An East London Bakery and Cafe Empire Expands Into E10

Pavilion, the bakery and cafe group with roots in east London and Cornwall, has taken over the former Lighthaus Cafe space for a new canteen.

Labelled as Mentmore Studios, it will be closer to the original Pavilion in Victoria Park than the smaller bakeries on Columbia Road and Broadway Market, serving “batch cooking” like chard gratin, dal — familiar to customers of Victoria Park — onion soup, and bread. Owner Rob Green is, atypically, using Instagram to chart his ongoing revisions of the new opening, describing a “eureka moment” that has led to the space becoming a weekday canteen and weekend “market vibe.”

Atypical it might be, this attention to detail feels necessary considering the shoes into which Pavilion is stepping. Lighthaus, which closed in October 2022, was deeply beloved not just among locals but in the wider London “food scene,” with successful residencies from Missy and former 40 Maltby Street chef Alex Vines. Founder Jen Weiss said that it could not absorb rising costs; Pavilion founder Green will hope the infrastructure built up in his brand since 2004 can.