Grow | A Canal-Side Hang-Out in Hackney Wick
Grow seems to just keep on… well, growing.
It’s a canalside hub located in Hackney Wick (right by the River Lea, downstream from CRATE Brewery), with an overriding green theme and setting that gives you that very welcome feeling of being away from it all. And somehow, it packs in mezzanine, greenhouse garden and waterside al-fresco dining areas; brunch soundtracked to bongo drums; Middle Eastern food; a space for live music; and dance-athons that delve deep into the night.
Grow prides itself on being a ‘creative space with sustainable and ethical business practices’. The covered greenhouse, where one can sit idly among all the vegetables, plants, herbs and trees that they grow, was put together with up-cycled bus shelters; the heaters use eco-electricity; and the indoor warehouse space that plays host to live music is a former sausage factory. Then there’s also the on-site studios that house and support more than 30 independent artists including musicians, designers, painters and sculptors.
Event-wise, what you get at Grow is a mixed bag (in terms of variety, not quality…). By their count, they put on over 200,000 events every year. On one night, you might be taking part in a ‘stitch your own rude tea towel’ workshop, on another you might be locked into a battle of wits via chess, and on weekends, soaked in sweat after seeing through a pumping rave. Live music is a fixture throughout and the acts are just as varied; weekly jazz jams on Thursdays, maybe Algerian funk, a four-set from the co-founder of Boiler Room or a house and disco party. And to help further Grow’s communal, accessible stance, attending the events is fairly cheap – normally £5-10.
Naturally, all of this would be mute without any decent food, right? Grow’s menu – inspired by the Middle East and the Mediterranean – strives to be either plant-based or committed to ethically-sourced meat from local suppliers. So true to form, the brunch takes on a big breakfast (headlined by HG Walter Cumberland or vegan sausages) or potato & black bean hash, while for the PM, you’ve got hand-rolled falafel, vegan mezze and chicken shish on Lebanese flatbread.
Drinks keep it local as well, with British beers, organic wine and bespoke cocktails on offer; like a Cuba Libre (made with their in-house Hackney spice rum and fair trade Karma Cola) or a Cosmopolitan (with a home-brewed lemon vodka base). These are best suited to a seat by the river, watching the boats pass by as the sun goes down.
Take heed: your desire to have more than just one will likely grow…
NOTE: Grow is open on Tues 5-12am, Weds-Thu 10.30-12am, Fri-Sat 10.30-2am and Sun 10.30am-11.30pm. You can find out more and see the events schedule on their website, HERE.
Grow | Main Yard, 98C Wallis Rd, E9 5LN
How else to fill your weekend? Tackle part of the walk along Regent’s Canal before you wind up here.