One doesn’t often get the chance to wax lyrical about tea towels, but I am obsessed with these ones from the much lauded Leila’s grocery shop in Shoreditch. Leila’s is a real destination store and cafe and Leila McAlister herself is a thoroughly interesting woman, check out the eloquent Spitalfields Life’s interview here.Taste and quality levels are very high as, often, are prices but these 100% linen tea towels are £8.00 each, which strikes me as a bargain. They are HUGE, a metre square and wash beautifully. I bought some before Christmas and went back last week for more, when Leila told me the good-quality linen is from Eastern Europe. They would make very good napkins too.
Leila doesn’t have a website but when I asked, the sales staff said they would happily do over-the-phone orders. Leila’s is at 17 Calvert Avenue, London E27JP, you can reach them on 0207 729 9789.