Brian Danclair, founder of Brixton Village favourite Fish, Wings & Tings, is one of the stars of London Stories, a new weekly online series to highlight people who make London what it is.
The series is part of the Because I’m a Londoner campaign of Visit London, the official visitor guide to the city.
Brian joins other Londoners like Pete McGowran, Chief Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London; Richard Moore, horticulturalist at Royal Botanic Gardens of Kew; Blue Badge guides Sarah Ciacci, Emily Dell, Antony Robbins and Danny Parlour; and Ryan Chetiyawardana (aka Mr Lyan), cocktail bartender and owner of Lyaness at Sea Containers Southbank restaurant.
Brian’s episode of the series, which kicked off today, on Instagram and Facebook, will be released on Friday 17 July.
Because I’m a Londoner is designed to build consumer confidence and support a responsible recovery as lockdown eases. It is run by London & Partners and supported by the Mayor of London and Transport for London and brings together businesses from across the city.
London & Partners is a not-for-profit company, half funded by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and half from other sources including commercial activity
CEO Laura Citron said the pandemic was forcing destinations around the world to find new ways to stay in touch with audiences and to inspire them.
“Our city is only as good as our people and, given the distressing time we’ve all been through, taking a step back and letting Londoners tell their stories felt like the right thing to do.
As London starts re-opening, there is no one better placed than them to help fellow locals and visitors discover and rediscover their city through a new lens.
Brian Danclair said: “Right back from my early years in Trinidad, and then Washington DC, I’ve always been passionate about food, but it’s in London that I have been able to turn that passion into a business.
“I love being able to share my heritage, my culture and experiences with everyone coming to visit at Brixton Village.
“We’re a really close-knit community in the Village, and I’m really proud to be able to represent it as part of London Stories.”
Brian opened Fish, Wings & Tings in 2012. His inspiration was his grandmother, Valentina Castillo Caballero, an accomplished cook.
He says she enjoyed feeding anyone and everyone in Port au Spain, Trinidad. He grew up watching her use food to show love and investment in her community.
Valentina inspired him to follow his passion for food and when he was 19 Brian moved to Washington DC to work under some of the world’s top chefs.
He developed what he calls “Nouvelle Caribbean cuisine”, an amalgam of the techniques learned under the likes of chefs Yannick Cam, Jean-Louis Paladin, and Frank Ruta, applied to memories of tastes from the Caribbean.
