Four of Britain’s leading royal portrait artists have revealed new works, but instead of depicting members of the Royal Family, they have painted café, pub, takeaway and corner shop owners from across the country.
The portraits mark 175 years since the birth of the modern British high street, with its roots tracing back to the Victorian shopping revolution of 1851.
Local Royalty, a new free public exhibition at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery, depicts four local business owners who have been immortalised in a manner historically reserved for royalty, titans of industry and stars of stage and screen, celebrating the contribution independent businesses make in their local communities.
The portraits, commissioned by Coca-Cola GB to recognise the impact of local businesses on Britain’s high streets, have been painted by some of the country’s most celebrated artists, each of whom has had an official commission to paint a member of the Royal Family. They come as new research Coca-Cola** reveals that 79% of the public believes the contributions of independent businesses are underappreciated.
The subjects and artists are:
- Pindy Kaur, owner of Ocean Fish Bar in Barnsley, painted by Nicky Philipps, three-time portrait painter to the late Queen Elizabeth II
- Simon Dafforn-Jones, landlord of the Ferry Boat Inn in Dittisham, South Devon, painted by Jamie Coreth, who painted the first official portrait of the now Prince and Princess of Wales
- Gino Verecchia, proprietor of University Café in Glasgow, painted by Gareth Reid, portrait artist to King Charles III while he was Prince of Wales
- Kaual Patel, owner of Torridon Convenience Store in Catford, South East London, painted by Nick Bashall, portrait painter to Princess Anne
The high street as we know it today formed in 1851 when Britain had become the world’s first urbanised nation with more than half its population living in towns and cities*. As urban populations boomed, high streets flourished, evolving from traditional marketplaces into bustling centres of commerce, with purpose-built shops and covered markets at the heart of local communities.
Nicky Philipps, three-time portrait painter to HM Queen Elizabeth II, said: “It was a privilege to be asked by Coca-Cola to portray such a local heroine on canvas. I wanted to keep the background to a minimum because this story is about a woman who feeds her locality with a generosity of spirit as well as keeping the community body and soul together over many years. Pindy is clearly the fish and chip queen of the north”.
Jamie Coreth, portrait painter to TRH The Prince & Princess of Wales, said: “Honouring everyday people is a continuation of the same tradition that portrait painters have engaged in for centuries. As soon as I went and met Simon, saw this pub, I understood why he was chosen by Coca-Cola. It’s an appealing place to go and spend some time, and clearly a central part of the local community.”
Coca-Cola’s research also found that 8 in 10 (79%) said their local community would be worse off without independent business, while 87% described them as an essential part of life in Great Britain.
The public has concerns about the headwinds faced by such businesses. 83% said they are facing unprecedented challenges, while 80% want to see them celebrated more often. Their place in everyday life is clear, with almost half (49%) saying they would struggle to live without corner shops, and 37%, 35% and 31% respectively saying the same of cafes, takeaways and pubs.
Dusan Stojankic, Vice President and General Manager of Great Britain & Ireland at Coca-Cola said: “Independent businesses are the backbone of modern Britain. The businessmen and women who run them work tirelessly and sit at very centre of their communities. Coca-Cola is proud to have worked alongside them for more than 125 years, and with 97% of the products we sell here also produced here, we’re invested in local communities. This exhibition is an ode to the people who keep them thriving. Put simply, they are local royalty.”
Each business owner will also receive a donation for a local charity of their choice and the finished portrait, which they can display in their home or business and pass down through their family for generations.
Local Royalty celebrates the contribution independent business owners make to their local communities and the vital role they play on Britain’s high streets.
The exhibition is free to attend and open to the public from 28th October to 1st November. Find out more about Local Royalty and the exhibition here: https://www.coca-cola.com/gb/
