LONDON’S FIRST CEREAL cafe opened on Wednesday… to much controversy.
Belfast twins Alan and Gary Keery Kickstarted the pop up cafe which sells retro cereals, cereal cakes, and ‘cocktails’ with flavoured milks and toppings.
However, at about £3 a pop for a bowl of cereal, Channel 4 news took issue with the high mark up considering the location in Tower Hamlets, which has one of the highest rates of poverty in the city. Reporter Symeon Brown brought this up in an interview that has since gone viral due to Gary stopping the questioning once the topic of local poverty comes up.
People were divided about who came out looking good, with many saying it was ‘below Channel 4 news standards’, and others agreeing with the pricing sentiment.
Gary Keery has responded to the controversy on Facebook, explaining that he was busy serving customers but was reporter Sumeon Brown ‘kept pushing and pushing’ during the segment.
First of all you tried to blame me for the property prices in London before attacking me with questions about poverty. I am a small business owner and am gambling everything I have in this business and you try to make a mockery out of me 4 days after ‘small business saturday’ when we are supposed to support small businesses.
Keery went on to say that Brown had made him out to be’ a selfish ****’, despite his intent to help local charities provide breakfast for underprivileged children once the business is up and running.
I am from one of the most deprived area in Belfast so me and my family know all about poverty but haven’t had to blame the small business owners in the area for it, I have been taught a great work ethic and have made it this far without blaming small business owners trying to better themselves and make a future for themselves.
Keery goes on to explain that he pays big rent prices and has 12 staff employed that must be paid. “Maybe if I charged over £3 for a coffee and dodged all the taxes in this country like some cafés the reporters would leave me alone would they?”
If you want someone to solve the poverty crises in London I don’t think I’m the man to do that as I am too busy trying to cure Ebola and get Kim Kardashian to keep her clothes on. Also you didn’t even pay me for the cereal which you could so easily afford with your overpriced river island suit so I will send you a bill for the extortionate £3.20.
Zing.
