‘Not quite Greggs’: TikTok creators put London’s ‘gentrified’ bakeries to the test | Gentrification

TThe video that started it all was innocuous enough: a woman in her 20s shared on TikTok how she had a perfect weekend in North London. Her list included Jolene and Gail’s bakeries and De Beauvoir Deli.

But the reaction was no different. Many locals said they had never heard of the businesses he mentioned. One of the north Londoners, 21-year-old Moses Combe, was equally disbelieving. “I’d be a little surprised if this was where all the girls in north London came in the morning,” she said in a viral video.

She set out to visit businesses and see for herself what the fuss was about, heading to Jolene’s and purchasing hot chocolate, a sausage roll and her first tiramisu cake, which she described as “so good”.

Thus began a series of videos that the young Londoner calls “Endz Research Department”, in which he reviews upscale cafes in his area that he wouldn’t normally visit.. A crowdfunder that will continue the series and “explore change happening in our own backyard” has already raised £2,566 of its £3,000 target.

The bill for the trip to Jolene, which Combe describes as “giving Gail’s Pro Max”, comes to £14.20. He tells his followers it’s “not very Greggs” but he loves the sausage roll. “They didn’t miss out on that sausage, brother,” he said. “I throw my hands up in the air, it’s pretty reasonable.”

Combe is not alone. Comedian and educator Kobi Coker, 27, said his videos exploring so-called “gentrified” spaces were not initially intentional. He said that during his work cycle, he would notice new, upscale establishments opening along his route and would post about trying them out.

“There’s always a line outside,” he said, which made him wonder: “What makes this place so popular?”

“I’m just someone who likes to explore and do new things,” he said. “I would stop by these places here and there, but I never really thought anything about it.”

Coker, who runs comedy night Unruly Comedy, reviewed Dusty Knuckle bakery Jolene, Gails and Pret. One review jokes about the way it’s pronounced bitter au chocolate. “Allow me, please. I’m not French, I’m from Hackney.”

He admits to his audience via glass-breaking sound effect that he paid back £17.30 of the money he got from Dusty Knuckle, but his egg and bacon hot rolls are “absolutely sensational… I can’t think of any better sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life.” After all, he encourages his followers to visit, citing the company’s work with at-risk youth in the region.

On the subject of gentrification, Coker said he has mixed feelings. “Part of me thinks it’s good to have an influx of new things, new people coming in who will bring new ideas.” But the problem, he added, is that “the people who make the community what it is don’t necessarily participate in it.”

Matthew Roberts, Jolene’s operations manager, welcomed the attention their bakery has received. “It’s all very positive. It’s really nice to have people talking about us,” he said, adding good-naturedly: “Even if we’re not the equal of Greggs in everyone’s eyes.”

He added that conversations around gentrification can flatten businesses that operate at many different scales. Dusty Knuckle is a social enterprise with two sites; Jolene is an independent bakery and restaurant spread across four locations in the capital. They compete with national chains such as Gail’s, Pret and even Greggs, which have hundreds of outlets across the UK.

“I would hate to think that our field is viewed as privileged in any way, because we don’t actually see ourselves that way,” Roberts said. “We really want to welcome absolutely everyone.”

Harry Davies, of De Beauvoir Deli, said the recent interest had not resulted in a noticeable increase in customers, but admitted the videos were very funny.

He called it unfair to compare sandwich prices to supermarket food prices. “We take great pride in our sustainability by using good materials and paying people right,” he said. “We are a living wage employer in London and use free-range meat in our sandwiches.”

Davies added that the deli has always attracted a wide range of customers. “People think this place is full of people with £3million homes, but that’s not the case,” he said. “Everyone loves good food.”

Locals’ tendency to check out businesses they wouldn’t normally go to was also about trying something new, according to 27-year-old content creator Daniel Poon.

“I grew up in Woolwich and most of my friends were African but I could never really eat African food,” he said. He started doing this with his now-viral format (by stopping strangers asking for advice); That led him to a mix of neighborhood staples, hidden gems, and more upscale cafes like Farmer J and Blank Street.

He’s starting to look into mainstream chains that sometimes post viral products borrowed from other cuisines. In a video, he reviewed Pret’s ube drink, which he said did not match the original Filipino taste. He said chains often “try to make it too westernized,” tailoring products to their core customer base rather than the communities they borrow from, but he appreciates efforts to expand into branches.

“I actually like it when people try different cuisines. I think it shows that they’re open and London is all about diversity,” he said.