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Apr
2014
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New restaurant, burger bar and convenience store opening in former snooker hall on Brooksby’s Walk

The family behind the award-winning Walthamstow Spar, neighbouring Eat 17 bistro and cult condiment ‘Eat 17 Bacon Jam’ are launching a restaurant, burger bar and convenience store in the former snooker hall on Brooksby’s Walk, opening mid April.

Brothers Chris and Daniel O’Connor, Chris’ partner Siobhan O’Donnell and step brother James Brundle have been praised for their achievements at the Spar in Walthamstow, which they converted from a run-down off license into a foodie emporium – championing artisan produce, craft beer and an organic bakery.

Now they are hoping to do a similar thing with the former Brooksbys Snooker Hall on Chatsworth Road in Lower Clapton, which is increasingly becoming an East London food hub, thanks to other independent businesses like Lillie’O Brien’s London Borough of Jam preserve shop, and a Sunday market.

“We can’t wait to become a part of this thriving community,” said co-director James Brundle. “We’re East London born and bred and we already own a buzzing restaurant and convenience store in the village of Walthamstow. We feel that the experience we have gained over the years can be replicated to bring the same benefits to Lower Clapton.”

The new venture will see chef-director Chris O’Connor take the reins as head chef of the 50- cover restaurant, serving up accessibly-priced, internationally-influenced dishes like ‘smoked chicken noodles, crispy skin, enoki’ and pork shoulder, smoky beans, crème fraiche, spinach & hazelnuts. The main restaurant will be situated in the impressive upstairs room of the hall, which retains many of its original features such as decorative cornicing and ceiling fans, and will boast a long, grand bar down the back wall. It will be open in the evenings only.

“There’s nothing else like this in the area,” said James. “We want people to come here for a meal and feel a bit ‘wowed’ by the room and the experience. But it will still be very relaxed and comfortable, competitively priced, and you can just come for a drink and a snack at the bar if you like.”

Downstairs, polished concrete floors and a single, floor-to-ceiling pane of glass fronting the space will create a modern, airy feel for the self-service, 28-cover burger bar and convenience store. The burger bar will offer a focused, well-priced menu of burgers, including the famous grass-fed beef and Eat 17 Bacon Jam burger, and will be the first place to sell craft beer from Hackney Wick’s Crate brewery on tap. The convenience store will look to emulate its Walthamstow cousin, selling everything from kitchen towel to gourmet sausages; Eat 17’s famous homemade ‘ready meals’; and freshly-baked organic bread from its Walthamstow bakery and tasty pastries. All the meat for the restaurant and burger bar is organic and free range, and being sourced from rare breed London butcher Turner and George.

The downstairs, which will open at 8am daily, will also house an outpost of acclaimed seasonal Broadway Market florist Rebel Rebel, making this an unmissable retail and gourmet pit-stop.

More about products and set-up in Walthamstow on the website.

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