The owner of the latest addition to Bedminster’s culinary offering said he is bringing his ‘modern take on a classic British cafe’ to East Street because the area is on changing fast and on the up.
Lucky Strike is set to open this month on East Street right opposite the location of the old Argos store, which is being redeveloped into 50 flats and new shops and bars below. Next door, the huge old pound shop is also being refitted with rumours it is to be turned into a 500-capacity music venue.
And with new flats being built around the corner in the old tobacco factory buildings, and at Bedminster Green, Mr Montgomery said he chose the location because it is at the cusp of being rejuvenated.
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He and chef Matthew Nicholson met working at the Soukkitchen on North Street, but the menu at Lucky Strike will be instantly recognisable and very British. They say they are aiming to bring back the forgotten classics in a ‘playful and refined way’, while adding to the community of restaurants and small independents in Bedminster.
The cafe and restaurant will initially open for breakfasts and lunches between Tuesday and Sunday, and will hopefully soon also open Friday and Saturday evenings.
“The idea is that it’s a modern take on a classic British cafe, with a love of and nostalgia for British dishes, the kind your mum or grandmother would cook like Shepherd’s Pie, but more refined,” said Tom.
“The idea is to look at our history, and in particular the time of the 1950s to 1970s and take those dishes that kind have a bit of a bad rap over recent years, and have fallen out of favour, but if we do it right, we can all fall in love with them again - things like steak and kidney pie, shepherd’s pie, our own take on ham, egg and chips, but do it a bit more elevated than a greasy spoon,” he added.
“We want to make it as accessibly priced as we can, so we’re very much for locals. To begin with, we’re looking at opening Tuesday to Sunday for breakfast and lunches, but as soon as we can, we’d like to open Friday and Saturday evenings too,” he added.
With all the development going on around East Street, Lucky Strike isn’t the only new business that has opened in the past few months. The prospect of thousands of new residents in the next few years is beginning to show signs of a rejuvenation on the street that has traditionally been ‘South Bristol’s High Street’ for generations.
“On first impressions I wasn’t sure,” admitted Tom. “But I’ve lived in the area for a few years now, and what I love about it is there’s such a strong sense of community and a strong sense of history. So hopefully Lucky Strike will reflect that and be sympathetic with what is a modern take on traditional food.
“There’s a really positive story emerging here, and the opening and success of the Bristol Loaf was a strong influence on us choosing here,” he said. “What I love about East Street is there always has been and even more now, loads of independent businesses here, and that’s growing,” he added.
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