What happens to a pop-up once it’s…‘popped’?

That’s what BBQWhiskeyBeer have got me pondering, as they squat at the Wargrave Arms. It’s a Marylebone pub with an award-winning array of low-‘n’-slow cooked Americana. They’ve run the pop-up gauntlet and come out on top. With a heavyweight Ribstock title to prove it.

Here’s what they do.

BBQ — from classic burgers on brioche buns, to the same again topped with the kind of pulled pork that deserves its 24 hour cooking time as it much as it deserves the praise it gets. Southern fried chicken livers, or three-day smoked beef ribs, finished over charcoal: that thing of ludicrous beauty known only as ‘The Jacob’.

As for drinks, the name simply won’t let you sell them short. They take up two thirds of it after all. BBQWhiskeyBeer boast one of the biggest selections of single malts in London. If a Scottish distillery is producing still, you can guarantee they’ll have a bottle. They’ve even got some from dearly departed distilleries to round out the collection.

Add to that a ragtag crew of quality London cask ales, craft bottles, and special under-the-counter somethings for the discerning customer, and you have a bar to be reckoned with.

I think they deserve a permanent home at the Wargrave Arms. BBQWhiskeyBeer certainly hasn’t lost its fizz, post-pop. 

By James McKnight

Lunch on a pontoon: pies and craft beer to make you swoon

Counter Café is a gem. It sits on the side of the Hertford Union Canal in Hackney and is great for eating outdoors on a nice day. They make brilliant pies and stock Crate beer from the brewery just around the corner. There’s an art gallery attached which is worth a look too.

It’s a nice walk if you go to Pudding Mill Lane DLR station, and walk down the Greenway and the canal to it. It’s worth stopping in at Moka East en route. Moka East is at View Tube, which gave people views out over the velodrome and park during the Olympics. Right now, it’s a bit of a building site because there’s a lot of work going on in the park. But it’s still cool to visit. 

Last time I went was with a great little group of bloggers (London On The Inside, The Arburturian, Lady Loves Cake) and East Village. We had a coffee and Moka East’s homemade mini doughnuts. Warm and fluffy, they’re super-moreish. The fresh lemon zest in there gives them a zingy kick. And who’ll ever tire of the childhood challenge of trying to eat one without licking your sugary lips? Not this sugary-lipped tour guide that’s for certain. 

By Charli