Food and Drink

A Gardener’s Year

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The arrival of the Gardener’s Year Journal by Studio Wald has got us dreaming of the year ahead. The journal features a bold monochromatic abstract plant patterned cover and with open-dated month to view pages divided into weeks and a place to write in the month, you can make a note of all your planting dates and garden reminders, such as when your seedlings are ready to be potted-out or your blooms are due a feed. Plus there are lots of extra pages such as notes, shopping list, garden planning and weights and measures. Here are a few ideas from Of Cabbages and Kings.

January

Start planning the year. Use this time to get an overview of what you want to achieve in your garden. Keep track of what you want to plant, planting dates and harvest times.

Gardener’s Year Journal – £5.95

February

Solitary Bees nest in the spring so make sure you have a home waiting for them like these Bee Bricks. The Bee Brick provides a stylish urban nesting site for red mason bees and leaf cutter bees among others, and make a lovely addition to any garden or allotment.

Bee Brick – £30

March

Start sewing your seeds in early spring with the help of this handy Paper Pot Press. Paper pots are made from strips of newspaper rolled around and shaped by the press. Fill with your growing medium and plant with seeds.

Paper Pot Press – £14.50

April

This is a good time of year to give your houseplants a once over. Re-pot them if necessary and trim off any dead or dying leaves. The Houseplant Care Cards are a boxed gift set containing 35 cards packed full of advice and tips for botanical success indoors.

Houseplant Care Cards – £12.95

May

Start planting out your seedlings and take inspiration from this five colour screen print by artist Tom Berry. A vine of bright pinks and reds entwines around a teal figure as they are planting it into the ground. The painterly mark making of the figure’s body compliments the crisp outline of the vine leaves, creating a joyful print and a celebration of nature.

Garden Man II – £65

June

In the warm weather plants start to grow quickly, especially the unwanted ones. Keep on top of your weeding and deadheading. Or embrace a wild mass of plants like in Ashley Amery‘s print Ponds and Plants. A surreal waterscape of wiggling weeds and brightly coloured flora and fauna.

Ponds and Plants – £165

July

Your garden is alive and thriving, but so are others. Use this time and the summer weather to explore. Hoxton Mini Press have put together a selection of the best parks and green spaces London has to offer. A tough choice in a city that has 3,000 parks! This little guide is perfect for finding the ideal picnic spot or place for a walk. From central London to some outer boroughs and detailing 50 locations, you will find a new green space to fall in love with.

An Opinionated Guide To London Green Spaces – £9.95

August

As some plants finish flowering you can let them go to seed, providing you with seeds for next year’s planting. This Seed Collecting Kit has all you need to harvest, categorise and plant your seeds in one handy tin.

Seed Collecting Kit – £15.99

September

As fruits and vegetables start to ripen, now is the time to cook and enjoy them. Use this Recipe Journal to keep track of treasured family recipes or ones you swap with friends. The journal also includes a handy weights and measurements page at the back.

Recipe Journal – £8.95

October

Autumn approaches and plants begin to die back and trees shed their leaves. Keep your garden tidy by collecting them up and you can even make leaf mould for next year. This painterly rendition of an Autumn Leaf by Gavin Dobson is a four layer screen print in rich autumnal tones.

Autumn Leaf – £225

November

During the winter it’s even more important to feed garden birds. This stylish Birdball Seed Feeder is made in the UK from slipcast clay, this simple design is frost resistant and offers safe, year-round feeding for birds such as tits, sparrows, finches, woodpeckers and nuthatches.

Birdball Seed Feeder – £59.95

December

There is not a lot happening in the garden in December so hunker down, dream of the year to come and do a bit of plant research with this beautiful The Botanical City book. Inspired by William Curtis’ Flora Londinesis and illustrated with exquisite 18th century artworks, it reveals the hidden secrets of plants and flowers growing on your doorstep through up-to-date information, long forgotten folklore and herbal traditions.

The Botanical City – £25

A Ray of Sunshine

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It’s been bitterly cold on the London streets outside Of Cabbages and Kings. We have had snow, ice, and freezing winds and were chilled to the bones. So to remedy that we have brought together a collection of gift ideas to chase away the frosty weather. Think of this as a visual mug of hot chocolate. Grab a blanket, get cosy and read on.

Sunbathing by Marcelina Amelia – £250.00

We may be longing for those summer holidays so let Marcelina Amelia take you there with this screen print. She describes this print as a cure for seasonal affective disorder, and came up with the idea lying on a beach being bathed in the sun. The warmth of peachy circle in the middle inviting you to dive right in. This print will definitely see you through the winter months until summer comes back around.  

Chilli Peppers Of The World Tea Towel by Stuart Gardiner – £12.00

Why not warm up from the inside with one of nature’s hottest foods? The spicy chilli pepper! Illustrated with an array of facts about popular chillies from around the world the towel includes a taste guide, Scoville heat unit, and ripening colour. Since Columbus brought chilli peppers back to Europe five hundred odd years ago, we’ve been obsessed with these flavourful pods of heat; it’s no surprise that they’re one of the most influential spices in world cuisine.

Fire In The Belly by Tom Berry – £45.00

Is that too many chillis in the belly or the fire of life burning inside this character? With striking painterly detail, Tom Berry has built up a combination of blues, yellows and oranges to represent the fire of one’s life force burning strongly within us warm blooded humans. An inspirational print to encourage ambition.

Mini Orange Necklace by Wolf and Moon – £28.00

You can’t get sunnier than an orange! This Mini Orange Necklace sings of the essence of a Mediterranean summer. The bright little fruit is made with recycled orange and gold mirror acrylic leaves, and hang on a silky gold plated snake chain.

Moroccan Haze by Caitlin Parks – £90.00

Sunny Morocco is depicted in this warming screen print by Caitlin Parks. The hazy desert heat and light of a rocky landscape is offset by arched shapes of buildings and the outlines of palms, while overlapping layers of orange and yellow bring the sunshine inside.

Botanical Peaches by Melissa Donne – £20.00

Nothing beats a juicy peach on a hot day! These summer fruits have been depicted in warming pinks and oranges in this risograph by Melissa Donne. Inspired by traditional botanical illustration, Melissa first sketches and then develops her prints digitally before printing.

Venus Ring  by Roderick Vere – £125.00

Did you know that Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system? Roderick Vere’s Planetary Collection takes its inspiration from the planets. This Venus Ring is crafted by hand and finished with a satin sheen. A 22ct gold plating covers the dome and completes this striking fully hallmarked piece of jewellery.

Sunrise by Gavin Dobson – £140.00

A hot sun rises in this evocative screen print by Gavin Dobson. The magical scene uses the classic printing colours of cyan, yellow, magenta and black to expresses the beauty of sunrise in an abstracted landscape.

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Introducing Pretty Bee Fresh

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“The journey of a sustainable future starts with a conscious decision everyone of us has to make, followed by small changes to our lifestyle. Our mission is to encourage people to live a more sustainable life, respecting nature and the invaluable resources Mother Earth provides. We believe in giving back to our planet and want to contribute in every little way we possibly can. It is now more important than ever to protect our vulnerable ecosystem, especially trees which have supported and sustained life throughout existence and are paramount to our survival. We’ve therefore chosen to work with Trees for Cities, supporting them in their incredible work, planting trees on a national and international scale in an effort to tackle climate change!”

– Katharina, Founder of Pretty Bee Fresh

Founded by Katharina Rauch, Pretty Bee Fresh is a London based beeswax wrap company. Producing natural beeswax products with a strong ethos in sustainability. As a business, they try to reduce their carbon footprint as much as they can and reuse/recycle materials instead of ditching them after first use, while also supporting other organisations and charities.

They have partnered with Plastic Oceans UK who are experts in plastic pollution. Plastic Oceans UK help to reduce the reliance on plastic and educate about ocean health through teaching, collaboration with science and partnerships with business. Pretty Bee Fresh have joined the Plastic Oceans Re-circle Programme, showing their support and core values for this pressingly urgent issue.

They have also partnered with Trees for Cities by donating a percentage of their takings to help plant trees in urban areas. Trees for Cities work with communities to cultivate lasting change in their neighbourhoods – whether it’s revitalising forgotten spaces, creating healthier environments or getting people excited about growing, foraging and eating healthy food.

Beeswax wraps are a great addition to your kitchen. They are reusable, washable, environmentally friendly and biodegradable – a sustainable alternative to plastic and tin foil.

This medium size wrap is available in five different pattern designs. Measuring 260mm x 260mm it’s ideal to cover larger open bowls or wrap your sandwich for lunch. All wraps are handmade in London from 100% pure cotton, organic jojoba oil, pine resin and beeswax from local bees. They are washable in cold water and last up to a year.

How To Wrap: Wrap and fold around any food or bowls using the warmth of your hands to create a breathable seal. Due to the natural antibacterial properties of the beeswax, jojoba oil and pine resin, your food will be kept fresh for longer. Suitable for fridge and freezer.

Beeswax Wrap – Green Monstera Print – £8

Beeswax Wrap – Blue Leaf Print – £8

Beeswax Wrap – Tree Blossom Print – £8

Beeswax Wrap – Seagulls Print – £8

Beeswax Wrap – Boats Print – £8

If you would like to learn how to make your own beeswax wraps, we also stock Pretty Bee Fresh’s DIY Beeswax Kits.

These kits will teach you how to make your own wraps at home. The contents include three cotton squares along with beeswax, brush and instructions to send you on your way to creating a sustainable alternative to cling film.

Contents

  • 3 pieces of pure cotton fabric in the sizes: 130mm x 130mm, 170mm x 170mm, 250mm x 250mm.
  • A piece of parchment paper.
  • A wooden brush and 4 cubes of the finished wax mixture.
  • Full instruction card on usage and care.

All you need is a cheese grater and a baking tray.

DIY Beeswax Wrap Kit – Floral – £15.90

DIY Beeswax Wrap Kit – Leaves – £15.90

DIY Beeswax Wrap Kit – Maritime – £15.90

Following on from the success of their wraps, Pretty Bee Fresh have also produced an Organic Nut Milk Bag Kit. Ideal for making your own vegan milk at home.

Explore the world of making milk at home with this Organic Nut Milk Bag kit. This DIY straining bag by Pretty Bee Fresh will help you create delicious vegan drinks and milks in your own kitchen. It can also be used for whipping up cold brew coffees, broths, juices and even vegan cheese. A great and fun way to reduce plastic waste and a fantastic alternative to store-bought drinks.

Contents
One medium-sized organic GOTS certified cotton nut milk bag in natural colour. Size 260mm x 360mm. 
A small recipe booklet for some inspiration to get you started in the kitchen. 

Organic Nut Milk Bag – £11.90

One last bee friendly kitchen item that can’t ‘bee’ missed is the The Bee Friendly Tea Towel by Stuart Gardiner.

Bee lovers rejoice with this tea towel. Listing an array of bee friendly plants perfect for encouraging more bees into your garden. A beautifully designed organic cotton tea towel, illustrated with flowering plants to help you choose year round colour. Don’t have a garden? You can still help the bees! A 75p donation is made to Friends of the Earth with each tea towel sold.

The Bee Friendly Tea Towel – £12.00

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MESH Studio with Marcelina Amelia

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On July 6th 2017 we will be hosting the official launch of MESH Studio with Marcelina Amelia here at Of Cabbages and Kings in Stoke Newington. On the opening night there will be a special pop-up shop from 5:30-9pm and the exhibition will run from July 7th until the end of August. We spoke with Marcelina to find out a bit more about MESH and the idea behind the brand.

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MESH is a multidisciplinary art brand and design studio founded by artist Marcelina Amelia: Meshing shit up!

Marcelina has taken her artwork beyond the confines of the canvass and has applied it to affordable art objects and wearable art as well as limited edition prints, books and other artworks in a range of different media. Rather than focusing on product design, Marcelina often combines her image making with found household objects to create a series of one-offs within a theme.MESH_STUDIO_GICLEEPRINTS_POSTER_MARCELINAAMELIA.jpgThe Mission Statement:

“Our aim is to embody the term ‘Renaissance girl’, and as the name suggests, we love mixing different techniques and forms, like screen-printing, fashion, painting, ceramics, publications, illustration, politics and activism, because art shouldn’t have any boundaries. We hope that this fluid and meshy structure of the brand, will allow us to collaborate more and make a lot of exciting work and happenings.

MESH’s first collection is titled The Unsatisfied Girls Club and is inspired by the recent movement of strong and powerful women who aren’t afraid to walk tall and proud, manifesting their thoughts, fighting for their rights at the Women’s Marches and other activist happenings all around the world. 

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The Unsatisfied Girls Club is a movement of women wanting and deserving more. Women uplifting each other, and rolling their eyes at the old outdated, stereotypical ways, not being ashamed of their ‘girliness’, standing for themselves and each other, because being a women isn’t a weakness. Research shows that many women are conforming to outdated stereotypes and acting ‘like an alpha male’ to succeed at work – including dressing like a man and hiding ‘girlie’ emotions.”

You can also read our interview with Marcelina on the blog from a few years ago when she had her last exhibition us.

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Lazy Social

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Wowser! This is one doorstopper of a pulled pork sandwich and I’m very pleased to say it’s also delicious! I’ve just popped in to Lazy Social, our new neighbours at 101 Stoke Newington High Street, to see how it’s all going on their first day.

The cakes look amazing! (I think I may be back to sample those later) And for coffee fiends, it will be important to know that Workshop Coffee is the brand of choice.

Lazy Social is a big woody space, kitted out with large comfy sofas and rows of old school desks. The atmosphere is very relaxed, and inclusive, and Mums and Dads are very welcome. There’s plenty of room to swing your buggy or your bicycle. Lazy Social is certainly the first cafe I know to provide an indoor bike rack! A couple of the walls have been stamped with vast, bright graffiti and the front of the counter is filled with over-sized, primary coloured lego bricks. There are plenty of these for the kids to play with too.

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I’m amazed by how quickly this place has been turned around. When owner Carl introduced himself just a few weeks ago and told me when they were planning to open the first week of October I was quietly thinking he’d given himself a pretty tall ask. But here they are open, almost bang on schedule!

Of Cabbages & Kings has taken over one of Lazy Social’s walls as an extended exhibition area. At the moment we have on show very bold, black and white images by One Must Dash, coupled with Jack Ramsay’s detailed and comical illustrations of city living. We hope you enjoy it!

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Licence to Grill

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It’s that time of year when baking fever takes over the country.  A new series of the Great British Bake Off began this week and we’ve got two new oven glove designs to jazz up your kitchen and aid you in your quest to create the perfect Victoria Sponge!

 

‘Rock Cake’ Double Oven Glove

Baking is the new rock ‘n’ roll (apparently), so we’ve come up with the ultimate rockin’ oven glove; a recipe of classic bands combined with dodgy baking puns, all in tattoo form.
Think ‘Bread Zeppelin’, ‘Rolling Scones’, ‘Tofu Fighters’, and 17 more ‘hilarious’ band puns, all inked onto a double oven glove. The perfect piece of kit for your next jam (making) session.

 

Rock Cake Double Oven Glove

 

‘Licence To Grill’ Single Oven Mitt
Yes, yes, y’all! Unleash yo inner gangster rapper whilst grillin’ with this bling inspired mitt. Complete with knuckle dusters and diamond encrusted watch prints. Word.
3 colour double sided print, with metallic gold detailing.

 

Licence to Grill Oven Mitts