Persepolis in Peckham the Coolest Hippest Persian Corner Shop
Getting off the no. 36 bus in the South East London’s district of Peckham on the way to visit a friend I stumbled across this super cool bright yellow corner shop named, Persepolis –for a taste of Persia. It’s a diamond in the rough of Peckham with window displays so alluring with colorful glass jars, exotic tins of food and bespoke packaging boxes of tea and shisha waterpipes that I was drawn to stroll in even though I wasn’t planning on shopping that day.
Inside opens to the aromas of tobacco, herbs and spices transporting one to another country yet at the same time remaining local. The delightful displays of the dessert baklava of different recipes glisten with honey and nuts greeting customers on a large table near the entrance. The owner, Sally Butcher, who wrote the acclaimed cookbook (which I found out later), ‘Persia in Peckham: Recipes from Persepolis’ was behind the till and I asked if they stocked dried cooking herbs and then I was completely blown away by their assortment of large packages containing 4 times more in quantity of any commercial grocery store for the same price. If you enjoy cooking then you realize how fast you can run out of particular herb favorites, so I was truly ecstatic.
Sally with her husband Jamshid who is native to Iranian opened this quaint emporium about 15 years ago. It offers an array of Iranian and other Middle Eastern locale specialties from food to books, handicrafts and music and has become quite popular with the Iranian community. I was impressed hearing Sally though English speaking Iranian fluently with the customers. I ended up leaving with a bag full of herb assortments and the sweetest watermelon for my friend. Evidently if you follow their Facebook page you’ll see within the shop Sally holds interesting events and talks with book authors and poets presenting their work.
Persepolis
28 - 30 Peckham High Street
London, SE15 5DT United Kingdom
Tel: 020 7639 8007
Face Fan Page: Persepolis in Peckham
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