As a typical West Londoner I haven't come across Percy Ingle before, but my friend was excited to spot a branch on our recent exploration of Poplar and Crisp Street Market. We were drawn in by the beautifully wrapped cup cakes which looked old-fashioned and quite on-trend at the same time.
Percy Ingle is a very English bakery which has been family run for ages. I have checked their website since and there are loads of branches across East London. Still, you can feel it's a small business, the girl who served us was exceptionally polite and knowledgeable about the products on sale.
We witnessed a slightly scary moment when a drunk guy cycled into the shop and helped himself to a bottle of fizzy drink without paying. The girls did their best to challenge him but had to give up in the end. Apparently this sort of thing happens regularly a wake-up call from our nostalgic odle-worldy experience.
I love the fact that this area has not been taken over by the major coffee shop chains and on this occasion was happy to sip a rather average tasteless drink from a vending machine. read more