{"id":28777,"date":"2026-05-05T07:42:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T07:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/28777\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T07:42:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T07:42:09","slug":"the-trendy-east-london-neighbourhood-losing-its-cockney-roots-as-young-families-drive-gentrification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/28777\/","title":{"rendered":"The trendy East London neighbourhood losing its cockney roots as young families drive gentrification"},"content":{"rendered":"

The \u2018half and half\u2019 balance means those born and bred in the area can enjoy the new wave of creative businesses, but some still miss the ‘old’ Walthamstow<\/p>\n

08:04, 04 May 2026Updated 08:11, 04 May 2026<\/p>\n

\"Brenda<\/p>\n

Brenda Griffiths, 73, and her partner Steve Windsor, 68, enjoy a ‘cockney elevenses’ at Barney’s pie and mash shop(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga\/MyLondon)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s his birthday today, I said I\u2019d take him for an Italian and listed all these different restaurants but he said \u2018no, I wanna go Barney\u2019s\u2019.\u201d Brenda Griffiths, 73 and her partner Steve Windsor, 68, are enjoying their \u201ccockney elevenses\u201d in Walthamstow\u2019s last remaining pie and mash shop.<\/a><\/p>\n

The bright sunlight illuminates its blue and white tiles as the quiet scrapes from cutlery are heard over the hum of the dishwasher. Owner Tommy Barnard raises his arm to shield the sun. \u201cI\u2019ll put that birthday cake on for him now, Brenda,\u201d he says. \u201cIt should be ready when you\u2019re finished.\u201d<\/p>\n

Visitors walking into Barney\u2019s in Garnett Way for the first time might be surprised to find out it only opened in 2018 when Tommy, who worked as a plumber, took the plunge to fulfil his dream of running a pie and mash shop. Manze\u2019s in Deptford<\/a> and F.Cooke in Harold Hill<\/a> are among several forced to shut in recent years due to rent increases and the decline of East London\u2019s working-class identity.<\/p>\n

Tommy believes pie and mash shops, once a local staple, will only be able to survive if they leave high streets and market areas and move into neighbourhood parades. \u201cWho goes to markets now?\u201d he tells MyLondon.<\/p>\n

\"Tommy<\/p>\n

Steve Windsor travelled back to his native East London from Southend to celebrate his 68th birthday(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga\/MyLondon)<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was little I used to go down to Walthamstow Market<\/a> with my mum for shopping. We\u2019d then pop into Woolworths and afterwards get pie and mash. Nowadays you have big places like Westfield for shopping or people order online. That tradition is gone.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the high street shops are suffering, not just pie and mash, so you have to adapt to the changes. The future of it is in residential places like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u2018death of the high street\u2019 is not the only contributor to the near-eradication of pie and mash shops in Walthamstow. A wave of gentrification<\/a> propelled by the 2012 London Olympics saw house prices double in Waltham Forest<\/a> between 2013 and 2023, only increasing since.<\/p>\n

This new middle class crowd is far removed from old \u2018cockney\u2019 Walthamstow, opting to set up and spend money in businesses that have come to represent the area\u2019s new upmarket identity. But rather than being disheartened, Tommy sees it as an opportunity to introduce the delicacy to a new demographic.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s become very trendy to live in Walthamstow,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can see the massive amount of money coming into the bottom of St James Street and Copper Mill Lane.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow people come here off the back of seeing online reviews. It feels crazy that I\u2019ve given a load of people their first pie and mash, and these aren\u2019t 16-year-olds, they\u2019re between 25 and 35 who\u2019ve never had it because they weren\u2019t brought up on it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s been a really positive thing. It\u2019s also become quite a trendy thing to have and tell your mates about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Tommy<\/p>\n

Barney’s is the last remaining pie and mash shop in Walthamstow(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga\/MyLondon)<\/p>\n

Brenda, who has also lived in Walthamstow for her entire life, interjects slightly off topic. \u201cThe new crowd has opened too many coffee shops, but it\u2019s still a great community here,” she said. “We all mix in together, if you\u2019ve got good neighbours then you\u2019ve got good neighbours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walthamstow\u2019s transition from a working-class hub into a hotspot for upwardly mobile professionals is no better characterised than \u2018The Village\u2019 which has become one of the most sought-after places to live in East London. Terraced homes along its Victorian and Edwardian streets often fetch more than \u00a31million due to their quiet location just a 10-minute walk from the Victoria line.<\/p>\n

During this transition Orford Road has become home to a collection of trendy businesses including Eat17, The W Store and Petals in Bloom. Although traders are aware the influx of better-off residents has been a factor in their success, many have become wary the continued process of gentrification will see wealthy chains moving in, thus disrupting the road\u2019s indie feel that made its reputation to begin with.<\/p>\n

In 2024 a \u2018middle class class war\u2019<\/a> broke out when bakery giant Gail\u2019s announced it would be opening a site near the top of Orford Road. Some 1,800 residents signed a petition against it, claiming Gail\u2019s would \u201cthreaten the existence of independent shops\u201d and \u201cdismantle\u201d the area\u2019s charm.<\/p>\n

\"David<\/p>\n

David Ryner, 77, owner of Here on Earth in Orford Road(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga\/MyLondon)<\/p>\n

David Ryner, who opened the art shop Here on Earth with his late wife in 2015, is one of the many traders concerned it has detracted from the Village\u2019s charm. \u201cWe don\u2019t want this to end up like any other upmarket high street,\u201d he tells MyLondon, while gazing out at passers-by on Orford Road.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to go to Spitalfields Market to see my friend who owned a shop. It was a great market, seeped in culture which lots of artistic people loved. Now it\u2019s a corporate offer of what a market is, so it loses that authenticity and ultimately makes it like anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 77-year-old says the same rent increases and corporatisation fuelled his decision to move from Camden<\/a> 11 years ago. David admits there is some prestige in being \u201cahead of the curve\u201d and seeing an area improve, but feels Waltham Forest Council needs to step in to stop too many chains replacing independents.<\/p>\n

Walthamstow Village has always been among the most affluent parts of the borough, so can\u2019t be seen to emulate the textbook gentrification cases of Spitalfields and Broadway Market, but there is unease among artistic shops who feel under threat from private capital.<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

Walthamstow Village has been transformed into a hub of upmarket shops and restaurants, but many traders are concerned about the arrival of chains such as Gail’s(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga\/MyLondon)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new Soho<\/a> Theatre is a great example of how we can be upmarket and still be a unique location,\u201d David continues. \u201cNow the council needs to make the Village a wider offer and also make tourists want to come for the day, as that would really help the local economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall, it\u2019s about creating a balance to make it work for local people and visitors alike. My partner started with a firm idea that we\u2019ll never charge more than \u00a31 for a postcard and always have some cheap things on sale, even if we look like an expensive shop on the surface.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walthamstow\u2019s changed middle-class identity is not only represented by surging house prices and artsy independents. Over the past decade it\u2019s become London\u2019s craft beer capital with industrial sites along Blackhorse Road and in the Ravenswood Estate being transformed into a vibrant community of independent breweries.<\/p>\n

Signature Brew on the \u2018Blackhorse Beer Mile\u2019 has become London\u2019s largest independent brewery since it moved from Leyton to Walthamstow in 2019. Disaster struck just five months after opening when a series of Covid lockdowns forced the business to shut, but co-founder Tom Bott believes the Mile was well poised to benefit from the post-pandemic shift towards experience-based drinking.<\/p>\n

\"Tom<\/p>\n

Tom Bott, co-founder of Signature Brew, has been at the forefront of Walthamstow’s craft beer revolution(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga\/MyLondon)<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the last few years our average audience has trended towards being younger, and that\u2019s something we\u2019re trying to harness because we don\u2019t think there are many breweries out there who are really serving that young audience well and speaking to them in a way they can connect with,\u201d Tom, 37, tells MyLondon.<\/p>\n

\u201cYoung drinkers still want to go out, and it\u2019s an absolute myth that young people don\u2019t drink, but they want to do so on their terms and in a way that\u2019s meaningful to them. People who are in their mid to late 20s and have lived through Covid have learnt the hard way the benefit of going out and seeing people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey live their lives entirely digitally, in a way that I didn\u2019t when I was younger, so that moment to go out and connect with people is really important and we think we\u2019re playing a critical part in that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Post-industrial areas or underused warehouses have been slated for demolition by developers across London in recent years as councils look to catch up on housebuilding targets, but similar to the sentiments shared by independent traders in Walthamstow Village, Tom believes the Blackhorse Road area\u2019s newfound appeal should be protected as much as possible.<\/p>\n

\"Aerial<\/p>\n

Signature Brew has become London’s largest independent brewery(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga\/MyLondon)<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a real cluster of makers and creatives stretching from here to Tottenham Hale,\u201d he continues. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to see how they bridge that industrial world to the connection with the consumer by opening their doors and welcoming them in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope this is appreciated by the council and protected. It\u2019s conceivable that this area becomes an ocean of flats, because we are only five minutes from the Victoria line, but I believe the area would lose something quite significant if this happened.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere you\u2019ve got a really nice collection of different breweries. We\u2019re proud to be London\u2019s biggest independent brewery, but there are also some uber cool craft breweries, traditional breweries and great late night spots.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are varied opinions about gentrification in Walthamstow, but its location in outer London and ample green spaces; all while still enjoying excellent transport links, means it has always been a sought after place to live for young families. One resident on social media site Reddit said the \u2018half and half\u2019 balance means those born and bred in the area can enjoy the new businesses springing up while much of the \u2018old Walthamstow\u2019 is alive and kicking.<\/p>\n

Keep up with the latest East London news. Sign up to our MyEastLondon newsletter HERE<\/a> for daily updates and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The \u2018half and half\u2019 balance means those born and bred in the area can enjoy the new wave…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28778,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[3859,27,1623,7907],"class_list":{"0":"post-28777","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-london","8":"tag-gentrification","9":"tag-london","10":"tag-property-prices","11":"tag-walthamstow"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/116520848144464456","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28777"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28777\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}