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Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain
series • cooking
PG
series • cooking
PG
Hands up if you agree that your local pub is more than just a watering hole. It’s the place you return to time and time again for a good feed, a decent drop and an easy vibe.
For many people, it’s their – following in the footsteps of the home and most likely, the workplace, the spaces where people tend to spend most of their time, and importantly, offers a sense of familiarity and belonging.
Over the years, pubs across the world have evolved into family-friendly dining destinations that serve quality, diverse dishes.
And one person who can be credited largely for this evolution is British chef , who was at the forefront of the gastropub movement in the UK, taking pub grub and elevating it into the realm of gourmet dining, albeit with an approachable vibe and price point.
“Pubs are such a culturally deep, rich and diverse kind of space,” he says. “They sit very firmly in the centre of communities. They're homely, comforting and offer a sense of familiarity.
"Pubs are places that make everyone feel welcome. Whether you’re new in a town or if you’re a long-time local, you should be able to just walk into a pub and feel a sense of warmth. When you visit your local pub, you should feel at home.”
The rise of the gastropub
The pubs that we love today are very different to the public houses of yesteryear. The Australian pub, a British import which dates back to , used to offer men a space to relax outside of their home. Back in the , the pub was also considered to be the only public building where the ‘ordinary man’ could go to just be. In theory, the local pub of the past was a place of freedom. But in reality, that freedom was only provided to some.
, Indigenous peoples were not allowed to until the 1960s and 1970s. In various regional areas, restrictions continued into the 1990s. to drink in public bars in Australia until the 1970s.
Over time, the pub scene in Australia became more inclusive. As society evolved, multiculturalism was celebrated and people demanded more quality, diverse food offerings.
Once the trend of the 1990s kicked in, in the UK, pubs got a bit slicker. While the concept has yet to become completely mainstream here in Australia, with a few notable exceptions, it is safe to say that at most pubs you are guaranteed a good feed.
“Gastropub became a term used to describe pubs that had great food or that specialised in gastronomy,” Kerridge explains. "Now, 25 years later, we’re at a point where it’s understood that all pubs do great food. Whether you’re going to a pub chain or a small pub run by an individual landlord, it doesn’t matter.
Most of them have good chefs that are cooking quality dishes. These days, it’s assumed that if you’re going to your local for a feed, you’re going to get a meal that’s of a high standard.”
How pubs showcase diverse cuisines
The beauty of most pub menus today, says Kerridge, is that cultural diversity has become a standard feature.
Where else can you find a table laden with food like schnitzel, Thai curries, pizzas, nachos, parmigiana, and hummus with flatbread – staples of Aussie pub menus – surrounded by glasses of wine, schooners of beer and gin and tonics?
“At a pub restaurant, you will see dishes from all over the world,” Kerridge says. “You might get fresh fish, marinated in a Korean-style as a starter, followed by a South Indian-style lamb curry as a main course. Then, you can finish off your meal with sticky toffee for dessert.”
Credit: Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain
Kerridge believes that diverse pub menus have a powerful flow-on effect as they enhance the community feel of an establishment. They also extend the spiritual foundation that our ‘third place’ was originally built upon and truly promote a more free and inclusive public space.
Your local doesn’t care what you do, how much money you earn, what you look like or even if you’ve had a bad day. Every time you visit, it will offer you an open-armed welcome and a quality menu regardless.
“The great thing about pubs is they are, in a sense, communities themselves," Kerridge says. "Communities are always supportive if you work alongside them. If a pub supports its community, then the community will usually give something back to the pub when times get tough.
“Over the long-term, pubs will continue to be part of our local communities. But just as [society changes], so too will the pub scene. It will adapt and continue to grow, as the community grows.”
