Pretending To Be An East Londoner

Sometimes I take the Overground and pretend that Hackney is my hood. Never mind that there's a 30 minute bus journey beforehand, I like adopting East London as my local area before heading back northbound sheepishly. There's just so many interesting things going on, Lucy and I wandered to Hackney Wick and spotted a mini-street food fest, live graffiti and plenty of buzzing beer gardens. Because the weather is still a little confused, I opted for some gingham trousers, a plain t-shirt (my jacket is out of view because, well, that's what bloggers do) and some new trainers. As much as I would have liked to have bought these heels instead, I knew I'd just end up looking at them and I need to keep that sort of thing to a minimum. Perhaps I need to make a new rule for myself?
Top - Cheap Monday, Trousers - Dorothy Perkins, Trainers - Adidas, Necklace - COS, Bag - Lulu Guinness

PARTY IN YOUR MOUTH

Homerton is another corner of East London I don't know very well, so I took the opportunity to expand my knowledge when I was invited to the Jackdaw & Star to try their Sugar Shack menu. There's a real community feel here, chef Andi Oliver uses ingredients from local allotments to add flavour to her dishes and there's a definite art in the way she puts everything together. There are stuffed plantain fritters with cheese, for goodness sake. It's very rare that I go out for a Sunday Roast (there will always be rice n' peas involved thanks to my Jamaican roots) but this seemed like an extra special place to come to, with the lamb coated in a moreish herb and oat crumble and plenty of trimmings. Even though the portions are generous enough, we added the mac n' cheese and onion rings to get a sense of the usual menu (there's Chicken & Waffles which is enough to warrant another trek across numerous forms of transport). With the lush Victoria Park nearby, it's worth making a day of feasting and catching-up, before making the journey back to wherever you live. I'm so jealous of anyone who's nearby!
Jackdaw & Star, 224 Homerton High Street, London, E9 6AS