This weekend saw the opening of Hackney Church Brew Co, a new taproom and kitchen at the far end of Bohemia Place at Hackney Central. Tucked away under two railway arches just off Mare Street, it’s an impressive space featuring a brewery, bar and dining room, open kitchen and beer garden.
Co-founders Luke Scanlon and brewer Ryan Robbins had the idea of creating a local social space that brings people together through world-class beer, great food and music. Named after the parish church on Lower Clapton Road, the socially-conscious brewpub is reviving the church’s long-forgotten brewing tradition – there was previously a brewery on-site a few hundred years ago.
Beautifully-designed by Red Deer (Lina Stores, Smokestak and Bourne & Hollinsworth), it retains its industrial warehouse feel while paying tribute to the church with restored pews, wooden beams and long candlesticks.
Since it’s conveniently on our doorstep, we dropped by for an early Saturday lunch and happened to be their very first customers. While I usually think it’s fairer to give new places a chance to settle in, it was fun to be part of the opening excitement and the 10% opening day discount was very welcome.
I ordered a Lindeman’s Kriek cherry beer that had a refreshing sweet and sour taste while Steven went for a pint of their own brewed American pale ale with floral notes of chamomile and pineapple. We sat in the glorious beer garden watching the trains go by to a chilled-out soundtrack while waiting for our meal to arrive.
Emilio Stavrou helms the kitchen with Ela, a Greek-Cypriot concept of small plates and grills, inspired by his favourite kebab shop in his family hometown of Nicosia, Cyprus.
Everything arrived piping hot from the barbecue and it was the perfect feast to go with our cold beer in the sun. The Devonshire pork kebab was succulent and juicy with a generous amount of meat tucked inside fluffy pitta with cooling tzatziki, finely-chopped lettuce and spring onion. The Devonshire chicken skewer was also tender and high quality with subtle seasoning (not at all spicy) and a char-grilled finish.
Bulgar with sun-dried tomato was light and springy with pieces of vermicelli noodles and fresh parsley, while the Cypriot potato chips were crispy and seasoned like the ones you’d find in a traditional taverna. We also loved the incredibly moreish Smoked aubergine dip, topped with jewel-like pomegranate seeds and parsley. Everything looked quite dainty presented on the tray, but those black terracotta dishes were deceiving, as the portion sizes were substantial and we ordered the right amount for a filling lunch.
The highest price is just £7.65 for a hearty kebab and most dishes are under a fiver, so you can try a few different bites. There are also decent amount of vegetarian and vegan dishes on the menu.
St John at Hackney Brewery is already shaping up to be a local hit and there’s a lot to like about it. The staff are genuinely friendly, prices are competitive for the quality and it’s all done with care and soul. As they say on the beer mats, it’s a place for ‘all sorts’.
For more information and menus, visit: www.hackneychurchbrew.co
All photos by Chérie City
You Might Also Like