- Words Liam Cattermole
The British brand will serve up a range of all-day brekkie snacks as part of its new series, Burberry Streets.
Since Daniel Lee became Burberry’s Creative Director in 2022, the brand’s pursuit of peak Britishness hasn’t gone unnoticed. Billboards decorating modern-day music stars like Skepta and Shygirl have coalesced with iconography of cows, geese and other notable British animals. What’s more, he’s brought back the iconic equestrian knight logo, tapping into Albion traditions after Ricardo Tisci’s comparably globally minded reign.
For his latest trick, Daniel’s turned his attention to Norman’s Café: the esteemed greasy spoon spot which opened its doors in 2021. Lining the stomachs of fashion’s elite, Burberry will be serving up menus from Tufnell Park’s favourite food spot during LFW with a dedicated menu. And if that wasn’t enough, nova check food trucks will be dotted around London for any fatty food fanatics hungry after a busy day on the runways.
Making a name for itself during lockdown, as a takeaway in the heart of north London, Norman’s has quickly become the capital’s go-to traditional breakfast place. Simple food cooked with premium ingredients, the caff has caught the eye and filled the bellies of tourists and London’s hipster elite for only two years.
With fry ups for £11, Norman’s is far from your normal beanery. In fact, its immaculate Instagram feed, filled with fried eggs, chip butties and bacon baps, has tapped into a whole new audience of its own. This isn’t somewhere you’ll find hi-vis workers enjoying a breakfast before a laborious work shift; you’re more likely to spot a TikTok influencer tucking into some potato waffles after a heavy night out boozing.
It begs the question as to whether Norman’s Caff rather fetishises the traditional greasy spoon, using faux-working class aesthetics to tap a nostalgia many of its costumers won’t have ever experienced. If Daniel and Burberry really wanted to capture the essence of every-day British cuisine, they probably could have done so with a more appropriate restaurant.
What is undeniable, though, is that the café has brought what Britain does best to the masses. All day breakfasts are a British institution, and with Burberry’s help, they’re about to become high fashion’s latest delicacy.
Kicking off a new series of events, called Burberry Streets, Burberry’s takeover of Norman’s looks to the past as a means of modernising the present. Starting in London, before moving to Seoul and Shanghai later this year, the innovative installations will celebrate “the art of discovery and exploration”. How much a sausage bap will resonate in South East Asia is another question, but one thing’s for certain, Burberry is looking to perpetuate an idea of quintessential Britishness far beyond the country’s borders.
Honouring the full English isn’t the only way Daniel is looking to redefine our country at LFW, either. During the schedule, Bond Street will be known as Burberry Street, with the station getting a ‘knight blue’ makeover to mark the occasion. Some black taxis will feature the brand’s new English rose print while chalk Stencils of the equestrian knight symbol are to adorn the pavements of parks across the capital.
Daniel’s highly-anticipated Spring ’24 show is rumoured to be his most extensive Burberry collection to date and will debut on September 18.