Consume- London lives - The Polish builder With Asian food to sample and HampsteadHeath to chill out on, builder Marek Gryz has no plans to return to Poland, hetells Kate Riordan
Kate Riordan
13 June 2007
Time Out
Pg.152
English
Copyright2007. Time Out Communications Limited.
'Londonis a rush,' says 42 year-old Marek Gryz, who moved permanently to the UK withhis wife and son when Poland joined the EU in 2004. He now owns a constructioncompany which employs young Polish men but unlike many of his team, who comeover temporarily to make money to send back home, Gryz has no plans to return.London is where he wants to grow his business and, as he says, 'My home iswhere my family is, not where I was born.'
Comingfrom the quiet town of Jaworzno, in the south of Poland, London initiallyseemed 'busy, always busy, and standing on Oxford Street during shopping hoursa sort of hell'. He's now happily ensconced in quiet Colindale and hasdiscovered Hampstead Heath and Richmond Park as sources of calm and relaxation.
Since2004, 228,000 Poles have registered to live and work in the UK but the actualfigure is thought to be half a million, nearly 1 per cent of the UK population.And London's Polish community is increasing fast: 'As well as north-west Londonwhere I am, in areas like Willesden Junction and Shepherd's Bush, there aremany Polish people; there are large communities in Ealing and Hammersmith. Lotsof people stick there.' Nevertheless, Gryz has, perhaps unusually, chosen tocut ties with his native country; much of what he hears about the London-Polishscene comes via his building team. 'There is a different attitude in Poland andI don't miss it. Here, people help each other more.' Refreshingly, he doesn'tbelieve he has suffered any discrimination since settling in the UK.
Gryz'sdetermined integration extends to what he puts in his shopping basket. 'I loveAsian food and go to the Chinese supermarkets. Ironically, my wife and I don'tdo much Polish food. We do make Polish soup, though: barszcz, made withbeetroot, and ogorkowa, consisting of pork stock and grated cucumbers in brine.We do sometimes make golabki, which look a bit like spring rolls but use leaveswrapped around minced meat, rice and cabbage. We try to eat freshly- preparedfood but sometimes I'll have a KFC. When I'm really starving it's the onlysolution.' Polish lager is popular with his team - Gryz recommends Lech andZubr.
Asfor music, 'my team listens to Polish radio when we are working but I likeeverything,' he says. 'One month it will be Bryan Adams, another month it'sMetallica. I also have a drum kit - it's a kind of therapy.'
Healso loves our mild climate: 'When I went back to Poland in February for work,it was 8 deg here and minus -30 deg there! I always disliked the extreme cold.'
Finally,we have to ask: why do so many Polish people here work in the building trade?'If you go back a few years, it was a really hard time in Poland. Everythingcame back to money so if people could do DIY - mend their houses themselves -they did. One of the guys I employed wasn't a trained carpenter but he had doneDIY in Poland and found he was good at it. Now people have heard that plumbingis well paid and they're trying that.' So, is the influx of Polish workerslikely to slow down soon? 'No. A guy I work with said - I don't know if it'strue - that 600 Polish people arrive in London by coach every day.'
Marek'sLondon
Daquise
The oldest Polish restaurant in London, established in 1947, where you'll find allthe old Polish favourites, such as galabki, bigos, pierogi and placki.
20 Thurloe St, SW7 (020 7589 6117).
Na Zdrowie
Featured in the 'Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide', this popular bar and cafe boastsan absurdly large selection of Polish vodkas and beers.
11Little Turnstile St, WC1 (020 7831 9679).
Polish Social & Cultural Association
Free cultural facilities for London-based Poles, including a large library,restaurant and theatre.
238-246King St, W6 (020
8741 1940).
Polish Specialities
This deli - now a chain - is quickly becoming the shop of choice for homesick London Poles.
226-228King St, W6 (020 8741 8686).
Polanka
A Polish food shop with a restaurant at the back. Traditional, wood-heavy decor complements comforting, filling food at reasonable prices.
258King St, W6 (020 8741 8268).
Radio Orla
A station aimed at Polish, English and Irish listeners, with a 40:60 British to Polish output.
