There are very few pubs near Bristol city centre where food is of equal weight to the beer, but at last, there’s a new venue doing both. Wapping Wharf is blessed with dozens of great food and drink choices, but it had been missing its flagship pub site during the springtime, with a familiar face moving into the neighbourhood at the end of May.
Junction is the latest venue from Bristol Beer Factory who took over the contract from Wild Beer when the landlord of Wapping Wharf took back control of the premises after six years. It’s the brewery’s fifth venue to date and promised to be a “destination for all” when it made the takeover announcement earlier in the year.
The team took just two months to move into the building. The space itself has never really felt like a traditional pub - more so a taproom - a glass-fronted building looking down to the harbour with clusters of tables and armchairs that still manage to make it feel welcoming.
Read more: First look as Wapping Wharf's pub reopens with Bristol Beer Factory as new owners
On the bar, Junction celebrates some of the very best of Bristol’s fruitful brewing scene. I’ve visited a handful of times already for a pint or two and the bar rotates constantly with Bristol Beer Factory’s core range taking centre stage, including Fortitude and Infinity lager as well as some of its new pours.
There is also a healthy choice of other breweries like Left Handed Giant’s Hazy Pale and Lemondrop Hill from Wiper & True. New Bristol Brewery’s milkshake IPA The Boogie Below, a soft and fruity beer, was one of the most intriguing beers on draft.
Restauranteur Josh Eggleton’s (The Pony Chew Valley, Salt and Malt) menu has been cleverly crafted to tempt every kind of customer, from the after-work grazers to those looking for a three-course meal. The bulk of the menu is simple and doesn’t stray too far from classic pub grub, such as burgers and ham, egg and chips, but there are some quirks where you can see Josh’s invention shining through.
It's sectioned into ‘half pint’ and ‘pint sized’ plates as well as offering a range of things ‘on toast’ and a selection of main dishes. You can share a selection of small plates like smoked salmon, fried chicken, mussels, salads or simply just chips and curry sauce.
On one visit after work, I saw staff carting plate after plate of the pickle pot, a playful take on traditional pub snacks including a generous offering of pickled egg, gherkins, onion and salt and vinegar crisps for a fiver.
The ploughmans also centred around those pickles and celebrates the very best of British cheese with a sharp local cheddar and a creamy blue from Sussex along with sourdough from Mokoko. You can also get a lighter version, the ploughboy, for a fraction of the price.
Josh’s take on ham, egg and chips reinforces the fact that some of the best pub dishes are pure and simple. The thick-cut slices of Iberico ham were tender with buttery fat and enhanced with a subtle smokiness. Served with chips (in between a thick cut and a fry), the pub’s signature piccalilli and two eggs cooked perfectly with a jammy yolk.
But it was the all-day breakfasts that caught my eye, a rarity in a pub these days. The vegan brunch (with the addition of an egg) had endless components, some of which were unusual, like the crispy shreds of hispi cabbage and tangy roasted beetroot.
I loved the perfectly cooked mixed mushrooms and the crunch on the fried bubble and squeak, coated lightly in breadcrumbs. I only wish there were more of those homemade beans, which were a million miles ahead of Heinz and full of flavour. It felt odd sipping on my pint of Lazer Juice with a full breakfast but I’d take it any day over a mimosa or Aperol Spritz.
Junction is just what the neighbourhood needs. The quality of the food matches up to the level of skill being delivered in the neighbouring Cargo development from the likes of Tare, Root and Box-E while also being relaxed and playful. It succeeds by not taking itself too seriously.
The pub has also come at a good time as the Gaol Ferry Bridge closure edges closer to a year. The businesses have been honest about the impact of the bridge works with Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees announcing it will reopen “in the coming months” at the end of May.
For now, those travelling from South Bristol should take note – Junction and its neighbours in the shipping containers are worth that detour.
6-8 Gaol Ferry Steps, Wapping Wharf, Bristol BS1 6WE. Open seven days a week.
