London's Old Kent Road Craftspeople Keep Tradition Alive

In a small polishing room off London's Old Kent Road, Benjamin Bryde stands surrounded by a haze of aluminum dust, turning raw metal into refined trays destined for the world's finest homes. His overalls are worn and the machinery is decades old, but his hands move with the calm precision of someone who truly knows their craft.

Bryde works at Kaymet, a manufacturer that's been producing handcrafted aluminum trays since 1947. The company's products end up in Harrods and Michelin-starred restaurants like The Ledbury, gracing everything from the Royal Yacht to elegant dining rooms across Britain.

"I'm a metal polisher from south London, specializing in refining aluminum surrounds for trays," Bryde explains with the directness of someone who takes pride in honest work. "It's all about precision, craftsmanship and bringing out the best in the metal."

His story is one of many captured in photographer Orlando Gili's new series documenting the makers who give the Old Kent Road its industrial backbone. The neighborhood, famously the cheapest tile on the Monopoly board, still houses workshops where skilled hands create objects of lasting beauty.

Gili spent months exploring hidden studios including London Stone Carving, one of the city's last commercial sculpture workshops, and Diespeker & Co, heritage marble specialists. The polishing room at Kaymet stopped him in his tracks.

"I was drawn to the polishing room, thick with dust, desaturating every surface," Gili recalls. He photographed Bryde during a brief tea break, capturing the young craftsman (a musician by night) in his element.

The Ripple Effect

Gili's series does more than document individual artisans. It reminds us that cities need makers, not just marketers and managers. These workshops provide steady jobs, preserve centuries-old skills, and prove that handmade quality still matters in our automated age.

"This series celebrates London's artisans and craftspeople who make their living through skill, precision and the art of working with their hands," Gili says. "In a world increasingly defined by screens and automation, this project highlights the beauty of craftsmanship and the enduring value of manual labor."

The contrast between dusty workshops and gleaming finished products tells its own story. When you see the process, you appreciate both the craft and the craftspeople behind each piece.

London still makes things, and the people who make them deserve to be seen.