Rolodex - Series 11:
Milly Wilson & Suzie Bliss
“Our shelves are full to bursting with cookbooks which we’re always perusing – we’re particularly excited for Alison Roman’s next book ’Something From Nothing’, and ‘Lugma’ by Noot Murad has been a recent fave.”
Meet Milly Wilson & Suzie Bliss — Co-Founders of N5 Kitchen, a catering company and neighbourhood deli in Finsbury Park. Guided by a love of good food and generous hospitality, Suzie and Milly create seasonal dishes that feel both comforting and quietly elevated. From thoughtful catering spreads to the warm energy of their deli, their work celebrates flavour, quality, and the simple joy of food made with care.
How do you describe what you do and what do you love the most about it?
N5 Kitchen is catering business and café near Finsbury Park. During the week we make hundreds of meals across breakfast and lunch and send them out to crews on photoshoots & offices all over London. We also sell the lunches in our café along with delicious bakes on the counter.
What morning ritual or habit have you developed that sets you up for a better day?
We don’t have much of a morning ritual as we start ridiculously early (always before 6am), but as soon as breakfast is made and packed up we HAVE to have a cup of tea. That’s when the day really starts.
What’s your daily uniform?
Usually something comfy for running up and down the stairs between the kitchen and the café – jeans or baggy linen trousers or trackies. Then we have our N5 Kitchen long sleeves and jumpers. Anything that doesn’t mind the odd splatter of food…!
Where are you local to, and what’s your best neighbourhood recommendation?
We are between Finsbury, Highbury and Stoke Newington so are quite spoilt for good restaurants. We love Farang, burgers and chipolatas at The Plimsoll and Xi’an Impression for hand-pulled noodles. Seasons and Blossoms have the best groceries and Happening Bagel Bakery for bagels. We’ve also had some refreshing dips in the West Reservoir this year.
Which modern convenience couldn't you live without, and why?
Hands down Lime bikes – they whizz us into work at ungodly hours and make the effort of cycling at that time that bit easier. Also nifty for collecting hundreds of bagels from Happening Bagel Bakery up the road.
"For us, materially better means physical things that bring joy and generally make life better. Better means enhancing the everyday, like a super soft jumper, a silky pillowcase or something like the beautiful marble counter in the cafe."
What is your favourite piece of art, regardless of medium?
Not sure if this 100% counts but we went to Copenhagen last year and thought the design of Auren’s Deli was amazing. Their branding, atmosphere, interiors, menu and general vibes were simply stun.
What are you currently coveting, reading, watching and listening to?
We were both avid The Summer I Turned Pretty viewers until the last episode which divided our opinions... Our shelves are full to bursting with cookbooks which we’re always perusing – we’re particularly excited for Alison Roman’s next book ’Something From Nothing’, and ‘Lugma’ by Noot Murad has been a recent fave.
"You can really tell when time and care has been put into making quality materials, not only from the look and feel, but more importantly, its longevity."
How do you protect your time and attention from the constant demands of modern life?
Every day we make a conscious effort to sit down for a team lunch – we are always very spoilt with delicious leftovers or fun creations from our chefs. When we first started N5 Kitchen we used to work 7 days a week, but are now closed on weekends which is such a joy to be able to do in the hospitality industry.
How do you maintain human connection in an increasingly digital world?
The reason we wanted to start the cafe was to open the doors to the general public so they could enjoy our food. Our catering service is quite behind the scenes, so we love serving our regulars and gorgeous customers everyday.
What makes your life materially better?
Milly – Dogs.
Suzie – Tea.
Both – Nice crockery and flowers.
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