Welcome to the House of Fun

At the bottom of No1 Street, behind the doors of a former 19th century guardhouse building you will find one of the most unique offerings at Berkeley’s Royal Arsenal Riverside. ‘House of Denna’ combines food and drink with craft workshops, where creatives can assemble, use their imagination and meet likeminded individuals. Put simply, it has captured the hearts and minds of residents, people that the business owner Denna Giddons, 39, can count as her neighbours having lived at the riverside development since 2013.

 

“The support of the community here has been mind blowing. At the start I was running the business on my own and learning everything that comes with it. Now, I have some great members of staff who also live here too. We have been able to extend our offering from hot and

colds drinks and pastries to meals throughout the day. We are also dog-friendly, making it the perfect pit-stop during those leisurely walks by the river. What I love most is the fact that ‘House of Denna’ has filled a gap in the market, due to its flexibility. Within a matter of moments it can be transformed from a café into a workshop or event space, capable of hosting cocktail evenings and karaoke events.”

After opening in July last year (2023), it did not take long for ‘House of Denna’ to be recognised for its contribution to the community, when it was nominated for the 2023 Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards. Held at Intercontinental Hotel, Greenwich Peninsula on Friday 10th November the event was a chance to champion local businesses and find out who would be crowned the winners in the 12 categories (full list can be found here), which ranged from Tourism and Culture to Professional Services (sponsored by Berkeley). Over 8,000 votes were cast by the public to decide who would win the High Street Business, Market or Mobile Trader and Best Food and Drink venue categories, the latter of which was won by Denna who said:

 

 “I honestly had no inclination that I would win. For me just being nominated after five months of operation was success in itself. When 

they read out the winner, I was in a complete state of shock. I could not believe it. Other winners had prepared speeches but I could hardly talk, it was just a very surreal moment. Looking back, I am just so grateful to everyone who made it possible. Not just my customers but South Eastern Enterprise for helping me navigate owning a business, my parents, suppliers and Berkeley.”

With a successful business now in full flow and a range of events taking place each month, Denna revealed that the journey to get to this point was not straightforward and how her passion stemmed from a family member.

 

“Back in the 70’s and 80’s my grandfather was a jeweller in Hatton Garden. Here he was able to use his creativity to make the most wonderful pieces that brought smiles to faces of the rich and famous. It always fascinated me of how you could take a piece of metal and transform it into a piece of art that could be worn. His passion inspired me to follow the same path and start making my own bespoke jewellery.

“The launch of the Royal Arsenal Farmers Market in 2015 proved to be a game changer for me. It allowed me to set up a stall and start selling my jewellery. It also allowed me to interact with customers and promote my jewellery making workshops.

 

“In order to supplement my income I undertook various jobs hospitality and health and wellbeing sectors at Royal Arsenal Riverside.”

 

With so much achieved already, Denna truly believes she has turned a dream into reality and can’t wait for what the rest of the year will bring.

 

“Don’t get me wrong, it is hard work. The early mornings and sometimes late finishes. However, I am having a lot of fun in the process. All of the feedback I have had in person and on social media has been incredibly positive. This gives me even more motivation to succeed and grow the business.”