When news landed that the team behind The Baring are opening another pub, this time in South London, the people of Camberwell got in a right kerf-uffle.
We’re not talking fisticuffs and sparing, we’re talking an excitable flurry. And who can blame them? We’d argue the first site set the bar for London’s Best Sunday Roasts.
This second opening, The Kerfield Arms, will take over The Crooked Well just off Camberwell Church St. It’ll be in good company, joining the likes of Silk Road and Theo’s Pizzeria, as well as some healthy competition with The Camberwell Arms and The Bear both just down the road.
The dynamic duo of Adam Symonds and chef Rob Tecwyn (Moro, Morito), have brought current Baring chef Jay Styler into their dream team and he’ll now be the head chef at The Kerfield Arms. So if you liked what was coming out the pass at The Baring – think refined yet unconventional riffs on pub classics – then you’re likely going to love this new addition to Camberwell.
While we’re certain that the attitude of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” will work a charm for The Kerfield Arms team, there will be a whole new menu. Better than fish and chips, there’ll be grilled monkfish, hand rolled fregola & shrimp bisque. Trumping the sad vegetarian staple on standard pub menus will be ricotta & nettle dumplings with broad beans & wild garlic buttermilk. And while you might miss a sticky toffee pudding for a dessert, it’ll be a distant memory as you sink a spoon into the Gariguette strawberry & chamomile custard doughnut.
They’ll also have a midweek lunch offer, which is a main course for £12, or £15 with a pint or a glass of wine. And there will, of course, be a Sunday lunch, featuring Ibérico pork belly, grilled Longhorn rump and charcoal-grilled Vendée chicken.
As drinks go, the beers on offer will be from local breweries with Lost & Grounded making the pub’s house lager. As for the wine, that’ll mainly be natural and from small producers with a focus on old-world wine. From what the team have said of their wine line-up, expect “clean and approachable” instead of anything super funky”.
NOTE: The Kerfield Arms is set to open in spring. We’ll be back then with the full scoop. In the meantime, you can check out The Baring, which is open
The Kerfield Arms | 16 Grove Lane, London, SE5 8SY
Keen to explore more of South London? Check out our Camberwell itinerary.
