The side projects are about fine food + drink, good music & killer design. If you are interested in working together on a new project, or just want to connect, I am all ears. All good things, EP.
Peters Co. Gin Palace
Peters & Co. Gin Palace resided within the faded marble splendour of F. Cooke Eel & Pie House, in East London. It was planned as a summer pop-up bar, to experiment with botanicals & mixology, without massive venue overheads. And pop-ups were cool in 2014.
However, following v nice opening reviews, coupled with gin being on the cusp of its category explosion, the project MASSIVELY took off. Peters & Co. ran for an incredible two-year residency, thanks to the solid support of regulars & guests enticed from all over.
Peters & Co. Gin Palace launched with a menu of 40 carefully curated gins, top shelf spirits & a nicely balanced cocktail menu. PLUS, the bone-dry martini trolley.
Gin & Tonics were poured over crystal clear ice, chipped from a 27kg block, with matching garnishes & tonics. Top choices were Hayman’s 1850, the closest you will get to gin in Victorian gin palaces & the Aldi own-brand, which beat pricey brands in blind tastings.
The best gin was, of course, my own small batch Peters & Co. Blood Orange gin. It was the most delicious orangey drink ever, excluding Capri-Sun.
This project provided the platform for my first fine dining pop-up, ‘The Whitechapel Butchers’. We created unfussy but exceptional modern British dishes, including wild caught silver eels, hot smoked over beech & apple wood. Dessert options featured ‘Summerisles’ crumble, jelly trifle & ice cream sandwiches. The menu was paired with English wines & I distilled a seaweed gin to serve with oysters. Not every plate came out as planned but it was good cooking, the residency sold out & everyone survived.
The bar playlist was a mixtape of 2 tone, ska & post punk. And the 12” version Purple Rain got played at least once every shift.
It turned out that opening a gin shop within an East End pie shop is a winning dichotomy. But alas, after several years of popping up every week, it was time to bow out on top. It was good times in pursuit of perfectly mixed drinks. We had a lorra lorra laughs.
If you have an idea involving modern British food, desserts or ice cream (+ pizza), please get in touch.
Peters & Co. Gin Palace menu / Dining menu.
Photography: Justinas Vilutis
