People / My Bristol Favourites
My Bristol favourites: Grace Shutti
Grace Shutti is a journalist at Rife, Bristol’s youth-led online platform. Since starting a music blog aged 16, she has found herself working in the music industry with and for the artists she used to write about. Her interests include long-form Buzzfeed articles, black girls doing excellent things and looking at trainers on the internet.
Here’s Grace talking to Lady Leshurr ahead of the Birmingham grime artist’s recent gig at the Colston Hall as part of Bristol Plays Music’s Switch event:
is needed now More than ever
Here are Grace’s top-five Bristol favourites:
Bao Wow
“I’ve just moved to Bristol and when I go to new cities I like to a do a reconnaissance of the food scene. I’m always planning my next meal so finding my ‘place’ was essential. Bao Wow on Baldwin Street was the first restaurant I went to when I arrived and it’s easily one of my favourites. Their banh mi is delicious and the meat fillings are always tasty and tender.”
Bristol’s bombed churches
“Despite the sad state of affairs that made them this way, I love being able to see the bare bones of these buildings that were once sacred places of worship. I always think about the ways they can be repurposed to serve communities in the future, without altering what the past made them. Sanctum, the live arts installation Theaster Gates held at the ruined Temple Church, is a brilliant example of how a building solidified in the past can be brought into the future. Plus, there’s something something to be said about being able to see the intricacy of the architecture and the sky at the same time.”
St Nick’s Market
“I love the bustle, the smell of food wafting across the arcade and the fact that you can find anything and everything in there. Without fail I’ll browse through some vinyl at Payback Records (above), pick up a second-hand book at Beware of the Leopard and make a pit-stop for some cake at Ahh Toots.”
The Watershed
“The cinema here is perfect for my independent film needs. I love movies where everything blows up as much as the next person, but the movie selection at the Watershed is good if you’re looking for movies with a more personal touch.”
Buses
“Apparently I’m alone in this, but my bus journey in the morning is a highlight of my day. Everyone is happy and chatting no matter how early it is and the views you get of Bristol are also incredible. I like to sit on the top deck of the number 50 bus and see the spread of the city from the hill on Axbridge Road in Knowle.”
Photos by Darren Shepherd