Epic Pies' Permanent Pie & Patisserie Restaurant in St Paul's

Epic Pies, founded by Daniel Jobsz, is opening a permanent restaurant after years of bulding up a following in markets and pop-ups.  The restaurant, specialising in pies and patisserie, opens on Tuesday 5th November 2019, and be open every Monday - Friday, from (12 noon til 3pm initially).
I met Daniel at a pop-up at Craving Coffee a few years ago, and loved him and his pies.  I can't wait to visit their first permanent place!

"Epic Pies was founded in 2015 by mother and son duo Daniel and Roshnara Jobsz, who combined their passions to make pies and pastries to sell at markets and festivals throughout London. This is the pair’s first brick and mortar venture that will champion classic pies and the fine art of patisserie, all with an ingenious flair.
The menu will offer a taste of seasonal produce, funky flavour combinations and hybrid baked goods. The 55-cover shop will be open on weekdays from 8am to 10pm for breakfast, lunch and dinner and Saturday brunch from 10am – 4pm.
The menu includes a rotating selection of five pies, all handmade with the family’s secret recipes and served with buttery mash, steamed greens and gravy – or parsley liquor.
Signatures include the Ham-Hockey Puck, stuffed with ham hock and leeks in a cider and mustard sauce wrapped in shortcrust; and the EastEnder, with slowly braised peppered steak in traditional East-End suet pastry and lattice shortcrust top.  Savoury tarts are also a specialty with options such as the New Yorker made with salt beef and Swiss cheese on rye pastry.
The pastry menu includes cronuts, croffles and “cup-tarts” (hybrid cupcake tarts), as well as Sweetie Pies – think Lemon Meringue, Banoffee and innovative creations like the Cheesy Tart; vanilla cheesecake on buttery shortbread topped with flaky pastry."

When - Opens on Tuesday 5th November 2019
Open Mon-Fri
Mon-Fri - 12 noon til 3pm

Where - Epic Pies, 53-55 Carter Lane, London EC4V 5EF

Map



Link 1 - Epic Pies on Facebook
Link 2 - Article on Hospitality & Catering News

Bistro Mirey - A French Pop-up Becomes Permanent in SW6

I love it when pop-ups turn into permanent restaurants.  Parts of Soho - especially Kingly Court and Kingly Street - feature permanent restaurants that I used for frequently feature as pop-ups, and now Bistro Mirey, the French Bistro from Gerald Mirey and Ko Ito, is opening in SW6.

Bistro Mirey will have its soft opening on Friday 22nd December, then be open with slightly reduced hours over Christmas and New Year, until it closes for a day on 2nd January 2018, before opening fully the day after.  Please go along to try Gerald & Ko's wonderful dishes and great hospitality!

"Following a series of successful pop-up supper clubs, Chefs Gerald Mirey and Ko Ito open their first permanent bricks and mortar restaurant, Bistro Mirey in Fulham on Friday 12th January.
For the past year, Mirey and Ito have collaborated on fusion dining experiences underpinned by classic French cuisine with Japanese flair delivering unique, global inspiration on the plates of London diners. With locations changing every few months and menus evolving almost weekly, the pair sated the city’s appetites at the likes of Islington’s Cuckoo N1 and more recently at The Charles Lamb.
Bistro Mirey will deliver the same cosy, intimate and unique supper club experience, with the warm and memorable service they’ve become noted for. Both chefs believe that ingredients taste best when in season, so seasonality underpins every menu at Bistro Mirey. Serving lunch and dinner daily as well as weekend brunch and Sunday lunch, the menu is simple and authentic, filled with many locally-sourced ingredients from the local London markets.
Starters include dishes of steak tartare, beetroot carpaccio and spiced potted shrimp whilst mains this winter run the gamut from Hokkaido-style pheasant with root veg and blueberry sauce, and braised beef cheek in red wine with miso and wasabi mash to polenta cake with shimeji mushroom and mizuna. For dessert, Mont Blanc with chestnut and traditional French galette sit alongside yuzu crème brûlée and matcha ice-cream.
For wine, a selection of France’s most noted vineyards make up a hand-picked selection of blancs, rouges and rosés, which sits alongside a Japanese sake menu which also features local London craft sake Kanpai.
Normandy-born and classically-trained, Gerald Mirey has been cooking classical French cuisine using the best British produce for two decades. Having worked at The Boisdale and The Garrison, Mirey was most recently Head Chef at Gordon Ramsay’s The Narrow restaurant. Ko, originally from Hokkaido Island - northernmost Japan - moved to the UK a decade ago and his cookery style fuses Japanese tradition with Western influence.
For fusion cuisine with a unique twist, follow the path to Fulham and Bistro Mirey."

When - Opening Friday 22nd December 2017
Monday - Friday: 12-4pm/6-10pm
Saturday: 9am-4pm/6-10pm
Sunday: 9am-9pm

Where - Bistro Mirey, 98 Lillie Road, Hammersmith and Fulham, London, Greater London, England SW6 7SR, United Kingdom

Booking: 020 8317 3280 - info@bistromirey.com

Map



Link - Bistro Mirey

Cooking with Rowley at Le Cafe Anglais in Bayswater

File under 'not a pop-up' - Le Cafe Anglais is a long-standing and very successful restaurant - but it is very noteworthy because it's a great way to taste the cooking of some great chefs away from their own kitchens.  Four chefs have been announced so far - Skye Gyngell, Allegra McEvedy, Thomasina Miers, and Rick Stein

"Several of Britain’s most prominent chefs and food writers are joining Rowley Leigh (pictured) in his kitchen at Le Café Anglais for ‘Cooking with Rowley’ - a series of one-off, collaborative dinners.
Following on from the success of Cooking with Rowley in 2012, 2013 brings more dates with prominent chefs and food writers. These will include Rose Prince (food writer, author and columnist for the Daily Telegraph), Skye Gyngell (Culinary Director at Heckfield Place), Allegra McEvedy (Chef, broadcaster and food writer), Thomasina Miers (Founder of Wahaca and cookery writer) and Rick Stein (Chef, restaurateur and food writer). 
Each menu will be unique, with Rowley and each guest chef working together to design a dinner that reflects both their cooking styles, backgrounds and passions."

When - 20th March (Skye), 14th May (Allegra), 19th Sept (Miers) - Rick S is TBC

Where - Le Café Anglais, 8 Porchester Gardens, London W2 4DB

Cost - £75 each - from info@lecafeanglais.co.uk

Map

Link - Le Cafe Anglais

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Pop-up to Permanent - The Butchery in Forest Hill

Photo by Ruth Siwinska/Nathan Mills

Great news - The Butchery (it is a butchery, not some clever name for another type of shop), which popped up in Forest Hill before Christmas is returning as a permanent shop.  This is excellent, and shows the potential for pop-up shops as a way of testing the market.

"South East London SEE3 Portas Pilot initiative The Shop Revolution announces its first permanent shop through Christmas Pop Up The Butchery Ltd – due to run up until Christmas Eve – officially taking up residency on the high street from mid-February. The Butchery Ltd is a Butcher’s shop in Forest Hill run by local residents and business owners Nathan Mills and Ruth Siwinska. 
Louise Brooks, Project Manager tasked with delivery of the Shop Revolution says: “We are phenomenally pleased at how well received our first set of Pop Up shops have been, and the fact that some are staying on either temporarily or permanently demonstrates their success with the local market. Our model allows businesses to trial their proposition on the high street before committing to a long term tenancy. Simultaneously we are able to bring a more diverse offering to the high street which we think will meet the needs of the local community.”
The business has been receiving tremendous support locally: on launch day gathering crowds meant having to open up the doors early resulting in 392 paying customers by the end of the day and over 2000 people through their doors over the first weekend.
In the days up to the main event on 25th December The Butchery Ltd were kept extremely busy serving around 4000 customers and with double their estimated figures for orders: Christmas saw just over 200 orders placed for; 50 Turkeys, 25 Geese, 20 Cockerels, 15 Ducks, and many others for Hams, Gammons, Ribs of Beef, Chipolatas and Pigs-in-Blankets.
Sausages from The Butchery Ltd were winners with their special all-meat additive-free ones generally selling out. Surprise hits included; Rabbits, lamb loin chops, pork pies and the now-almost-famous sausage rolls and ‘ovenbusters’ – the secret expanding short ribs.
Ruth Siwinska and Nathan Mills from The Butchery Ltd said about the Pop Up launch experience: “It was last minute stressful but very gratifying to be so well received and embraced by the local community overall. It met our hopes and exceeded our expectations.”
The most common quote from customers was: "Thank you for opening, are you staying?""

When - Permanent!

Where - 49, London Road, Forest Hill SE23 3TY

Map

Link 1 - The Butchery

Link 2 - The Butchery on Twitter

Link 3 - SEE3

The Foragers at The Dead Dolls Club in Dalston

Last weekend The Foragers took over the catering at The Dead Dolls Club in Dalston.  As the name suggests The Foragers cook wild and foraged food, including rabbits, deer and game.  They'll be cooking during the evening Wednesday - Friday, and lunch and dinner at the weekends.  This is not a pop-up specifically, but both The Foragers and The Dead Dolls Club have come out of the pop-up movement.

"The Dead Dolls Club started as a design studio and expanded into creating unique dining experiences. They recently opened a new home on Kingsland Road in Dalston where all the collective talents came into their own under one roof – food, cocktails, design, and partying.
In keeping with the weather, the final months of the year saw The Stew House pop up running the kitchen. 
In 2013 The Dead Dolls Club are pleased to welcome The Foragers wild food kitchen as our resident chefs.
The guys behind The Foragers at The Verulam Arms (recently voted #1 restaurant in St Albans, Hertfordshire) are George and Gerald, avid food foragers they’re set to show Londoners how satisfying a country feast of hunted and gathered ingredients can be. They scour the Shires daily to find wild plants, herbs, fruits along with a variety of game & fish from by their group of hunters & fishermen. 
The Foragers menu is seasonal so expect wild meats & fish incorporated with the likes of blackthorn flowers, hogweed shoots, nettles, ramsons, berries & many more made into some exciting dishes and taste combinations by their talented chefs, changing on a weekly basis.  
The Dead Dolls Club’s ninja bar staff will also be incorporating foraged flavours into our weekly cocktail specials menu so expect something fresh and exciting."

When - Opened 4th January 2013, Wednesday - Sunday (until 2am on Friday and Saturday nights)

Where - THE DEAD DOLLS CLUB, 428 KINGSLAND ROAD, E8 4AA

Map

Link - The Dead Dolls Club

Link 1 - The Foragers Mobile Fodder

Flat Iron in Soho

Another 'not a pop-up' post - maybe I should call it 'son of a pop-up' - documenting the increasing trend of pop-ups becoming permanent.  Running a pop-up has clearly become a good way of testing a concept both in terms of its practicality, and its commercial viability.  When I went to Flat Iron in the summer the food was delicious and the customers were queueing out of the door, so it's no surprise to find that it's got a new, permanent home.

"FLAT IRON announces permanent site at 17 Beak St, Carnaby, Soho
After the fun and games of our ‘Pop-Up’ above Shoreditch’s Owl and Pussycat Pub, our new steak restaurant Flat Iron is soon to move to a permanent location in the heart of Soho.  Our team will launch Flat Iron in early December with still only one dish on our menu - a little known butcher's cut called ‘the flat iron’.
Flat Iron began life as a belief by Charlie 'Beef' Carroll that really great steak could be made available to all, without breaking the bank:
"I always thought it was a shame that the only way to guarantee an amazing steak was to pay eye-watering prices, and that was something I wanted to change. The flat iron cut has been massively overlooked in the past and if expertly butchered, has a tenderness second only to fillet".
"Our journey into beef has been a long one. One year, thirty-eight suppliers and hundreds of samples later, we have formed relationships with a number of craft producers who share Flat Iron's passion for producing well aged, highly marbled, incredibly flavoursome beef".
”We are looking to build on what we did at the Owl [Flat Iron’s pop-up venue], and that starts with amazing producers. In the last month we have been to two locations in Ireland, North Yorkshire and Cornwall: all on the trail of the very best beef.”
Our development into a full blown restaurant has also included designing a new kitchen built around the super focused menu:
“At our pop-up we had to make do with the kit we had, but here we have been able to design a custom grill to our spec and create a purpose built cook line letting us make our dripping chips from scratch every day. Its all part of our ongoing quest for an even better product.”
The décor for restaurant and bar has been put together by our amazing creative guru, Ben Chapman.
We're still taking our drinks seriously as well, and have teamed up with acclaimed mixologists SoulShakers on a top secret cocktail project. Doing something with cocktails that has ‘never been done in the UK before’. A tight and focused wine list with great options to complement our beef will also be on hand, together with a careful selection of craft beers.
No reservations will be taken, but there is a basement cocktail bar where anybody waiting for a table can have a drink."

When - From early December

Where - 17 Beak Street, W1F 9RW

Map

Link 1 - Flat Iron
Link 2 - Facebook
Link 3 - Twitter

Ben Spalding's New Venture at The John Salt Bar in Islington

Update - December 2012 - Ben Spalding has now left John Salt; the new head chef is Neil Rankin (@Frontlinechef) formerly of Pitt Cue.  I've tasted his food several times, and I can't wait to see what he'll do with John Salt!

Ben Spalding is a chef who is closely associated with the current pop-up food movement in London, both as the former head chef at Roganic, and as a regular guest at events like Passage to Persia, The Burnt Enz & Homeslice Pizza Party, and the Feast First night market.  Now he's found a more permanent home in the new John Salt bar in Islington, so it's 'not a pop-up' but it definitely deserves to be listed here.

"This November sees the opening of John Salt, a new neighbourhood bar in Islington.
580 Ltd, the independent pub company behind The Owl and Pussycat in Shoreditch and The Fellow in King's Cross, have joined forces with rising star, chef Ben Spalding (ex head chef of Roganic, and chef de partie at Gordan Ramsay’s flagship 3 Michelin starred Chelsea restaurant) to open a 25 seat restaurant overlooking the main bar.
“John Salt will feature serious cooking using rare ingredients” says Spalding, who will use this opportunity to showcase a style of cooking he has honed over the last few years.
Guests can expect Spalding's "chicken on a brick" - a London house brick coated in a caramel glaze, pairing chicken liver mousse with crispy chicken skin, circled by a mix of sweetcorn kernels, lingon berries, pearl barley and a white onion puree. This combination is so delicious, down to the glaze that, as Ben Spalding says “customers are encouraged to actually lick the brick”
With tasting menus of 4,8 or 12 courses served above on the mezzanine, the main bar below will have it’s own food, giving an insight into what’s happening above. Expect salt marsh lamb wraps, crispy chicken skin sandwiches and a range of vegetarian options, all cooked and delivered live in front of the guests downstairs, where John Salt will have a warehouse feel, stripped, simple, open, yet warm.
Whilst 580 embark on their deepest culinary venture yet, they haven’t forgotten their roots. As an evening at John Salt progresses, this company’s rich musical heritage and honest love of hosting truly exciting and unforgettable nights will come into play, as the bar comes to life.
As ever, the music is a central element of a night with 580, taking the evening to night in the caring hands of the company behind Camden's Lock Tavern and the Field Day and Beacons Festivals
The London crew Soulshakers will be taking control of the cocktail menu, and the draught range has been carefully selected to showcase some of the finest of the new wave of local, national and global breweries.
The menus will all constantly evolve, and customers can expect a different experience with every visit.
Whilst they want to embrace and showcase creativity - to do something special - 580 say simply that they want to open “A neighbourhood bar, with good beer”"

When - Opens 9th November

Where - John Salt, 131 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 1QP

Map

Link 1 - John Salt

Link 2 - John Salt on Twitter

Link 3 - Ben Spalding on Twitter

The Dead Dolls Club in Dalston

This is not a pop-up, it's a permanent establishment, but it earns its place on this site because it came out of a pop-up concept, The Stew House, and it embodies many elements that you find in pop-ups.

"Since The Dead Dolls Club started in 2010 as a Hackney based design studio it’s cast its net into art galleries, interiors, pop-up restaurants, and as purveyors of great parties. Following the huge success of The Stew House in winter 2011 and The Summer Affair with London Fields Brewery this summer, The Dead Dolls Club is to bring together the best elements of past events under one roof.
Eating
A quintessentially British, market-led menu of daily stews and ‘with-custard’ desserts. Expect Beef & Ale stew accompanied by freshly made bread followed by bread & butter pudding. 
Drinking
Keeping it local, beers are coming from London Fields Brewery, and a monthly cocktail menu will be designed by guest mixologists from the likes of Little Bird gin and the boys at Sipsmith.
Dancing
Clear the tables for party weekends at The Dead Dolls Club Dalston, long term resident BexTBX will be smashing up the weekends from 9pm.
Design
428 Kingsland Road will bridge the gap between the Dalston-Shoreditch divide to introduce an experimental design concept, blurring the boundary between illustration and installation."

When - Opens 19th October 2012, Tuesday - Sunday (until 2am on Friday and Saturday nights)

Where - THE DEAD DOLLS CLUB, 428 KINGSLAND ROAD, E8 4AA

Map

Link - The Dead Dolls Club