Trio of young independent brands arrive at Elephant Park

The trio have all taken space on Sayer Street, Elephant Park’s new shopping street specialising in local independent brands, and join anchor tenant Mercato Metropolitano which is set to open on Walworth Square this Autumn. Visitors and residents can look forward to experiencing:

• The Tap In - a brand-new bar concept from the founders of Six Yard Box and Hop Art, will be a place for visitors to enjoy some of the best craft beers in south London. Its extensive range of drinks, including locally brewed specialities, can be enjoyed onsite, or bought for later enjoyment at the bar’s bottle shop. The Tap In will also feature a Latin American-inspired food offering, provided by Cubana, who will be taking the first kitchen residency at the bar. The Tap In is set to open in late August.
• The Japanese ramen noodle bar, Koi Ramen, which currently has sites in Brixton and Tooting, specialises in Tonkotsu ramen – a rich and creamy pork soup noodle from the southern regions of Japan. Diners will also be able to enjoy three other ramen specialities, including a vegan miso with fried tofu, shredded carrot and spring onion, as well as three types of gyoza. Koi Ramen’s drinks offer continues the Japanese theme, with a selection of Japanese beers, whisky and sake available. The Tap In is set to open in October.
• Award-winning beauty salon, Dima Beautiful, has now opened, featuring a wide range of services including: waxing; manicures and pedicures; eyelash extensions; massage; high-definition brows; and hair treatments at the salon’s blow-dry bar. Customers giving their feet some attention can sit back and relax in one of Dima Beautiful’s luxurious pedicure ‘thrones’ with the opportunity to indulge in a glass of prosecco.

Kristy Lansdown, Project Director of Elephant Park, Lendlease, commented: “These fresh, young, independent brands are all bringing something different and special to Sayer Street. Whether it’s getting a relaxing beauty treatment, unwinding over drinks with friends or grabbing dinner with your family, Elephant Park is now emerging as one of South London’s most exciting destinations.

Two of the brands, The Tap In and Dima Beautiful, are affordable retailers and are opening their first permanent bricks and mortar sites at Elephant Park, reflecting Lendlease's commitment to deliver affordable retail space for existing tenants from the Elephant and Castle Opportunity Area.

Both The Tap In and Dima Beautiful are joining Elephant Park from Artworks Elephant, a pop-up retail park that was created by Lendlease in 2014 to provide community-led space for start-ups and small businesses in the area. The Artworks intiative was positioned as an ideal home for emerging brands. It helped create new jobs and provided skills and support for new businesses.

Guy Thomas, Head of Retail at Lendlease, commented: “At Lendlease we are committed to helping new and existing local brands, and we are proud to have created a location and community for retailers to thrive within. Dima Beautiful’s drive and determination is invaluable, and we are honoured to be able to provide the brand’s first permanent home in the area. We are also thrilled that Elephant Park will be home to a diverse range of food and beverage brands, The Tap In, and Koi Ramen both borne in London, alongside the recently announced MM Factory from Mercato Metropolitano, will position the destination as the perfect hotspot for culture, dining-out and socialising.”

Sebastian O-Driscoll, co-founder of The Tap In, said: “We are so excited to combine our two proven concepts to create The Tap In and will soon open a brand-new site at Elephant Park. The Artworks provided the perfect platform for us to trial Six Yard Box and then launch Hop Art to develop our brand. To myself and my two partners, Eoin and Harry, Elephant and Castle is home and we are grateful that Lendlease recognised how important being a part of this local community is for our growing brand.”

Nadia Tahir, founder of Dima Beautiful, said: “It is such a huge milestone to have opened Dima Beautiful’s first permanent store and I am thrilled to launch locally, just a stone’s throw from where the brand was born at Artworks. Being a one-man-band can be daunting at times but Lendlease has given me confidence to start this new chapter within Elephant Park.”