Beloved burger restaurant in Southsea to stop serving meat - for one night
“The irony isn’t lost on us,” an owner said.
One of Southsea's best-known burger restaurants - which prides itself on serving top-quality meat - will be taking all meat off its menu later this month.
Thanks to a pop-up event, for one night only Meat and Barrel in Palmerston Road will serving plant-based street food, in collaboration with Shroom Kitchen and Stones Throw Kitchen.
The meat-free evening, taking place on Thursday, July 23, marks the fourth time the Portsmouth-based businesses have worked together. The pair first joined forces last summer with an event at The Royal Albert, before holding winter and spring editions at Back to the Belgrave.
Shroom Kitchen owner Lucy Bridgewater said: “It may not seem like an obvious venue choice for a plant-based pop-up, but that’s part of the appeal. The irony isn’t lost on us that the venue is called Meat and Barrel, and we’re entirely plant-based. That’s partly what made the collaboration appealing to all of us.
“Meat and Barrel already offers good vegan options, but many people following a plant-based diet may never think to visit because of the name. We've always partnered with venues that aren't exclusively vegan because our aim is to help people discover places where everyone can eat together.
“This time there's the added bonus of an excellent selection of vegan craft beers too.”
George Coleman, owner of Stones Throw Kitchen, added: “This will be our biggest venue takeover to date. We always create a completely new menu for every collaboration because we want to give people a reason to come back each time.”
The one-night takeover will feature an American diner-inspired menu created specifically for the event, including barbecue-style dishes, house-made sauces and plant-based comfort food.
Meat and Barrel owner Will Wright said: "We've worked with Shroom Kitchen before at our sister venue, Copnor Kitchen, and we really value the way Lucy and George work with local businesses.
"We know some plant-based diners may overlook us because of our name, but we've worked hard to offer something for everyone. We're excited to welcome Shroom Kitchen and Stones Throw Kitchen's customers and introduce them to Meat and Barrel."