The owners and founders of Art&Craft, the South London-based chain of artisan bottle shops, have announced the latest addition to their growing portfolio and their first bar — Art&Craft CR0 — on Croydon’s historic Surrey Street.
Owners Tom Talbot and Bradley Ridge have been joined in this latest venture by Croydon local Kev McNally, who has led a sympathetic year-long refurbishment of the ground floor of the former Croydon Advertiser building.
In line with Art&Craft’s ethos of “art on the walls, craft on the shelves”, Art&Craft CR0 offers “art on the walls, craft at the bar”. Eight pumps will serve a constantly rotating range of craft beers and ciders from independent microbreweries, set against a backdrop of cutting edge urban and contemporary art.
For customers who can’t drink in, 2-litre steel refillable growler containers can be purchased to consume fresh beer offsite. If beer doesn’t appeal, expect anything from bubbles on tap and craft ciders, to niche spirits and biodynamic and organic wines, which can also be purchased in reusable wine bottles.
Art&Craft CR0’s permanent house beer comes courtesy of The Inkspot Brewery — a Streatham Common-based venture also founded by Tom and Bradley in 2015.
Street food
Subject to the appropriate permission, the owners also intend to partner with artisan street food vendors and Surrey Street’s market traders to supply quality produce, while involving the local community.
Inside, the street art on display includes pieces from Banksy, Damien Hirst and Lucas Price (formerly known as Cyclops), among others. Local artists with similar styles will be invited to share wall space at Art&Craft CR0 alongside these more established artists.
Tom said: “We all feel really privileged to have our first bar venture on Surrey Street, the UK’s oldest street market. We’re synonymous at Art&Craft for quality and individuality, and we want to support as many microbreweries and individual artists as we can, while giving the community somewhere to mingle and enjoy some exciting art.
“We’ve been careful to preserve the integrity of this great old building and restore some of its original features, so we’re hoping the locals will love it as much as we do.”
Art&Craft CR0 will open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4pm until 11pm, on Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 1am, and on Sundays from noon until 8pm.
