Mapping pockets of survival: café society in post-war cable street

In our Shadwell food history walk, part of a larger ‘Food Lives’ initiative, we employed counter-mapping techniques to shed light on overlooked post-war migrant cafés, revealing their essential role in facilitating food security and community. These spaces, often central in marginalised individuals’ navigation through urban life, epitomise racialised resistance and survival. Their significance, especially the almost invisible contributions of women and men of colour, stands in contrast to dominant historical narratives. The spatial food heritage of Cable Street emphasises the longstanding influence of racially marginalised migrant communities, countering racism and racial inequalities. Drawing parallels to present-day East End eateries, often criticised yet serving as cultural hubs, the project underscores the enduring ‘sticky emotions’ tied to food, racial dynamics, and colonial legacies.