London

A Grelha at the Gun

Coldharbour, London E14

Grelha is Portuguese for grill and that is what serial entrepreneurs Ed and Tom Martin have introduced at their riverside pub the Gun.

The brothers have created a Portuguese dining experience with a difference - diners eat al fresco, enjoying meals based on traditional dishes from southern Portugal and cooked by Portuguese chefs in the open air on a large charcoal-fired grill.

Fair weather only

The Portuguese theme continues with the country's wines and bottled beers available from the outside bar together with music from a Brazilian band.

Being in the open air, A Grelha was only open from Wednesdays through to Sundays from the third week in April until mid-September last year. Rain is obviously the biggest threat to trade. If the weather is fair, the grill is fired up at noon; if not, the chefs go home and only snacks and drinks are available.

"Luckily, the weather was so good that we only lost three days," says Ed (pictured).

From an idea to reality

The idea for the venture stems from the annual pilgrimage to the Algarve, which the brothers have enjoyed since their childhood, and they realised the potential for converting derelict land right next to the Gun.

Although Ed and Tom run the Gun on a Punch lease, the derelict land was owned by British Waterways. After more than a year's negotiations, a three-year rolling lease was agreed and the Martins could start creating a touch of the Algarve in London's Docklands.

Fifteen grabber lorry-loads of muck and rubbish had to be removed before the area was paved and equipment installed to cater for 80 covers. To make everything as authentic as possible, all cooking equipment was imported from Portugal except the grill, which was made by a Hackney welder working to drawings prepared by the brothers while in the Algarve. The total investment was £45,000, which "soon paid for itself".

Ed is reluctant to give too much away, but says adding A Grelha to the Gun has "doubled turnover on Sundays".