Brother Marcus the Garden Café serving all day brunch, Caravan Coffee and cocktails just opened in the heart of Balham. The indoor/outdoor café, bar and event location is the brainchild of three school friends Alex Large, Arthur Campbell and Tasos Gaitanos.
Focused on seasonal, organic and the highest quality produce, Brother Marcus is passionate about every ingredient used from the St Ives eggs to Cypriot Halloumi. Their brunch is available daily, featuring dishes such as Sister Special with avocado, spinach, poached eggs, bacon and sourdough; the Brother Special poached eggs, asparagus, smoke salmon, avocado and spinach and The Step Sister with courgette, beets & feta fritter, avocado, spinach & poached egg. Sitting alongside the brunch menu are seasonal salads such as shaved courgette, avocado, rocket, pumpkin seeds & lemon and a selection of freshly baked gluten free cakes, think lemon drizzle and almond & orange cakes made in house, daily.
Big on their drinks, especially when it comes to coffee, Brother Marcus uses Caravan quality green coffee with true mindfulness to social and environmental impact, a natural synergy with the ethos found at Brother Marcus. On the menu guests will find the BM cold brew, the beans are brewed for 16 hours, twice filtered and served over ice with a slice of lemon. Freshly prepared smoothies & shakes are also on offer such as mango, cayenne pepper, apple and ginger or chocolate, orange and cinnamon sit alongside a list of brunch cocktails. As dawn turns to dusk, guests can spike their smoothies, shakes and coffee or choose from the carefully crafted cocktail list; try The Glover made with tequila, ginger beer, pink grapefruit juice and a squeeze of lime, topped with herbs and botanicals from the garden. The list also features handcrafted wines, available by the glass or bottle and selection of craft beers.
With a retractable glass façade, light spills throughout creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere seating 35 guests inside and 28 outside. The colour palate is a composition of stone grey, creamy vanilla, hues of honey and caramel from the natural wood and vibrant greens from the potted foliage lining the walls. Purchasable artwork from London based artists adorn the walls leading guests to the sunlit herb garden, as morning transcends into evening the fire grill lights up as meats and vegetables are prepared for their selection of big boy sandwiches. Try Bob’s your Uncle made with bavette steak, red wine caramelised onions, whole grain mustard, cheddar & rocket on home made sourdough. Brother Marcus also host evening Supper Clubs in partnership with up and coming talent such as Chicory Kitchen and street food favourite STAKEhaus.
Alex, Arthur and Tasos first bonded over a shared passion for food, the hospitality industry and the dream of one day opening their own place. Over the next few years, they lived and breathed the industry, gaining experience in everything from coffee to street food. With just three days and a small budget to turn the venue around, Alex, Arthur and Tasos opened Brother Marcus. Making pretty much everything themselves; they built the distressed wooden tables, shelves, benches and bar in their back garden, changed and restrung all the lighting, affixed and created the signage, potted all the plants, painted walls, built their website, created a portfolio of photography, finalised the menus – and finally opened their doors.
Meet the Boys
Alex is passionate about coffee, cocktails and food (and his brother Marcus). He has years of experience, most recently working for Caravan coffee, where he learnt his top-notch barista and barman skills. He has run pop-ups, has worked in coffee shops and bars, in both London and New York, and knows the street food circuit well.
Arthur keeps it all together, with experience as brand and project manager, Arthur has also worked front of house management positions within the catering industry and with various street food vendors.
Tasos is the son of a restaurateur, so practically grew up in the kitchen. With experience managing a street food company, he has a natural talent for making people smile both in and outside the kitchen.
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