Not that we want to overload everyone with exciting news, but seeing as we are now launched it makes sense to keep the momentum going. This time we have let Scoff break the news, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get excited about it and tell you how all this came about.
It started on Roseberry Topping, in the North York Moors at the beginning of January, where Barny and I were out walking with his Dad, and four dachshunds. We got a phone call from Ben at the Clarendon in Leamington. He wanted us to do a popup in their new sports bar just down the road.
It’s actually a lot windier than it looks.
We were half way up a hill at the time, trying to stop the dogs blowing away, but gathered that the idea was that the Jabberwocky would take over running the kitchen so that they could concentrate on everything else. It was only several days later, when we had made our way back down the hill, dropped off Barny’s Dad and the dogs, found our way back to Warwickshire, arranged a meeting and actually had a look round the kitchen and a chat to Ben that we realised this would be a good event for Scoff.
Gratuitous dog shot from after we returned home: Kevin NOT being in the recycling, because it smells interesting.
As a single trader there is no way we could cover their kitchen all year without taking on staff. This was exactly what they were trying to avoid and the reason is pretty straight forward: if there is only demand for food on certain nights it doesn’t make sense to employ a full time chef (or even several). We wouldn’t be able to cover the work by ourselves because during the middle of the summer we spend most of our weekends tent-surfing around local festivals.
So in comes Scoff. Newly minted, eager for work and with a really, really excellent website just as soon as I work out and fix what’s wrong with it. Wonderful win-win scenarios ensue, where the Cask and Bottle get a fantastic variety of food from some of the Midlands best street fooders, we all get work which is both regular and not freezing cold and the lovely patrons get a smörgåsbord (yes, you heard me, a smörgåsbord) of epic dinner choices.
Having said that, there are still a few kinks to be ironed out, so Jeff from Big Daddies Diner, who is kicking everything off this weekend, will be serving in the garden rather than from the nice warm kitchen. Luckily the beer garden happens to be opposite the bar, next to the heated marquee in full view of the outdoor screen showing both Six Nations games. Jeff didn’t seem too worried.
So if you are in Leamington and would like an activity for Saturday afternoon that would be my suggestion. I admit, I’m a bit biased, but then again if you had tried one of Jeff’s dogs you would be too.
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