Brew-pub for Utobeer

It is the second venture for the team at Utobeer, who run the Rake bar and the specialist beer stall in Borough Market, and probably the first ever brewery to be housed in a British shopping centre.

It will join a Geronimo-operated pub at the east London mall.

Although the bottled beer selection will be similar to the Rake, with 150 bottles available, the rest of the operation will be very different. Glyn Roberts, general manager of Utobeer, said: “It’s located in the food court and will be a very basic interior with a mix of industrial fixtures and an organic feel.

“There will be two large communal tables as well as a space outside for 30 people and the brewery will be visible from in the bar and outside.”

Four of the six hand-pumps will be dedicated to the house beers — of which two will stay constant and likely be styled on a pale ale and a stout — with brewer Ed Baines looking to provide a changing range of experimental beers on the other pumps.

A broader food offer will also be available than at the Rake, with Roberts promising soups and stews in winter, as well as meat and cheese boards. Offering food is part of the contract with Westfield, as is not selling the home-produced beers beyond the Tap East venue.

The pub will also have a more branded feel to it than its sister outlet, with the logo used on the pump-clips, the exterior of the building, and on the shirts worn by the team. With the brand developed, Roberts said: “We could feasibly take it [the concept] elsewhere to Westfield shopping centres in other locations.”