Coming soon: Brickfields Bar

A new bar / restaurant is opening on Brockley Road, brought to us by the team behind The Orchard.

The Orchard (Harefield Road) was among the first of Brockley’s new wave of restaurants, bars and cafes that people went to as an active and positive choice rather than out of a sense of duty to local businesses or a lack of better ideas.

In many ways, it is still the benchmark that other local businesses should aspire to. Somehow both buzzy and relaxed, simple yet fancy. Cosy in winter when the flames of the oven seem to heat the whole space, cool in summer with the windows thrown open. The founders struck the right balance and created the perfect local experience.

So this news is welcome and overdue. They are going to try and bottle lightning all over again – this time, in Midtown.

Brickfields is the name of their new place, replacing the old, deserted Thai restaurant on Brockley Road. They’ve got the keys, they’ve got planning permission. They are finally ready to go. Ed explains:

“The plan is for a bar with a late licence serving food, cocktails, craft beer, wine... It isn't going to be a carbon copy of The Orchard and will have a personality all of it's own.

“We are hoping to be open for Christmas but will see how we get on with the build!”

The Orchard opens for breakfast

The Orchard has unveiled its secret plan for breakfast domination. The team says:

The Orchard is now open for breakfast 9.30-11.30 Tue-Sun. The full English is particularly good!

New Year's Eve Party at The Orchard

The Orchard's Ed writes:

We still have New Years Eve tickets available for you lovely people of Brockley. The party starts at 8pm and rolls on until 2am. It's £12 per ticket or £10 if you buy 4 or more. 

The ticket price includes a free cocktail and there is a fantastic DJ playing classic tunes to get you on the dance floor. If you have previously been to one of our NYE parties you will know that a good time is had by all, so if you're still deciding what to do, come join us and have the pleasure of being able to walk (or stumble) home. 

We hope to see some of you there on the night- Happy 2012!

Thank you to the Brockley MAX supporters

On your right hand side, you'll notice a new banner ad for Jam Circus. This is to thank them for their support of this year's Brockley MAX and is Brockley Central's way of helping the cause. The Orchard is another important supporter so you'll be seeing their banner soon too.

So if you like the Brockley MAX, then eat and drink at Jam Circus and The Orchard every day please. And why not buy an extra packet of crisps while you're at the bar? And one more for the road.

A budgerigar walks in to a bar...

Ed from The Orchard has just got in touch:

Believe or not a budgerigar has just walked (yes, walked) into the bar. We have it safe in a box in the quiet for the time being but it has obviously escaped from somewhere. Can you put a posting on the blog to let people know? It seems ok, and can fly as we found out trying to catch it.

In the meantime I am trying to think of a joke.

Wriggle and Rhyme at The Orchard

Ed from The Orchard has been in touch about an event they're hosting as part of the Brockley MAX, which starts tomorrow. It's great to see another venue taking part in this year's event. Here are the details:

Wriggle and Rhyme at The Orchard. Run by Jane Conway, a qualified Speech and Language Therapist with more than 25 years experience of working in the NHS. If you have a toddler aged between 12mths and 2yrs, join her for 40 mins of fun, aimed at enhancing early language skills with your child and get top tips for developing early communication at home.

When: Friday 28 May 2pm - 2.40pm

Where: The Orchard, 5 Harefield Road Brockley SE4 1LW tel: 020 8692 4756

Cost: £5 per child including coffee/tea for the parent

How to book: Pop into the Orchard to confirm you place or call and pay on the day.

ELL points spotlight at Brockley

Our new tube line has attracted the London bloggerati, to sample our good stuff.

Londonist's pub crawl took in Jam Circus and the Orchard resulting in glowing reviews, as well as Try Tapas in Honor Oak and the Amersham Arms in New Cross:

Settling into a comfortable window seat, we could have happily used the place purely as a bar. However, Try Tapas is the name, and who are we to argue? Meatballs and fancy spuds were eminently munchable.

'Brockley is cooler than Shoreditch,' opines the sign beside the bar. Jam Circus is certainly doing its bit to live that assertion... It's a place you'd be proud to call your local, especially with late opening times every night of the week.

With its proximity to the Overground, there's a real possibility that the Orchard could attract regulars from beyond its local core.

To be perfectly honest, we were completely bladdered by this point, so have no clear memory of the Amersham's delights. We vaguely recall a sense of rock and roll swagger about the place, with a thrashy live band playing away in the back room.

Meanwhile, Diamond Geezer has written poetically of his adventures on Hilly Fields:

A grassy bulge, reaching the giddy height of 50 metres above sea level, to which the local population are irresistibly drawn on a sunny day... When Brockley comes out to sizzle, somehow a hump with a view will always have the edge.

The Orchard update

Ed from The Orchard has been in touch to let people know that they will be closing briefly this week to carry out some minor refurbishments.

The Orchard and will be closed all day and evening on Tuesday 27th and during the day, opening at 6pm on Wed 28th.

So if you see it closed this week, nobody panic.

New Year's Eve from above

Orchard NYE 2009 from Kai Clear on Vimeo.

Kai has sent us this time-lapse film he made of the Orchard on New Year's Eve. Check out his film of the Getliffe mural near Brockley Station being created too.

The Orchard - Best Brockley Newcomer 2009 [UPDATED]

Congratulations to The Orchard bar and kitchen, which fought off tough competition and a late burst of enthusiasm from the flock of the Redeemed Christian Church of God to scoop the coveted Brockley Central award for the most exciting newcomer 2009.

This has been an exceptional year for Brockley start-ups and the Harefield Road venue was up against businesses that have raised the bar for local eating, drinking and shopping, winning plenty of loyal customers and critical praise from BC readers in the process. The Orchard is a place that locals can enjoy in it's own right without having to sacrifice anything in terms of atmosphere, service or quality in order to support a local option.

The achievement is all the more impressive given the short time it's been open. Its early success bodes well for the wave of new places we can look forward to in 2010.

If you'd like to see what all the fuss is about for yourself, you might like to know that it has a late license for Christmas Eve.

UPDATE

Emily and Ed write in response:

Thank you to everyone for your support with our new venture The Orchard and to those who voted for us in the best newcomer poll- we are thrilled you picked us as the most exciting new business in 2009, especially as we were up against some great competition.

It's been a busy couple of months getting the bar up and running and we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for being so patient with us. We have had a few teething problems and we probably won't be completely happy with everything for another month or so until we really iron everything out, but so far we are really pleased with our first month.

We will keep on listening to suggestions as well as learning from mistakes so please do keep on giving us feedback.

We look forward to seeing those of you who have bought tickets to our New Years Eve party (which is sold out!) and look forward to seeing many more of you in 2010.

Finally, we hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you all have a fantastic New Year

Adventures in Catering: Opening Night at The Orchard

Brockley's newest bar, The Orchard, opened last night on Harefield Rd (next door to The Shop On The Hill), and your dedicated BC correspondent popped in undercover to scope the place out.

The decor is fresh and modern, without feeling cold, dominated by brickwork, wood and paintwork in shades of cream and green, with vases of flowers and candles scattered about and a few cosy leather sofas thrown in for good measure.
The kitchen is entirely open to view behind the bar - a brave move that's partly the result of financial necessity (due to the prohibitive cost of re-plumbing and re-fitting the units elsewhere), according to proprietor Ed. A set-up like this takes a lot of confidence in one's chef and serving staff (BC has worked in kitchens which definitely wouldn't prosper if exposed to the scrutiny of all and sundry), but from what BC could see, Ed's trust has been borne out so far.

The chef is a local chap who previously worked at a restaurant in Mayfair but joined the Orchard team to avoid his daily commute - a wise move. The kitchen is open for lunch and dinner, and the menu provides plenty of variety, focussing on classic British and European dishes. They plan to do roasts on Sundays. On other days, the menu is subject to change, but here are last night's dishes:

Starters
King prawns
Goats cheese salad
Carpaccio of beef
Grilled calamari

Mains
Asparagus risotto
Italian sausages & lentils
Sea bass with spinach, cherry tomatoes & mushroom sauce
Sirloin steak with chips & grilled tomatoes
Rack of lamb with spinach & mashed potato
Tuna steak with mixed vegetables
Very slow-cooked belly pork with spinach, grilled tomatoes & apple sauce

Sides
Green beans
Spinach
Rocket & parmesan salad
Mixed salad
Mashed potato
Roast potatoes

As for the vital subject of drinks, the Orchard has a decent selection of wines (including rose and fizz), and there should be something for everyone in the beer selection. On tap, they've got Aspall cider, Freedom organic lager, Staropramen, Becks, and Adnams Explorer - a light, citrussy ale. Among the bottled beer selection are Guinness, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Desperados and Corona. Ed is keen to stock a variety (it's a free house) and is open to customer suggestions. BC has already put in a plea for London Pride.

There were a couple of first-night teething problems - the extractor fan wasn't working, meaning that the room became smoky at one point and the large front windows had to be opened, which was somewhat chilly. And be warned - they were taking cash only while payment systems are set up. But the staff coped admirably and with courtesy.

All in all, this was a fantastic start for what is shaping up to be strong competition to local heroes Jam Circus and the newly-launched Talbot. Location-wise it fills a definite gap in the market, and we hope that the rest of Brockley welcomes it warmly. Best of luck Ed & Emily, and staff!

Short Cuts

Here's a nice vignette that's nonetheless sure to enrage one or two.

While talking to Emily, the co-founder of The Orchard, last night, she mentioned that shortly after we ran this piece someone popped their head around the door, one day as they were renovating the bar.

They explained that they were moving to Brockley from East Dulwich and until a couple of days before had been tossing and turning over whether to take the plunge, worried that there wasn't a lot to do in the area. Then they read the article and that clinched it for them.

If you build it, the removal van will come.

The Orchard - opens tonight

A man is basically as faithful as his options.
- Chris Rock, Bigger and Blacker

Today marks the point at which Brockley's nightlife achieves critical mass. It will be possible to have a good night out in Brockley without having to think too hard or make too many compromises. If one place is packed, dead or shut, you will be able to head off in to the winter night in the confidence that Brockley now has a range of good options. Dismal pub crawls like this one are a thing of the past.

In Crofton Park, the consistently brilliant Jam Circus is complemented by the specialist Mr Lawrence and the refreshed Brockley Jack. In Ladywell, the Tavern hosts regular music nights. At the Lewisham end of the conservation area, the reborn Talbot is already picking up overwhelmingly positive reviews. The Wickham Arms has upped its game in the last year or two and in Telegraph Hill, Skehans has been joined by The Telegraph, while the delights of Honor Oak and New Cross are not far away, depending on which end of Brockley you live.

And now, right in the middle of all of that and in stark contrast to the Barge beerodrome, comes The Orchard - a new bar / kitchen on Harefield Road.

Last night, we met with the new owners of The Orchard, who were having a trial opening ahead of its formal debut, tonight.

Formerly Aquarium and, before that Ecosium, The Orchard is exactly what the area has always needed. A cosy, intimate place run by people who know what they're doing. We tried really hard to like the previous establishments and they always won points simply for existing, but they were deeply flawed - from the odd decor and the lumpy tables that you couldn't stand a wine glass on to the dodgy service and unhappy staff.
The team behind The Orchard (Emily and Ed) have taken the same space and without dramatically changing the layout, transformed its look and feel. Some of the original features remain, including the open kitchen and the fish tank (although it looks somewhat depopulated), but it feels entirely new.
For example, the entire back room used to be a dead zone - a place you would reluctantly go on the odd occasion that the front room tables were taken. With some redecoration, clever use of lighting and by removing the over-size wooden shelf that used to jut in to the room, it's been turned from a cold space in to a warm one. Where Aquarium stuffed the front room with awkward furniture, it's now clean and uncluttered. The blaring TVs are gone.
Emily and Ed both stressed that The Orchard is a bar first and a restaurant second. They want people to feel they can pop-in for a drink, rather than obligated to look at the food menu. Having said that, they've found a serious chef and the menu written up on the large chalk boards looks great.
Ed may look like Tom Cruise, circa Cocktail, but beneath his dashing exterior quivers the belly of a real-ale drinker. He was visibly excited about the fact that he was free to sell whatever beers he liked and, alongside Adnams, is planning to stock nut-brown exotica. He'll also be open to suggestions from regulars.

The Orchard opens this evening until 11pm. Brockley Kate will be going gonzo later tonight - her report will follow.

The Orchard - watch this space

The Orchard, Harefield Road's new bar / kitchen, is nearly ready for its formal opening night, having completed a remarkably quick re-fit.

We're hoping to organise a BC Drinks night before Christmas to celebrate its opening and will let you know the details very soon. We wouldn't normally dare to try and summon the might of the BC Army so soon after The Talbot drinks night, but then we are entering uncharted territory with a second bar-opening in such a short period of time.

The Orchard - a new bar for Brockley

Back in the summer, we met a guy called Ed at the Brockley Central music night at the Ladywell Tavern. He revealed that he was working on plans to open a bar in Brockley, somewhere near the station.

A decent bar in Brockley Cross, offering an alternative to the Brockley Barge and the mysterious Gulens, has been something Brockley Central has dreamed of, since the site began. However, we'd heard similar things from people before that had never materialised, so we refused to allow ourselves to get too excited. Ed was a great bloke and seemed to know what he was doing, but we didn't think much more about it until we got an email from him a couple of months ago.

He revealed that he'd made progress and was close to signing a lease, but asked us not to say anything more about it, because he didn't want to disappoint people if it all fell through. Hence this frustratingly oblique post.

Today, we're delighted to be able to bring you this message from Ed and his partner Emily. Enjoy:

We have lived in Brockley Cross for a few years now and have always wanted a place we could enjoy a good pint or decent glass of wine without having to travel all the way to Greenwich or Blackheath- we wanted somewhere we could walk to. It was because of our frustration at not having somewhere like this to hang out that we decided to do it ourselves.

We are really excited to be opening a Bar and Kitchen where Aquarium briefly existed on Harefield Road. As local residents we know how important it is to reflect the local area and are really proud to be part of the Brockley business community which already houses some fantastic places to eat, get a coffee and shop.

We look forward to serving up some great wines, cocktails, and beers amongst much more, in a relaxed environment that is comfortable, stylish and homely.

We are refurbishing the property and are looking to open at the end of November/beginning of December depending on how quickly we can turn everything around.

We have decided to name the bar The Orchard. If you look around you can still see some old trees left over from the orchards that were grown here in Brockley where the property now is today.
We are relatively new to this but firmly believe we have an understanding of what Brockley wants, and needs, and really hope we can fit in alongside the existing businesses and new ventures that are also popping up around us.
You'll probably see us working on the property over the coming weeks and you'll be the first to know when we have an open date. We look forward to seeing you all there in time for some Christmas cheer!
Edmund and Emily