5 minute read
VENUE PROFILE: UK GASTROPUB AUTHENTICITY
UK gastropub authenticity
Expat pub operator Alex Derrick brings a taste of London to Brisbane after more than 20 years of running pubs in Great Britain.
STEERED BY expat pub operator Alex Derrick, The Rose & Crown opened in Southbank at the end of February, with its concept based off London-style gastropubs. Derrick returned to Australia in early 2023, after more than two decades in the UK. In that time, he ran several large pub groups, including The Capital Pub Company which grew from 13 to 35 sites under Derrick’s direction; and The City Pub Group which had more than 50 pubs in the south of England and Wales when Derrick finished up as MD.
Derrick said that not only did he want his children to have the experience of living in Australia, but post-covid it felt like the right time to move back.
“Covid hit the UK hospitality industry particularly hard. And so it’s still very difficult over there and probably going to be very difficult for the foreseeable future. It seemed the right time to look at a change in life.”
Having a look at the Brisbane scene and it’s many variations on style of pub, Derrick found that there were no real London-style gastropubs in the market, and that it was a gap in the market that he could fill.
Getting the menu right
Leading the kitchen is head chef Kevin Honeywood, another Aussie expat who spent decades in UK pubs, as well as working as a private chef in Europe. The menu covers traditional English fare like Scotch eggs, steak and ale pie and beer battered fish and chips.
“[It’s been] a great start, a really good start.
Just about everyone that comes in absolutely loves it, which is great,” stated Derrick.
“We’ve already started to get big group bookings through the week for lunches from some of the offices nearby us, which has been fantastic. We’ve had lots of birthdays and celebrations in.”
The British favourites have been the biggest sellers so far, with fish and chips, potted crab and Scotch eggs flying out the door. It’s also been a delight for the Rose & Crown team to introduce people to Scotch eggs in particular.
“For some locals, when you explain a Scotch egg, it’s probably doesn’t sound as good as it is it is. A boiled egg, wrapped in sausage meat and deep fried. It sounds a bit strange, but when you get people to try them for the first time, they can’t believe it! It’s been fantastic.”
The most popular part of the offer has been the Sunday roast, as is tradition in the UK. The pub offers up three different roasts, as well as all the traditional sides like Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese and roasted potatoes.
“We’ve been gobsmacked by our Sunday roasts, which have just gone absolutely ballistic from the first time we did that. On the firs Sunday we did over 200 covers, which was a very steep learning curve, because we hadn’t done them before. It was so good. The feedback was amazing. And then on St Parick’s Day we did 250 covers in spite of some pretty nasty weather,” states Derrick.
In UK gastropub tradition, the Rose & Crown has no pubs or TAB, and has a small menu with only seven or eight entrée and main options. Now Derrick is planning on adding one or two specials to both categories that will change daily.
“One thing I’m really wanting to do is inspire people to visit the pub more than once a month. People that live around us to come once a fortnight or even once a week, which is probably more in keeping with the English pub culture. Keeping the menu fresh should help encourage that.”
Future plans
The Rose and Crown is just the start of Derrick’s plans to leave his own imprint of the Australian pub scene. The Rose and Crown is the first pub for his business, Avalon Pubs, with the hope to open another three or four in and around Brisbane – but not all necessarily following the Rose & Crown model.
“With the companies I had in London, our mantra was just make it the best pub in its area. And that could be a different style of pub, depending on the area. So we had some gastropubs, we also had some really fine-dining restaurants, we had nightclubs, we had student pubs. So it’s more about finding the opportunity, finding an area that has a viable site, and then working out what the best offer is to go into that site in that area.”
Whatever opportunities ensue, Derrick believes being genuine is what will gain the most traction with pubgoers.
“I think being genuine and obviously tailoring what the offer is to the location and to regular customers, that’s where you get that real loyalty from people inside your venue.”
Imagery by Axis Productions
