I’ll save you some when I make my next batch 
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I commute past here on the way home (usually use Crofton Park in the morning) and my big beef is that it’s almost always shut by the time I get there at 6/7pm. For a shop like this to thrive, it needs to be open for the after work crowd. Service has sometimes been surly too.
In contrast, Jumping Bean is reliably open til 7 every day, and so I always buy cards and gifts there rather than near my work in Westminster. The staff are lovely and the selection is great.
They are obviously different businesses but I can’t help but think that the Provender hasn’t worked out their business model to suit the local market. I’d be sad to see it go - BT would rather have something on the high street that suited local needs.
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The sausage rolls from the Butchery have a very flaky, buttery pastry, deep golden brown. No soggy bottoms or stodge.
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The sausage rolls from The Butchery are just as Rachael describes and are lush.
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Yes, many of tbe staff in the deli are surly, bordering on rude. It’s certainly not the friendly welcome you get at The Larder in Ladywell or Jones of Brockley.
I also find the opening times annoying too
Please someone good just take this over - I think there’s definitely enough need and desire for a good deli in Honor Oak from the residents!
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The young lady with long dark hair, there in the mornings - she’s quite friendly and always remembers my order. But some of the other staff are very surly. Part of the appeal of using small independent shops is the way the staff make you feel welcome. Provender is a mixed bag.
They should poach Donald from next door.
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I’m not up to date on the reasons for the HOP Provender’s apparent gradual decline but I do know the management team who took over from Hills and Parkes used to run the East Dulwich deli. So they’re very experienced. I also know the same management team opened the very nice juice/coffee bar across from Peckham Rye on Forest Hill road about a year ago. Perhaps they’re stretched a bit thin or shifting focus?
They do a fab guiness cake though! But the bread was extremely expensive and already stale.
Last time I went in, around lunch time on a weekday, the man serving had chosen that as a good time to mop the floor with bleach. Awful smell, really put me off the decent coffee he served me!
I guess this is why 2 Spoons is doing quite well.
The chocolate and guiness cake is good but once you’ve had it 3 or 4 times, it loses its appeal. Plus every cafe in South East London appears to sell chocolate and guiness cake… I really wish they changed their cake selection regularly, like Aga’s Deli in Forest Hill. Every time I visit there I look forward to seeing what new selection they have and am so much more likely to buy some along with my coffee.
They need to get into the Generel Store on Bellenden Road and just shamelessly copy it all - that is exactly what HOP needs!
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Hi all, was googling Honor Oak Provender to find out if it was ever going to open, and came across this discussion.
I have to says, I completely disagree with most of the negative comments. Yes, it may not have heaps of goods on its shelves, but most of the deli food they have is super nice AND home made. I love their coleslaw, quiches and sausage rolls. I don’t know where they get bread from, but it is much better than any other home baked bread around. And the cakes are just out of this world, especially the chocolate guiness cake which the owner makes himself - you have got to try it if you haven’t already. I have had it made to order for my family’s birthdays and I always get lots of compliments about it (I pretend I have made it myself).
I just wanted to say this because I love this deli and, when I was on maternity leaves, it saved my life - going there, having a chat, a coffee and a cake.
I found out today that it has reopened, and am so so pleased. Am stuffing my face with chocolate guiness cake right now, in fact…
Jules
Do you work there…
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All of what you say is both nice and accurate, but it’s no use at all to the vast majority of would-be customers who need them to be open either on the way to or return from work.
I wish the deli well - on the odd occasion they are open on the way back from work I do occasionally buy cake. However the stock is massively hit or miss and the hours don’t work for core consumers. I wish the business well but until they nail the post commuter crowd - and have hours to match - sadly this store is going to underperform and the owners seem to take little interest into what people want and need. Easy to contrast against Grounds and Grapes and their different and better strategy with the same strategy.
I’d love a local deli to succeed, but if they are going to, they need to master good coffee and pastries in the morning (so far, fail) good mums coffee and cake (apparently a success) and then post work crowd pre cooked diners or good ingredients (fail on both opening hours and frankly a crap selection).
There’s all the ingredients available for this store to be a success and I’m irritatated that the offer is so weak. A store cannot survive on a nice tuna mix sandwich for lunch and nothing on offer at all for people coming off the train. Deli owner - for free - offer better meat and cheese and consider putting in a COOK fridge, which had massively increased footfall at Brockley supermarket.
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I’m not sure it is successful on the mum’s coffee and cake front unless it’s changed recently. Despite living round the corner in my year of maternity leave I never once met friends there. It’s too small for buggies - they don’t even fit through the door - there’s little room inside and the welcome is not always very positive.
As above I’d so love a useful and convenient deli - at the moment I go to Little Aga or Mr Jones
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I would love a decent deli on this parade and have been yearning for HoProv to step up the mark; the one time I walked past when it was open (on a Saturday) I walked in and only bought something out of embrassement - having entered to see what they had on offer I panic bought a sausage roll, looking round seeing empty shelves, no atmospshere and a moody worker was awkward.
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Jules, if you’re a loyal customer with a good dialogue with the owner, perhaps you can share this forum feedback?
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I think what’s important here is that without exception all the negative feedback is constructive because we all want this place to improve!!
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Absolutely echo @CHfigaro about constructive criticsm and I think @Irmani_Smallwood’s idea about a COOK fridge is brilliant. Easy, tasty, healthy ready meals would be wonderful.
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Yes, but I am guessing it is a small business and will probably struggle to have lots of stock…
No, I do not.