OUR STORY

Cornercopia began in 2009, as part of an empty shops project led by artists, designers, and entrepreneurs aiming to bring new life to Brixton Village Market.

It all started with Ian Riley, a chef, and Anne Fairbrother, a design and innovation consultant who combined their skills to create a new kind of shop, all about local makers, food & sustainability.

Cornercopia was never designed to be a typical shop or restaurant, but more an on going experiment, allowing us to reinvent & develop ideas.

Spanning over a decade in Brixton Village, it hosted an award winning modern British restaurant, multiple pop ups, an experimental cocktail bar, coffee shop, community gallery and workshop venue. It hosted all kinds of design-led and food related events. From participatory design to urban harvest suppers and spoon carving.

Now Cornercopia has a new permanent home in Streatham!

With a lovingly curated selection of house plants and accessories, gifts and cards, well crafted homeware (from near and far), our own developed products, local makers art, and as its new 'Cornercopia Arts Space' for continued creative experimentation & community engagement, workshops, meetings and art events, we are truly rooted in South London.

'Designed by Cornercopia’ is a new product range developed by Anne and Ian including bath products made with essential oils, hand loom textiles and homeware designed with Moroccan artisans.

‘Cornercopia Sourced’ is a new range of useful and beautiful finds from around the globe  - from one off pieces to customer favourites. 

Over the years our concepts have evolved and our teams have changed but the spirit of Cornercopia remains the same.  This August we celebrated 5 years in Streatham-with the incredible support of our local friends and neighbours, even through the challenging covid period.

Our wonderful plant and homeware store has expanded with a new Arts Space, and our community roots keep growing! While its founders, Anne and Ian, are often travelling and sourcing, (they do occasionally pop in with new treasures) and you'll likely find the new Managers Angel and Jean Luc in store, alongside the lovely Helen (on Wednesdays!)-the whole Cornercopia team ensures that incredible energy is a constant staple of our store, as is helpful and passionate plant knowledge. 

About Us

Anne & Ian - Founders 

Prior to founding Cornercopia Anne worked in digital design and innovation. Ian worked as a chef in his own Edinburgh restaurant and for others around the globe. Together they founded the ever evolving Cornercopia  - combining a love of food, design and sustainability. 

Often on the move and always looking for new ideas you will hear from them on their travels as they source beautiful things for the store, or share inspirations, especially gardens and other green spaces. 

 

Jean Luc and Angel- Store Managers

As they celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2024-of having met and being South London residents, the time seemed right for these two to take on a new adventure.  As long time Streatham locals, (although both internationals (FR and USA)), one a plant enthusiast and the other a local artist, when the opportunity to be the new stewards of Cornercopia-the choice couldn't be more perfect-as they have absolutely thrown themselves into it. 

In their early years together they traveled extensively between the US and Mexico, sourcing handmade goods from local artisans, before settling in South London. Born in New Jersey, USA, Angel trained in Dance, while earning a degree in Anthropology.  They developed into a life long artist across many disciplines, often intersecting with the fashion world and mostly exhibiting as a painter, also founding an arts zine championing underground artists and an indie music label in a Brixton Squat.  Jean Luc hails from a small French town called Vimy, not too far from Lille, where he first learned a deep love of nature in his grandmother's garden, which he has carried on developing into a deep knowledge and passion for plants and nature that he loves to share with others.

OUR AIM

Combining all our diverse different voices and talents under one Cornercopia banner, we hope to provide you with a steady stream of inspiration, always promoting sustainability, creativity, and community-because we've always been more than just a plant shop or store.

 

 

Cornercopia Cat Ginger the Cornercopia cat is safe and well and now living rather comfortably in a new home with a big garden to explore. He misses all his market friends but you can keep in touch with him @cornercopiacat