London pub ditches cutlery for a night of dirty dining

On the first Wednesday of every month the pub will be ditching the cutlery and encouraging customers to get messy and dine with their hands.

The Dirty Dining launch night on 6 August will see the pub transformed into an American style beer, bourbon and BBQ joint, with the theme then changing every month.

On arrival customers will be treated to canapés and homemade cocktail before sitting down to a three course meal with dishes specifically chosen for the night.

Making friends​

Assistant manager Kate Horton said: “We are going to push all the tables and chairs together and the food will be on trays in the middle. The idea is that everyone sits together in a group and you get to know different people.

“We want people leaving with new friends once the night is over.”

The menu will include barbecued ribs, chicken wings, sausages, jackets potatoes and coleslaw and customers will be given a bib before they start.

A bottle of craft beer will be served alongside the mains as well as a pickle-back shot at the end - a shot of bourbon in one glass alongside a shot of homemade pickle juice in another.

Getting messy​

“The whole concept on the night is to not use a knife and fork and to just get stuck in and enjoy it,” said Horton.

Part of the Antic pub group, the idea for the Dirty Dining night was developed in-house by the pub’s chef and general manager and plans are in motion for the next no-cutlery night in September.

“Expect to get messy and forgot all the etiquette. The night is simply about enjoying the food,” said Horton.