: Sunday August 2nd
Brixton meets Crete: Sunday August 16th
All things BBQ: Sunday August 30th
Brixton Meets Crete: Sunday September 13th
Places are limited to 16 at each event:

Get tickets through Edible Experiences – http://www.edibleexperiences.com
Search for Cornercopia or click on the links above.

Get a sneak preview of the ‘secret garden’ as it grows by following us on Twitter @BrixtonOasis

Thursday, Friday & Saturday Evening Menu

Starters – £7
Beetroot, hazelnut gramolata, pomegranate, Greek yoghurt
Cornish Octopus, freekeh, blood orange, parsley
Charred endive, panchetta, girolles
Mains
Sea bass, leeks, lemon & chive butter, roasted cauliflower
Braised pork shoulder, sauerkraut slaw, new potato
Jerusalem artichoke, Barley, almond milk, pesto
To Finish
Orange polenta cake
Picos blue, oat cakes

Starters £7, Mains £12, Pudding/cheese £5
Three courses for £22 (cash only)

Working with Spacemakers five years ago we saw empty units become tiny theatres and cinemas which in turn evolved into tea parlours and cleverly compact restaurants. Whilst some people have replicated what turned out to be a good business idea in new locations, we chose to experiment with new ideas in the same place – some of these ideas flowing into more empty units. Over and the past five years we have hardly stood still. The little shop unit that was once empty for 15 years and now hosts our home store has also been a venue for chutney making and design workshops, a gallery space for local artists, a dinning room seating 18 by a cosy wood burning stove in the winter and a seasonal cocktail bar called ‘The Botanical’ in the summer.

The original Cornercopia – ‘corner shop with a difference’ evolved from a larder of local produce with just one table serving food, into a restaurant seating up to 60 and hosting local weddings. Last year it hosted many guest chefs starting their journey in the food business and over 45 women in a food start up program that we ran in collaboration with the Joined up Food Network and Westminser Enterprise.

A New Kitchen
Anyone who has passed by in the past few weeks will have noticed things changing once more! Our restaurant kitchen is going back to the corner unit at number 65 – where it was when we first opened and the story of Cornercopia began. Though it will be much better and more ergonomic now we have got better at doing things in tiny spaces!
We are aiming for the kitchen refit to be finished early next week and the restaurant open from 19^th March, with a welcome return of guest chef Blue Jay (see below)

An expanded Homestore
With the kitchen re-located the Cornercopia Home Store will get much needed space to expand – Our new store will have kitchenware, household and outdoor goods on the left, textiles, bathroom, handmade and locally designed goods on the right. We are also considering a regular ‘makers window’ – where you will be able to see spoons carved, baskets woven or books bound. If you know someone who might like a mini residency in our window, do let us know – as always we are open to curious ideas.

Workshops and other Events
Once the re-fits are finished and the new kitchen and Homestore open we will announce news of more workshops for foodies and a rather special series of events in another ‘secret’ space we have been transforming…

Blue Jay returns! – From Thursday 19^th March
After a very well received brunch-pop up in February, Blue Jay (aka chef Sherri Dymond ) is returning for a residency at Cornercopia. Sherri was chef at Cornercopia prior to working for one of our favourite & award winning neighbourhood restaurants. She will be back with a lunch and dinner menu full of seasonal and market sourced ingredients – Modern British with a twist.

Homestore
Our Home store is open as usual –  Wednesday to Sunday 11 am – 6pm and we should also have some exciting news about the Homestore soon!

Food Start up Workshops
Thanks to everyone who has enquired about our Food start up workshops for women. We are planning some more and will post info about these and our other food events we are involved with soon soon

They have also employed an ex-inmate of Brixton prison in the kitchen, through the mentoring charity Switchback.

As their name articulates Tea and Alcohol will serve classic “cocktails made better by tea” so expect warming Ceylon Whisky Toddies and Hot Arrack Chai as well as Grey and Tonics and English Breakfast Martinis.

After launching last weekend, Tea and Alcohol returns to Brixton Cornercopia (65 Brixton Village Market, Granville Arcade SW9 8PS) this weekend (6.30pm – 11pm Fridays and Saturdays in December – 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th and 27th).

Twitter: @tea_and_alcohol
Facebook: Tea and Alcohol

Laksa is a spicy and super tasty coconut broth filed with veggies or chicken in the classic  version. Laksa makes makes a  superb, healthy and warming November dish.

Here is a sneak preview of their wheat-free menu

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– Rice paper parcels of Asian greens with a warm coconut lime dip  – £5
– A selection of soy marinated chicken served with fresh satay sauce  – £5.60
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– Classic laksa with roast chicken, prawns and cockles, served with a side of our house chilli sambal £11
– Aromatic laksa with ginger, aubergine and green bean, served with a side of our house chilli sambal £9.50
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– Coconut cheesecake with poached caramel peanuts £5
– Hot Chocolate-Milo pudding with condensed milk ice-cream £5
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Menu and prices are indicative, minor adjustments may be needed on the night.

To book please email  [email protected] with details of the desired time, day, number of people and any allergies.