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Tinie Tempah launches residency of fried chicken concept RAPS at Queen Of The South
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Weekly drinks deals and Tulse Hill Tombola with Brixton Brewery
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Local businesses stand a chance to apply for grants through the Village Fund
Queen of the South
367 Norwood Rd
Norwood
London SE27 9BQ
Since it opened its doors in 2023, South London pub the Queen of the South has become Tulse Hill’s inclusive and welcoming hub for all. In line with its community-led ethos, the pub has now unveiled exciting new partnerships including friend chicken concept RAPS by rapper and South Londoner Tinie Tempah, community initiatives with South London tastemaker Simone Powderly, Inter Melanin FC, Brockwell FC and Black Women Rising.
The Queen of the South will also offer a range of exciting events across music, comedy and art as well as special food and drink deals over the next couple of months.
Spearheaded by hospitality trailblazer Clement Ogbonnaya, the Queen of the South was born from a love for the area he grew up in and his passion for bringing people together. Keeping the community at the forefront of everything he does, Clement opened his first pub, the legendary Prince of Peckham, to be a ‘solution to gentrification’, aiming to create a space for all to come and enjoy quality food and drink in an area experiencing a lot of change. Today, the Queen of the South is following in the steps of its predecessor, the Prince of Peckham, to become another iconic community and creative hub in South London. Further cementing an affinity for his community, Clement has also been running the Village People group and Village Fund since 2022 to support aspiring local businesses in the area. Each year, the pub group commits to taking a percentage of yearly profits and giving back to the community in the form of grants that local business can apply for through the village fund. To apply, pitches can be sent to [email protected]
RAPS by Tinnie Tempah
On a mission to bring quality food to the table, the Queen of the South is now proudly hosting Tinie Tempah’s celebrated fried chicken concept, RAPS – a tribute to Tinie’s South East London upbringing, blending nostalgic flavours with a contemporary twist. RAPS is more than just a culinary delight; it’s a community initiative inspired by Tinie’s passion for food and its power to unite people. The concept is rooted in hip-hop culture and aims to build a community of indulgent and health-conscious soul food enthusiasts through shared experiences.
Talking about RAPS, Tinie Tempah said: the”Creating RAPS just felt right. Food is an exploration of culture through its ingredients and flavours and London, the city I’m from, is rich with diversity and culture; it was really exciting to work on something where I was able to combine the food I love and grew up on (both in the home and on the high street) and the music that inspired me to be who I am today.”
Queen of the South’s community initiatives
Along with serving up scrumptious food, the Queen of the South is driving forth initiatives to provide safe spaces for Inter Melanin FC (a South London football team for women and non-binary people who are Black and People of Colour) and Brockwell FC (a beginner-friendly South London football team for women, non-binary and genderqueer people) to host their team socials. The pub also provides a safe meeting space for The Black Women Rising, a flagship programme of The Leanne Pero Foundation, a registered UK charity offering vital help, information and practical advice for people of colour who have been diagnosed with cancer. One of the upcoming events is The Black Women Rising Supper Club (to be announced in October), which will bring together disenfranchised women living with cancer and provide them with a meal and good company. Clement also kicked off a partnership with local tastemaker and activist Simone Powderly, who has worked extensively on championing safe spaces for women, including hosting her own women’s-only walking group called Soulmates Society. Her previous work has been with the likes of Rimmel London and Marks & Spencer. In July, she even hosted a women’s-only party ‘Crazy, Sexy, Cool’ at the Queen of the South.
True to its roots, the Queen of the South is becoming a haven for socialising for everyone in the community and beyond. During the day, the space operates as a co-working hub and in the evenings, it comes alive with creative classes, art sessions, board games, music events and more.
Echoing the essence of the Queen of the South, Clement Ogbonnaya shared that the pub is an “inclusive space for the local community and will provide Tulse Hill residents a home away from home. While people are searching for a sense of belonging and community more than ever, many British boozers have gone from being hubs to laying empty and derelict, which is a tragedy, I think there’s a massive opportunity to rejuvenate the pub scene and bring them back to the heart”.
Special deals and events
Over the next couple of months, the Queen of the South has enticing deals including cocktails for £6 on Tuesdays, Wine Down Wednesdays with £5 off selected wines and the Tulse Hill Tombola every second Thursday in partnership with Brixton Brewery where the pubs reconnects with the local community and everyone can walk in and win bar tabs, beers and all sorts of prizes all for the cost of a drink.
For party lovers, the pub’s Love & Liquor sessions every Saturday night feature the sickest DJs playing the best from RnB, Garage, Bashment and Afrobeats. From 23rd August, Culture @ Queen will kick off every Friday with each week hosted by a culture resident (Janelle Wynter, NeyNeyy, Kash, Pharaoh G and Sweets Lewis) bringing Afrobeats, RnB, Hip-Hop and Dancehall. Culture became an institution at Prince of Peckham and with its 500th edition fast approaching, it is only befitting to bring the energy to Queen of the South.
For those who want old school evenings, the pub will be hosting Old Skool Bingo on 25th August and a Sip & Sew ‘Disco Queen’ Embroidery Workshop on 27th August. For laughs, the Queen of the South will also see Southside Comedy sessions on 29th August and 25th September showcasing top comedians such as Michael Odewale (live at the Apollo), Gbemi Oladipo (Stand Up Sketch Show), Toussaint Douglass (Late Night Mash), and Slim (live at the Apollo).
Weekly Events at Queen Of The South:
Tuesdays – All day cocktails for £6
Wednesdays – Wine Down Wednesdays with £5 off selected bottles of wine
Every Second Thursdays – Tulse Hill Tombola for the local community to walk in and win bar tabs, beers and prizes
Fridays – DJs on Main Bar from 8 pm until midnight and Birthday bubles, free bottle of bubbles for birthday bookings of over 5 guests
Saturdays – DJs each week, presenting the best from R&B, Garage, Bashment and Afrobeats, from 9 pm until 2 am
Sundays – Big Mood (Board Games with Sunday Lunch) & RAPS Sunday Roast
August Events:
Friday 23rd August (contiunuing every Friday), 9 pm – 2 am – The RnB Room with DJ HB
Friday 23rd August (continuining every Friday) – Culture @ Queen with each week hosted by one the culture residents (Janelle Wynter, NeyNeyy, Kash & Pharaoh G & Sweets Lewis) bringing Afrobeats, RnB, Hip-Hop and Dancehall
Sunday 25th August, 5 pm – 11.30 pm – Old Skool Bingo, An evening of RnB-inspired fun and games with a unique twist on classic bingo
Tuesday 27th August, 7 pm – 9 pm – Sip & Sew ‘Disco Queen’ Embroidery Workshop
Thursday 29th August, 7.30 pm – 10 pm. Comedy South West (stand-up comedy)
September Events (more TBC):
Sunday 15th September, 9 pm – 2 am, So Groovy, a night of Afrobeats, Bash & Tech House
Wednesday 25th, 7.30 pm – 12 am, UTC presents Southside Comedy with Slim The Comedian
October Events (more TBC):
7.10.24 – Stand up comedy with Lou Sanders
For bookings and more information about events visit the website here.
