It’s hard not to be impressed by the iconic OXO Tower, home to our flagship store. Not only is it an award-winning building on the South Bank of the River Thames, it’s an outstanding space giving creatives and entrepreneurs the opportunity to flourish and thrive.

Opening its doors for business in 1996, the building plays host to over thirty retail design studios, specialist shops, cafes, bars, galleries, exhibition venues, and a superb, high-end restaurant that boasts spectacular views of the City of London. We at Katherine Elizabeth feel truly blessed to be working amongst such innovative and contemporary businesses. We are however also in awe of Coin Street, our landlord. Coin Street is a social enterprise that believes passionately in creating diverse, vibrant, and welcoming places for people to live, work and play.

Let us explain. The land was originally purchased by the company that made the famous OXO cube in the 1920s and the Tower’s architect Albert Moore used the brand’s logo on the Tower’s windows to get around the total ban on skyline promotions and advertising at that time. Sadly, whilst space has served many purposes across the years, by the 1970s, the thirteen-acre site fell into an extreme state of disrepair. Some twenty years later, the Tower was bought by Coin Street who quickly embarked upon a £20 million refurbishment project to transform the building and its surrounding areas into an award-winning development of co-operative homes and businesses. Within a year of taking ownership of the site, the OXO Tower received the Royal Find Art Commission/BskyB Building of the Year for Urban Regeneration.

photo courtesy of Shutterstock

So, what part does Katherine Elizabeth play in all this? Quite simply, Coin Street as a social enterprise uses the rent we, along with many other businesses pay, to create an inspirational neighbourhood for Londoners. Their philosophy is simple and beautifully stated on their website - they want to provide opportunities and spaces for local people to lead and take ownership of their own change.

Coin Street’s activities are diverse and far-reaching. Determined to give families the tools they need to succeed in life, Coin Street offers many community activities – childcare support, sports, dance, gardening, courses on healthy eating, and volunteering opportunities to name but a few. At the same time, the enterprise actively promotes creativity and life-long learning that will improve community job prospects and foster entrepreneurial activity. At the very heart of Coin Street’s philosophy is the provision of quality housing that supports the community, champions the benefits of cooperative housing, and influences local and national housing policy.

If you ever have the chance, do take a wander over to the OXO Tower. Coin Street has helped make the South Bank a fantastic destination for both Londoners and tourists. Their ongoing efforts are both inspiring and humbling. We are proud to be a part of it, even if it’s only in a small and indirect way.

Oh and by the way, if you are visiting the area, please pop into the store, have a browse, and say hello. Our door is always open.

Katherine Elizabeth x