We took the keys to a 280-square-foot box room in a warehouse split between a riso printer, a kombucha brewer and us. Here is the first week — what worked, what nearly burnt down.
Day 1 · The bench is a folding table
We did not start with a bench. We started with a folding table from Argos and a kettle. The pile of test consoles arrived in three trips on the 55 bus from a friend storing them in Walthamstow. The first PS Vita got its battery swap on a wooden chopping board with a USB-C lamp from a market on Cheshire Street.
Day 3 · First Royal Mail collection
We had four orders ready by Wednesday morning. Royal Mail collection is at 18:00 from a fixed box on Coronet Street; we made it by 17:55, packaging tape still warm. The first parcel went to Leicester — a Hollow Knight cartridge for Switch with the welcome drop taped to the inside of the lid.
Day 5 · The riso printer next door
The printer who shares our wall is called Mira and she has been making zines since 2014. She printed our first sticker run for the welcome drop in exchange for a Switch Lite that needed a Joy-Con drift repair. Two-hour barter; the stickers came back smelling of solvent. Worth it.
Day 7 · Hades arrives
A friend brought in a Hades physical edition still in shrink-wrap. We had to fight the urge to keep it. It sold within 30 minutes of going up. The order came from Glasgow; tracking showed it touched the bench, the bag and the doorbell in 27 hours flat.
Bench note · what week two needs
A proper bench. A second monitor. A bin for the riso ink stains we keep tracking onto Mira's floor.
Written from the bench in Hoxton. The Tavern dispatches indie & hardcore titles Mon–Sat. Browse the shelf.
