Royal Arsenal goes gastro
Residents, prospective purchasers and the wider Woolwich community are celebrating the announcement that Royal Arsenal in SE18 will get a public house in 2009. Berkeley Homes (Urban Living) Ltd is pleased to confirm that Young & Co's Brewery has exchanged contracts on the listed Dial Arch building, with a new pub to open in Spring 2009.Paul Vallone, Managing Director of Berkeley Homes (Urban Living) Ltd, comments: "The opening of a Young's pub in 2009 is a major step forward in making Royal Arsenal a rounded destination. Residents will have an inviting place in which to unwind after work or at the weekend without having to leave the site. Young's appeal will ensure Royal Arsenal is really put on the gastro map."
The Young's pub at Royal Arsenal will feature the brewer's award-winning cask ales and a wide range of Cockburn and Campbell selected wines, which are not available to buy in the shops. The new pub will also serve quality food, with possible opening from 10am for breakfasts and coffees.
Early indications show that the new pub will be a haven for Royal Arsenal residents, with a sumptuous interior design. Leather sofas, luxurious fabrics, low-hanging chandelier-style lighting and wooden floors will create an intimate venue, while exposed brickwork will continue the heritage theme seen in the residential apartments. Outside will be tables, chairs and umbrellas - perfect for al fresco eating or just to sit outside and sip the fine beverages.
The new pub will also have a gastro-style menu with a mouthwatering selection of starters, mains, desserts and sharing platters, as well as seasonal daily specials. Freshly cooked on the premise will be traditional pub classics like fish and chips, and sausage and mash, alongside lighter options, such as seafood and salads.
The public house joins the already established Couture Food Hall at Royal Arsenal, building a sense of sustainability and identity at the development. Couture has already gained a cult following thanks to its pedigree stock and buzzing atmosphere. The deli, specialist mini-market and sit-in café is based in the MyHQ building near Wellington Park, and is the perfect place to grab a morning coffee and newspaper, linger over a pastry or grab a haute cuisine ready meal on the way back from work.
Couture's owners regularly run tasting sessions where customers can sample some of the store's stock. Recent events have seen suppliers including Patchwork Paté, ESS Foods and Rude Health showcase their wares in the comfortable Couture surroundings. These food-based events are complemented by the ever-popular wine sampling evenings.
With healthy, organic eating becoming more popular and debates over food's ethical production, Couture strives to carry lines that have outstanding credentials. Customers can buy organic bread, cakes and pastries, Neal's Yard Dairy cheeses, and pies made with free-range meat and eggs. Couture has also launched its own range of homemade soups, pasta sauces, antipasti, ready-to-go fresh meals and tarts, made in its developmental London kitchen.
Royal Arsenal's gastro experience doesn't stop at Couture either. The Wednesday Night Supper Club is allowing residents to mix socialising with fine dining. The residents-only club was founded by Royal Arsenal resident Steve Barringer, and meets every first Wednesday of the month at a restaurant in and around Woolwich, Greenwich or Canary Wharf. Steve comments: "The Wednesday Night Supper Club is a wonderful chance to chat with neighbours and get to know them in a fun, social setting. At the same time, we like to try new restaurants together and have seen the attendance to our events grow from 4 to 40 people in less than six meetings."
The current phase of homes for sale at Royal Arsenal is The Armouries - 455 apartments ranging in size from studios and one-bedroom apartments to large two and three-bedroom apartments. The properties are set in a six-storey storey, architecturally stunning building next to the historically important Carriage Works and clock tower.
The three-bedroom apartments at The Armouries feature a practical design feature in the shape of a sliding frosted glass for the ultimate in flexible living space. When shut, the glass wall closes off the third bedroom from the living area. However, the wall can be retracted to enlarge the living space, and the third bedroom can become a snug or study.
A contemporary specification at The Armouries is winning over purchasers who want low maintenance, high style living. As standard in the kitchens are fully integrated ovens, hobs and extractor hoods, fridge/freezers and dishwashers. Finishing the look are granite worktops with matching upstands, under cupboard downlighters and Karndean floor coverings. All the bathroom, shower rooms and en suites have chrome ladder-style heated towel rails, contemporary white sanitary where including square wash basins, wall hung mirrored bathroom cabinets, tiled floors and full tiling to all wet areas. Every apartment also benefits from audio-visual entrance security, downlighters throughout and heating/hot water supplied by a centralised CHP (Combined Heat and Power) plant.
Prices at The Armouries start from £250,000for a one-bedroom apartment, from £300,000 for two-bedroom apartments and from £315,000 for three-bedroom apartments.
For further information about The Armouries or to arrange a viewing of the show apartments, please contact the sales and marketing suite - open daily from 10.00am until 6.00pm, with late night opening on Thursday until 8pm – or visit the website at Royal-arsenal.co.uk.
