Is there really any difference between organic chicken and non-organic chicken?
THE HIDE BAR: WHAT IS IT?
The Hide Bar has been going for 13 years. That’s a long old time in London, and testament to a city stalwart that focuses on brilliant drinks and service.
It began on the premise of showcasing some of the best ingredients from around the world. The focus soon shifted to the amazing spirits and produce coming out of London. Now, almost all the drinks on offer are distilled, brewed, fermented or produced in the city. In fact, most of it coming from within 2km of the bar on Bermondsey Street, and The Hide sources locally under the banner of DrinkLondon.
Founder Paul Mathew’s background is as a conservation biologist, which means he’s long been a champion of sustainable sourcing. Last year he launched Everleaf, a non-alcoholic aperitif that’s sourced as organically as possible.
THE HIDE BAR: WHAT TO ORDER?
There’s a selection of spirits here that would put most London bars to shame, which means an equally enviable seasonal cocktail list.
The 39 Methley is particularly good, made with Hayman’s sloe gin, Mother’s Ruin cassis, elderflower, lime and mint as a twist on the classic Charlie Chaplin cocktail and named after his London home.
Another housemade classic is the draught nitro espresso martini. It’s obviously delicious, but also makes use of the bespoke draught cocktail system. This was specially designed to reduce wastage, improve consistency and speeds up service.
THE HIDE BAR: HOW SUSTAINABLE IS IT?
By sourcing mainly from London-based businesses, The Hide reduces the distance its ingredients have to travel, and has built a much closer relationship with suppliers, so they can ask them to do things like shipping spirits in bulk (reducing glass waste and shipping weight) – not to mentioned get their hands on lovely limited editions of beers, wines and spirits.
Elsewhere, furniture is made from recycled scaffolding, old school chairs and beautiful old second hand plates for bar snacks. And as for back of house, there’s a specially designed cold cellar that is super-efficient, with shorter lines to reduce wastage.
39-45 Bermondsey St, Bermondsey, London SE1 3XF
