Hackney Wick is a right mission, but it’s always worth it for a break from London. Once you hit the River Lea navigation, I feel like I’ve escaped the city. Crate Brewery, Mick’s Garage and Howling Hops are reason enough to hit this end of the orange line, but now the oddly named Here East has arrived, bringing with it an exciting new bunch of places to eat and drink.
UPDATE : Unfortunately Mason & Co has now closed its doors!
After a short walk along a very quiet part of the canal, you’ll stumble across the magical commune that is Here East, with its perfectly cut grass, locals reading the morning papers, dog walkers, cyclists, and presumably permanent blue skies. Here you’ll find the likes of Randy’s Wing Bar (try saying that out loud), Gotto (a trattoria from Soho’s Mele e Pere), and at the heart of it all, Mason & Company – a craft beer bar and kitchen from the fine folks behind Five Points Brewing and Capish?.
There are 20 taps of fresh beer plus bottles and cans aplenty, with only a few lines reserved for the Five Points Brewing core range. On our visit, we had some fantastic fresh hopped beers from Yeastie Boys and Tuatara, all the way from New Zealand. One could easily spend all day at Mason & Co., with friends or working alone. The staff are passionate yet relaxed (a friendly in-house dog has total freedom to roam), and with Capish? on site serving up Italian-American street food, there’s no need to go out in search of sustenance.
Choose from some epic sandwiches (think meatballs, steak braciole, chicken parm) and superb sides including fried cacio e pepe balls and delicious, moreish courgette fries with aioli. Thanks to photographer Chris Coulson (@cwiss) for the food shots below.
It’s a shame that I can get to the Evening Star in Brighton for a pint in less time (and probably have more change to spare) but Hackney Wick locals are a lucky bunch, especially when you can stumble over to Crate, Howling Hops & more too. Keep your eyes on Mason & Co’s social media channels for news on tap takeovers and other events. It’s an exciting addition to London’s thriving beer scene, and right up there with the likes of Mother Kelly’s, The Bottle Shop, Stormbird, and The Hop Locker.
Mason & Company – www.masonandcompany.co.uk
7 Canalside, Here East, Hackney Wick, E20 3BS
UPDATE : Unfortunately Mason & Co has now closed its doors!
