I think we have all been there, waking up on a Sunday morning with a hazy glare in the eyes, rolling over the covers to see what you brought back last night.
This was my Saturday morning after an out of hand Summer party the night before. Hawaiian themed with an open bar, more piña coladas than you could shake a stick at, girls in grass skirts. What more could a man want? Maybe a lad’s brunch the very next morning?… Thankfully, I was in luck…
Thanks to London.Foodguide I got invited to a pop up which opens their doors once a month serving an epic five course hangover cure. Before I list the in’s and out’s of the next event I want to tell you a bit about the lad’s behind this idea because it’s their infectious personalities that really shape the whole experience.
Two brothers and a best mate from London, the trio came together to serve top class food with a twist. Coming from a fine dinning background (Ramsay’s kitchen and Lyle’s in Shoreditch), these talented guy’s are not simply your average enthusiasts. With full time jobs, normally working 14 hours a day, how they have found time to create Lads Who Lunch is outstanding. But it’s their love for food and having a good time that has squarely shaped the whole supper club.
The Lads Who Lunch Experience
It’s morning. You arrive in Shoreditch wondering whether the world will ever feel the same; whether heads really don’t just fall off of bodies and roll into the gutter. (They don’t.)
Don’t worry about suffocating in your Sunday best, this is a place where you can relax. Wear a dressing gown and pink fluffy slippers for all anyone cases. You’re here to have a good time and enjoy yourself, and the atmosphere is as easy going as it gets. Sandwiched between the famous Book Club and Shoreditch’s art galleries, take your stumbling steps up the grey pavement and head inside to soft focus lighting and white walls.
With two sittings at 1pm and 3pm, there’s a mixture of vibes. It’s not all lads getting geared up for the afternoon match. There’s a large swathe of fine women chilling after the night before, having a chinwag about what Charlotte said to Simon. Uni students looking groggier than Steve Buscemi after a night on bath salts.
Though whatever your state, the staff are there to ensure that you’re well looked after. Making sure that you’ve got a drink (and that it stays topped up), they’ve managed to master that non-pushy attentiveness that most places sorely lack. And with music selected by Elliot, you get to relive the sounds of the night before in the cradle of sausages, tea and cocktails. Just relax. No one can hurt you here.
The Food
This is everything you could possibly want in your life. Every. Single. Thing. Now if you’re a vegetarian, you might disagree with me, but the morning after the night before this is everything that your body is craving and more.
The first two courses are shared between the two of you (or more if you’re more of course), designed to get you engaged as human beings. Starting with the staple of bread and butter, the Lads Who Lunch have added a twist, subtly infusing the bread with the flavours of black chai. Oats, Bacon & Berries does what everyone should do at all times – adds bacon where it needn’t, but absolutely should be. The contrast between the sweet, salty and savoury is a chewy porridgey delight that your mouth won’t want to swallow. Nor will you want to share.
Next up, the Salmon strays into haute cuisine. Light, fresh. Scrumptious. The shavings of truffle perfume this dish and bring your senses back online, preparing you for the fatty feast of the full English.
With Cumberland sausage from Ginger Pig (I love you guys), the Lads Who Lunch don’t serve your average greasy spoon fair. The baked beans are infused with coffee beans to add a little pep to the plate, and the stripe down the middle? Black pudding purée. Topped once more in a little grated truffle, you’ll never be able to think of a full english in the same way again.
Finally to dessert, and a gooey, unctuous, crunchy, sweet, burnt bashing of beauty that will have you recoiling in your seat and ready to be taken away to the afterlife. And the Lads have got you covered there too. Once you’re done dusting off your plates you can float your way downstairs to the lounge where a list of cocktails and other beverages await you. Doubling up as an art gallery, sit back, drink your drink, let the food digest and have a gander at the local talent. (I’m talking about the paintings!)
Now I know what you’re thinking. After a night out, your bank account dusty, it’s a no-go. But for only £25 per person, this is a gastronomic treat that won’t break the bank so just do it.