One of Nottingham's first 'secret' cocktail bars has gone for good. Boilermaker brought a new concept to Hockley when it opened nine years ago at 36b Carlton Street.
Resembling a shop full of combi boilers from the outside, it was easy to bypass the hidden bar. Once inside the foyer, visitors had to find the secret entrance via a broom cupboard into the speakeasy-style cocktail bar serving quirky drinks such as Run QMC, Strong Gindependent Woman and Black Moon Revival.
"Whilst we certainly cannot help with your central heating, we can assist in wasting your time in the most efficient way possible," was the motto. However, Boilermarker was forced to change by the pandemic.
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While the bar still operated, the boiler shop display and hidden entrance were scrapped and replaced by a daytime coffee shop Braze in October 2020 in a bid to make up for the loss of trading during lockdown and tiers. But the two contrasting ventures proved counterproductive.
However, Boilermaker served its final customers over the weekend. Owner Nigel Garlick said after internal work the venue will reopen as a new bar on Thursday, July 28.
"There will be a new name, a new lay out, some new faces in our new team and a new offering for this new trading environment. During Covid, Boilermaker simply couldn’t operate as it was, you may remember the restrictions imposed; 10pm curfews, social distancing, screens, sanitising and no outside space.
"So Braze was created to help us generate income during the day. But the two concepts have proved counterproductive, one needing to be more open and accessible and the other preferring to be more hidden.
"Many have said they miss the old entrance and it's tempting to put it back as it was but there is a much different trading environment post Covid. People are socialising earlier with a real drop off in trade after 11pm.
"There is more demand for light, open, well-aired venues and outdoor seating. So with much soul searching we have decided that Boilermaker, which has hidden away in plain sight for nine years, will be no more. It’s time for a change," said Mr Garlick, who also runs Junkyard and the Herbert Kilpin in Bridlesmith Walk.
Boilermaker was one of the first of its kind when it opened, leading to a wave of hidden bars in the city including Lost Property and the Secret Garden.
Mr Garlick added: "We’ve had an amazing run and we’ve been hugely proud of what we have achieved since we opened the hidden door in 2013. Hockley was a very different place to what it is now, there wasn’t the cafe culture that exists today and Nottingham's bar industry really was in decline. The council were reluctant to permit any new alcohol licences, so we had to create a concept that would prove exceptional - we proposed a table-service only, 'hidden' cocktail bar.
"The shop front came about through a creative process and a simple lack of finance and that entrance through the "staff room” turned out to be hugely popular. With absolutely no advertising budget we relied on the 'new' phenomenon of social media to spread the word, and very soon everyone was sharing snaps of our creative cocktail creations. We had a great team and we made some damn fine drinks and it was because of these that we went on to win many local and national bar awards, and suddenly speakeasy bars were popping up all over the place, all trying to find a new way to serves their drinks."
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