The New Tigers Head revisited

A few facts and considerations regarding getting this pub back on its paws.

It has been closed since about 2007, possible reasons are it lost punters to the Weatherspoons and failed to look after itself décor wise.  One review on Beerintheevening suggested it was about 20 years out of date.

Even though it’s called the New Tigers Head the site was used as a beer shop called the Tigers Head from around the 1830s. turning into a pub in the late 1800s.

This site (not sure how old it is) shows what it looked like inside before it was completely boarded up:http://www.spacedup.co.uk/se3_lee-pub.htm .  One large ground floor space with iron pillars dotted around the place, looks like some original features remain there but it has pretty much been gutted!

In 2013 it was listed at “could be yours for £1.8m”, it does have water, gas and electricity.  But looking at it's inside, it would cost around half again to get it back to what it should be.

Google maps show no outdoor space.

Other pubs in the area:

The Old Tigers Head – right opposite.  Locals’ boozer best describes this place, recently lost its blue exterior and is now a wonderful shade of peach (big surprise when I saw this after coming back from holiday).   Something of outdoor space (according to Google), shows all major sporting events, has back room for live bands.  There is food here, not sure what it is like, probably very traditional pub grub.

The Edmund Hally – Burnt Ash Road.  It’s a Weatherspoons…

The Duke of Edinburgh – Lee Road by the river.  Locals’ boozer much smaller with a beer garden shows a lot of sporting events, not sure if it has live bands. There is food here, not sure what it is like, probably very traditional pub grub.

The Lord Northbrook – Burnt Ash Road by Lee station.  Once voted South East London’s worse pubs it won Pints and Pistachios (Shortlist) 1^st prize in 2013.  I’ll fess up I drink here a lot and love what they have done to the place.  They have extended into the back for a separate dining area but you can eat by the bar.  It has a similar look to what the NTH must have looked like, horseshoe bar in the middle, iron pillars hold up the ceiling.  They have also downstairs space as well as a beer cellar.  Food is very good almost restaurant standard with a small number of pub standards like burgers.   They sell beers from smaller independent breweries, but serve a couple of the usual suspects too. 

The Swan – Lee Road.  Recently shut down and reopened as a sports bar.  Know very little about this place, but have been passed a few times around 7pm and it’s been rather empty.

The Woodsman – Lee Road – shut!

In Blackheath both The Railway (I have been known to drink in there on a few occasions) and Hare and Billet have undergone renovations, H&B more dramatically than The Railway.  The Railway beer ethos is not the same as the Northbrook, but does have a few drinks you wouldn’t normally see in a Weatherspoons. 

Hare and Billet has undergone a similar transformation as the Northbrook (and again I drink here a lot) restaurant level food, a few bar snacks, no live music and will rarely have the TV on.  Run overall by The London Pub Co, but allow their landlords to make the pub what they want it to be.  Used to be a Greene King – great outdoor space – the heath!

Could this be like the Ivy in Nunhead?

Honestly I don’t know, looking at the area where the Ivy is, it’s a very residential road, with no other pubs nearby.  NTH is on the Lee Green junction with a large number of flats around.  Would there be enough “community spirit” to get this going, or would this be a more commercial enterprise?

What’s would the pub unique selling point be?

Perhaps look to the Northbrook to see what they have done décor and beer ethos wise, but perhaps there is a place for more traditional pub grub, over gastro-resto pub food.  What’s wrong with a good sandwich, burger and chips or dare I say more retro classics like kiev or (beans on toast?!).  Maybe offer a café feel to it as well, for during the day.

Is there a need for another pub in the area? 

If it takes a leaf from all the refurbs that have recently happened, YES there is.  It’s well connected for transport and with Lewisham throwing flats faster than you can spell flat, there will be a need for more drinking places!  Good quality ones.

This is not a "can't be done" but a "very long term and high cost" project.  I firmly believe that there is place in this world for everyone and I don’t want to take away the pubs like Old Tiger and Duke of Wellington, as they are part of the community too!

Alexa

I'm a secret lemonade maker..

This is such a simple recipe... lemons, sugar, sparkling water.  Quantities vary (which makes it fun) and it tastes SOOO much better than your average shop bought stuff.  All it takes is just a little time and prep.

I say it's a recipe its more an explanation as there are no clear quantities given but stick with it :)

The Ladywell Tart

What's a Ladywell tart?  A Bakewell tart made with rhubarb instead of raspberries.  What's a Bakewell tart?  For those who don't reside in the UK a Bakewell tart is a sweet shortcrust pastry base with cooked down raspberries (raspberry jam) topped with a frangipane (a sort of cake mix made with almonds).  There is the Bakewell tart and Bakewell pudding.  Is there a difference?  Yes, a tart is made with a short crust pastry topped with an almond sponge mix and pudding made with a flaky pastry topped with an egg and almond paste.  Both contain raspberry jam.  Oh the stuff you see with a fondant on top.. most people would not consider it a true Bakewell anything.  I say "meh".

So I am making a Ladywell tart (I made up the name, but it is a place not too far from where I live), and I will be going through all the steps and giving you the final verdict.  There will be a separate comparison on a different page.  Is this something that could be easily bought out?  Or is it an exercise of ease itself?

Two sides to every tail

After my rather (but hopefully not too preachy) rant in " Pig of an issue", I came across this article and made my heart sing!  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22014346

This is a UK initiative (very early days) of 100 farms that are attached to their local primary schools.  The aim, to educate children about where their food comes from, what it takes to rear animals and what happens to them afterwards.

As it was reading the article, I was thinking to myself....this is what I want to see!  Kids, from a young age, are learning where meat comes from and what veg looks like.  They are encouraged  to eat peas straight from the pod, muck out and feed the animals, and, while they probably don’t go to the abattoir, help to sell their products back to the community.

World baking day 19th May 2013

This date nearly slipped me by, given the embargo on cookery channels when my beloved it at home.  Well I  caught an add a couple of days ago but did nothing about it.  I had even gone on Twitter the Saturday before, saying "do I or don't I bake" - at that time I had decided not to bake.  But I was going to make curd and said as much (again on Twitter), I used the hash tag World baking day.  In a stalkerishly short amount of time I had a Twitter from World baking day stating I had the bake brave spirit - dare I take the ultimate challenge.

Rhubarb curd recipe

Well after my first attempt last week I was not going to be beaten with a rhubarb curd.

I did a little thinking and changing of quantities, and I think I have created a nice little recipe to share with you all!

Curds and whoa!

News flash - first attempt at rhubarb curd as failed dismally, I mean it didn't go wrong.  But it tasted too sweet, it was the wrong colour and there was too much scrambled egg at the bottom.

I have made curds before, lemon, and lime - both worked beautifully, the only thing I would say is I could have made them more tart.  I love that sharp mouth watering, mouth pucking feeling you get when eating a small spoonful of lemon or lime curd.  Creamy, buttery, sharp, fresh.... I could go on!  So I got to thinking about what else would work as a curd.  It would need to be full of sharp vitamin c taste, so that opened up a world of grapefruit, passion fruit, even pineapple (but would need to work on that last one a bit, pineapple  can be temperamental.  Not to mention, rhubarb.  That tart, pretty pink and green vegetable that would strike fear into heart of any child at lunchtime.

But we have grown up and our tastes have changed and it's time to give rhubarb a chance.