Journalism and Publishing students at London College of Communication (LCC) have launched Volume 3 of Southwark Food Magazine, a student-produced print publication celebrating food and culture across Southwark.
This year’s issue — titled ‘23’, in reference to Southwark’s 23 wards — brings together the work of 70 student journalists and photographers. The project features over 100 articles, reviews and recommendations covering restaurants, cafes, and food-related stories throughout the borough.
“Food can be many things: nourishing, sensual, comforting, outrageous, tough to swallow, and community-building. At its core, it is a necessary provision for life, but the food we eat amounts to so much more than just a dish on a plate,” writes the editorial team in the magazine’s introduction. “This issue takes a granular look at our neighbourhood, covering both local challenges and culinary highlights.”
Features address the serious issue of food insecurity in Southwark, speaking with local organisations like Draper Together and OCA Community Kitchen, working to improve food access and social wellbeing through community-run initiatives.
In one piece, Maddie Dinnage writes about Henrietta Onyema, a Bermondsey resident who runs her own community food bank from her garden. In another, students speak with traders and long-time shoppers at East Street Market, exploring how the area is being shaped through change
Southwark Food Magazine also celebrates the borough’s creative, multicultural food scene.
In Peckham, Oreoluwa Adeyoola and Max Ingleby go in search of the best Nigerian jollof rice.
In Elephant and Castle, Cristabell Fierros explores the Latin American food spots that have become a key part of the local identity.
And Natália Maria de Oliveira Magalhães’s feature on pie and mash traces the history of the dish from a Brazilian newcomer’s perspective.
The publication also includes over 70 food reviews, focusing on independent, affordable spots across the borough — from dim sum takeaways to plant-based bakeries.
Alongside the print magazine, students have created an interactive Southwark Food Map featuring over 50 food businesses across Southwark, each reviewed by a student journalist. The map serves as a practical guide to the borough’s diverse, budget-friendly, and often under-the-radar eateries.
To capture voices from the neighbourhood, students produced a Vox Pop video series, shared on Instagram. In these short street interviews, locals talk about their favourite Southwark food spots — including names like the Peckham Pelican and Happy Face Chinese Takeaway.
“It was such a fun way to connect with fellow students and the local community in Elephant and Castle — it's not something that happens often in my experience of living in London,” said Arianna Distefano, who worked on the Vox Pop series.
Southwark Food Magazine is produced as part of an annual editorial project led by LCC’s Journalism and Publishing programme, designed to give students hands-on experience across writing, editing, photography, social media, and digital publishing.
For many students involved, the project offered their first experience reporting in the field — interviewing residents, speaking with local business owners, and exploring the communities that surround the College.
“It gave me the chance to write about local restaurants and work closely with a great team, but also to learn about the culture and challenges of the area we study in,” said Natália Maria de Oliveira Magalhães. “This kind of project is so valuable — not just because it puts our classroom learning into practice, but because it connects us with the community. I think we’ve shared honest, useful stories that reflect real experiences in Southwark — including things many of us wish we’d known when we first arrived.”
Arianna Distefano added: “This project was a great way for me to stay connected with UAL students and staff, gain practical experience, and build up my portfolio. I think the magazine is genuinely useful for new students and the local community — it’s a down-to-earth guide with honest, unbiased recommendations that help spotlight places that might otherwise go unnoticed.”
Simon Hinde, Programme Director of Journalism and Publishing, said: “We’re incredibly proud of what the students have achieved with Southwark Food Magazine ‘23’. It’s a brilliant piece of collaborative journalism that gives students real-world editorial and publishing experience — and a final product that stands up alongside professional work.”
Print copies are available at LCC’s reception, and every incoming student will receive a copy during Welcome Week. Articles and reviews can also be found on the Artefact website.
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