London
Anchor & Hope
Southwark, London SE1
Robert Shaw says that when he and three other business partners took over the Anchor & Hope nearly three-and-a-half years ago they could see it "was not running to its full potential". The Charles Wells-owned pub is near Waterloo station and is in an ideal location to attract a variety of food-loving customers, from the local business community at lunchtime to theatre-goers at night.
Drinkers welcome
To realise this untapped potential, Robert and partners Jonathon Jones, Harry Lester and Mike Belben closed the pub for a month to reconfigure the layout by extending the kitchen and opening up the bar area. Although food formed the emphasis of their business plan, Robert, pictured left with Jonathon Jones, says a conscious decision was taken not to discourage those who just wanted a drink, and therefore only half of the interior is dedicated to diners.
He adds: "The ethos of the Anchor & Hope has always been that it is somewhere that we would like to go, even if we didn't run it."
Only the best
All of the food is prepared and cooked on the premises. Whenever possible, local suppliers are used, but Robert notes: "We only buy quality produce. If we can get it locally, then all well and good - otherwise we will go to whoever can supply the quality we require."
In the time that they have run the business, the style of cooking hasn't changed, says Robert. The menu changes twice a day and generally comprises seven starters, and about 11 main courses, of which six are for sharing. "Our customers really love the sharing courses such as the whole shoulder of lamb or the rib of beef, which are carved at their table, and the cassoulet." These are priced at £34, £37 and £27.80 for two, respectively. Of the three, Robert says: "The cassoulet is probably our signature dish."
No choice in the matter
About nine months ago, a fixed-menu Sunday lunch was introduced. Robert says: "We can cater for up to 70 covers and we get people coming who don't know what's on the menu, simply because they trust us."
