SE23 Forum

Can I suggest to admin that as this thread is not helping anyone that it is deleted so that we can all get on with our lives. As winter is already here icecream is far from our minds.

I don't agree, you can't just delete threads because they attract a lot of views if anything it should have been taken down right at the beginning when a local shop was named and shamed, but to late now!

Ice cream all year round for me. What better to cheer you up on a cloudy miserable day that a nice ice cream. My local is the Blythe (I'm really pushing the SE23 thing as I think my street is the last one off Stansted Road before the SE6 postcode starts/ends) and there nothing better than a nice warm ale in there when it's raining outside and the fire is crackling. Add some ice cream to that and WOW. (I think I'm being serious...
If either business wants me to try their ice cream and give a verdict, I'm very happy to do it for free.
Andrew.

I actually feel quite sorry for Sugar Mountain. It is very hard work setting up and running a business and it can't be nice to have a shop set up a few doors down that is in direct competition. She's invested a lot of money and now she's been undercut. I know no one owes her a living and competition is good, but I still feel sorry for her. Sugar Mountain has been a fabulous addition to the high street (as has its owner - contrary to some opinions on this thread). She's held craft workshops for the kids, she gives them lollies on their birthdays, she organises collections for people when they're in hospital, she was fundraising for someone's funeral when I went in on Saturday. Forest Hill would be poorer without her.

Thank you for your post Deano :-) It has just made me cry but also made me aware that some locals care. Thank you so much, very much apppreciated by me. Thank you :-)

P.S Yes, my shopfit cost a lot because I wanted to make it special. so thank you for pointing this out too. Thanks again so much, I won't be going away anytime soon as I would upset too many kids.

Thanks

Pauline

You are right Deano, 'it is hard work setting up and running a business'. I doubt that having a fellow trader throwing a tantrum and attempting to do your trade serious harm helps. Pauline seems determined to try and drive customers from a fellow shop. Please don't try and dress it up as anything else.
You know the potential implications of your actions if you are reporting people to the authorities; don't play dumb.
It was bad enough she was badmouthing the store on facebook, but it has turned into a real campaign for her. Contacting Trading standards, the local councillors, posting on SE23.com.
When I pointed out on here that she had described her ice cream on facebook as 'homemade' I was told to get a life...
Doing a collection for someones funeral does not give you the right to get hysterically damaging about fellow traders.
Personally, I have no wish to use her shop. If I fancy some old fashioned retro sweets, I can order them on the internet.
If I want some freshly made-on-the-premises ice cream, I shall go to Il Mirtos. If I want ice cream that was mass produced in a factory, and sat in huge freezer stores for months until it was ordered by a shop, I'll pop round to Sainsburys.
I am as shocked by the unprofessional behaviour as I am in admiration of the dignity of the owner of Il Mirtos. He has refused to rise to all the attacks on him, and I think it speaks for itself that his shop has more customers.

You're entitled to your view, of course CrustyRack. I was just saying that Sugar Mountain does loads for Forest Hill that many people never see. This has not been Dartmouth Road's finest hour but just didn't want her good work to go unnoticed.

Thanks for mentioning this, Deano. I didn't know any of this, though I have to say I'm not hugely surprised. Pauline is clearly a local businesswoman who is passionate on very many levels.

Now, then, folks: can we all of us just draw a line under this and get back to hoping for more ice cream weather?

Here Here.

http://youtu.be/-0pfP_MD6xA

Well, they don't make 'em like that anymore, Andrew1976!

How sad that a local business owner - P1971 - has decided to resort to such low and unprofessional tactics in the face of a new business. Sadly this isn't the first time - I remember all the fuss stirred up by them when the lovely Horniman Farmers Market opened. I'm all for supporting local businesses but none have a divine right to exist, especially those whose attitude sucks. I for one will be going out of my way to visit Il Mirto and to avoid Sugar Mountain, who have made a bitter tasting mountain out of a molehill.

So much for drawing a line under this...

Its a public forum that you have no control over. If you do not want to read any further replies, then don't click on the thread. Simple.
Some people may have not visited SE23.com for a few weeks. They are entitled to an opinion the same as anyone else.

Well, of course everyone's entitled to express their opinion - but do we all have to keep banging on the same old drum? It's only when you read a posting that you know whether it's something new and interesting or the same old stuff being repeated.

The argument's been had. Let it be over, now. Please.

PS, my response was light hearted. I am indifferent to if the thread carries on or not.

Snazy, I thought your reply was hilarious! I don't mind if the thread carries on, I'm just fed up with the on-going sniping, insults and general unpleasantness. That's not the way this thread started (and don't, please, anyone start finger-pointing about why the thread degenerated the way it did!). Unless anyone has anything new to add, can we not just drop it?

I must say I hate the way that people are suggesting boycotting Sugar Mountain because of this furore.
I ,like Pauline am very passionate about what I do, and in the past I too because I care, because of that passion have opened my mouth and put my foot in things.
As previously mentioned she does a great deal for the local community and yes, perhaps she has overreacted as a knee jerk reaction to things she sees as a threat to her business.
But give her a break.
She has a good heart and doesn't deserve to have this impact on her takings.
lord knows making a living must be difficult enough.

I have always been an employee. But I do understand business. As an employee I have never had the concerns that troubled my employers e.g. investing their own money in the business. Also my income was certain. Life for a businessperson is not so cosy. Billy Butlin told one of my friends that every evening he had to go home and think about his business.
I don't think that Pauline has been unreasonable. Competition should be fair. Tony Blair would probably have said "transparent".
My grandmother was ruthless in dealing with her competitors. In fact competition with her business on price was not allowed! Other businesses have also attempted to eradicate rivals. This why America has the Anti-Trust laws.

My personal assessment is that Pauline has given Il Mirto a lot of free publicity! In fact I may pop in both establishments. To illustrate how this works I share the following:-
I once served a High Court writ on a film producer and he said "Oh good! Free publicity! Come in and have a drink and watch the film!"

I agree that the publicity this has generated for Il Mirto is priceless and hope this has increased its footfall.

Following on from the very first post on this thread, I am also absolutely delighted that Il Mirto has opened on Dartmouth Road.

Its unique offering of in-house freshly prepared, absolutely delicious Italian ice creams, means I no longer have to dream of the ice creams had on holidays in Italy. I can have them in Forest Hill! Because they are freshly made in their premises, they are extra creamy and super tasty.

The Italian owners are very charming, friendly and extremely knowledgeable of the products they are selling, which adds to the charm of this shop.

I have also tried some of their freshly sliced hams and now pop by on a weekly basis to buy these to make sandwiches or have as antipasti. I served an antipasti platter for friends in early July and this included Il Mirto's: Speck ham (it's like a Parma ham but smokier - so delicious), prosciutto, Milano salami plus, spicy salami plus their olives. My friends loved it. As all is freshly sliced it tastes so much better than the pre-sliced stuff you buy in supermarkets.

Last week they also had a 'wine of the week' offer for £7. We bought a bottle to try (sorry can't remember what it was as bottle has been recycled) but it had the 'denominazione di origine controllata' writing on it so it means it's likely to be a quality wine and its quality is controlled (something along those lines!). The wine was great and we'll definitely be trying their other wines.

The feeling I get is that the owners know what good Italian produce is and are selling this at decent prices. I cannot recommend this place more and I hope they do really well.

I also thought to clarify that no, I am not Il Mirto in disguise and am not affiliated in any way to this shop. I am simply a local resident so pleased to have a real Italian deli so close to my home. It's been a great addition
to the other great existing shops on Dartmouth Road.