Small Business Saturday: Cally gets a boost from the Secretary of State

Early on Saturday morning, the Cally welcomed Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds MP, to mark Small Business Saturday spotlighting Islington’s great small business community. The Secretary of State spent 2 hours visiting some of Cally’s great independent businesses. He was joined by our local MP, Emily Thornberry, Council Leader Una O’Halloran along with her other two Caledonian Ward Councillors Sara Hyde and Paul Convery. The Secretary of State got excellent insights into the challenges and ambitions of the small businesses that are the heart of our high street.

First stop was Sunflour Bakery at 263 Caledonian Road for 7.30am live TV and radio interviews before visiting 3 other great local firms. Sunflour is a family business which opened in the Cally 11 years ago and is run by Paul O’Brien and Gabriela Cristea. Paul is chair of the Cally Traders Association, a businesses-led group which the Council supports through the Cally Local Economy team. Sunflour is a bakery, cafe and corporate caterer who also supply other local cafes and restaurants daily.

Next call was to So Fab London, a locally owned and well-established salon at 163 Caledonian Road. So Fab is run by Eleni Lasheen, born and raised in Islington, and a keen advocate for supporting the beauty industry. This visit was followed by a trip across the road to Kibco Coffee at 170 Caledonian Road. Owned and managed by Freh Shibru and Kibrom Teklehaymano, this cafe offers outstanding sustainably sourced coffee roasted on site.

Finally, the Secretary of State visited a larger business, Super Laundry which operates from several units on the Roman Way light industrial estate. The firm is owned and run by Bill Ray and Laz Dallas who, over 15 years, have built a substantial commercial laundry employing scores of people across several sites. The business has pioneered innovative cleaning technologies to achieve low environmental impact and is about to become self-sufficient in electricity use.

Cllr Una O’Halloran says: “We were delighted to welcome the Secretary of State this morning. I share his commitment to a Labour Government creating better conditions for small businesses to thrive. Jonathan Reynolds chose to visit Islington and the Cally because we actively support our Borough economy and focus on 5 priority neighbourhoods within Islington. The Cally high street is overwhelmingly small independent traders with fewer than 10 employees, reflecting the neighbourhood’s diversity. We have about 150 retail businesses on the high street which has a predominantly local customer base. National chain multiple have been discouraged in order to help these independent businesses. However the high street has experienced many stresses particularly after the Covid pandemic. Low footfall, changing consumer habits and intense cost pressures present many difficulties for our small businesses. Alongside the Cally Traders Association, the Council is working to promote and support these businesses and to attract new custom.”