First-class Honours

From fabulous apartments to new garden squares, the Evening Standard’s New Homes Awards showcase London’s top developers. David Spittles previews the best of the best.

London Lifestyle Award

The Jam Factory, Bermondsey, SE1
Developer: Angel Property

Jam today and cream tomorrow: that was the promise served up by developer Angel Property three years ago when launching homes at this impressive red-brick warehouse complex in Bermondsey.

Buyers needed patience, a little courage and bags of vision but their judgement is now paying off. The scheme of 180 lofts and live-work spaces has emerged as one of the capital’s most fashionable addresses, pulling in buyers from trendy parts of east and west London as well as several dozen creative small businesses.

This is mainly to do with the architectural qualities of the original factory (where the famous Hartley jam was once produced) and Angel’s design flair.

Instead of carving up the robust warehouse buildings into boxy apartments, Angel opted for big apartments and invited go-ahead young designers to create fit-outs.

The factory sits on the western fringe of Bermondsey, slightly detached from upmarket Shad Thames and the hub that has formed around Borough Market and Zandra Rhodes’s fashion museum. But the development is already making a big impact on the local neighbourhood.

Interior designer Peter Leonard was one of the first residents to move into The Jam Factory and has just opened a SOBO, a café and art gallery next door to the development. “I moved from King’s Road, Chelsea. Friends thought I was barking mad.”

Leonard snapped up two shells together to create a stunning 1,750 sq ft penthouse loft. “What did it for me was the fantastic view from the top of the building. You realise just how close you are to everything.”

He opened SOBO in January. “I didn’t expect to make any money for a couple of years but trade has been amazing. We are selling bucket-loads of good coffee and pastries supplied by Villandry in Marylebone. Also art. Who would have thought that would be possible on Tower Bridge Road?” Angel will release the fourth of five phases at the Jam Factory next month with prices starting at £250,000. Call 020 7940 3888.