It’s been a roundabout trip for Terry Langton from Love Lane to the Albert Dock, but his current (dis)position finds him again cooped up in an historic Liverpool brickwork structure creating drinks for discerning adults to enjoy. The bar is due to open its doors to the public early February, due to a number of delays which have meant missing the Christmas deadline but Terry asked everyone to be reminded that the best things come to those who wait, given a rushed opening would not leave the quality impression he wishes to be associated with. Terry began his journey (as covered in this blog: [http://electrokemistcuisine.weebly.com/blogs/the-rise-of-liverpool-craft-brewery]) with Liverpool Craft Brewing as a joint venture with Paul Seiffert (now at Black Lodge/Love Lane) before the company was sold for investment and growth (and a name change to incorporate the brewery’s flagship beer ‘Love Lane Pale’ as the brand rather than a product), he also helped set up the initial incarnation of Black Lodge before eschewing the beer for developing his own brand of Gin, Vodka and bitters under the guise of ‘Turncoat’. The Turncoat project is very much a grassroots and family orientated business, with wife Jo and other family members such as Jasmine (the new Bar’s Front of House) mucking in at events and at the office/distillery. But its inception wasn’t plain sailing, despite Terry’s experienced hands: “Everything has had teething problems, EVERYTHING!! Though realistically speaking, you cannot expect to open such a large bar in a Grade 1 Listed Building without hitting some bumps in the road. It does feel like anything that could go wrong in the lead up to getting things rolling, has indeed gone wrong. It has been a tough journey, but the team behind both the bar and the distillery have performed really well to get things going in the right direction. We also have a great Landlord and the supply chain for the bar is based locally, which makes getting the support we need so much easier. It’s been quite a humbling experience to have received so much good will and support from people, the bar will be a really positive step to take for the distillery and Turncoat’s journey. Hopefully it will be a roadmap in becoming a major independent distillery and business in Liverpool.” When asked about why he felt that Turncoat needed its own licensed premises, Terry was very clear about why they have taken this route: “I think we have a quirky message that we’d like to communicate. We’re not corporate or looking to brand jump on any bandwagon. We’re a group of passionate people who don’t take ourselves too seriously, but do take our output in a serious fashion and a great deal of pride in it. The product itself, the Gins especially, we’re proud of. Having a bar will enable us to get behind them and communicate what we’re about in a clearer manner. It feels very personal too, having a premises in such a prestigious location and being able to showcase an array of local beers and spirits. Since 2010, all the projects that I have been involved in have received support from other local bars and independent outlets, it feels great being able to pay some of that back into the wider scene. Having grown up in Liverpool though the last few decades, I have seen first-hand the change that the Albert Dock has undergone (from its dilapidation and disuse in the early 1980s, through to the regeneration and integration/link up with Liverpool One) and it now being a major tourist attraction in the city. Being a lad from Toxteth and being able to start something independent which is able to support other local and independent businesses is great, it does feel that we are taking back a piece of the Dock back from corporate holdings for Liverpool, which is a good thing for putting a stamp on the local heritage. We do love the tourists that come into the city and the best way to make them welcome and give them an experience is to provide a ‘real Liverpool’ and all the creativity it holds. Having local support for this is absolutely essential too and that’s definitely what we wish for.” Terry is also very clear of the regard he holds for the Landlord of the site, who seems to espouse the same wishes for a local and independently dominant presence in the city to encourage character and community. “JLL are amazing, we’ve been working with them for a year and given Turncoat an opportunity of a lifetime. It is really refreshing to be on the same page with our outlook on the business climate and how to contribute to that. We can’t ask for much more.” Terry does miss making beer, but not at the expense of the distilling which now takes up his thoughts. The focus on detail whilst managing logistics and other elements took up a lot of his thoughts, but he remains quite philosophical about any kind of return:
“It’s nice to mix things up, I do keep promising to do a collaboration brew and make some beer again, but I never seem to find the time to arrange it. I think the elements I most miss about brewing are the details in a brew day, having a fermentation vessel full and ready to start its journey to becoming beer whilst the smell of hot hops and sight of a clean brewery that’s ready to go again the next day are massively rewarding too. It’s a very satisfying process when you nail things right and I do miss that feeling. Currently, I run around like a headless chicken whilst our Head Distiller, Joanne and our warehouse manager, Rolf, take the brunt of production work. I am looking forward to the bar being open and getting back to being involved in the production side of things; the predictability and the order reminds me a bit more of brewing and distilling, whilst I feel I’m currently wading in chaos!” The bar itself is slated to be stocking the obligatory Turncoat range of Vodka and Gins, along with the array of bitters they produce. There are also rumoured to be other local spirits taking their place on the back of the back along with some bespoke specials produced by Turncoat especially for the premises. There will be 15 different lines of craft beer present at the bar, along with a healthy number of fridges readily stocked with an array of beers. Terry has suggested that we prepare for beers from the likes of a lot of local favourites and Siren, Lervig, Magic Rock, White Hag along with more continental gear and by virtue of their existing collaboration, some beers from Purity Brewing. “We have also installed, at great cost and by no small feat of logistical magic, a massive Gozney Wood Fired Overn, ready to be smashing out pizzas all day and night. We will of course be focussing again on local ingredients whilst twisting things around a Neapolitan style. If that wasn’t enough, the bar will also be doing Afternoon Tea (with Gin), Prosecco, cocktails and of course, normal tea. There’ll be an on-site bakery for the pizza dough, cakes and sandwiches too. Finally, there will be a ‘snug’ in the bar, where we can allow for groups to gather or for meetings to be held, I expect to be hosting a lot of tasting events in there too." ---- Site opens to the public Friday 7th February 2020. I know I can’t wait! Pedro. [some photos provided by and copyright of Turncoat]
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Having had some ideas seeded from my sister-in-law, plus the picking of her most competent home-cooking brain, I decided to refine my recipe used to make pizza dough and found the key to use ‘00’ grade flour along with extra rising time and to allow the dough to stay relatively moist. Everyone has their favourite style, although mine remains sticking to a more traditional Italian style and using as little dough as possible, keeping the dish thin, crisp and light with relatively few ingredients as toppings. 2009 saw Italy winning Traditional Speciality Guaranteed status for its Neapolitan Pizza, using a strict list of ingredients and made within the region of Naples. The recipe below should be good starting point for making your own pizzas, but the key is to cook it quickly on a high heat, ensuring that the oven is as hot as it will go before each pizza is placed into the oven. Pizza Dough – Makes 5-6 pizzas 450g ‘00’ Grade Flour (plus extra for dusting/working the dough) 1 tsp Salt 7g sachet of Yeast ~30 tblsp Water (plus more if dough isn’t malleable enough) 4 tblsp Olive Oil plus extra for oiling the proving bowl 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda ½ tsp Caster Sugar 1 Large Egg For the sauce: 250ml Passata 1 tblsp Tomato Puree 1 tsp of Oregano (optional) ½ tsp White Sugar 1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar 1 Clove of Garlic (crushed in the skin) To make the sauce: 1. Heat the passata until begins to simmer, reduce the heat and add the sugar, garlic, the tomato puree, oregano and vinegar. 2. Continue heating for 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally and then leave to rest. 3. Ensure the sauce is warm and thickened before adding approximately 8-10 tblsp to a pizza base, spreading this out in a circular motion. See the method below for making the dough…. To make the dough: 1. To five tblsp of warmed water add the cast sugar and then the dried yeast; leave this to grow for 5-10 minutes. 2. Mix the ingredients together aside from the yeast and sugar, sieving the flour into a mixing bowl to combine with the salt and then add the egg and oil, adding the rest of the water a little bit at a time to the mix whilst turning with a spoon. Now add the yeast/water/sugar Mixture. 3. Mix the ingredients thoroughly as other bread dough, adding water or additional flour as required. The dough should feel silken and slightly tacky, but not stick too firmly to a work surface. Continue working the dough vigorously for at least 5-10 minutes. 4. Oil a large mixing bowl and place the ball shaped pizza dough (which should also be dusted with flour prior to placing the bowl) in to prove. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave in a warm place for at least an hour until doubled in size. 5. Once proved, work the dough gently again, adding flour as required and then repeat the proving process in step 4 above once more. 6. Tear off Balls of approximately 90-100g of dough from the proven pizza dough, use your fingers and knuckles to spread the dough out in a circular motion, finally use a rolling pin to flatten out to a 2-3mm thickness and place this on a baking net or tray (I have found the nets work really well in the absence of a pizza stone, rather than a tray). Add the tomato sauce, cheese and toppings as required (do not overload on any of the toppings, particularly in the centre of the pizza – this will allow the pizza to remain crisp and light). 7. Bake in a preheated oven on a baking tray or preferably a baking net, on the maximum temperature until the cheese is melted completely or the edges of the pizza crust are a golden to dark brown colour. 8. Enjoy! There are a multitude of toppings you can add, bearing in mind that the old adage that less is more usually is right! Whilst the addition of cured meats is a savoury treat, satisfaction from a simple margherita style offering using only tomato (san marzano – strictly speaking), cheese (buffalo mozzarella) and basil (if required) will do a fine job of providing joy. I’m a sucker for pepperoni, speck or chorizo though! Ciao! Pedro. x |
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