One of the sites of the Fat Cat Group, the operator of nine cafe/bars which went into administration in April 2013, has been leased to an expanding London multi-operator by specialist property adviser Christie + Co.
The transaction follows hot on the heels of two further Fat Cat Cafe bars being acquired out of administration.
East London Liquor for Bow Wharf site
Barworks Limited, which operates ten bars and seven diners in and around central London, has taken a new lease on the former Fat Cat Cafe bar in Bow Wharf, a mixed leisure development close to Victoria Park in East London, from the landlords The Canal & River Trust.
The site, currently being refurbished, is looking to re-open under the East London Liquor Ltd banner by the end of April. The bar will feature a spirit distillery which will produce handcrafted spirits from two copper stills, 450-650 litres at a time. There will be two premium gins, a London dry gin, an artisanal vodka and a whisky that will be aged on site for a minimum of three years.
With spirits production returning to the East End after more than a century, the opening at the end of the month is hotly anticipated. Alex Wolpert from Barworks says: “We want to revive east London’s rich legacy of spirits manufacturing. The craft spirits trade went through a huge and successful resurgence in the USA and now the UK is experiencing a similar renaissance, with several city distilleries popping up across the capital over the past ten years.”
Derby and Nottingham sites
Anthony Jenkins, Associate Director of Christie + Co, which acted on behalf of the landlords says: “After a good deal of interest, The Canal & River Trust is pleased to have secured a tenant for this historic building on Bow Wharf, which with the unique bar concept from Barworks, will draw people to the development and provide something different for the people living and working in the area.
“We were also pleased to have acted on behalf of midlands operator Edward & Moore Ltd which has taken the leases on Fat Cat units in Derby and Nottingham.”