Step aside street food, real pub grub rules

Street food and ‘gourmet junk’ have dominated the London food market during the past two years, which we’ve embraced at the Grafton with a long line of street food pop-ups and residencies, ranging from one or two-day stints from the likes of Alley Katsu, Deeney’s, Tongue ’n Cheek and Dosa Deli, to long-term residencies from Lucky Chip, The Fat Butcher and Texas Joe’s.

It has been wonderful to be able to provide our customers with such a wide range of food choices. Hosting pop-ups has meant we’ve been able to experiment with different cuisines while assessing what our customer base responds to along the way.

We’ve also benefited from the introduction of new customers thanks to the loyal following many street-food operators bring, as well as the PR benefits of a broadened social media audience, inevitable ‘foodie press’ hype and barrage of Instagram ‘food porn’ posts. On the whole, it has been utterly invaluable.

Drawbacks

The pop-up route has not been without its drawbacks however.

Two separate businesses operating under one roof, each with its own agenda, can be a challenge. We know our customers better than anyone and we’re constantly looking for ways we can improve their experience. We like to respond to our environment, so, for example, during an unexpectedly warm week, we might decide it would be a great business booster to put on an outdoor barbecue or offer a lighter meal option.

Having to gain approval from a third party to make things happen can be slow going or even result in an outright “no”, which can be frustrating. We aren’t too proud to admit that working with us could prove a challenge either, of course.

We’ve fallen foul of online reviews, which rave about the pub, warm friendly staff and drinks range, then give a scathing account of an awful meal they’ve had to endure.
Occasionally, we’ve likened having a third-party kitchen operator to having a sloppy housemate who refuses to wash up and is rude to your mum. Ultimately, you have to be aware that nobody is ever going to care the way you do.

Health

Perhaps most crucially, the more health-savvy consumer is deterred by the limited choices and largely junk-led fare a street food offer presents. For us this means moving back to our own in-house kitchen and launching a menu that eases the transition from street food to pub grub via healthy eating. A concept we term ‘street-meets-pub’.

The Grafton Kitchen launched last week and draws influence from the best of our experiences and incorporates classic British pub dishes, as well as catering for more niche dietary needs.

Susie Clarke is the licensee at the Grafton in Kentish Town, north London - the overall winner of the Great British Pub Awards 2014. @thegraftonnw5 ​