I've decided to make up for it this year.
I know there are some issues surrounding what it halal and what isn't when it comes to this, and i'll be upfront about what i will be having. Definitely won't be trying Prawns for various reasons, but will 'test the water' with a few other nibbles.
With this in mind, the wonderful sounding Oyster Shed seems like a good place to start.
Here's a bit about them:
Situated on Angel Lane in the City of London, The Oyster Shed will offer an impressive range of seafood and more traditional British dishes alongside an extensive Champagne list and a wide selection of local ales, stouts, whiskeys, wines and cocktails.
Ed Turner, Commercial Director at Geronimo Inns, says “What a location, this is a dream pub for us. Delicious views, delightful neighbours and a blank canvas in which we’re creating a wonderful food-pub. Wherever you sit you’ll be able to enjoy a fine pint, a glass of wine over a plate of good food with excellent views of the river - perfect for a glass of stout and some oysters, a quick light lunch or something a little longer... or even a dinner in the Club Room (Geronimo’s separate room for corporate or private events). To us a site like this is reward for all the hard work over the last 15 years. Onwards and upwards for Geronimo”.
This launch comes at a particularly notable time for Geronimo Inns, who are celebrating their first anniversary since being acquired by Young’s in December 2010.
Food & Drink
The Oyster Shed will serve an excellent selection of beverages including a wide range of Champagne and wine, Asahi, Aspall Cider, Oyster Shed Gold and Cornish Coaster ales, Japanese Whisky and sake, as well as suitably themed cocktails including Fish House Punch, Cuban Mojito’s and Bloody Mary’s. A range of soft drinks and fresh fruit juices will also be available.
The food menu will include a range of British classics as well as an extensive range of bar snacks, and is in keeping with Geronimo Inns’ traditional approach, which is to create affordable food that is simply constructed and effectively delivered. Fish Fridays, Oyster Tuesdays and Steak Wednesdays will all take place at The Oyster Shed. Examples from The Oyster Shed menu include:
Bar Snacks
Jersey Rock Oysters £1.75 each
Cockles and Whelks £3.50
Salt Cod Fritters £6.95
Pickled octopus £4.95
Warm Quail Scotch Egg £1.75
Bar Boards
Fishmongers’ Board (Smoked salmon, spiced prawns, £13.50
fish cakes, fish fingers, mackerel, with accompaniments)
Butchers’ Board (Mini Yorkshire’s and roast beef, chipolatas, £13.50
sausage rolls, spiced chicken, minted lamb sticks)
Grocers’ Board (Cheese straws, sweet corn fritters, crudities £10.50
and dips, mini hot cheese toasty’s, garlic mushrooms)
Mains
Salad of shredded ham hock and goat’s cheese £8.95
Steak and oyster pie £15.50
Haddock, chips and tartare sauce £12.50
Rare breed burger, chips and relish £10.95
Desserts
Treacle tart and clotted cream £6.50
Sticky toffee pudding with treacle sauce £5.50
Trinity cream £5.00
The Shed’s cheese board (Berkswell, Stinking Bishop £8.00
and Montgomery Cheddar)
Geronimo Cheese
The Oyster Shed guests will be able to taste Geronimo’s very own cheese, which is made in Cornwall and kept in a secret location for nine months, before being washed in Young’s bitter.
Design
Designed by Jo Clevely and Anneke Laux, The Oyster Shed is spacious, fresh and painted a cool white, with ocean blue hues introduced through the fabrics on the furniture and cushions. Beautiful floor to ceiling glass windows run across the front of the pub, ensuring unrestricted views of the Thames and the old converted wharfs and warehouses along on the river. The mezzanine level houses deep comfortable sofas, with a large private room to be used for corporate or event hire, which also has views over the Thames. A sea-theme runs throughout the pub, with fun twists on traditional fisherman designs, and an outside area is home to a large fire pit and beautiful pine tables and chairs. The Oyster Shed has a capacity of 60 seated/250 standing downstairs, 30 seated/120 standing on the mezzanine level and 20 seated in the private dining room.
History
Geronimo Inns, founded sixteen years ago by Rupert and Jo Clevely, is a collection of food pubs, a number of which have won awards including the Evening Standard Pub Of The Year & Time Out’s Best Gastropub. Championing seasonal British produce and the skills of individual chefs, Geronimo Inns has been one of the most influential operators in establishing high food standards across British Pubs.
Geronimo Inns was acquired by Youngs in 2010 and continues to operate with its unique identity promoting the concept of the pub as a centrepiece of the local community. Geronimo Inns has grown to include 31 pubs in total, with its direction still very much under the stewardship of Rupert Clevely.
The Oyster Shed
1 Angel Lane
London
EC4R 3AB
