Celebrating #IWD - and ten years of Leytonstoner
Plus: exclusive 10th birthday reader offers, ten ace places we miss, the 6 sunniest local spots and Leytonstone's enigmatic Spanish restaurant
It’s long been acknowledged that Francis Road’s rise has been joyously female-led, along with the quip that perhaps that last vowel in its name needs to be changed to an ‘e’. From pioneers like Tuesday Roberts at The Northcote and Natalie Stopford at Marmelo/Loop to Aimee Madill at Phlox, Helen Clarke at Edie Rose and Eliza Parkes at Yardarm, the pedestrianized thoroughfare has blossomed with a powerful female aesthetic that feels singular to our part of East London.
And let’s not forget the area’s other notable independent business owners such as Michaela Zelenanska at both Leytonstone’s Arch Deli and Leyton Midland’s Swirl, Sandra Bello at the smash hit Homies On Donkeys, Adrienne Aslan at Stone Mini Market, and so many more.
With International Women’s Day tomorrow (Saturday March 8th) allowing us a moment to reflect, one perhaps less celebrated female entrepreneur is Carole ‘Caz’ Crowe, whose Farm Community Kitchen project provides - as well as a laidback cafe - around 300 meals per week to residents who need them, delivered via a network of over fifty active volunteers. Even more admirable is the fact she started the whole thing in deepest lockdown.
As I mentioned in my recent story for paid subscribers, this Cann Hall Road cafe is unique here in Leytonstone, and even perhaps London. Its cosy front room houses a well-priced chalkboard listing sandwiches, sausage and vegan rolls, jacket potatoes and breakfasts, while a hot plate holds Cornish pasties, and “off-menu” specials might include jerk chicken or coconut chicken curry. You can also pop in for fresh bread, carrot cake and other sweet treats.
“Food is about so much more than just feeding people—it’s about connection, dignity, and community,” she says. “My work has shown me the power of bringing people together through food, whether that’s by providing meals to those in need or creating a space where people feel valued and included. It has also taught me resilience—running a community kitchen is tough, and it takes constant problem-solving, creativity, and determination to keep it going.”
And such resilience is being tested to the max at the moment as the council is cutting the Farm Community Kitchen’s funding from the end of March. “So if you ever have a spare red pepper sitting in the fridge or a bag of rice you can drop by,” says Caz, “do so and the chefs can use it.” There’s also a risk they’ll be forced to leave the premises this summer, although she has registered the site as an Asset Of Community Value so it must remain a shop or cafe.
So, I wondered, what does International Women’s Day mean to Caz?
“Women are a powerhouse of work, pushing past the stereotypes society places on us every day. I admire all women—those who juggle home life and careers, and those who go above and beyond for their communities. Locally, I see incredible women like Deborah Gibbon, Head Teacher of Jenny Hammond Primary School, creating a safe and inspiring space for children to learn.
I am in awe of my volunteers—mostly women—who balance their responsibilities as mothers while dedicating their time to making our community stronger and safer.
In the third sector, I see Monwara Ali leading by example, running a hub and standing at the forefront of community support. Women are the backbone of change, and today, on International Women's Day, I celebrate them all.
Read my full interview with Caz below in today’s issue, below.
A decade of Leytonstoner: how it happened
I’m a little shy at organising birthdays or celebrations, but it did occur to me that the Leytonstoner turned ten the other day. Which, I think, is an achievement - especially in the harsh current climate for all things publishing. Thank heavens for Substack.
But how on earth did it all begin, I hear you ask? Well, back in 2015 - after starting my freelance food and travel writing career in the noughties for Time Out and The Guardian - I was the founder-editor of a handful of primarily food and drink titles across London. This role had all stemmed from the random success of my initial blog, Kentishtowner, which I had launched in 2010 to review new openings in NW1 and NW5 (where I lived at the time). It gained traction via then-fashionable Twitter before going on to receiving NESTA funding and even an award or two.
Suddenly, there was a small team of us in a smart Camden office, churning out free monthly newspaper print editions and even a quirky company name (London Belongs To Me, a reference to both a 1990s St Etienne classic and a 1940s movie, its shortened form still the Instagram handle @londonbelongs).
With titles including the Kings Cross-focused Gasholder, south London’s Below The River and a travel spin-off Weekendr, by 2015 East London was next on the list. Why Leytonstoner? Purely because so many of my friends either lived there - or were moving here - and I knew a talented journalist, Miranda Eason, a longterm resident eager to help out (read the very first review from 2015 here). It wasn’t long, of course, before I moved here myself.
Fast forward to 2025 and Leytonstoner - which by now has followed a decade of seismic changes in E10 and E11 - has gone through a few iterations and admittedly had its ups and downs. Since the demise of the business in 2019 - yep, we expanded a little too eagerly - it’s been tough at times, especially in the Covid years. But happily, since moving last year to this currently reader-funded Substack model, I hope you agree the title is more alive, more opinionated and more in-depth than it’s ever been - so again, a million thanks to everyone for supporting me.
To celebrate a decade of Leytonstoner, I’m offering 10% off annual membership today only so be quick. After this weekend the annual subs will rise to £49, so by taking up this offer you actually save nearly 20% off the yearly cost (it will still remain at £5 a month). For that modest outlay you can bask in local food and culture stories, longer reads, frank restaurant reviews and the latest foodie gossip. You even get to suggest what I cover (I listen to everyone’s suggestions). And the more people who pay to subscribe, the more in-depth stories I can publish.
Are you a regular reader and not ready to upgrade to subscribe but would still like to make a small gesture as a nod to ten years of Leytonstoner? Donate whatever you like here.
In this week’s issue paid subscribers can:
Enjoy 10th birthday discounts at six of our finest local independent food and drink, and retail businesses. Find out which ones below
Revisit 10 awesome places in the last decade that we’ve loved and lost - from All You Read Is Love to Morny
Soak up the March sun in six spots, from Bushwood to balmy pub terraces
Enjoy the full interview with the Farm Community Kitchen’s inspiring founder, Caz Crowe
Discover more on Leytonstone’s classic Spanish restaurant Elche - once the critically acclaimed darling of its day
Pop-ups, one-offs and juicy titbits for the coming week
Other ways to support this newsletter include hitting the heart button (yep, for the all-important Substack algorithms), and hitting share it with your friends and neighbours for up to six months’ credit. Limited concessionary rates are available (email stephen@leytonstoner.london).
Leytonstoner at 10: six local offers
Before I count down the ten most awesome businesses ever to open in the area (hellooo, Morny!), I’ve teamed up with six of our many thriving local joints to offer paid subscribers some great discounts for meals, drinks and other purchases in the coming week. Thank me later.