Life copies satire

From The Evening Standard:

The arrival of sandwich chain Pret A Manger in Brick Lane has sparked claims that one of the most creative neighbourhoods in London is losing its soul.

Opponents claim the opening is a sign of the Shoreditch area’s gentrification and called for the protection of independent businesses. The outlet, on the corner of Bethnal Green Road and the north section of Brick Lane, was formerly the Von Tromp pub, which closed in 1990, and was most recently the Benets of Cambridge ice cream parlour.

Jay Sword, 25, a global account manager, said: “It’s gentrification. I’ve lived here for four years and the area has become more commercial, pushing out smaller independents, which are friendlier. Pret have another branch just 200 metres away. It doesn’t have a soul.”

To his credit, the journalist managed to get sound bites from others with typical hipster job descriptions...

From the comments:

Red onion A Global account manager, a TV producer, a Costume maker and a Social media co-ordinator bemoan the way Brick Lane is being ‘gentrified’. You could not make it up.