Category: Dog Events

The Queen and Corgi Cafés

During the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II there was heightened interest in what was famously The Queen’s favourite dog, the Corgi.

You can read about my visit to Pop + Bark’s first Corgi Café held to widespread media interest and a fun follow-up Corgi Café I went to since.

Following the accession of The King there is now another breed with a current Royal association to celebrate!

The History of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The King Charles Spaniel originally got its name from its association with King Charles II who reigned in the 1600s and was constantly surrounded by his dogs.

It was later inter-bred with fashionable flat-faced breeds like the Pug and acquired a flatter nose and more domed-shaped head.

A 20th-century attempt to revive what some breeders saw as the original was called the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, as during the English Civil War supporters of the King Charles II were known as Cavaliers.

UK’s First Cavalier Café

I was excited to receive a discount ticket to this as a previous Pop + Bark attendee – I am now a ‘VIP Dog Petter’!

10% of ticket sales from this event were donated and shared between the Prince’s Trust and breed-specific charities.

Fairground Theme

I really liked the ‘Wonderland Carousel’ theme of the venue The Refinery Bankside.

Christmas Dog Treats

It’s always great to see Rudi’s The Doggy Bakery at these events with their exquisite dog cookies updated for the season.

Also there was Raven Imagery and The Crafty Dog Co.

Puppuccino Bar

The signature Pop + Bark Pupuccino bar was of course there to serve puppuccinos with a range of toppings.

The Dog Guests

This is a gentle and affectionate breed so this event had a very sweet and relaxed atmosphere!

More Information on Cavaliers and King Charles Spaniels

I really enjoyed this great event and writing up this blog post which included learning some Dog History!

Cavaliers are wonderful dogs and a great family pet.

Sadly, they do suffer from many serious and painful hereditary diseases so it’s important to be aware of this.

There is really good information from Cavalier Matters and Bliss Cavalier Rescue.

I was passing through Liverpool Street station when I saw this new kiosk, The Barkery!

The ‘High Street’ feel was striking as I usually see this kind of business at specialist dog events.

I like the ‘popular foods’ style menu such as the WUFFle, and these Duck and Bangers & Mash cakes.

They company describe themselves like this:

‘We’re creating waves in the Dog industry by opening dog bakeries inside HUMAN shopping malls! (We’ve got you doggies!) Why should we always have the Millies Cookies & The Krispy Kreme! It’s about time we did this for the dogs!’

They currently have eight kiosks around the country in Nottingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Livingston, Norwich, Watford, Sunderland, and the North East, plus their production unit in Ashfield.

Their range also contains some dog grooming products and dog fashion.

This pop-up is their first store in London.

You can find them in Liverpool Street station until 27 November, and then Charing Cross railway station from 29 November to 2 January.

I really enjoyed this event. There was a great atmosphere with lots of people around smiling. I spotted a famous actor that I’m a fan of just enjoying the day with his wife and dog.

Chiswick House Dog Show takes place annually in the grounds of Chiswick House & Gardens. The money raised goes directly to its upkeep so there’s a strong community feel with lots of locals and businesses from Chiswick taking part as well as celebrity judges.

One of the striking things about Chiswick House Dog Show is how many dogs you see – and of every kind – it feels a bit like you’ve gone onto a dog planet.

I met absolute cuddle-monster Ted – can you believe he was saved from a meat market!

The other key feature of Chiswick House Dog Show is the fancy dress element.

This year the theme for the fancy dress class was ‘Harry Pointer and the Philosopher’s Bone’ as it is 25 years since the first Harry Potter book was published.

‘Get yer hat on’ 😂

I caught up with Frank & Beans who you’ll remember I met here. I’d suggested to them then they’d be well-suited to a stall at Chiswick House Dog Show so it was lovely to see that had come to fruition.

Here are some of the other stalls. This is Harbour Hounds

Here’s Pickles & Company

Wolfe Vets who were one of the event sponsors

Chiswick Cinema who are starting dog-friendly screenings

The mysterious and intriguing looking WetNose Club Society

The Country Dog Hotel & Spa

There was a range of great food options. The pizza from The Dough Shack looked really nice and would have been my choice if I had someone to share it with.

Here is Coffee-Bike, one of two coffee options along with Cafe2U.

Here’s Diane Edwards

The Cookie Mill looked divine

The Dog Photographer (Raven Imagery)‘s stall was starting to get me in mind for Christmas! 🎄

This was Chelsea’s first dog festival to celebrate being one of London’s most dog-friendly neighbourhoods.

At the core was The Four Legged Foodies market set up in Duke of York Square, with more than 20 dog food, art and accessories stalls.

More widely, more than 50 brands across Chelsea took part in the festival by holding an in-store activity for dogs.

I’ve written previously about visiting a Four Legged Foodies market, and it was nice to see many of those brands again plus more.

You can find more information on the participant stallholders on the Four Legged Foodies page.

Hilary’s Hounds had a fashion stall.

There was a stall from local favourite Love My Human – you can read more about my previous visit to their shop here.

Dogs Trust had a stall as the event was in support of them and marking ‘International Dog Day’. It made for a nice camaraderie seeing lots of dogs around wearing the yellow Dogs Trust bandanas.

Martine Davis was one of the artists there to paint a pawtrait.

Duke of York Square is right by the Saatchi Gallery and revolves around the 360-degree Vardo restaurant and other luxury cafés, and with so many dogs around there was a wonderful atmosphere.

Every Saturday the Fine Food Market curated by grocer Partridges takes place, so the finest street food and delicacies were on offer for humans too.

A map and whole programme for the day across Chelsea was available.

The Dog Photographer (Raven Imagery) was set up in Peter Jones offering people the chance to pop in for a professional photo portrait of their dog.

Here is Space NK showcasing their range of dog shampoos and offering treats in store.

Here is the new capsule collection for dogs in the BOSS store.

The event was well organised by Gaynor of the Four Legged Foodies, Cadogan Estates, and local resident May of Miss Darcy’s Adventures.

Corgis were one of the dominant motifs during the recent Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and in celebration of this historical moment we enjoyed the Pop + Bark Corgi Café event which you can read more about here.

The great news though is this was not just temporary corgi fever! Corgi Café returned for a second event and was again a huge success.

Pop + Bark are dog event specialists and don’t disappoint. The cute bright yellow mini sun lounger at the entrance epitomised the ‘Summer of Love’ Swinging Sixties-inspired theme that they’d chosen for this bash to close out summer.

In a way this event was more relaxed than the Jubilee one.

The location was the plush Devonshire Terrace (a Drake & Morgan location like the first event) just across the road from Liverpool Street station and where you can order from a menu of drinks, coffees and food by scanning the QR code on the table.

The corgi guests ran all over the place with their typically irreverent personalities.

Congregating at the bar:

I tend to think of corgis as small dogs but am always reminded when I encounter them that they are actually quite chunky units!

The original staples of this event were in attendance; Rudi’s the Doggy Bakery, The Crafty Dog Co, The Dog Photographer (Raven Imagery) and the mobile Pop + Bark Pupuccino bar with its range of toppings.

It’s always striking to see that number of corgis out en masse, and as the demand is there hopefully Corgi Café will stay a regular fixture of the Pop + Bark calendar.

This was organised by the Four Legged Foodies whose Four Legged Foodie Fest I went to previously.

It was at BrewDog Outpost Tower Hill. You’ll probably have heard of BrewDog, they are a brewery and pub chain with strong brand and marketing.

Back in 2020 they teamed up with Ricky Gervais to launch Street Dog, a limited edition Punk IPA with all profits going to charities Dogs On The Streets and All Dogs Matter.

You can book their bars to have a dog pawty!

It was a really enjoyable afternoon. Tower Hill is one of my favourite areas of London.

The pizza was provided by Talula Eats which is fresh, human-grade gourmet food and treats for dogs.

Look at these incredible doggie pizzas!

There was also nice pizza by BrewDog for humans which I liked, it was light and tasty.

Cedric the Pomeranian – who I’d previously met at the Four Legged Foodie Fest – was in attendance.

Most of the dogs there were Pomeranian – this was really a Pizza and Pom party!

There were some other dogs joining the fun too!

At the end the team wrapped some takeaway for dogs who couldn’t make the event.

I fell in love with Frank & Beans art instantly when I saw it recently on Instagram.

It’s dog-centred pop art!

I was pleased to see they had an upcoming event, a pop-up at Pets at Home in Putney.

It was nice to meet Natasha and Nigel behind it and I’m sure they have a bright future ahead with this really clever and imaginative art.

Meanwhile I always love a mooch around Pets at Home.

This branch had a Groom Room so of course I had a look through the window at the current client.

Before I got my current job I was thinking of applying for a job at the Groom Room and making my way in the dog-grooming world!

I got a copy of My VIP magazine.

This branch of Pets at Home seems very interactive and regularly hold events in store so I’m sure I will be back there.

Read about my visit to nearby Story Coffee afterwards here.

The aspect of the Platinum Jubilee I’ve been enjoying most is the corgis everywhere.

This was an event run by dog event connoisseurs Pop + Bark at The Refinery Bankside.

There was their signature excellent Pupuccino Bar, with a variety of toppings available, and cute stalls with exquisite dog biscuits from Rudi’s the Doggy Bakery and outfits from The Crafty Dog Co.

One of my favourite things was the selfie frame of a classic royal memorabilia mug for your corgi to put its head through.

A lot of my photos from the day are just blurred corgis running by.

Good Morning America was in attendance to capture the royal-themed event.

It was actually incredible to see this number of corgis (and corgi butts) and everyone was having a great time at this unique event!

Fashion accessories designer Anya Hindmarch is known for her bold, playful designs that transform the everyday into wearable art, such as the Crisp Packet Clutch and the I Am A Plastic Bag tote.

The Village is her collection of five stores on Pont Street, between Chelsea and Belgravia. There is the Bespoke Shop, the Plastic Shop – focused on sustainability, the Labelled Shop – dedicated to the art of organisation, the Anya Café, and the Village Hall.

The Village Hall is a rotating concept store and from 9 April – 15 May is transformed into A.Houndmarch, showcasing the new capsule collection for dogs!

I also popped in to the Anya Café. Inspired by the 1950s British café, here you can find reimaginations of classic biscuits and playful smiley cakes in Anya’s signature style.

It was really nice sitting outside on the terrace getting lots of fresh air.

The coffee was remarkable! A perfectly hot, strong, cappuccino with delicately-flavoured chocolate, and skimmed milk was available.

This was an event for Mother’s Day – a brunch for dog mums!

It took place in The Magazine restaurant, in the quirky Zaha Hadid extension of the Serpentine North Gallery in Kensington Gardens, where sustainability and seasonality are at the heart of the kitchen.

On arrival we were treated to coffee and pastries which were deliciously fine and flaky – I was thinking this would definitely be a good choice for a café date.

Teresa from The Dogvine was an excellent host making sure everyone felt comfortable.

Here she is handing out pupcakes baked by Love My Human Townhouse. You can read about my recent visit there too.

Here is a guest treating her dog to a pupcake!

A huge bonus – I won a prize in the raffle! This was a £20 voucher for Little Wolves London who describe themselves as

‘Apparel & accessories for dog mamas that believe being a dog mama is a lifestyle & vocation chosen with the heart’

In the picture you can see Teresa was wearing their classic Dog Mama t-shirt on the day.

I ordered their sweater that says ‘grateful, thankful, blessed & Dog obsessed’.

For full details of all the amazing partner brands and supporters of the day and lots of photos you can see the post on The Dogvine: Celebrating Dog Mother’s Day at The Mutts and Mum’s Brunch.

All proceeds went to Animal Rescue Kefalonia Shelter (ARK).

The Four Legged Foodies is a great directory of dog-friendly places to eat out in London. The Four Legged Social Club hold some events, and this was the first Four Legged Foodie Fest.

I liked the seating area – it felt fine to just sit down with a coffee and take your time. I had a little macchiato as Electric Beans didn’t have Skimmed Milk.

The stalls showcased independent UK businesses making high-quality products, such as Hiro + Wolf who take a lot of design inspiration from Africa

The fashionable DOGLDN

And artist Kitty Draws Dogs.

My favourite stall was Whimsical Tails Co. They had made these cute peanut butter treats, and the inimitable Cedric the Pomeranian was modelling on the stall!

The LDN Craft Mini Bar was there as well as pasta and cupcake stalls for humans and several pet food brands.

Urban Mutts is a new dog Club and Hotel in the excellent location of the Westfield shopping centre in White City – I must pop in to see them soon.

When I got off at the train station I noticed these signs. To be honest I wish I could afford for my glass to always be half Fulham!

At the core of their campaigning and fundraising work PAAW House which stands for Pets Are Always Welcome advocate for pet-friendly homes.

The PAAWstival 2021 Charity Dog Awards and Mini Festival was a chic and polished afternoon at The Happenstance bar in St Paul’s.

There is a good write-up of the day here.

One of the nominees attending was Lyndsey Uglow who has recently brought out a book Leo & Friends: The Dogs with a Healing Touch about her pack of Golden Retrievers who work as therapy dogs at Southampton Children’s Hospital. I was excited to meet these dogs I follow on Twitter, and if some celebrities that you meet are disappointing – these have real star quality! They are big and so calm and reassuring. I felt my anxiety begin to melt as I placed my hand on one of the Dogtor’s heads!

The following Sunday I was on my way to All Dogs Matter Highgate Wood Dog Show when by chance I passed The Dog Olympix in Whittington Park.

I stopped for a while and they explained they are trying to raise money to get a Water Drinking Fountain for the park.

In Highgate Wood, it was really nice to see so many people out and about again after a long time for a large All Dogs Matter event.

I got the chance to meet Jane Elson, author of Moon Dog which is on my reading list, and dog expert and broadcaster Anna Webb.

Some familiar faces from TV were Michelle Collins and Kevin O’Sullivan who are long-term All Dogs Matter supporters.

It was by The Pavilion Café whose food looked nice and freshly-cooked and I would like to try lunch there one day although they did say they don’t have Skimmed Milk.

In other coffee news, Starbucks have confirmed we are officially into Pumpkin Spice Season!

Are you feeling autumnal? 🍂

It was really nice to meet the team behind Wagadoo.

They seem enthusiastic and innovative and are making good partnerships.

They hold events such as the Royal Tea Pawty at The Freud Museum, have a regular Instagram series of interviews with people from the dog world, and curate a pop-up shop with proceeds going to animal charities.

This was at The Organic Pharmacy in Primrose Hill to promote the Charlie & Co Naturals 100% natural range of dog shampoos and products.

It gave me the chance to walk around the beautiful Primrose Hill.

Afterwards I went to Joe & The Juice for a Skinny Cappuccino. I never really go to them despite their cool branding because I don’t get juice. But they were right opposite and their cute outside seating space looked inviting.