Words: Cristabell Fierros
Image: Lauren Miller
The Latino Quarter’s restaurants bring a rich cultural presence of Latin American heritage, community and cuisine. Latina business owner Gloria Storey runs a Colombian café, bakery, and deli Shop called La Chatica in Elephant and Castle. Her family owns a South American warehouse business, La Casa De Jack, which has been importing, producing, and selling in London for over two decades.
Underneath Elephant and Castle, the Railway Arches is a vibrant Latin American community with a row of independent businesses, restaurants, cafes, and bakeries. Among them is Latina pioneer Doña Gloria ‘Chatica’ Storey, a 70-year-old Colombian who never imagined opening a coffee shop on the strip of Elephant Road. Her incredible journey from a property owner of a pub to a trailblazing entrepreneur is genuinely inspirational.
“I have been living in this country for over fifty years; I have worked and hustled a lot,” she says.
Storey began her small importing business by selling Venezuelan Pan Harina Maiz (Maize Flour). “I had two girls from Venezuela, and the parents were pilots in Viasa in those days. I was selling to a Caribbean fellow in Dalston in the market, and that is how it started.” With her earnings, Storey and her husband built a South American cash and carry warehouse business, La Casa De Jack, Ltd , in Leyton.
Twenty-one years later, Storey’s family business expanded, opening La Chatica Cafe, Deli, and Bakery in April 2011. “The cafeteria was a gift for all of our efforts,” she says.
The Colombian coffee shop has an enchanting storefront, blossoming flower baskets hanging on the brick walls, a window display of exotic face masks, and garlands of plastic fruits. Instantly, as you walk in, you’re hit with a whiff of Colombian coffee roast and the aroma of freshly baked goods. La Chatica’s splendid décor is captivating: colourful woven baskets, floating shelves of Colombian Noel Saltin crackers, hummingbirds hanging from the ceiling, and in a small corner, a variety of Latin American grocery items.
Most of the Latino staple items are Chatica products from La Casa De Jack. “My husband is the one who started to call me Chatica; he designed all the products and everything that is Chatica,” she says proudly.
You’ll be sure to find a variety of grocery items from Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia, including freshly baked breakfast pastries made daily.
At the crack of dawn, Storey and her employee, Vanessa Ruiz, are in the baking station, pin rolling dough, moulding pastries, and racking up trays to a four-deck bakery oven. Storey quickly rolls up dough balls in the palm of her hands. “The buñuelos are by far the most difficult products; if it doesn’t have the right amount of flour and cheese, the buñuelos won’t form well.” She tosses them in a basket, gently stirring in boiling oil until they turn golden brown.
La Chatica’s Colombian buñuelos are small maize balls, goldenly crisp on the outside, with a moist-soft centre on the inside, stuffed with extra cheese filling. “It’s not the amount, it’s the quality,” says Storey.
An hour before opening, Storey is simultaneously working on three stations. She sets a tray of Guava Roscon, glazes with honey syrup, sprinkles sugar, places them in the oven, and proceeds to the frying station. Her eyes on the Buñuelos, she scoops up the freshly made empanadas. She sets them at the display counter. “Our empanadas are made of pure maize; they are not made from wheat or flour.” In her kitchen, Storey’s employees learn to wash, cook, and grind the maize to create a paste.
The most popular items sold at La Chatica are the empanadas, including their pan de bueno, papa rellena, chicharrones, tamales, arepas, and cheese produced in the United Kingdom’s farm in Sussex. “These products that she has to offer here, for many Latinos who come across this block, feel like they are right in their home country,” says Ruiz.
A couple of customers walk in as early as 8 am, and Ruiz takes over the frying station, preparing hot steamed coffees, all while Storey greets walk-ins and bags breakfast pastries at the cash register.
A regular at La Chatica, Claudia Bernal, owner of Nicole’s Alterations, comes in every morning. Bernal orders a coffee and a side order of almojabanas. “I adore Chatica. The food is fantastic, it’s delicious, being here is like you’re in Colombia.” She nibbles on her pastry and sips her coffee. Bernal formerly ran her sewing business at the Elephant and Castle Centre for twenty-one years, until she had to relocate.
In the early 1990s, Latin American migrants settled in Southwark, setting roots and operating independent businesses in Elephant and Castle. According to the Latin American Bureau, London’s Latin American population increased between 2001 and 2021. With “around two-thirds in London living in inner city boroughs,” Southwark and Lambeth rank the highest.
Southwark Council’s 2021 census reported that 9,200 residents identified as Hispanic or Latin American. In 2012, The Latin Elephant of Southwark, a community organisation founded by Dr Patria Román Velázquez, created a platform for the Latin Quarter’s community and proprietors.
The Elephant and Castle shopping centre, once a culturally vibrant hub for over 150 Latino businesses, closed in the Summer of 2020, forcing traders to relocate. Despite the demolition, this cultural landscape continues to thrive, offering a unique blend of Latin American bakeries, restaurants, and cafes.
At La Chatica, mornings are the busiest; as more customers walk in, Ruiz takes over the pastry counter while Storey oversees the inventory. It is a quarter till 10 am, and half a tray of buñuelos has already sold.
The success of Storey’s family businesses, as she puts it, has been achieved with “effort and love.” She hopes that in the future, her son, Jack, and grandchildren will take over completely. Until then, Storey will remain in the Latin Quarter and continue running La Chatica, serving her delicious Colombian breakfast pastries and welcoming all into her family’s cafe.
If you’re looking for authentic Latin American dishes from Colombia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, or Mexico, the Latin Quarter’s Elephant Road and Maldonado Walk offer a wide selection.
Paula’s Colombian Bakery and Restaurant serves pastries such as Panuelos (puffy pastry), Pan Hawaiano, and Chicharron Dulce (buttery puff pastry treat filled with guayaba), including main plates that include chicken, steak or pork, with beans, rice, salad, fried plantain. As well as nourishing soups, Lenti’s has peas, carrots, cilantro, and caldo de res (beef soup, corn on the cob, and vegetables).
Arch 141, Eagle Yard Arch, 141 Walworth Rd, Hampton St, London SE1 6SP
La Barra is a Colombian restaurant serving breakfast; the main dish, Calentado, is rice, beans, eggs, and pork grind. Pastries include Arepa with corn or cheese, Pan De Bono, and buñuelos. Appetizers, Salchipapa (chopped sausages and fries) and Yuca Frita (fried cassava) are also available. Other popular dishes are Pescado Frito (fried Fish) with rice, salad, and ripped plantain, and Pique Macho (sausage and beef) with fried potatoes, eggs, and tomato.
Unit 147, Eagle Yard Arch, Walworth Rd, London SE1 6SP
El Aguila Cibaeña serves Dominican Republican restaurant serving popular dishes like Mofongo, a deep-fried green plantain mashed with pork grind, seafood or shrimp, and Bandera Dominicana, which consists of rice, salad, kidney beans and meat. Sancocho is a hardy stew that includes pork, chicken, beef, sweet potato, vegetables, pumpkin, and Moro de Guandules made of pigeon pea, rice, tomato sauce, bell peppers and coconut milk.
147, Eagle Yard Arch, Walworth Rd, London SE1 6SP
Rincon Costeno serves traditional Ecuadorian dishes, such as Menudo con papa y mote, a soup that consists of pork, potatoes, herbs, and corn kernels; another soup is papas con librillo, which has the beef stomach, oregano, milk, squash, onion, and flour. Some other popular seafood dishes are Camarones al Ajillo, shrimp, tomato sauce, bell peppers, garlic and chilli flakes.
Arch 146, Eagle Yard Arch, Hampton St, London SE1 6SP
El Manaba is an Ecuadorian seafood spot that serves main plates, such as Chaufa, chicken fried rice, vegetables, scrambled eggs, Encocado de Mariscos, shrimp, fish, coconut, tomato, onions, garlic and Tilapia Frita, fried Fish with rice, salad, and fried plantain.
Unit 145, Eagle Yard Arch, Walworth Rd, London SE1 6SP
Los Arrieros De Pito serves traditional Colombian main dishes such as Bandeja Paisa, fried pork, beef, rice, red beans, sausage, fried egg and plantain. Ajiaco chicken soup, potatoes, corn, vegetables and guasca. Chuleta Valluna is breaded pork chop or chicken, rice, chips, egg, salad, and cassava.
144, Eagle Yard Arch, Hampton St, London SE1 6SP
Carolina Bar & Lounge is a Dominican Republic Canteen and Restaurant that serves traditional Dominican dishes, such as tostones (fried plantain), Pescado Frito (fried Fish), marinated lime juice, orange, sea salt and vegetable oil. The pica pollo is fried drumstick chicken, red onion, garlic, lime juice, parsley, and oregano.
145 Maldonado Walk, London SE1 6SP.
El Gran Sazon Latino is a Colombian bakery and restaurant serving pastries, empanadas, pan de bono, traditional Colombian breakfast, aguapanela con queso (tea with sugar cane and cheese), ice cream and more.
80-82 Walworth Rd, London SE1 6SW
Hora Dorada’ La Vida Loca Ltd’ is a Mexican and Spanish restaurant serving marinated steak, shrimp and pork tacos, cilantro, onions, and salsa. A popular Spanish dish, Gambas Al Ajillo, is large shrimp, lemon, olive oil, chilli flakes, and garlic.
Unit 1 Elephant Rd, London SE17 1LB
La Fogata Restaurant and Bar is a Colombian restaurant that serves Beef, pork, and seafood. The main dishes include Lengua de Salsa, cow tongue, tomato sauce, vegetable oil, and onions. Tabla De Cerdo Adobado, Grilled pork meat with potatoes, served with cornbread and salad. Casuela de Marisco is a seafood casserole with rice, salad, and fried green plantain.
32 New Kent Rd, Elephant and Castle, London SE1 6TJ
Featured image by Lauren Miller.