Brigade Bar and Bistro - Tooley Steet, London, UK
N 51° 30.238 W 000° 04.879
30U E 702556 N 5709909
This former Fire Brigade Station, on the north side of Tooley Street, has been converted to a bar and bistro.
Waymark Code: WMGEEH
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/22/2013
Views: 9
The Brigade's website [visit link] tells us:
"Based at the historic Fire Station
on Tooley Street, SE1, Brigade Bar and Bistro is a unique social enterprise with
an appetite for distinctive food and individual service led by Chef Founder
Simon Boyle.
Guests are met with the aromas of
tempting fresh cooking on arrival, the gentle buzz of conversation and
attractive, modern surroundings creating a relaxed feel. The vibrant atmosphere
is perfect for sampling curious wines and international beers with friends,
family and colleagues whilst watching the Chef’s busy in the live kitchen.
Combining sophistication and rusticity, Brigade focuses on good produce and
traditional British cookery, a handful of classics and sharers adding to the
mix.
At Brigade, outstanding food does
more than just provide pleasure. Together with the Beyond Food Foundation,
Brigade offers vulnerable people catering apprenticeships, giving them the
opportunity for a brighter future."
The same website [visit link] also tells
us:
"The fire at Cottons Wharf on
Tooley Street, on 22 June 1861, was seen as the worst since The Great Fire of
London. Just 30 minutes passed from the discovery of smoke at a warehouse to the
fire burning out of control, soon stretching from London Bridge to Customs
House. Engines arrived from all over the country to help the LFEE, but it still
took two weeks to put the fire out.
The fire led to a big social
change. Its huge cost forced insurance companies to tell the Home Secretary that
they could no longer be responsible for the fire safety of London. This led to
the creation of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in 1865, of which The Fire Station
in Tooley Street would be a part.
It was built in 1879 to save lives
and protect property following the devastating Tooley Street Fire of 1861.
Today, we’re using the same values of business sense and social responsibility
to make it a vibrant and authentic venue. It means a fresh start for this
historic building and a new future for a number of vulnerable people who will
train with us."