Philippe Castaing

"Something new is needed, something bold and brave to stimulate change."

If Philippe casts his mind back 15 years to the day he left France, he might still be shocked at how introducing an ice cream maker to the UK led him to championing ‘Brixton Green’- the initiative to make Brixton ‘the silicon valley for green enterprise’.

Along the way, Philippe has catered for his share of high fliers (Elton John and Gordon Ramsay for starters), grafted to establish his own business - the Opus Café and the Upstairs Bar and Restaurant, both of which are run along sustainability principles, and become involved in a London-wide ‘Greener Food Campaign’.

Philippe’s catering consultancy may have exposed the entrepreneur to the leading lights of British culture and food industry but it wasn’t until 2001 that he hit home in Brixton, rescuing a derelict chemist in Brixton and opening the Opus Café. Renovation of the upstairs part of the building in 2005, created the Upstairs Bar and Restaurant to complement the café below.

The experience of setting up shop was hard-hitting. Painfully aware of Brixton’s poor business performance, Philippe took it upon himself to try and address its underlying causes, and just as importantly, what could be done to improve performance.

Philippe believes that the Brixton business community needs a new image. Not one imposed from outside but one created and believed in by the existing community. It was this faith in Brixton combined with a broader vision for green industry to become the new industrial revolution, that led to the concept of Brixton Green being born in the summer of 2006.

"A sustainable community for me means more than just green business, but access to services, skills, and a safe environment with opportunities for jobs and personal development without having to leave Brixton. Environmental business is a great place to start. With the right business ethos, good practice is passed to employees who adopt a similar ethic in their own lives."

Philippe’s work doesn’t stop at developing and driving the concept of Brixton Green. As the owner of a sustainably aware restaurant business, Philippe became involved with the work of the Greener Food Campaign. The Greener Food Campaign aims to help small and medium sized enterprises from across London’s food and drink sector to embed more sustainable business practices. "The message is simple: saving energy, reducing waste, and conserving water is not just good for the environment, it saves you money and as a small business this is a number one priority."

My commitment
"Serving the community is central to me as a person. The Brixton community has given me business success and now I want to give back to this community, help it flourish, so there is a future for my children and the children of everyone in Brixton."

"My commitment is to turn the Brixton Green concept into a reality. The Brixton business community is ripe for change and through new partnerships focused on green business and community development, I believe we can drive sustainable change and improve quality of life for Brixton’s residents whilst delivering the aspiration to be London’s green business hub."