Pop Up: All You Read Is Love, E17 4RT

Credit: @allyoureadislove

A new pop up bookshop-cafe is occupying Central Parade on Hoe Street, and it’s well worth diverting out of your way to visit. 

I’ve visited a few different pop ups in this council-owned space and no others have managed so effectively to occupy the whole space, and make it look less like a bright white box. All You Read Is Love is actually cosy, which should have been impossible opposite the huge Cleveland Place building site and on a busy road.

If the council’s goal is to find a permanent tenant for this space, All You Read Is Love would be a perfect accompaniment to the new-build cinema and restaurants. I sat in the window one evening this week, with a delicious cup of Camomile and Lavender tea (£1), with the rain coming down but the traffic noise shut out, listening to an 80s folk singer. My tea-drinking companion knew the singer from her childhood, though I now can’t remember his name. We had found a little nostalgic oasis.

The Danish brother and sister team have purposefully combined books and cafe, with the aim of building a more sustainable business model, than books or coffee alone. This plan seems to resonate strongly with the Walthamstow community. Since opening on Wednesday, they have had steady trade and ongoing chatter on social media, which must surely have led to inclusion in this week’s Evening Standard article on the delights of Awesomestow. E17 is now most certainly London’s Next Big Thing (which we’ve all known for sometime, haven’t we?). 

Tea in beautiful blue china (credit: @billtix), flat white and cake (credit: @allyoureadislove).

Well, how does the coffee offering stand up? The coffee had good body and depth – though I couldn’t discern distinct flavours. This may be because I was so distracted by the taste of milk - as a lover of soya, it’s been a long time since I had a coffee with cow’s milk. I had forgotten how creamy it can be and I’m used to the nuttiness of soya now. At the moment, they only have full fat milk (which you can forgive when they have limited space and temporary premises). It’s well priced, £2 for a flat white. They also offer beer, cider, juice, sandwiches, and of course, cake! We were given the treat of tasty crispy biscuits on our first visit, vanilla rings and chocolate chip cookies. All homemade – when do this pair sleep?

Most beguiling however, is the absolute wonder of an independent bookshop in the centre of Walthamstow. I have been introduced to writers I would never have otherwise found (Per Peterson, Junot Diaz) and could buy locally written and printed poetry (from Paekakariki Press). I hope this test of their business has given them enough evidence for the bank manager, and enough confidence that the community will be loyal patrons, to open in local permanent premises.

All You Read is Love will be popping up until 9 February, opening 10am – 10pm Tuesday –Saturday, 10am - 8pm on Sunday, closed Mondays. They have several events before then – music, poetry reading, creative writing - check their Facebook page for listings.

Accessibility... large step at the entrance, so buggies can manage but wheelchair users will struggle. A unisex toilet is available at the back of the shop.

Popular with... the whole, diverse population of e17, it seems, but particularly book-loving people in pairs, wifi hunters with laptops and the local creative writing crowd.