Unlikely Locations For Food Entrepreneurs

The iconic red telephone boxes found dotted across London are another symbol of British history that have seen a new lease of life.Becoming obselete with the rise of the mobile phone, they were eventually sold off by British Telecom after years of disuse. The Red Kiosk Company became responsible for leasing, and selling them to budding entrepreneurs with a bigidea. Today, they're now home to cosy sandwich shops, coffee kiosks and ice cream shops. Some of them even house book exchanges and micro workspaces. Turns out you can fit a whole lot in a 3-square-foot bit of pavement!

Affordable Food & Community in Berlin Squats

And then you have the Berlin squat scene. Post-war and the wall, Berlin is a city that prides itself on its countercultural movements. Unlike in other places where squatters do their best to evade authorities, in Berlin squats are strikingly visible often with anti-capitalism signs and activist messaging covering the facades. Squat communities started to become more prominent when the Berlin Wall came down - East Berliners fled west, and West Berliners headed east. Abandoned buildings in the East which were in disrepair, attracted squatters often made up of creatives, artists and left-wing activists. They typically came together over a shared political agenda, whether anti-capitalist, feminist, or otherwise. The squats that exist today are self-sustaining and have opened their doors to the local community offering full meals and beer at affordable prices in a canteen-like setting. Beyond food, they also put on gigs, parties, films and art shows. However, as housing prices are on the rise in Berlin and gentrification is in full flow, many of these squat communities are (controversially) being shut down, to make way for property developers to move in.

Filipino Food Market in an Abandoned Bus Station

Modern-day Israel has experienced multiple waves of immigration from across the Jewish diaspora and Arab world. One neighbourhood where you can see this is in Tel Aviv's Neve Sha'anan where you'll see a blend of food influences brought over by Asian and African immigrants as well as asylum seekers. You'll find Ethiopian, Sudanese, Eritrean and Chinese food (to name just a few!) against the backdrop of a well-known architectural blunder that is the abandoned bus station. The station is seven floors, with a bomb shelter in the basement originally made to withstand an Iranian nuclear attack and it's home to a unique species of bat which has since received protection status. This brutalist structure fell into neglect after delays, cement shortages, and ever-increasing debt, but the local community took matters into their own hands using the space for a Filipino market. You'll find market stalls selling pre-packaged snacks as well as delicious Filipino hot food and sweet treats you can have to take away.