Manor House Gardens:

The First of the group: Pistachios in the park was set-up by Aysin and Karen Djemil as a community focused cafe located at Manor House Gardens in Lewisham, South London. Pistachios in the park opened its doors in 2000 and after years of perfection,the feedback that we have received is that the Pistachios in the park cafe is a place where you can get great non-greasy cafe food that is "Jamie Oliver friendly" and home made cakes that are freshly scrumptious and not forgetting the healthy organic selection of food for babies. It is on the back of this strength that we have seen such consistent growth. Pistachios in the park's aim is to revive community interest and use of parks and open green spaces within a safe, family-oriented environment. Prior to establishing Pistachios in the park at Manor House Gardens, the gardens had become a place where antisocial behaviour was rife. This meant that local mothers were unwilling to bring their young children to the park and all the potential benefits of having a green park were being lost. Since setting up the Pistachios in the park cafe the antisocial behaviour has virtually disappeared at the park and has once again become a place where mothers and young children can use.