Columnists / Meg Houghton-Gilmour
‘Pop-ups are the glimmer of hope in an otherwise often gloomy outlook’
Nothing sends the foodies of Instagram into a frenzy like a newly announced pop-up. And for once, it’s something I can actually agree with them on.
Pop-ups are great. More than great, I would argue that they are a significant piece of the jigsaw puzzle that is the future of food.
With far fewer overheads to worry about, pop-ups take some of the risk out of restaurants, leaving chefs free to experiment. The results can be disastrous, but more often than not they are innovative and interesting.
Their ephemeral nature creates demand and momentum, which is ideal for chefs and restaurateurs who are planning to go on to open permanent places.
‘Peng toast’ from Kring Kringz, a pop-up at the Scrandit – photo: Meg Houghton-Gilmour
Take Wangs, for example, due to open in Montpelier later this year. Ahead of their grand opening, they have left the doors ajar for a weekend here and there, and have collaborated with some other chefs for unique menus.
They’ve just announced a collaboration with Tomo No Ramen in a few weeks’ time. Tickets are selling like hotcakes, which is providing a small cash injection to help the Wangs’ team finish renovating the space ahead of opening.
They’re building a genuine, organic brand following and, because it’s just a pop-up, no one expects the place to be polished, the finished article. It’s clever.
Times are tougher than ever for restaurants at the moment, which means there is virtually no room for error. This also means there is virtually no room for innovation, which fundamentally requires taking risks.
Pop-ups are the glimmer of hope in an otherwise often gloomy outlook for chefs and restaurants, and Bristol has a thriving pop-up scene.
I’ve no doubt they will continue to grow in popularity and frequency, ushering in a new wave of ideas, menus and concepts.
We should embrace them as much as we can.
This is an opinion piece by Meg Houghton-Gilmour, Bristol24/7’s Head of Audience. Subscribe here to her weekly food & drink newsletter.
Main photo: The fruit and veg shop that is currently being transformed into Wangs – Meg Houghton-Gilmour
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