British Beer Co

Nation's Restaurant News, Oct 22, 2007 by Paul Frumkin

Plymouth, Mass.

Most Yanks residing on this side of the Atlantic read about British pub life or see it portrayed in films or TV, but relatively few have experienced the cultural phenomenon at close range.

The British Beer Co., a seven-unit chain based in Plymouth, Mass., is hoping to change that. Owned by Gary Simon, Michael Fallman, Doug Freeman and Harry Gnong, the company has been initiating residents of Greater Boston into the convivial customs of the English public house for a decade.

[ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

The BBC--not to be confused with the London-based media giant--merchandises nearly three dozen beers from the United Kingdom as well as a large and diverse menu that showcases a selection of English culinary staples like fish and chips, pasties, and shepherd's pie.

The owners are so serious about getting the experience right stateside that they recently flew managers across the pond to Blighty, where they were able get a real taste of genuine British pub life. Over there, the Americans also were trained and certified to handle and serve cask ale and keg beer in the British manner.

But while the BBC is earnest about recreating the traditional pub feel in its outlets, its multipage menu has been designed to appeal to American palates. The menu features an extensive and ethnically diverse range of favorites, including pizza, quesadillas, chicken wings, fettuccine Alfredo, salads, sandwiches and burgers.

Pizzas, in fact, are available in 10-inch and 18-inch sizes and in a variety of types, including Caribbean jerk pizza, pulled pork pizza, and the "Over 21" pizza, which includes steak, bourbon sauce, peppers, onions, mushrooms and Cheddar. A server sprays a mist of bourbon over the pizza tableside. The "Over 21" is illustrated on the menu by a fake driver's license with a photo of Winston Churchill.

Nevertheless, the BBC also provides traditional British fare. For example, executive chef Tim White devised a shepherd's pie that substitutes ground beef for the more classic lamb, flavors it with a stout gravy, carrots and peas, and tops it with Cheddar mashed potatoes. The dish then is browned.

Another English favorite served at the BBC is the pasty. Initially White offered a traditional Cornish pasty, cooked beef and vegetables encased in two 6-inch pieces of pie crust dough and baked. It didn't sell particularly well, he says.

Deciding the dish needed an American twist, White revisited the preparation and came up with several variations. For example, BBC now features a chicken and leek pasty, containing chicken stewed with leeks and Irish bacon and bound in a light chicken gravy. Also offered are The New England Pasty, with turkey breast, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry sauce, and The All American Pasty, containing a Black Angus burger, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, Cheddar and a signature steak sauce.

The pasties rank in the top 25 percent of the product mix, he says, adding, "As a group, they are our No. 1 seller."

In the future, he plans to add a Reuben pasty with corned beef, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

BBC also features another British favorite called Bangers and Mash. Bangers--sausages made with pork and potato--are grilled and served over mashed potatoes and topped with stout gravy and fried leeks.

Not all Americans warm to British cuisine, and not every dish has succeeded at the BBC. White tried a variation on Bubbles and Squeak, a traditional English dish made with leftover vegetables--chiefly cabbage and potatoes--from a roast dinner.

"We had Brits come in who enjoyed it," White says, "but Americans weren't interested."

The chain had considerably better luck, though, with fish and chips. The BBC offers a 12-ounce piece of haddock battered in a mixture of cornmeal, flour and beer, and served with French fries, beer-battered onion rings, coleslaw and tartar sauce.

The BBC's British pub roots notwithstanding, White says he expects to add more Pacific Rim flavors, in particular some Thai influences, to the menu in the future.

AT A GLANCE

Concept: British pub

Units: 7

Website: www.britishbeer.com

Average seats: 160-175

Average weekly covers: 3,000

Average dinner check: $16

Annual sales: $20 million

Customer demographics: wide scope, from families to 21- to 35-year-olds

Best-selling items: beer-battered onion rings; baked Brie; English-style pupu platter; steak tips with bourbon marinade, Cheddar mashed potatoes and onion panko-crusted fried green beans; fish and chips

Best-selling beverage: beer

Food cost: between 30 percent and 31 percent Executive chef, corporate manager: Tim White

Owners: Gary Simon, Michael Fallman, Doug Freeman, Harry Gnong

APPETIZERS & SOUPS

The Royal Pupu (for 2)

Thai shrimp won tons, pot stickers, tempura veggies, teriyaki chicken wings, steak fries and onion rings--12.99

Baked Brie

Brie cheese wrapped in puff pastry, baked until golden and served over a bed of apple mango chutney with slices of multigrain bread and fresh sliced apples--8.99

Stout Onion Soup