Holybella, a family-run Mediterranean-inspired cafe, and Stamp, a stationery brand offering full Post Office services, are among three new independent businesses confirmed for Brent Cross Town, the £8bn development in north London. The new arrivals will join the emerging high street alongside existing tenants Karma Bread bakery, Co-Op supermarket, and a forthcoming Gail's.
Three new businesses join Brent Cross Town
Holybella, which already operates cafes in North Finchley, Southgate, Colney Hatch Lane, and Muswell Hill, will bring all-day dining and a patisserie to Neighbourhood Square, focusing on outdoor, European-style cafe culture. Stamp, a new retail brand from Universal Office Equipment, will provide Post Office services, banking, travel money, passport checks, InPost and EVRI services, alongside stationery, cards, gifts, printing, and scanning. Social Pottery, with existing locations in Kentish Town, Westfield White City, and Balham, will offer pottery painting, wheel-throwing, and creative workshops.
Developers aim for walkable neighbourhood
Related Argent, the developer behind Brent Cross Town, said the new businesses align with their retail strategy to create opportunities for independents alongside established brands. Charmaine Rees, senior asset manager at Related Argent, said: "A key part of our retail strategy has been to create opportunities for independent businesses alongside more established brands. We would like Brent Cross Town to be a place where smaller operators can grow, and where the retail community and visitor experience reflect the individuality and character of the neighbourhood."
Businesses express enthusiasm
Turkay Ozkan and Ozan Donmez, directors of Holybella, said they were "incredibly proud and excited" to open their latest cafe in Brent Cross Town. "As a family-owned independent business that has grown within north London, this feels like a very special next chapter for us," they said. "For us, Holybella has always been about much more than being a cafe. We work hard to create a place where people feel genuinely welcome and looked after—somewhere with the warmth and familiarity of home, where great food is matched by thoughtful, personal service."
Elliot Jacobs, chief executive and postmaster at Stamp, said new town centres like Brent Cross Town offer a rare opportunity to get on the high street "right from the start." "As thousands of new residents and workers move into the brand-new Brent Cross Town development, they'll need access to services—including the broad portfolio from the Post Office," he added. "The Stamp Brent Cross Town store will also offer a modern extensive range of cards, gifts, wrapping and stationery, plus printing, scanning, photo services and more, all under one roof."
Future growth planned
Marian Walteros, founder of Social Pottery, said: "Since starting the business in 2017, our aim has always been to create welcoming spaces where people can step away from everyday life, get creative and genuinely connect with each other. Our new Brent Cross Town studio brings together the best of Social Pottery under one roof, creating a space for families, friends, date nights, celebrations and corporate groups." Once complete, Brent Cross Town will have 6,700 homes, workspace for 25,000 people, a new high street, and 50 acres of parks and playing fields.
