Stories Café society
CITY SOCIAL Head of trading at UGLE, Perry Bushell, raises the curtain on the stunning new café and bar at Freemasons’ Hall
For many years, the only way visitors could get a hot drink at Freemasons’ Hall was if they were able to locate and then operate a coffee machine tucked away in one of the first-floor offices. That has now changed with the opening of a new café and bar for members and the general public on the site of the old shop. The café opened in July, selling a range of gourmet sandwiches, cakes, teas and coffees from 10am to 6pm, while across the room, a licenced bar serves two draught beers, bottled beer, wines and spirits from 3pm to 10pm for members and public alike. ‘It’s all part and parcel of the plan to open up the building and Freemasonry in general,’ says Perry Bushell, head of trading. ‘We want to demonstrate that 24
we have nothing to hide here. The café will be a great place for members and visitors. We will start off fairly modestly with sandwiches, cakes, tea and coffee, and on the masonic dining side we have a bar that serves drinks. We basically want to look after members in a better way.’ The café will have space for 40 to 50 covers, with an option to extend into the neighbouring private dining space should there be sufficient demand. It is being decorated in a relatively informal style, using a mishmash of period tables and chairs gathered from all around the building. That will ensure the space does not have a canteen-like uniform approach, retaining a club feel for the benefit of members who are encouraged to treat the FMT Autumn 2021
room like a ‘private club that welcomes the general public’. The neighbouring bar will open after lunch to attract those attending afternoon meetings, and remain available for those who want a drink before or after evening meetings. These hours might be extended to earlier opening if there is sufficient demand. Similarly, while at first the food on offer will be limited to upmarket cakes and sandwiches, Bushell and his catering team will monitor the initial response and then tweak it ‘all the time’, with a view to possibly introducing hot food or salads made on the premises. ‘We might see if we can get a small oven because you don’t need all that much to provide things like croissants and fresh bread,’ he says.
