Quaff Records

Name: Phil Asher
Comment: I've been surrounded by music and vinyl from an early age; my dad worked in a record store, bringing home all the latest releases to me. Enterprisingly, I would slyly slip them into my schoolbag and take them to school, subsequently selling them to my friends. When anything came out, my dad would bring it back to me: I had the first Specials record, the first Electric Light Orchestra record... He'd also bring me little boxes of returns and stuff. We'd sell them at school fairs. All the other kids would be doing Bob the Apple, and we'd be getting these 27-year-old punks coming up from the Kings Road for Clash box sets for twenty quid a go. We knew what was going on...! This grew up with me, and I went on to work in Quaff Records and Vinyl Solution, two of Londons finest record stores.

Name: John NDong
Comment: Quaff Records had their own record label too, 'Magic Dragon Recordings', would love get my hands on some of their old stuff!

Name: Mark Griffiths
Comment: Remember Quaff from their shop on Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park. A good place for Reggae.

Name: Jeremy
Comment: I've just spotted Quaff on a repeat of Lovejoy!
(23 June 2013)

Name: John
Comment: Just seen the shop on Lovejoy Season 6 Episode 5, 'Guns and Roses', originally aired on 30 October 1994 and I wondered where it was.

Nice write-up, thank you!

Name: Luther Wainwright
Comment: Just found some records in my collection with Quaff Records price stickers! Some nice old skool Belgian techno/hardcore/house 1991-93 era.
(9 May 2015)

Name: Michael Luke
Comment: Just seen Quaff Records on Lovejoy. This programme gets around.
(8 December 2016)

Name: Matt H
Comment: I remember Quaff when it was at the back of a clothes/tourist shop in Carnaby Street. I used to work in the shop for Jason who rented the small space to Roy. The landlords put up the rent which Jason passed on. Roy had to move it to Berwick Street which was probably a good move as it was much bigger and had a lot of footfall. Choci took over the space and set up Choci’s Chewns!
(2021)

Name: Funky Cute
Comment: As a student, I used to prowl around Soho buying new release 12"s for £1.99 (for some chart action, I gather) e.g Sister Ray. But Quaff is where I probably bought one of my full-priced 12"s back in days - Brand New Heavies - Dream Come True (still got the price sticker too). Pretty sure I bought my first US import 12" there too!
(2022)

Name: Roy Marsh aka Roy the Roach
Comment: Quaff was started in 1987 at 133 Stroud Green Road. Myself and Peppi Acunzo got our Enterprise Allowances and decided to open a shop specialising in jazz and reggae music. The shop was soon selling rare grooves that we were getting from a guy who paid regular trips to the USA, and what we picked up at Northern Soul record fairs. Opened a unit in the Soul2Soul shop in Camden Town, then the shop moved to Lancaster Road off Portobello Road in 1989. We opened another shop on Portobello Road then moved into the West End when I parted ways with Peppi, and teamed up with Les Canavan.

Les and I hit the peak of the rave years. The first shop was in a big unit in Carnaby Street owned by Jason who we met in Solaris.

We then got the shop in Berwick Street which was legendary. So many stories about that place. From there we moved to Silver Place and finally closed in 1997. 10 years of clubbing culture, the times of our lives.
(2023)

Name: Nick Heath
Comment: Such great days. Quaff on Berwick Street was the only place to go back in 1992/93. I had a long-sleeved top and my mate Jim had slipmats for his 1210s. The smell of rotting cabbages from the stall in the street mixing with the tunes coming from Quaff is a strangely strong memory, even 30 years later. Berwick Street really was music heaven. I loved my happy hardcore/techno, but with Sister Ray and Selectadisc and others it was brilliant. Then Britpop came along and ruined everything.
​(2023)