Tales from the pub.

It's been a strange time for everyone adjusting to mitigation measures for the pandemic as they've changed over the past few months.

One of the first things we did was to launch the Reward Voucher scheme which many wonderful patrons have purchased, we thank you immensely for your support. You will be able to redeem them once we move to more normal operations.

We've also been selling craft beer for take-out and local delivery from the front door of the pub in reusable bottles kindly supplied by Caps and Taps in Kentish Town Road.

We've been featured both local and international press about what we've done to ensure we stay open in the future, from Camden and Kentish Town to the All-Nippon News Network in Japan!

‘The community keeps us afloat’: Kentish Town pub invokes Blitz spirit to survive lockdown

In the Ham&High by Michael Boniface

Will the pubs be half full or half empty?

In the Camden New Journal by Bronwen Weatherby, Helen Chapman, Dan Carrier and Tom Foot

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ANN News Japan: Rose & Crown featured in a story on pubs in the UK coming out of lockdown:

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We've been humbled by the support from the local community and wish you heartfelt thanks and appreciation, you're very welcome to make a booking and come in for a fresh draft beer.

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Cheers! Kanpai! かんぱい! 乾杯!

Get Chubby, Buddiez in the Kitchen now!

Baorgers, Baodogs, Soy-glazed fried chicken wings, dirty fries and a whole lot more!

@chubbybuddiez

Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen

This is a first for us! A resident food pop up with their own cook book already in print!!

One of The Observer’s ‘RisingStars’, Time Out’s ‘Top 10 Chefs’ and a London Evening Standard ’Tastemaker’, Zoe Adjonoh and her Ghanaian Kitchen aim to take over the world one pub at a time!

This is entirely appropriate for the daughter of a Ghanaian father, and an Irish mother who met in a pub in Kilburn, then a London enclave for both nationalities, when they were being persecuted elsewhere. Zoe’s interest in cooking was always peaked by the fascinating ingredients her father would bring home - Kenkey, Shito, Tilapia. It became a link to her Ghanaian heritage.

“I used to hang around him in the kitchen, quizzing him on the names of the ingredients and where they were from, picking from his plate. Food was my entry point to exploring this side of my identity and I fell in love with Dad's version of Groundnut Soup - which later became my Peanut Butter Stew, now a signature dish on my menu.”

Her food journey started from creating a ‘pop-up’ Ghanaian restaurant in her live/workspace in Hackney Wick in the summer of 2011 as part of Hackney Wicked Arts Festival and she started running supper clubs in her home.

Her cookbook of traditional West African food came out in 2017. The street food is a more modern twist on old-school Ghanaian, they'll be cooking an exclusive chop bar menu for us.  Expect Jollof seasoned chicken served with slaw and chips, sweet n spicy wings, Red Vegan Bean Stew with sides of Sweet Fried Plantain and Crispy Fried Okra.

All their ingredients are sustainably sourced, free range and organic.

“Africans have kept this incredible food a greedy secret." Zoe says “It’s the last continent of relatively unexplored food in the mainstream domain.”

Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen here from June 4th.

https://www.zoesghanakitchen.co.uk/

Jack Padoan was hooked on piadina from the moment he stepped into Snack’s in Riccione, the heart of Romagnola, and tasted the magical Italian flatbread his Grandfather Gianni, had reminisced about from his newhome in Lincolnshire. In 2016 Jack brought the piadina to the streets of Londonthrough The Piadina Project, fusing his Italian roots whilst incorporating theincredible fresh produce that surrounded his upbringing in Lincolnshire. This fried chicken and flatbread combo is versatile, simple, special and delicioso! They'll be serving food here every day except Monday.

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Well that year went fast, helped along by a banging summer no doubt, but this is the time that we have a bit of a think about the 600 or so kegs that have passed thorugh these taps in 2018,
as well as those cans in the fridge, so Theo, Ben and Rob think back to their stand-out brews of the year.

Ben took a can of Northern Monk's Mango Lassi Heathen home with him one night and had a mango and lactose beerpiphany. A mellow fruit IPA as luscious a creamy smoothie.
Deya's Just a Glimmer was his best session.  Very Citra heady, very drinkable! The Verdant-Beavertown collab Shut Up & Play the Hits, was his fave DIPA -there was always gonna be a Verdant on the list, and this hearkens back to simpler times, when we were able to stock Beavertown.

Rob decided that "Pompelmocello from Siren is up there for me" He likes it tart and juicy. Arbour's  Ozbomb is another of his personal faves. as well as another Northern Monk -their Neapolitan Ice Cream pale -"that was a banger".

Now Theo went for another Siren Brew. "The Red Berry Sour Shake is the beer of the year for me". This brewery are always creative with fruit, tangy berries and a creamy mouthfeel made this sour unforgettable. Steady Rolling Man from Deya has to be in Theo's list!  As well as ANOTHER Northern Monk; Patrons Project 2.05 collab with Seven Island Brewery in Corfu - Lost Highway Mango Passionfruit Vanilla Milk Sugar IPA. A 'fruited milkshake,' this collab came into being to get round the Greek laws that make it impossible for Island to brew this in Corfu. Lovely pull out art by The Nomad Clan collective. Vanilla, tropical fruit and lactose and at 7.4% has made one super well balanced creamy hazy brew.

So with Northern Monk featuring pretty highly in our 2018 Golden Pints  -roll on the opening of their London tap room. We cant wait to see what all these breweries come up with in 2019!

You can find Northern Monk's Mango Lassi in our fridge now.

Yucatan Taqueria, specialising in authentic Southern-Mexican Food, are with us here until the end of May. We asked Matt and Spencer about their approach.

Tell us about the food you make?

Its fusion food specifically from the Yucatán Peninsular.  The rest of Mexico is arid, but the South is tropical, and so this is reflected in the food, its almost Caribbean.  We use pineapple, mango and citrus fruit in marinades and salsas, with rotisserie meat, not sauces like we know from Northern Mexican dishes. Rick Stein just did his series in Mexico and the last one in the series is on Yucutan.

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How did you come to specialise in this region particularly? Are either of you Mexican?

No! My business partner Spencer is from California and worked in kitchens alongside so many Mexican chefs and all of their staff meals would be Yucatan. He loved it and got all these recipes from them.

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What are you excited about at the Rose and Crown ?

Working from the kitchen is going to really allow us to open up the menu.  Chilaquiles (strips of fried corn tortillas simmered in salsa, and served with cheese, eggs, or beans) & Panuchos (tortillas heated til they puff up stuffed with refried black beans and topped with pulled chicken/pork/beef, tomato, pickled red onion, avocado, and pickled jalapeño pepper).  We’ll also be catering for vegetarian & vegan customers! The flavours are fruity and fresh and zingy, so its perfect for spring. We’ll be doing watermelon ice cream and lime sorbets when the weather warms up, warm tahini dips and guacamole obviously!

Do you have a favourite tipple?

Im an Irish Catholic! Alcohol’s in my blood! I love a Tom Collins -with a marguerita rim, but salt and chilli. And we’re definitely going to try some mezcal pairings while we’re there.

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Check out their Taco Tuesdays -all Tacos are 30% off!!

One pub is never enough

So we’ve decided to work our magic on this lil place in Crouch Hill, The Brave Sir Robin. We are super excited. Full refurbishment is already underway -we’re planning the same warm and welcoming vibe as here, a full restaurant and more rotating taps for all your craft beer needs.

We’re aiming to be open in December -and you can follow our progress on the bravesirrobinn4 twitter, insta and Facebook feeds.

So we’ve decided to work our magic on this lil place in Crouch Hill, The Brave Sir Robin. We are super excited. Full refurbishment is already underway -we’re planning the same warm and welcoming vibe as here, a full restaurant and more rotating taps for all your craft beer needs.

We’re aiming to be open in December -and you can follow our progress on the bravesirrobinn4 twitter, insta and Facebook feeds.

Yeehah! Trashville is back tonight, promising country, acoustic-punk 'n' roll, folk and alt-pop for all you appreciative folk. We asked Grae from Trailer Trash Orchestra whats in store...

What makes a Trashville line-up?

We're always looking for acts that have got something a bit special. It’s probably fair to say that a lot of the acts are a little left of centre, ranging from a bit quirky to madly cool – they all have a certain wow! You’ll find country, blues, folk, punk – we’ve even had acoustic krautrock! It’s a very relaxed atmosphere – people generally leave with a big smile on their face.

What inspired you to start the night?

I’ve been running nights off and on for many years and it’s always been about putting on the kind of night I’d like to go to myself and helping to introduce people to some wild and wonderful acts!

Who's playing this Thursday?

We always kick things off with the Los Chicos Muertos compadres doing our country-folk-chanson-noir thang!Then we've got K-Town girl Sarah Vista & The Henchman – A wild and wonderful country-rockin’ gal – and actually her first time at The Rose and Crown!

Knox – Legendary founder and front-man of punk rockin’ legends The Vibrators. A great song writer and lovely bloke. We have known Knox for years and we made a country album with him a few years back – The Knoxville Boy! Then there's Lena Laki – Gorgeous ethereal dreamy melancholic folk-pop – haunting! and Emily Lee –soulful, powerful alt-folk with a twist of the blues in there –really raw and fired up!

Do you find the Rose and Crown atmosphere conducive to a good old punk 'n' roll throw down?

I love the cellar at The Rose and Crown – cool, intimate and comfy – reminds me of bars we’ve played in Kreuzberg (Berlin). The Rose and Crown is a lot like many of our acts – a little quirky and ultimately buzzin’!

Do you have a favourite tipple?

Partial to a Cote du Rhone or just good draft lager during the evening but always look forward to a fine bourbon or scotch at the end of the night!

The Trashville Lo-Fi Lounge Presents! Is tonight, Friday 3rd 7.30 -11.30pm

Well I s’wanee, were gonna be as full as a tick when Pop-Up Smoke-House Cue Point arrive to take over the kitchen!

These guys specialise in smoked bbq street food -we're talking brisket, sirloin, Rump Cap, grilled corn, pork butt, short rib, with a range of sauces, sides, pickles and slaws -what they call 'Brit-merican innovation'! They've devised a special Christmas menu too, so if youve still to book a christmas ring-a-ding, give us a ding-a-ling.

Catch Cue Point here Wednesday – Sunday from December through to March

Thousands of climbers have scaled Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth, only two people have descended to the planet’s deepest point, the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench. 

 Anyhoo. This transpacific pale started life as a South Seas pale ale hopped with the NZ hops Pacific Gem and Nelson Sauvin. When Weird Beard couldnt get hold of Nelson Sauvin in anything more then home-brew quantities they started using Citra, out went the Nelson and Mariana Trench was born. Its a riot of Mango and passionfruit on the nose but balanced enough to drink by the bucketful. 

On tap soon...