Last year, Whole Beast shot to critical acclaim, winning the title of Champion of Champions at the National Burger Awards with its aged Norfolk Wagyu cheeseburger. After a string of pop-up residencies, which grew Whole Beast’s cult following, its founders, husband-and-wife duo Sam and Alicja Bryant, have found their first permanent location in Brixton, in what was formerly The Shrub & Shutter.
“This space has been a long time coming”, Alicja tells Broadsheet. “We’ve always believed in cooking with fire, using the whole animal and creating food that’s honest and bold.”
“We pride ourselves on having a plan for every animal that comes into the building”, says Sam, “and by doing fun and inventive things with the parts of the animal that most aren’t as fussed with.”
Whole Beast’s award-winning cheeseburger will of course be on the menu, this time using retired Norwegian Red dairy cows, aged for 45 days. But in opening their own restaurant, Sam and Alicja are determined to get more creative with their menu.
The menu pays homage to roots, both personal and professional. Fatboy Potatoes with beef fat mayo is a tribute to minor celebrity John Trunley, aka The Fat Boy of Peckham, proclaimed Britain’s heaviest man in 1915. Sunday roasts will see crushed cheese and onion crisps on cheesy leeks – inspired by Sam’s mum - while beef dripping trenchers (thick-cut slices of bread) replace Yorkies and hark back to the Middle Ages, when bread was used as a placemat. The nose-to-tail ethos runs through the menu, with smoked ox cheek popping up alongside Hereford rump and a Bloody Mary made with bone marrow vodka.
“In the end, it all came down to one simple question: where would we want to spend our day off?” Sam says. “We’ve had plenty of time to imagine how it would look and, more importantly, how we’d want people to feel when they walk through the doors.”
The pair’s signature style blends irreverence and nostalgia (their logo is a ’90s-style rave smiley face), underpinned with serious execution. The bar is a hulking butcher's block; their grill, smoker and even signage are custom-made.
Even the drinks get a measure of Whole Beast energy. Josh Montgomerie, formerly of The Cadogan Arms, has created bespoke cocktails such as Marmite Old Fashioneds and bread and butter pickle brine Gibsons.
“With its eclectic mix of people and cultures, Brixton perfectly reflects what our menus have always been about,” Sam says. “While smoked meat has always been at the heart of what we do, we’ve always loved showcasing it in new and unexpected ways across our dishes.”
Whole Beast
336 Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8QH
Hours:
Thu to Sat 5-10pm
Sun midday-5pm
