Special delivery – Hubbub’s first anniversary

FORMER barrister Marisa Leaf and Lady Bell, wife of the chairman of the Financial Times, teamed up on Tuesday night to celebrate a year since the launch of a home delivery service for small shops. 

Hundreds attended the event at Macondo restaurant in Camden Passage, Islington, where they tucked into food from many of the shops which have joined the scheme.  

Ms Leaf, who runs the Hubbub service, said: “Everyone who came, including the representative from the Tribune, had been invited because they had contributed something to the success  of the venture.”   

Hubbub started a year ago with just two shops in Highbury Barn and is now going borough-wide.  

The aim is to help independent specialist shops compete with supermarkets. The shops complain they suffer from high rents and parking restrictions which deter customers.

Ms Leaf set up an advisory board of consultants and residents, who include Sir David Bell and his wife Lady Primrose, a JP. Now six more shops have joined the scheme, with more in the pipeline, including a fishmonger. 

Hubbub has more than 150 customers, stretching into Camden and Stoke Newington. First deliveries are free and after that work out at £3.50 per call. To find out more, visit www.hubbubdeliveries.co.uk