Londoners are used to paying high prices to live in the capital – it climbed eight places in the world’s most expensive cities ranking in 2019 – and is home to restaurants that charge £4.50 for a cheese toasty or £8.90 for a bowl of cereal.
So news that one man stumped up £20 for a boiled egg, slice of toast and a mug of tea didn’t feel entirely unfathomable, even if it does make our wallets weep.
But customer Steve Parks revealed he actually chose to pay that much for his breakfast and for good reason.
Egg & Bread cafe in Walthamstow, north London, isn’t just somewhere to eat but is also a community project that aims to feed anyone, even if they don’t have the money to pay the bill themselves.
The cafe, which is near Wood Street station, simply asks customers to donate as much as they’d like (or are able) to pay when they visit.
The menu is simple – eggs, toast (with jam and honey), porridge and coffee or tea – and works on a DIY basis, so customers boil their own egg and toast their own bread.
Parks told HuffPost UK: “I’ve often walked past that cafe and loved the idea and wanted to go in, but been in a rush to get to the station. This time I was coming back from a breakfast meeting, in no rush and so I went in.”
The communal area can seat up to 35 people and a supervisor is on hand to restock supplies and assist those who need help.
Once the meal is over, a bill won’t arrive at the table because there is no charge – although diners may leave a contribution if they wish.
All equipment has been designed so people can help themselves without touching food that others will use, as well as minimising packaging.
The cafe opened in September 2018 and is already a success, having served up 1300 eggs, 2900 slices of bread, 3700 cups of coffee and 4000 cups of tea.
Parks said: “I wanted to write about it because at the moment those in power and with prominent voices seem to want to divide us, both from our neighbours and each other. It’s getting good people down.
“I wanted to share a lovely story about great people bringing their community together, with no barriers. It’s great to know there are people working for the wider good. I will be going there often.”
It has also proved a success on Twitter with people responding to Parks’ tweet saying they loved the idea and would be visiting themselves.
One person said: “What a great idea, makes me feel better about life knowing there are still kind hearted and generous people out there.”
“This is so lovely and so close to where I live, will have to pop by,” said another.
Another couldn’t resist an egg pun: “What a cracking idea (sorry, I couldn’t resist). Give nothing if you can’t afford or give as much as you can afford. Everyone does deserve a good breakfast, and eggs are very filling. Eggcellent work.”
Not based in north London? The Real Junk Food project – which started in 2013 – has a string of pay what you feel cafes across the UK. Read our interview with the founders here.