A Catford corner shop owner has been revealed as one of four independent business owners that have been painted by royal portrait artists for a new public exhibition at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery in Knightsbridge.
Kaual Patel, owner of Torridon Convenience Store, in South East London, has been painted by Nick Bashall, an acclaimed London portrait artist who previously painted Princess Anne. The portrait marks 175 years since the birth of the modern British high street, with its roots tracing back to the Victorian shopping revolution of 1851.
Kaual’s portrait is part of Local Royalty, a campaign by Coca-Cola Great Britain recognising the contribution independent businesses make in their local communities. The exhibition will be open to the public from 28 October to 2 November at the Saatchi Gallery in London, one of Britain’s leading art galleries.
The exhibition depicts Kaual alongside three other local business owners who have been immortalised in a manner historically reserved for royalty, titans of industry and stars of stage and screen, in recognition of the often under-appreciated impact of local businesses on Britain’s high streets.
The portraits have been painted by some of the country’s most celebrated portrait artists, each of whom has had an official commission to paint a member of the Royal Family. Kaual was painted by Nick Bashall, who alongside capturing HRH Princess Anne, has painted leading military figures during his time travelling to warzones.
As a proud South East Londoner, Kaual took over the store from his Dad and Uncle, and has spent two decades making it a true hub for the local community and championing local and independent producers.
Kaual Patel, owner of Torridon Convenience Store described the process: “The days I spent being painted by Nick, live in the shop, were unforgettable, but what made it truly special was seeing it through the eyes of my customers.
This wasn’t created behind closed doors in a studio. It happened right here, in the store, surrounded by the people who make our community so special. Seeing their expressions, hearing their reactions and watching the portrait come to life alongside them created memories I’ll never forget. This simply doesn’t happen to an everyday shopkeeper.”
Nick Bashall, portrait painter to HRH The Princess Royal Anne, said: “Coca-Cola is celebrating independent businesses, and Kaual Patel, as the owner of a convenience store, is a wonderful example. The whole experience unfolded in the store, as I stood at my easel and painted Kaual and the entire background on the spot, with people milling around us. It was great fun watching his customers’ faces as they came in, clearly wondering what was going on, but also intrigued by it all.”
Joining Kaual in the exhibition will be the owners of a takeaway, café and pub who have been painted by renowned portraitists Nicky Philipps, Gareth Reid and Jamie Coreth. These artists have painted Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III and the Prince and Princess of Wales respectively.
The portraits come as new research* from Coca-Cola Great Britain reveals that 79% of the public believes that the contributions of independent business owners to their local communities is underappreciated. A further 8 in 10 (79%) said their local community would be worse off without independent businesses, while 87% said they are an essential part of life in Great Britain.
There is also widespread concern for the headwinds faced by such businesses, with 83% saying they are facing unprecedented challenges and 80% wanting to see them celebrated more often. Most tellingly, 49% said they would struggle to live without corner shops, with 37%, 35% and 31% 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, like Kaual’s, are the backbone of modern Britain. The businessmen and women that run them work tirelessly and are at the very centre of their communities. We’re proud to have worked alongside them for more than 125 years, and with 97% of our products sold here also being produced and bottled here, we’re invested in local communities. This exhibition is an ode to them. 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. Kaual has chosen Corbett Community Library, an independent library at the heart of the local community.
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 the third instalment in Coca-Cola GB’s campaign celebrating the impact of its independent retail partners on their local communities and economies, following The Bosses and Counter Cultures.
