East End icon Syd's Coffee Stall moves to the museum

Syd's Coffee Stall has been serving Londoners with hot drinks for a century. This winter, Syd's will close its shutters on Shoreditch for the last time as it moves to a new home: the Museum of London.

Alwyn Collinson

Digital Editor

18 December 2019

Founded in 1919 by First World War veteran Sydney Edward Tothill, Syd's Coffee Stall has been an East End institution for over a hundred years.

Now, when it closes its shutters on Shoreditch for the last time, Syd's Coffee Stall will move into the collections of the Museum of London, to educate and delight future generations of Londoners. Vyki Sparkes, Curator of Social and Working History, said: "Syd’s is an invaluable piece of our shared history as Londoners, a quiet witness to the challenges and changes in the heart of the East End over the last 100 years. We look forward to sharing its fascinating story with our visitors in the New Museum."

Syd's Coffee Stall on its location in Shoreditch.

An East End institution

Since 1919, Syd's Coffee Stall has been operated by the same family. It's founder, Sydney Edward Tothill, was a veteran of the First World War who used £117 of his invalidity pension to build it.

Syd's Coffee Stall in 1920

Made by a coachbuilder on nearby Hackney Road, it was custom built of mahogany with etched glass and brass fittings. It did not originally sell coffee, but served "camp coffee", made of essence of coffee-beans, chicory, and sugar.

A century of serving Londoners

Syd's Coffee Stall survived the Second World War, receiving a special licence to remain open during the Blitz to serve air raid wardens. Syd Junior (pictured) was recalled from an RAF mission to keep the stall running after his mother May was injured by shrapnel.

Jane Tothill at Syd's Coffee Stall in 1994

After the war, Syd Junior and his wife Iris expanded the business into catering, adopting the name "Hillary Caterers" in commemorating of Sir Edmund Hillary's 1953 ascent of Everest.

Jane Tothill in Syd's Coffee Stall in 2019

Jane Tothill, owner of Syd's, has made the generous decision to donate the coffee stall to the Museum of London, to be displayed when the New Museum opens in coming years.

Jane Tothill, Owner of Syd’s coffee stall, said: ‘Celebrating 100 years of service this past March was an incredible milestone and one that I know Grandad would have been proud to have reached. These celebrations led to my decision that it was time for the stall to move on to tell a new story at the Museum of London. I feel it is the best way for Syd’s to continue as part of London’s heritage, and a great way to celebrate the place where you could get the best tea in London for over 100 years.’

Thanks to Jane Tothill and the support of staff at Hackney Council, Syd’s coffee stall will be removed from Calvert Avenue in December 2019 and transferred to the stored collections of the Museum of London. In years to come, you'll be able to see it on display at the New Museum of London.