Craft Beer & Snack Shack, Bermondsey, SE1

Official site of Craft Beer & Snack Shack - billyfranks.co.uk

Official site of Craft Beer & Snack Shack - billyfranks.co.uk

Just when I thought that the Bermondsey Beer Mile couldn't get any worse, I stumbled across Billy Frank's Craft Beer & Snack Shack. I always thought a shack was a ramshackle building/structure. This is definitely a small railway arch. It's certainly no shack. But then everything along here is an arch. I couldn't see any evidence of snacks either. Unperturbed, I strolled in to find a choice of just 2 draught drinks - Harbour Lager & Sandford Orchard Devon Red. I detest lager. So, it was an easy choice. They do serve a selection of cans too, which I guess must be the "craft beer" bit. The place seemed to empty out as I arrived (I wondered if it was me). But no sooner had one large group left, but another arrived to make their choice between lager or cider to be served in a plastic glass. The bar was soon packed again. It was clear evidence that all you need to do is open any old bar along this stretch and they will come. Then I looked up from my perch in the window and saw a massive display of Liverpool Football Club memorabilia. I nearly spat my Devon Red all over the drinking shelf, but composed myself, drank up and left before I became cursed!

Strange little craft beer bar in the heart of the Bermondsey Beer Mile, run as a joint venture with Billy Frank’s Jerky. The bar occupies a tiny fraction of the railway arch it’s sited in - just a compact, square of concrete floor with a high table and stools under the front windows, another to the left, near the entrance, and two more in the centre of the room. This lack of seating options would normally be remedied by the provision of lots of outdoor seating in a fenced off space on the road outside, but on a wet February afternoon in the wake of Storm Eunice, this seating had all been removed. There is a small servery tucked away in the rear right corner of the room with a simple counter front decorated with Billy Frank’s branding, and a steel bar back with some blackboards above the wall mounted keg taps, detailing the beers currently available on draught. Fridges to the left are filled with plenty of bottles and cans which can either be enjoyed on-site or purchased as take-outs. The remainder of the rear wall is given over to shelving units, displaying various jerk products, mostly from Billy Frank’s, plus a few more random bottles and cans. Weirdly, a TV to one side of the room was showing a muted Shrek movie, which neither myself, the two other customers or the barmaid, seemed remotely interested in, as retro pop tunes played away in the background. There are four keg lines on the bar here, and they were dispensing beers from Harbour, Siren and Brew York. I ended up with a pint of Harbour Arctic Sky, sadly served in a plastic pint glass, but reasonably enjoyable nonetheless. The friendly barmaid chatted about the various hot sauces and jerk products available and I took home a bottle of one of Billy Frank’s hot sauces, which is a bit of a monster and has certainly livened up mealtimes in our house. This is a strange enterprise that feels a little confused in its identity and ends up delivering a bit of a sub-standard experience as a result. The limited draught options and tiny indoor seating area aren’t enticing factors when you consider the breadth of options along the beer mile, so this is quite easily skipped as a result. Maybe if they got a kitchen going and served up some good jerk dishes, it could have that USP that venues in this competitive area need, but for now it’s best suited to those looking for take-outs or spicy condiments.