Artist Lucy Sparrow transforms a Mayfair gallery into The Bourdon Street Chippy, a tactile, immersive felt reconstruction of a traditional fish and chip shop featuring handcrafted food items and detailed interiors, celebrating British cultural nostalgia.
Artist Lucy Sparrow has created an immersive and nostalgic installation in London’s Mayfair with The Bourdon Street Chippy, a traditional fish and chip shop crafted entirely from felt. Situated within the Lyndsey Ingram Gallery, the 46-square-metre space has been transformed into a strikingly authentic yet entirely fabric-based chippy. Everything from the fish and chips to the shop interior, including menus, signage, and seating, comprises 65,000 meticulously handcrafted felt pieces.
Sparrow, known for her tactile and imaginative reconstructions of everyday spaces—such as previous felt supermarkets and sex shops—chose the fish and chip shop as her latest subject due to its iconic status as a beloved British institution. She explained to Dezeen that her work focuses on shared experience and nostalgia, celebrating communal places familiar to many. “The chippy is such a strong example of that,” she noted.
The production process was extensive, spanning eight months to complete the staggering volume of individual felt components. Fifteen distinct chip shapes in five different colours were created to mimic the variety and authenticity of a real fish and chip shop. The “cooked” meals feature googly-eyed fish, chips, mushy peas, battered sausages, pies, and condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegar, and sea salt crystals—all hand-stitched by Sparrow.
The installation’s interior includes handmade banquette seating and a traditional counter crafted from fabric. Walls are adorned with blue-and-white felt tiles and decorated in the style of classic chip shops, featuring menus, shop signs, and a “wall of fame” showcasing over 50 hand-painted portraits of actors, artists, and celebrities. Among them is a portrait of Tracey Emin, who both inspires Sparrow and has previously visited her earlier exhibition at Bourdon Street.
Describing her creative approach, Sparrow said her installations represent “felt realities” or parallel universes where the familiar becomes alien yet authentic, aiming to transport visitors to a new yet recognizable place. Visitors to The Bourdon Street Chippy can also purchase the felted food items, allowing the tactile experience to be taken home.
Open from 1 August to 14 September 2025, the exhibition is free to the public and offers a unique blend of craftsmanship, humour, and cultural homage to one of Britain’s most beloved culinary traditions. The Bourdon Street Chippy continues Sparrow’s exploration of nostalgic communal spaces, inviting visitors to engage with an art form that reimagines everyday life through fabric and imagination.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is current, with the exhibition opening on 1 August 2025 and the article published on 6 August 2025. No evidence of recycled or outdated content was found. The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
Direct quotes from Lucy Sparrow and Lyndsey Ingram are consistent across multiple reputable sources, indicating originality. No discrepancies or variations in wording were found.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from Dezeen, a reputable design and architecture publication, enhancing its credibility.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims about the exhibition’s details, including the number of felt pieces and the variety of items, are consistent with information from other reputable outlets. The narrative includes specific factual anchors, such as dates, locations, and names, supporting its authenticity.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is fresh, original, and sourced from a reputable outlet. All claims are plausible and supported by specific details, with no signs of disinformation or recycled content.
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