A “Beano” is an old slang term for a feast - or a treat - as in “let’s go out for a jolly good beano!” so the comic was called “the Beano” implying “a feast of a read” -
I loved this light-hearted (and well-written) read about the mystery of the Beano chains in Kent! I’ve never heard of them, never been (but suspect after this some of us might search them out when we’re in the area), but am of the Beano era and this felt like a step back into my childhood, now captured in cheap and cheerful meals in a series of restaurants warmingly connected by family, community and immigrants settling down to build a life. Great read.
Really enjoyed this piece. In a similar vein, I have often wondered why so many Pakistani restaurants have Lahore in their name - Lahore Karahi, Lahore Kebab, Little Lahore, Taste of Lahore, Lahore Spice, Lahore Village and so on. At first I thought maybe they were franchises or run by members of a large extended family, but there are literally dozens and dozens so this explanation doesn't really make sense.
I remember visiting the Cally Road Beano cafe on a trip to London with my Dad when I was probably 10. We were looking for a greasy spoon for a proper breakfast and their 'gutbuster' fit the bill. It's a core food memory for me, great to read a bit more info about it and find that the sprit of the cafe lives on.
I hope that the families find new blood and new faces to keep these places running because even though I don't live in Kent the social role of these kind of places is so important. Forza to the independant Caffs in 2026!
I'm from Cliftonville and had always wondered if the Beano cafes were a chain. I loved reading this - it took me straight back home (I no longer live in Thanet). Thank you.
Tremendous article. Once in a lifetime scoop, I’m jealous as hell. Only fear is that venture capital fund will take over and open inferior Beanos from Aberdeen to Dubai.
As a foreigner who lived many years in the UK, I would choose this name for a caff as it alludes to one of the things everyone knows a proper caff serves, but more importantly because it sounds comfortably British - which helps if you’re trying to sell this sort of food to British people while being not-from-there.
Lovely read, but for my mind, there's no way in the world that the Beano could be described as a 90s comic. First pubished in 1938, it's heyday as comic was the 50s to the mid 80s which saw the creation of many of it's iconic characters - Dennis the Menace, Roger the Dodger, the Bash Street Kids etc.
I don’t think Rosella was describing it as a 90s comic - the 90s is an important decade to mention because it was arguably the most recent decade in which the Beano was culturally relevant, and also that is when the Beano cafes started.
I want to defend the Beano from accusations of contemporary irrelevance, even if the circulation has dropped. I suspect Rosella does not have a Beano-reading-aged child. I do and he's obsessed, and very many of his friends - boys and girls - read it too, and pass it around. They definitely do not read it with nostalgia, they just love it.
Anyway, slightly besides the point of the article - which I really enjoyed very much, thank you!
A “Beano” is an old slang term for a feast - or a treat - as in “let’s go out for a jolly good beano!” so the comic was called “the Beano” implying “a feast of a read” -
I loved this light-hearted (and well-written) read about the mystery of the Beano chains in Kent! I’ve never heard of them, never been (but suspect after this some of us might search them out when we’re in the area), but am of the Beano era and this felt like a step back into my childhood, now captured in cheap and cheerful meals in a series of restaurants warmingly connected by family, community and immigrants settling down to build a life. Great read.
Really enjoyed this piece. In a similar vein, I have often wondered why so many Pakistani restaurants have Lahore in their name - Lahore Karahi, Lahore Kebab, Little Lahore, Taste of Lahore, Lahore Spice, Lahore Village and so on. At first I thought maybe they were franchises or run by members of a large extended family, but there are literally dozens and dozens so this explanation doesn't really make sense.
I remember visiting the Cally Road Beano cafe on a trip to London with my Dad when I was probably 10. We were looking for a greasy spoon for a proper breakfast and their 'gutbuster' fit the bill. It's a core food memory for me, great to read a bit more info about it and find that the sprit of the cafe lives on.
Loved this! Pls bring the Beanos to Sussex!
Loved reading this! Thanks :)
Really enjoyed reading this, was expecting some 'illegal barbershop' twist but there was none
I hope that the families find new blood and new faces to keep these places running because even though I don't live in Kent the social role of these kind of places is so important. Forza to the independant Caffs in 2026!
I'm from Cliftonville and had always wondered if the Beano cafes were a chain. I loved reading this - it took me straight back home (I no longer live in Thanet). Thank you.
(banquettes)
Thank you, from a Kent lad and former Beano enjoyer
Tremendous article. Once in a lifetime scoop, I’m jealous as hell. Only fear is that venture capital fund will take over and open inferior Beanos from Aberdeen to Dubai.
As a foreigner who lived many years in the UK, I would choose this name for a caff as it alludes to one of the things everyone knows a proper caff serves, but more importantly because it sounds comfortably British - which helps if you’re trying to sell this sort of food to British people while being not-from-there.
What a lovely article!
Lovely read, but for my mind, there's no way in the world that the Beano could be described as a 90s comic. First pubished in 1938, it's heyday as comic was the 50s to the mid 80s which saw the creation of many of it's iconic characters - Dennis the Menace, Roger the Dodger, the Bash Street Kids etc.
I don’t think Rosella was describing it as a 90s comic - the 90s is an important decade to mention because it was arguably the most recent decade in which the Beano was culturally relevant, and also that is when the Beano cafes started.
I want to defend the Beano from accusations of contemporary irrelevance, even if the circulation has dropped. I suspect Rosella does not have a Beano-reading-aged child. I do and he's obsessed, and very many of his friends - boys and girls - read it too, and pass it around. They definitely do not read it with nostalgia, they just love it.
Anyway, slightly besides the point of the article - which I really enjoyed very much, thank you!
D.C. Thompson, get the IP lawyers on speed dial!!
Also: Jamie Dodgers were named after a character from The Beano