Peacemeal Wholefoods

Peacemeal Wholefoods was a grocery shop based on Caledonian Road, London. It was founded in 1985 by trustees of the British pacifist magazine Peace News and employees of the radical bookshop Housmans.

Peacemeal Wholefoods Ltd
TypeNot-for-profit company
IndustryWholefoods suppliers
Founded1985
FoundersNigel Kemp, Alexander Donaldson, and trustees of Peace News
Defunct1991
Headquarters10 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9DY
ProductsWholefoods, coffee, ice cream, biodegradable washing powder, vegan and vegetarian food

History

Peacemeal Wholefoods was founded by trustees of Peace News and two employees of Housmans: Nigel Kemp and Alexander Donaldson. Housmans is a sister company to Peace News.[1]

The premises of Peacemeal Wholefoods were based at 10 Caledonian Road, across the road from the headquarters of Peace News and Housmans at 5 Caledonian Road. The latter became the registered address for Peacemeal Wholefoods.[2][3][4]

Produce stocked at Peacemeal Wholefoods included fresh vegetarian and vegan takeaways, various wholefood suppliers, biodegradable washing powder, Nicaraguan coffee, and Loseley Dairy Ice Cream.[5]

Oral history

Grassroots organisations based opposite Peacemeal Wholefoods at 5 Caledonian Road included the London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard. In 2021, former Switchboard volunteer Steve Craftman told the 5 Cally Road research project that volunteers' meal allowances were often spent at Peacemeal Wholefoods.[6]

In a 2020 interview with 5 Cally Road researchers, Nigel Kemp and Alexander Donaldson recalled how Peacemeal Wholefoods catered a specially charted train from London to Manchester on February 20 1988. The train was organised by the Organisation for Lesbian and Gay Action to transport people demonstrating against Section 28.[7][8]

Closure

Peacemeal Wholefoods Ltd was dissolved as a company as of 1991. Nigel Kemp and Alexander Donaldson, who would go on to found Judd Books together in 1992.[9][10][11]

The premises at 10 Caledonian Road have since been used by other businesses including Tony's Hemp Corner, a health food shop that sold cannabis for medical use to customers with AIDS, cancer, and other health issues until it was raided by police.[12][13]

References
  1. "5 Cally Road". 5 Cally Road. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  2. "5 Cally Road". 5 Cally Road. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  3. "PEACEMEAL WHOLEFOODS LIMITED - Company Credit Reports, Company Accounts, Director Search Reports". www.companysearchesmadesimple.com. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  4. Breckon, Bill (1990). The Green Guide to London. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-69719-8.
  5. Peace News for Nonviolent Revolution. Peace News, Limited. 1987.
  6. "5 Cally Road". 5 Cally Road. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  7. "5 Cally Road". 5 Cally Road. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  8. "Section 28. Feb 20th 1988. Never Going Underground demo – Gay in the 80s". www.gayinthe80s.com. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  9. "PEACEMEAL WHOLEFOODS LIMITED :: United Kingdom :: OpenCorporates". opencorporates.com. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  10. "5 Cally Road". 5 Cally Road. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  11. "Judd books". Journal. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  12. "Police raid Tony's Hemp Corner". the Guardian. 22 June 2001. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  13. "The decoratively painted shopfront of Tony's Hemp Corner at 10 Caledonian Road, seen from the south-west (EFC01/01/03/130/29289) Archive Item - Edifice Collection | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  • 5 Cally Road - a research project that includes photographs and oral history of Peacemeal Wholefoods
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