Brigade Bar & Kitchen celebrates 10th anniversary

Brigade Bar & Kitchen, a social enterprise restaurant specialising in live-fire cuisine, will be marking its 10th anniversary year with a series of  events.

Located in a Grade II-listed fire station in Tooley Street, the restaurant, working alongside the Beyond Food Foundation (BFF), will kick-off the celebrations with a live-fire dinner, hosted by chef-founder Simon Boyle and celebrity chef Brian Turner.   

Turner and Boyle will spend the day with apprentices and work with them to cook a special supper for guests, who will also be able to listen to stories from past graduates, team members, and chefs from the restaurant’s current and former brigades.  

The dinner will be followed by a host of other activities throughout the year, including an alumni event for all apprentices that have come through the Brigade programmes over the last decade; and a special lunch for sponsors and supporters of the restaurant and charity - all cooked for by the Trustees of the BFF.  

Social enterprise

The restaurant helps people who have either been homeless, or have experienced homelessness, to build the confidence and self-esteem to take on the training required to find meaningful full-time employment within the hospitality industry. 

Since its inception, 6,075 vulnerable people impacted by trauma, poverty, the effects of addiction, criminality and social exclusion have all been supported through the programmes held at the restaurant. It has also helped 1,000 people into employment.  

“I’m so proud of what we have achieved Brigade and Beyond Food over the last 10 years," says Boyle. “When we set up, the vision was to create an inspiring place that helps poor people from the brink of homelessness.  

“We wanted to support people that had lost the thread of life, and helped them to grab hold of the opportunity that we provide with both hands to pull themselves up, stand on their own two feet and start to contribute to society in a meaningful way. 

“We also wanted to create a high-quality restaurant and event space to provide the perfect training platform for our beneficiaries and an amazing, fantastic place to eat, dine and be inspired for our guests.  

“We truly believe that we have some of the best live fire dishes in London, and can’t wait to share these with more and more people over the course of the next 12 months. 

“After a decade, our plans to continue to succeed and scale our methodology to other parts of the country. This will be the vision for the next 10 years."

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