The Museum of London has acquired Syd’s coffee stall as part of its London Collection when the store closed for business for the last time on 20 December, after over 100 years of service.
A bastion for the East End, the stall has sat on Calvert Avenue, just off Shoreditch High Street, since 1919 and has passed down through three generations from Syd Tothill to the current owner, Jane Tothill, Syd’s granddaughter, who has been running it for over thirty years serving fresh filled rolls, coffee, and loose leaf tea. When it closed for business, Jane donated the coffee stall to the Museum of London for its story to be shared with Londoners and the stall will go on display as part of the new Museum of London when it opens in the coming years.