Square Root London

Square Root London was founded by two people who love to make things from their local area; Ed & Robyn. They make small batch Sodas handmade in Hackney in bottles and on draught. They will be running the alcohol free bar at Street Eats. Read our interview with Robyn Simms, co-founder of Square Root London, below.
Describe your relationship with food in three words.
Seasonal, fresh, tasty.
If you weren’t a street food trader what would you be doing? Tell us about your journey.

That’s such a hard question! I basically graduated from a degree in Chemistry and Maths at UCL, and after a brief stint in a beer bar in Euston, I became immersed in the exploding craft beer scene. With pubs and bars selling so many exciting and ever expanding ranges of quality beers, it seemed no one was taking care of the quality soft drinks – ridiculous! Sick of sugary and flavourless options on offer, I saw a gap in the market for something great, I knew that between my partner and I we had the skills and experience to make it work, and so we went for it! I’ve literally not any other serious jobs apart from this one!
What would be your last supper or your last meal on earth be if you could choose?
I think I would also like my last meal on earth to be super comforting, so it would definitely have to be an aubergine parmigiana, cooked the day before – it always tastes better on the second day!
What is your foodie guilty pleasure?
I work so much in street food and I’m a total sucker for mixing different street food traders together! My current favourite has to be mixed Slouvaki and feta from the Grilling Greek stuffed with Hank’s Loaded Fries! You can do that yourselves at KERB Camden Market!
What’s been the hardest thing so far?
The hardest thing always seems to happen right at the point when you need it the least. There’s one moment that sticks out in my mind, with our Root Beer – the recipe was great, we knew our ingredients were top quality, we’d tested the process and we knew it worked. We’d done everything right, but as we gently pasteurised the drinks in their bottles, we heard an increasing number of bangs and thuds from the tank. It turns out that someone had forgotten to turn the heating off on the tank and the drinks were all exploding in the warm water. Every alarming bang added to the waste, the loss of stock and time spent, it was a heart sinking time.
All we could do was take a deep breath, get our heads down and start again, working into the night to make a fresh batch. Working together, we got it sorted but it was an incredibly exhausting time!
What’s been the highlight so far?
For me, the highlight is always sitting down to dinner with our team. We go out somewhere every few months, usually one of our fantastic stockists, and it’s always so amazing to see the team grow and have to book bigger and bigger tables each time. I love the community we’ve built together and it’s incredibly special going out with everyone.
What advice would you give to people who are thinking of starting their own street food business?
Just go for it! It’s been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done and I’m so glad that, after a few false starts, sure, we just decided to jump in with both feet, and we figured it out along the way.
Follow Square Root London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Find Square Root London at Street Eats on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th July 2017. Register for your free ticket here.
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