Techugees in Crimbo limbo: the start-up workers and assorted media mates who won't be home for Christmas

This year, social dining site Grub Club will bring together 40 young workers stranded in the capital for the festive period for an eclectic meal
Stranded: Grub Club co-founder Olivia Sibony, Xavier Ballester, Siddarth Vijayakumer and Jessica Trafford at their festive meal (Picture: Matt Writtle)
Joshi Herrmann24 December 2014

Traditionally, the only people left in central London on Christmas Day are dozens of enterprising photographers waiting for each other to move out of the way so they can get the perfect shot of an “eerily deserted” Oxford Street.

But this time they won’t be alone. In a roomy converted loft in the shadow of the Shard, 40 young workers stranded in the capital for the festive period will be sitting down for an eclectic meal, despite not knowing each other.

The event has been organised by a few technology companies to cater for London’s “techugees” — the start-up workers and assorted media mates whose relentless — and shoestring — work lives mean they can’t be with their family for Christmas.

The social dining site Grub Club has got the group together; the venue has been provided by Airbnb; in the absence of public transport tomorrow, black cab booking app Kabbee is ferrying the techugees to the event, and proceeds of the £5 ticket price will go to the homelessness charity Crisis.

“I volunteered at Crisis for a few years, and you realise when you are volunteering there that there are quite a few people in London on Christmas Day who can’t go home,” says Olivia Sibony, 34, co-founder of Grub Club. “There are a lot of doctors who have to be on call, and there are a lot of antipodeans and Asians who work in tech companies,” she says.

Like a surprising number of start-up founders, who treat the festive break as a good chance to put in extra planning work without the usual meetings and presentations, Sibony chooses not to join her parents in France. “Everyone is doing it [business] on a complete shoestring, so many are stuck in London, more by having a lack of cash than anything.” As well as the organising companies, the diners include employees of Google and Angel Investment Network.

The event started last year, and this year the techugees have been asked to bring dishes that remind them of their past Christmases. “Last year we had pavlovas and grilled seafood from the antipodeans, and we had beef rendang, which is something that Malaysians eat for Christmas,” says Sibony. “I’m bringing tomato tart because it reminds me most of my mum, and that’s who I think a lot of on Christmas Day.” Others are bringing roast goose, Brazilian bean and chorizo stew, almond cake, Keralan beef and coconut curry.

One of the attendees is West Hampstead-dwelling Daniel Elkan, 41, founder of Snowcarbon — a site that helps skiiers get up mountains by train. “I know lots of people who are Christmas orphans in London, who are getting together in twos or threes or fours, but the idea of a random group of interesting people who appreciate food getting together to celebrate Christmas was so tempting.

“I will have a nice cycle through the quiet streets,” he says.

There is a waiting list of more than 80 for the event, but Sibony says she has kept a few spaces free so that any lonely techugees reading this piece have a chance to join in. Go to grubclub.com.

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