Welcome to our weekly round-up of all that’s happening in London’s food and drink scene.
Inside this week: pork, Peruvian and power stations
Battersea food station
A permanent ‘street food market in the sky’ is planned for Battersea Power Station, it has been announced. Following the building’s completion, up to 60 food trucks and stalls are set to gather on its third floor daily, with a special central lift installed to help them get there. In an article in the Evening Standard, Battersea Power Station Development Company chief executive Rob Tincknell claims that, “it will be the most amazing food court in London”. It certainly does sound fairly epic.
Pork in the city
Surrey Docks Farm has started to produce pork, making it one of only very few London-based farms that is licensed to sell meat for public consumption. The city farm has partnered with foodservice company Lusso, which runs canteens and restaurants in many City and Canary Wharf offices, and the meat will be used in butchery training for its chefs before being served as part of special menus to its customers. London’s restaurants and bars are already making and growing their own like never before — from microbreweries and small scale gin distilleries to roof gardens full of veg — so maybe own-reared meat is the next step.
Turning a corner
A new head chef has finally been announced for Corner Room in Bethnal Green’s Town Hall Hotel, more than six months since Nuno Mendes left to head up Chiltern Firehouse. The position has gone to John Christie, who was previously at Mayfair’s two Michelin-starred Hibiscus as well as El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain, which was named best restaurant in the world in last year’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards. His focus is said to be on simple flavours, minimal ingredients and innovative cooking techniques. Dishes will include the not particularly simple or minimal sounding roe deer with baby gem kimchi, pear beurre noisette and dandelion, and John Dory with kohlrabi, Cornish crab and lardo.
Carnaby ceviche
Peruvian pop-up Señor Ceviche will bed down early next month when it opens its first permanent spot in Kingly Court, just off Carnaby Street. The menu will be based around the namesake marinated raw fish dish, while Peruvian barbecue specialities such as pork ribs with pink pickled cabbage and chicken with chilli mayonnaise will also be available. Pisco sours, Peruvian beers and cocktails made with tequila and rum will headline on the drinks list, street art will line the walls, and loud Latin music should add to a buzzy vibe.
Cocktail collective
Next Thursday and Friday will see more than 15 top cocktail bars from around town gather in St Pancras for Cocktails In The City, a unique festival of booze featuring live demos, talks, samples, live music and street food. Not to mention the fact you’ll be able to drink from bars including Call Me Mr Lucky, Hawksmoor, London Cocktail Club, Steam & Rye and Trailer Happiness without walking more than a few metres between them. Tickets cost £12 and include one cocktail.
More openings…
Next week sees the launch of new bar Night Elm in the basement of Rita’s (which we reviewed here) on Mare Street. It will open on Wednesday, serving a short selection of cocktails and snacks, which we’re told will include honey barbecue pork puffs, Manhattans, Japanese whisky and dirty martinis. The week will also see the opening of B&H Buildings, a new restaurant and bar in Clerkenwell from the Bourne & Hollingsworth guys, while the fifth bar from London Cocktail Club will arrive in Shoreditch. Meanwhile down in Pimlico, seasonally-led small-plates restaurant 64 Degrees will launch as part of the new Artist Residence hotel — the original in Brighton is currently one of the seaside town’s hottest spots.
Talk to us
We still want your help to keep these weekly food & drink news round-ups as relevant, up-to-date, and interesting as possible. Got any top tips, local gems or foodie news? Tried one of the new restaurants we mentioned? Leave a comment below or hit us up at [email protected]. ‘Til next week…
