Hustle Up Podcast - Episode 2 - Gianluca Ivaldi (The Cricketers Croydon)

In episode 2, hear from Gianluca Ivaldi, who co-runs The Cricketers, a bar in Croydon (south London), with his wife Annejaleen. Described as a bar with a difference, it stands out from the rest with special menus, craft beers, and carefully selected wines and cocktails.

We chat about how working in his mother's fishmongers sparked an interest in food and entrepreneurship which led him to launch Miss P's Barbecue, a pop-up named after his mum who supported him starting out.

After winning a cash prize from his university for his start-up, Miss P's gained popularity at locations across London before opening an outlet at Pop Brixton in 2015. Appearing on cookery TV shows like Sunday Brunch and James Martin: Home Comforts, showcased his London take on the slow, Southern-style barbecue he'd seen on visits to Atlanta and other parts of America.

Believing he was doing something that wasn't done anywhere else in the UK, he and his wife opened a bricks and mortar site in a former pub in Croydon in 2017, now known as The Cricketers and easily accessible from East Croydon.

The Cricketers has adapted to the pandemic and is getting a strong seal of approval from visitors for doing the maximum to keep customers and staff safe. Find out what the future holds for the bar, the catering business, and how its owners are planning to offer something truly unique and a place designed for the future of Croydon.