Interview with Crummbs
CRUMMBS CHATS TO…CLAPTON CRAFT
Since setting up Crummbs we’ve always been blown away by the incredible people we’ve met and the special things they’re doing. With this in mind we wanted to shine a light on our favourite movers and shakers, starting in our home, Clapton.
This is the first in a series of chats & takeovers that we’ll be doing to highlight locals we LOVE. Whether that’s a furniture shop, a florist or a local boozer, they all make up the fabric of life in London today.
So without further ado, we kick off the series and grab a pint with Clapton Craft….
So how did Clapton Craft come about, who’s behind it?
Will and I started Clapton Craft in 2013. We’d been good friends since university and were both working in the wine trade in London. At the time the explosion in local, small batch brewing had just begun and while it was becoming easier to find the beers that we wanted to drink in pubs, there wasn’t anywhere to buy them to take home to enjoy with friends and family. Our aim is to showcase all of the amazing local beer from London and the UK and to work directly with breweries so that we can get it to our customers as fresh as possible.
You first set up shop in Clapton but have since opened sites in Walthamstow, Forest Hill, Kentish Town & Finsbury Park – how did you decide on these locations and how do they differ (if at all?)
The main factor that unifies the locations and the thing we always look for is a strong sense of neighbourhood and desire to support local community and business. We’re lucky enough to be in places where people care about shopping locally and understanding the craft and provenance of what they buy whether it’s from a beer shop, cafe, bakery or butcher.
This series of takeovers is all about shining a light on local businesses that we LOVE! Is there anyone you’d like to shout about?
We’re huge fans of Dark Arts Coffee over in Homerton and have their beans in all our staff kitchens. We also love a post-work glass of wine at P.Franco a few doors up, especially when there’s a kitchen residency going on.
What beers are you getting excited about right now?
Right now it’s all about New England style IPAs. These are intentionally hazy, hugely juicy and aromatic beers often brewed with oats and/or wheat to give a creamy texture and have very little bitterness. Cloudwater (Manchester), Verdant (Cornwall) & Beavertown (London) are making some of the best examples at the minute but demand is so high we struggle to keep them in stock.
We’re going to a dinner party/BBQ/House Party – what should we bring with us?
It has to be a growler of something local from the taps. Big enough to share around and there’s no empties to dispose of at the end. Pale Fire from Pressure Drop Brewery down the road in Hackney Central is a personal favourite and regularly features in all our shops.
Continuing the food theme – what’s your favourite restaurant in London?
We’re spoilt for choice in London these days but right now I’d have to say The Laughing Heart on Hackney Road. The menu changes daily but is always impeccably sourced and perfectly executed, plus it’s open until 2AM with one of the best natural wine lists around.
Best dish? The cauliflower Shawarma from Berber & Q.
…and for afters, got a favourite boozer?
I’ve spent far too much time in The Mermaid in Clapton since it opened last year – it’s by the same people that have The Kings Arms in Bethnal Green and Earl of Essex in Islington. There’s always so much good beer on the taps it’s impossible to stay for just one and the arancini balls are the best I’ve ever tasted.
And finally, let us into the secret of your dream day in London?
I love cycling so when the weather is good, a ride out past the Olympic Park and around Epping Forest. Roast pork sandwich for lunch from the Ginger Pig in Wanstead before heading to Hackney Wick for beers on the canal at Mason & Co. By then the sun’s going down and there’s always a party or night on somewhere in Hackney!