New kids on the block: Meet Wimbledon's latest openings
From the fastest growing Little Gym in Europe to hot new spots for coffee, juice, wine and pretzels
Hello, Wimblers — I hope that everyone is grooving into the new year. Thanks to those of you who emailed me last week; I’m still sifting through your ideas, feedback and comments, so bear with me. Please keep getting in touch if you have any potential story features in mind: zak@thewimble.com
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This week is all about new horizons. We’re taking a look at some of the freshest businesses in Wimbledon and asking them what they have on offer. We’ve also got your usual news snippets, a packed itinerary for the to do list and a property of the week that screams style.
Special mention goes to Bharat and Joe Garner this week. Scroll down to read about how Joe and a group of other local residents banded together to show Bharat, who has run his Wimbledon shop for over 40 years, some appreciation.
News snippets 🗞
🏠 London house prices are showing signs of a resurgence, with Wimbledon leading the charge. This week, The Standard published an article highlighting London’s increasing house prices. The paper pointed out that boroughs in Outer London dominate the list of highest risers, with Merton being top. They wrote:
[Merton is] famous for the green spaces of Wimbledon Common and Morton Hall Park, not to mention the All England Lawn Tennis Club. The average property price is above the London average, at £716,300 and, while it dipped month-on-month by 4.9 per cent, this didn’t cancel out its healthy annual growth of 7.5 per cent.
🚜 Wimbledon’s Rooftop Farm — read our feature about them here — are launching a subscription service in partnership with The Fire Station Café. Sign up now to register your interest in becoming part of the scheme. The subscription offers everything from fresh seasonal produce and their famous Oyster Mushrooms to complementary coffees and periodic breakfasts in the old Wimbledon Fire Station. Register your details on their website — the subscriptions are chosen on a first come, first served basis — so sign up now here.
🌲 After 100 years, Mitcham Fair Green’s bandstand returns. The new structure is being designed by Charles Holland Architects in partnership with Raskl art and architectural production. The bandstand will be called “What Goes Around” and the council hope it will “bring alive the area’s heritage and take it into the future, providing a focal point for community events, and a platform for local culture and performances.”
Property of the week 🏡
This five-bed house on Queen’s Road may look like some kind of Chesterfield furniture exhibition but don’t let that hold you back from splashing out £1.69m for it. Check out more photos here.
Fyi: Our property of the week slot tends to get hundreds of clicks, so dear Wimblers: If you’re struggling to shift your house, do send us the link.
The Wimble’s to do list 🎭
🏴 Burns Night at The Black Lamb: “Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face…” The Black Lamb, one of Wimbledon’s culinary gems, is hosting a four course Burns Night evening with sustainably sourced local ingredients and whiskey provided by Woven. It’s £72 a head, and that includes the full four courses and a welcome drink.
Where: The Black Lamb, Wimbledon Village
When: Saturday, 25 January, from midday to 10:00 PM
🍷 Italy vs France Wine Tasting at Jeroboams: Choose your fighter. Italy and France are two of the biggest names in the wine industry. Does one prefer a Pinot Noir or a Pinot Nero, a Chablis or Bellone? I think both countries have exquisite wine, and it really comes down to preference. Either way, Jeroboams’ wine tasting will prove to be an interesting evening as they give you the chance to compare some of the world’s most famous wine regions. Tickets are £35pp.
Where: Jeroboams, Wimbledon Village
When: Saturday, 25 January, 6:00 PM
🥕 Wimbledon Village Farmers’ Market: It’s that time of the week again! Pop on your wellies, flat cap, best Barbour jacket, and make your way up to the village this weekend for a chance to pick out the best local produce, goodies and more.
Where: Wimbledon Village High Street
When: Sunday, 26 January
🎭 Merton Live!: The Guild’s Merton Live! is back with a bang. There will be 12 fantastic acts with award-winning vocal performances, dance shows and creative projects. All proceeds will go to supporting the incredible work that the Guild does for the community. Ticket prices vary, but you can book here.
Where: New Wimbledon Theatre
When: Saturday, 25 January, 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
🎤 Sing-a-long-a Grease: This if for all you T-birds and Pink Ladies out there. This Friday is your chance to take a trip down memory lane and jump into the world of Danny, Sandy, Kenickie and Rizzo. You’ll have a vocal warm up with a coach before being shown how to use your very own prop bag. Fancy dress is strongly encouraged. Tickets start from £19.75.
Where: New Wimbledon Theatre
When: Friday, 24 January, 7:00 PM
🤭 Crack Comedy in Wimbledon: It’s time to let loose and have a laugh. Crack Comedy is hosting a night of stand-up this weekend, so get yourself down to Tunnel 267 and forget about your troubles; after all, laughter is the best medicine. Tickets are £21.70.
Where: Tunnel 267
When: Saturday, 25 January, 7:00 PM - 2:00 AM
🗳️ Wimbledon Area Youth Forum: Are you a young member of the Wimbledon community looking to get your voice heard? Well look no further. Merton Council is holding a youth forum next week which will be a safe, local space for young people to voice their opinions and put forward issues about the area. You’ll get the chance to speak to members of the Merton Youth Parliament who will make sure your ideas are heard by the right people at the council. And what’s more, the event is completely free.
Where: Wimbledon Library
When: Tuesday, 28 January, 4:00 PM
Wimbledon residents celebrate local shop owner 🎉
Sometimes, all it takes to brighten your day is a heartwarming story. So thank you to local resident Joe Garner who reached out this week to tell me about how a few locals got together to show shop owner Bharat just how much they appreciate him. Here is what Joe wrote in his email:
Bharat has run the shop next to Wimbledon Park tube for over 40 years. He opens incredibly early and has only missed a short period in all that time (due to illness). Tomorrow [Wednesday, 22 January] is his 70th birthday. We did a collection among our neighbours, and an amazing 77 households have written messages for his card, and the collection has raised £925.
Tomorrow at 11am my wife (Marzena) is planning to surprise Bharat with a presentation of a framed picture of the goodwill messages and the gift token.
Read the card that locals wrote to Bharat here.
It’s stories like this that really showcase how important our community is, so please keep them coming — I’d love for our readers to nominate individuals in the community who are being recognised, making positive changes or just being all round good people: zak@thewimble.com. And happy 70th birthday to Bharat! Thank you for everything you have done for the community in Wimbledon.
The new businesses taking Wimbledon by storm ⚡️
This week — in keeping with the theme of a new year and new horizons — I’m taking a look at some of Wimbledon’s newest businesses. I decided it was time to pop my head in and see what they’re all about. Here’s what I discovered:
The Little Gym, Wimbledon Quarter — Maisie
Opening date:
25 September 2025
What do you offer:
So we offer gymnastics classes to children aged 4 months old to 12 years old and holiday camps plus birthday parties. We have three locations in London — Wandsworth, Chiswick and now here — but there are loads of us all over the UK and the globe. A standard enrollment is £109 per month, or there are our monthly memberships that range between £79 to £349 per month.
How’s business as a new opening?
It’s been incredible. We’re the fastest growing Little Gym in Europe. We’ve already had well over 400 children sign up since September. And these memberships are long-term. They stay enrolled for as long as they like, but lots of kids stay with us for years.
The Fire Station Café, Wimbledon Quarter — Scott
Opening date:
13 January 2025
What do you offer:
We’re a café and coworking space. We’ve got everything from pastries and coffee to sandwiches and soft drinks — but we’re more than happy to change our menu over time as we hear what residents want. Our best seller at the moment is the ham and cheese croissant (£4.50) and the flat white (£3.60).
How’s business as a new opening?
It’s been pretty good, actually. I mean, we haven’t advertised yet and we’ve been open for just over a week, so it’s a lot better than we anticipated. We’re getting some regulars in already.
Knot Pretzels & Coffee, Wimbledon Station — Nikki
Opening date:
6 January 2025
What do you offer?
We specialise in pretzels and organic coffee. Our coffee comes from Costa Rica, Guatemala and Brazil. I’d say our best seller is probably the cinnamon pretzel (£4.95) and then the flat white. The bacon and Emmental pretzel is also a favourite among our customers.
How’s business as a new opening?
We’ve been fairly busy, especially as we’re in the station, so we get the commuter footfall. We’re open most of the day from 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM from Monday to Friday. Then we’re open from 7:00 AM - 9:30 PM on Saturdays and 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM on Sundays. I think we’ve been welcomed into the area really well by the locals — I feel as if we’ve been accepted already.
Oy Bar, 66 Broadway — Reyale
Opening date:
2 January 2025
What do you offer?
Well, we’re obviously best known for our oysters. But there are plenty of other options on the menu including brunch style dishes and larger mains like the beef bourguignon for £18.
How’s business as a new opening?
It’s all been very good so far! We’re seeing a lot of people coming in on Fridays and Saturdays which is great.
Served Wimbledon Coffee & Juice — Ilaria
Opening date:
18 October 2024
What do you offer:
We’re pretty well known for our juices, but we've also got plenty of coffees, cakes and savoury dishes. Our best seller is probably the Green Go Go juice which is full of kale, spinach and other green goodies (£6.00). All of our juices are freshly squeezed which really makes a difference.
How’s business as a new opening?
We’ve been really busy. Lunch times on weekends have been great!
Question of the week 🔍
Last week I asked which pub is the oldest in Wimbledon (still on its original site). The answer: Rose & Crown.
Q: What is the name of the Wimbledon-born actor who played Herr Vogel in the 1931 film adaptation of Frankenstein?
You’re up to date 👋
Thank you for reading this week! I hope you enjoyed our little feature about new businesses in Wimbledon; be sure to check them out in person. We loved hearing about Bharat’s heartwarming story this week, so please keep those community focused snippets coming. Other than that, have a great weekend and a well deserved rest. See you next time.