Dispensary Scoops CAMRA Award For East London Pub Of The Year - With Female Appeal
New menu and
Oktober Beer Fest announced
HistoricBuilding
with connections to Duke of Wellington and “Jack the Ripper”
The newly
refurbished Dispensary Pub & Dinning Room at Aldgate East has been named
CAMRA’s East London Pub of the Year, largely because of its appeal to female
beer drinkers – despite its links with “Jack the Ripper”.
With period
features dating back to when it was the ‘Eastern Dispensary’ hospital for poor
Eastenders in the 1870s, now updated with contemporary furnishings and subtle
shades of Farrow & Ball paintwork, The Dispensary is especially popular
with a loyal female clientele. A cast
iron spiral stair case leads to a gallery seating area overlooking the main
bar.
Original
artworks in the pub were painted by the pub’s patisserie chef, Charly Webber,
whose other hobbies include “partying” and supporting Arsenal FC.
The pub’s
appeal to female drinkers endures, despite its historic links with “Jack the Ripper”. One of the prime suspects in the unsolved
serial killings was Queen Victoria’s surgeon, Sir John Williams, who practiced
medicine in the building located a few hundred yards from where most of the
murders took place.
Eschewing the
more usual spritzers, insipid Pinot Griggios and bland Chardonnays consumed by
many female drinkers in other City and East End watering holes, The Dispensary
serves a high proportion female real ale
drinkers attracted by its welcoming
ambience and wide selection of craft beers.
“Despite the
clichéd image of pot bellied, bearded real ale drinkers dressed in duffle coats
and bad shoes, ale has numerous health benefits over drinking wines, spirits
and even many soft drinks – when consumed in moderation,” said landlady Annie
Smith, who co owns the pub with partner David Cambridge, with whom she restored
and opened The Dispensary in 2006.
Glass for glass, beer is less calorific than
wine, with a half pint of beer with 90 calories in a pint of compared to around
160 calories in 250ml glass of red (150 calories of white wine).
Okoberfest
For three
days in October, real ale drinkers of both sexes will be able to sample an
extensive array of Paulanier beers when the pub hosts to its own Oktoberfest.
The Dispensary will be transformed into a Bavarian ‘bierstube’, complete with
the ‘Bavarian Strollers’ oompah band and traditional German food. Tickets are £15.
Chef David
Cambridge is the former personal chef to some of the UK’s most discerning
people, including Sir Evelyn de Rothschild.
“I’ve been
privileged in my career and learnt a lot from people who expect nothing but the
best, but after 20 years of cooking for grand occasions, I craved a fresh
challenge – creating a more convivial atmosphere with an unfussy menu focused
on fresh produce sourced daily by Cambridge from the local Smithfield and
Billingsgate markets,” he said.
New Menu
David’s new
menu features Carpaccio of beef “Harry's bar” style; Escalope of chicken cordon
bleu served with boulangere potatoes;
and Homemade ground steak burger with relish and Dispensary hand cut chips.
Desserts
include Mars bar cheesecake and Coconut pannacotta chocolate shot.
Open: Monday
to Friday 11.30am – 11.00pm
The
Dispensary Pub & Dining Room, 19a Leman Street, London E1 8EN
T: 020 7977
0486 Tw: @dispensarypub
For recipes follow this link
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