The Notting Hill Fish Shop was once a normal fishmonger, but during lockdown, it became the source of joy for its West London community. Chris D’Sylva, the founder and owner of the Notting Hill Fish Shop describes it as ‘fun, excellent and authentic’. It really is a silver lining amongst the dark clouds.
In October of 2019, Chris D’Sylva, an Australian-born entrepreneur, opened your local, run-of-the-mill fishmonger, but when Covid-19 struck, something extraordinary happened. Like everyone, he had to reconfigure and reinvent his business, but no one could have imagined what happened next. He gathered together other like-minded food suppliers, who were also suffering, stocking the shelves with meat from HG Walter, bagels provided by Beigel Bake, Natoora vegetables, freshly made sushi, tennis ball-sized truffles, and warm glossy sausage rolls. Glass cabinets lined the room, tiled with Himalayan pink salt and presenting an array of cured meats hanging like baubles. In little time, D’Sylva had created a trendy and upmarket ‘community centre’ stacked top to bottom with produce, and queues winding around Portobello Road.
But now, how could he take it to another level? D'Sylva's biggest aim was to uplift the community during one of its darkest periods - there was nowhere to go and no one to see. While his competitors were offering delivery services, he wanted his shop to be a home base; somewhere people were physically distanced but socially connected. As the locals waited in the queues, conversations were struck and friendships formed - human interaction had finally resumed. Not only had The Notting Hill Fish Shop become one of the most popular ‘essential shops’ in London, but it had also been a fuel for joy for so many. Locals made weekly, even daily visits to the fish shop, picking up groceries and relishing the delicious produce. Not only did he want to support the local customers, but also the frontline workers and the community that surrounded him. During lockdown, the fish shop gave 500kg of fresh fish to the nurses and doctors of the NHS and took in many furloughed chefs as volunteers, so that they could continue their passion for gastronomy. By April 2020, the profits had already increased by 200% and now they’re even more than that. This all may seem like a huge accomplishment in itself, but this was not enough for our local hero, Chris D’Sylva.
Three weeks ago, he called up his friend, DJ Fat Tony, a renowned DJ and Instagram sensation, and asked him to DJ at his shop on the weekend. Sure enough, that Saturday, Fat Tony was set up in the centre of the room, spinning decks and reverberating house music. His tunes boomed, reaching queuers outside, and these ‘positive vibes’ radiated throughout the whole of Notting Hill. All the customers had a spring in their step and a smile on their face. It’s fair to say that fishmonger DJs are the new raves. Notting Hill can’t wait to see what Chris D’Silva does next.
