Chances are everyone's love for cereal is deeply ingrained in them from leisurely spent Saturday mornings in front of the television in their childhoods. I remember looking forward to Saturday morning cartoons with a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats in hand when I was in elementary school. Since then, free Saturday mornings have become few and rare, but in Shoreditch's Cereal Kller Cafe nostalgia runs high and you can relive your childhood over a bowl of your favorite sugary cereal. Although a sugary morning isn't everyone's prime choice of breakfast as they get older, there is no denying the infallible attraction of Cereal Killer Cafe's ambition to invite adults who are kids at heart. However, a little over a year ago Cereal Killer Cafe almost became obsolete when a radical political group named Class War staged a violent protest and defaced its storefront. After visiting this morning and reliving a bit of my childhood, I couldn't imagine why anyone would do such a thing.
(Cereal Killer Cafe in Shoreditch, London, U.K. Picture is courtesy of tmrwmagazine.com)
Cereal Killer Cafe isn't a standout on Brick Lane in any sense, because it doesn't disrupt the street's general Bengali aesthetic. To find it, you must be looking for it. Once you enter, it's like an explosion of color arrests your visual senses as you bask in the cereal wonderland you always envisioned as a child. From floor to ceiling there is a staggering collection of cereals, many of which I had never heard of, personally. I can guarantee they have all of your favorites, but you shouldn't rob yourself of the opportunity of trying a new cereal out. Or better yet, you can try one of their specialty bowls. I couldn't resist trying a cereal cocktail called Sticky Monkey which has a toffee cereal base with chopped bananas, Digestive crumbs, toffee sauce, whipped cream, and banana milk. It was fantastic!
(Picture is courtesy of savoirflair.com)
With all that sugar coursing through my body at nine in the morning, I was sure to dive into the rest of my day with a smile on my face and an impending sugar crash. Nonetheless, eating in the cafe was just as delightful as their sugary concoction.
(Picture is courtesy of the author)
The lower level of the cafe is dedicated to an immense collection of VHS tapes from everyone's childhoods. Assuming, of course, you're aged between 19 and 30. If you can think of an obscure Disney movie that you once had on tape and swear that no one else has, they have it. Their dining decor wasn't too off base either. Instead of chairs or benches, they have twin-sized beds with colorful Teletubbies and Mr. Blobby bedsheets. Needless to say, this place was designed with childhood nostalgia at the forefront of everyone's mind, and I can honestly say Cereal Killer Cafe's owners, Alan and Gary Keery, delivered.
Unfortunately not everyone is nearly as enthused with the Keerys' childhood fantasy, and this resentment stems from the gentrification that has been afflicting and regenerating the face of Shoreditch in recent years. A little less than a year ago Class War, an anarchist group based in the U.K., organized a violent protest against Cereal Killer cafe on September 25, 2015. Gentrification is a topic of heady debate in London. On one hand Londoners would love to remain faithful to the cultural eccentricities of the city, but the same group would also love for the city to advance its cultural identity by introducing new businesses, stores, and trends. Unfortunately, not all of these trends––some of which are directly associated with hipsters––are economically friendly to people who have been living in traditionally impoverished Shoreditch for years, and so they seek ways to fight gentrification.
(Picture is courtesy of www.telegraph.co.uk)
Consequently groups like Class War have formed, but their tactics are often violent and self-serving. According to the Facebook page they used to rally the protest against Cereal Killer Cafe, Class War stands against "... Russian oligarchs, Saudi Sheiks, Israeli scumbag developers, Texan oil-money twats and our home-grown Eton toffs" that threaten their communities. However, I find it incredulous that they target small independent businesses owned by men like the Keerys. Their protests were said to be so intimidating that the cafe's clerks fled the scene without having time to turn off the lights or music inside. Granted, these two seem to epitomize the hipster presence in Eastern London, but they aren't millionaires who are robbing small families of their homes. Chances are that they themselves live within the area. They can't be blamed for gentrification, but Class War couldn't care less when they defaced their cafe violently last September. They target anyone who they believe challenges their idea of London indiscriminately.
Gentrification is a pressing issue in London, and its undeniable presence in the ginormous construction cranes and hard-hat sites within the city leaves a deep impression. I imagine that the London of today and the London of tomorrow will be two incredibly distinct things, but it makes me wonder which option is best. I love Brick Lane and its wonderfully diverse cuisine options, but I also loved visiting Cereal Killer Cafe's breakfast wonderland. Progress and tradition are constantly juxtaposed in this megacity, but can one side deny the other? London has to move forward, but I imagine time will dictate which side it leans toward as it carves more shapes into the horizon with its new buildings and inhabitants.
