Having served East Enders for 123 years, Italian-English cafe E Pellicci has some stories to tell. And now it's going to do just that, with a new podcast.
Down The Caff — which launches on 19 May 2024 — has the cafe's sibling duo Anna and Nev Pellicci interview celebrity regulars including Ray Winstone, Hak Baker, Tom Grennan, Annie Mac, Grime Gran, Jessie Wallace, Kevin Rowland and Gemma Collins.
Described as "a mix of food and personality", guests will face three topics to 'spill the beans' on, sharing previously unheard stories about themselves and how they have made it in showbiz. They'll also be asked questions from locals of the Bethnal Green caff, and tuck into their favourite dish from the menu before Mama Maria serves up her own take on the guest's own 'Home Comfort' dish. (We're getting Off Menu vibes here, but with added eating noises.)
Says co-host Anna Pellicci: "The idea for the podcast came about from a good friend George who — after much pestering — convinced us there could be something really special in it and if nothing else to document what we have here at E Pellicci: three generations of a family affair, wonderful customers and a true slice of East London life.
Adds Nev Pellicci: "We want to have a bit of fun with the podcast and we were really lucky in that everyone we asked to do the podcast not only agreed but couldn't wait to do it! We're always excited to have a celebrity in. We might sneak a few extra chips on their plate and give them a fridge magnet to take home, but other than that they get treated the same as everyone else."
An art deco-inspired gem studding the ever-changing Bethnal Green Road, E Pellicci has been in the family ever since Priamo Pellicci started working here in 1900. Its panelled decor was carved by regular customer and carpenter Achille Capocci in 1946. The caff serves comfort food (full Englishes, pie, lasagne) at competitive prices, has a raft of regular punters — and as such is a (literal) taste of the fast-vanishing East End.
This is a week for London institutions announcing podcasts: Bethlem Gallery has just launched one too.
Down The Caff will be available from YouTube and Spotify as a video podcast and all other podcast streaming sites as an audio podcast from 19 May 2024. New episodes will be released weekly. Follow @downthecaff and @pelliccicaff for updates
