Sugar warehouses, chocolate factories and confectioners' premises have become some of London’s sweetest conversion properties. With Easter fast approaching we take a look at some irresistible London homes with a deliciously sugary history.
Back in the 19th century, East London was the heart of the UK’s booming sugar refining industry. Raw sugar cane would be unloaded at the giant West India Docks and numerous ‘baking houses’ would then process the raw material into refined sugar.
Buildings and street names are nearly all that now remains of this trade. Only the giant Tate & Lyle refinery in Silvertown still produces the sweet stuff in London, so let's take a tour through the city's hidden history.
Chocolate Studios, Old Street, N1
Chocolate Studios is a sought-after development set within a 19th century Victorian chocolate factory on Shepherdess Walk in Hoxton. This spacious one bedroom flat features exposed beams and brickwork, retaining the industrial character of the building.
Shepherdess Walk was home to Barrett & Co confectioners - London's largest sweet maker with 2,000 workers in 1899. In 1966 the firm was bought by George Bassett and the brand most associated with Liquorice Allsorts was born.
Oliver's Wharf, Wapping, E1W
Oliver's Wharf was the warehouse conversion that started the trend in Wapping. Converted by a group of artists and architects back in the 1970s, the warehouse was originally used to store tea, but there is evidence to suggest it was also used for sugar and other cargoes. This unique four bedroom apartment is available to rent for £4,984pcm.
West India Quay, E14
Back in the 1800s The West India Docks saw raw sugar cane, muscovado sugar and cocoa landing in huge quantities. The Grade I listed warehouses on the North Quay now house the Museum of London Docklands, while the modern tower next door houses the Marriott Hotel plus sought-after contemporary properties. The one bedroom flat in the tower boasts glorious views from the fifteenth floor:
Bankside Lofts, Hopton Street, SE1
Architect Piers Gough created the Bankside Lofts development around the shell of an old cocoa warehouse adjacent to the Tate Modern museum on the South Bank. Properties in this complex include single- and double-height loft apartments, with a Japanese garden on the roof of the residents' carpark offering enviable views of the museum and river.
Trebor Works, Forest Gate, E7
The Art Deco Trebor factory is located near Upton Park Underground station. Trebor was producing over 450 different products at its peak, but today the brand only produces four types of mint! Now converted into 65 live/work apartments, the former factory boasts two penthouse levels that feature outstanding views over the Docklands and Greenwich Peninsula.
Sugarloaf Walk, Bethnal Green, E2
This one bedroom flat in popular Bethnal Green is available to rent for £1,600pcm. Like many East End streets, Sugarloaf Walk is named after what was once the predominant industry in and around the area.
A 'sugarloaf' is a conical lump of sugar (see below), weighing up to 15kg. This was the main form sugar was sold in before granulated and cubed sugar were introduced. People would cut pieces off the loaf using a pair of 'sugar nips' - shown below.
The Spectacle Works, Jedburgh Road, E13
The Spectacle Works is a residential development within the old Whitefields Ltd sweets factory. The Whitefields company took over a variety of sites in the Forest Gate area and became part of the Rowntree group in 1927.
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Still looking for the warehouse conversion of your dreams? See our blog on Warehouse Apartments in London.
