Ibraham Charif, 25, Whitecross Market
I meet Ibrahim under the green canopy of his falafel stand, initially camouflaged via his puffa jacket done up to his nose. A palastinian native, he used to work in supermarket distribution centres packaging sandwitches. But he found the shifts too long, and was offered this job through his lebaneese friends. “It doesn’t feel like a job, its more like entertainment” he states with genuine affection. Despite the early starts, arriving here in Whitecross market by motorbike at 7.30am, the food preparation is varied compared to the previous corporate monodiet, and the two hour lunch rush flies by.
Like many here, he had noticed a post-COVID dearth in business. His colleague who has worked here seven years tells him of years past where business was vibrant, but in the work from home present this isn’t the case. Equally, the cost of living crisis appears to be hitting business. “People used to be able to afford salad and a wrap, but now its one or the other”.
His ideas for meaty expansion have been met with antipathy from the council, so for now it seems his stall will remain vegetarian. He suspects complaints from other vendors, and I sense he feels hindered in pursuing new ideas amongst the backdrop of more established sellers, and I wonder if this stasis contributes to the general lack of business.