Stamford Hill

SOCI 345 Global Cuisine and Food Culture in Britain: Stamford Hill

Stamford Hill is home to the most Orthodox Jewish people in London. While most places in Europe don’t see Jewish people walking the streets, that is all you will see here. Many Jews lived in East London during the industrial era until migrating to Stamford Hill. Though it is not a large area, Stamford hill is full of many kosher bakeries, supermarkets, butchers and Jewish clothing stores. The growing communities here originated from Holocost survivors and refugees. 

My first stop out of the station was a Polish Convenience shop called Smakosz. This store sold Polish meats and lollipops at the counter.

Then I followed a few Jewish people into Grodzinski Stamford Hill. This is a Kosher café that sells bagels, omelets, croissants, and even sushi. This was established in 1888 as a bakery under the Grodzinski family. They now own and operate twenty-four shops around London. 

After the Kosher shop, I passed a clothing shop, park, and library. In the library I took a break to assess what I’d seen from the community.

Many Jewish women, young or old, were accompanied by a stroller and several children.

Almost everyone I could observe was a practicing Orthodox Jew, and especially all of the school children, who walked home from their private Orthodox schools together. The men had long curls on either side of their heads, and hats with plastic coverings because of the rain. Everyone was dressed in black with clothing that covered their elbows and knees. 

Most stores said the word “kosher” on them. The word kosher is Hebrew for “appropriate” or “fit”.  One key rule to qualify a product as kosher, is keeping the meat and dairy completely separate from each other. People go so far as to use different pots and pans to compare dairy or meat, and eat the two things hours apart so that it doesn’t mix in their stomach.

Today there is no scientific basis of kosher being a more healthy diet, but Orthodox jews still eat this way because it makes them feel closer to God. It is believed that kosher is the right way to eat.