South London shopkeeper and three other independents are immortalised by royal portrait artists in a public exhibit that honours community‑driven businesses.
From October 28 to November 2, a free exhibition titled Local Royalty will showcase the portraits of four small-business owners who have become pillars of their neighbourhoods. The project, commissioned by Coca-Cola, puts ordinary shopkeepers on a canvas usually reserved for members of the British royal family.
The display will be housed at the Saatchi Gallery in London, turning the traditionally elite art form into a celebration of everyday entrepreneurship.
Among the featured subjects is Kaual Patel, the proprietor of Torridon Convenience Store in Catford, South East London.
Patel took over the corner shop from his father and uncle in 2000 and has since turned it into a gathering point for local residents, championing independent producers and community events. His portrait was rendered live in the shop by acclaimed portraitist Nick Bashall, whose résumé includes official likenesses of HRH Princess Anne and senior military figures.
The Local Royalty campaign and its artistic collaborators
The initiative pairs four entrepreneurs with four internationally recognised artists, each of whom has previously painted a member of the royal household. Bashall, who captured Patel’s likeness on site, described the experience as “painting amidst a crowd of curious customers, all wondering what was happening.” The other three artists are equally distinguished: Nicky Philipps, three-time portraitist to the late Queen Elizabeth II, painted Pindy Kaur, owner of Ocean Fish Bar in Barnsley; Gareth Reid, who has rendered King Charles III during his Prince of Wales years, sat with Gino Verecchia of University Café in Glasgow; and Jamie Coreth, the creator of the first official portrait of the Prince and Princess of Wales in, painted Simon Dafforn-Jones, landlord of the historic Ferry Boat Inn in Dittisham, Devon.
Coreth’s commission typically starts at more than £20,000. He visited the Riverside pub, photographed its interior, and later completed the portrait in his Wiltshire studio. The resulting work is too large for the inn’s walls, so a smaller replica will hang there while the original remains at Dafforn-Jones’s home.
Community impact and charitable donations
Beyond the artistic spectacle, each participant receives a monetary donation earmarked for a charity of their choice. Patel directed his share to the Corbett Community Library, an independent reading hub in Catford. Dafforn-Jones plans to support local youth projects in Devon, while the other owners have selected charities that reflect their regional priorities.
Research commissioned by Coca-Cola revealed that 79 % of the public feels independent businesses are undervalued. Dusan Stojankic, vice-president for Great Britain and Ireland at Coca-Cola, summed up the campaign’s purpose: “Independent businesses are the backbone of modern Britain. This exhibition is an ode to the people who keep them thriving.”
The exhibition also marks a milestone: 175 years since the “modern British high street” emerged from the Victorian shopping revolution of 1851. By featuring small-scale retailers alongside royal portraiture, the project underscores how today’s high streets continue to shape community life.
Personal reflections from the shop floor
Patel recalled the day Bashall set up his easel inside the store: “The days I spent being painted by Nick, live in the shop, were unforgettable. It wasn’t created behind closed doors in a studio; it happened right here, surrounded by the people who make our community special.” He added that watching customers react—some puzzled, others intrigued—added a layer of meaning he never expected.
Similarly, Dafforn-Jones expressed surprise at being selected: “It’s just incredible. It doesn’t happen to people like us. To be picked at random, out of the blue, rather than entering a competition is amazing.” The portrait, he said, will serve as a reminder that ordinary places can hold extraordinary stories.
Visitors to the Saatchi Gallery will have the chance to view each canvas, learn about the owners’ contributions, and consider the broader role of independent enterprises in shaping British culture. The exhibit runs until November 1, with an additional public viewing window extending to November 2 at selected partner locations.
