The weekend sun has gone and we need good news… so here it is! The New York City burger, hot dog and frozen custard stand, Shake Shack, is set to make its UK debut in Covent Garden. Mark your diaries now, Shake Shack London opens 5th July!
Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) is introducing its first-ever restaurant to the United Kingdom when it opens Shake Shack in London’s historic Market Building in Covent Garden Piazza.
Born in New York City’s Madison Square Park in 2004, Shake Shack is a critically acclaimed, modern day American “roadside” burger stand known for its burgers, flat- top dogs, frozen custard, beer, wine and more. Its been described as a fun and lively community-gathering spot help Shake Shack develop a cult following around the world!
With its fine dining heritage, Shake Shack is an integral part of Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group which owns and operates some of New York City’s most celebrated restaurants: Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, The Modern at the Museum of Modern Art, Maialino, North End Grill, Blue Smoke, Jazz Standard, and Untitled at the Whitney.
Shake Shack was drawn to the cultural triangle where Covent Garden sits, connecting locals and visitors from the banks of the Thames to the heart of theatre land in the West End. The London Shack has been designed to complement and retain key features of the historic structure. Outdoor seating will flank the columns on South Row and extend into the vast glass atrium in the Market Building. Its floors will be made from reclaimed Victorian pine in select areas and feature historic flagstones in others. Interior tabletops will be sourced from reclaimed bowling alley lanes(!), exterior tables and chairs will use reclaimed European oak slats, and wooden chairs and booths will be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
OK, we hear you, enough about the decor… what about the most important thing – THE FOOD! (Trust us, this is worth the wait..)
The menu will feature all the Shake Shack favourites including the signature ShackBurger, SmokeShack, ‘Shroom Burger and Shack-cago Dog. The majority of ingredients and menu items are UK-sourced. The burgers will be made with freshly ground 100% Scottish Aberdeen Angus beef. The SmokeShack features British free-range Wiltshire cure smoked bacon along with chopped cherry pepper. The flat-top dog section of the menu features a London-only Cumberland Sausage handmade by Sillfield Farm using rare breed pork from Cumbria as well as the ShackMeister Sausage (Cumberland pork sausage topped with cheese sauce and crispy ShackMeister Ale-marinated shallots).
The menu will include a complete craft beer and wine list. ShackMeister Ale will be on tap, a beer designed to complement the ShackBurger that is brewed just for Shake Shack by Brooklyn Brewery in New York City. Bottled beers from local breweries will include Meantime and Kernel, among others. The wine list will feature a range of varietals including house wines Shack Red and Shack White—bottled exclusively for Shake Shack by Frog’s Leap in Napa Valley, California. For those seeking a non-alcoholic beverage, the menu will feature Shack-made lemonade, bottled root beer from Abita Brewing Co. in Louisiana, fresh brewed iced tea and more.
Shake Shack’s frozen custard—dense, rich and creamy ice cream spun fresh daily—will be featured in shakes and concretes (frozen custard blended at high speed with mix-ins). The vanilla and chocolate recipes use only real sugar and no corn syrup. Shake Shack created a selection of frozen custard concretes just for Covent Garden. The concretes are made with locally sourced baked goods and chocolate mix-ins from London partners St. JOHN Bakery and paul.a.young.
The Covent Garden-specific concretes include Union Shack (chocolate custard, St. JOHN Bakery chocolate hazelnut brownie, fudge sauce, paul.a.young chocolate chunks and sea salt); Drury Lane Jam (vanilla custard, local strawberry jam, St. JOHN Bakery brown sugar biscuit and fresh banana); Sticky Toffee (vanilla custard, chocolate toffee, paul.a.young chocolate chunks, salted caramel sauce and malt powder); Big BlENd (chocolate and vanilla custard, St. JOHN Bakery brown sugar biscuit and chocolate hazelnut brownie); and “from across the pond” comes the Concrete Jungle that is inspired by a concrete at Shake Shack’s original Madison Square Park location (vanilla custard, marshmallow sauce, fresh banana and peanut butter sauce).
And now for the crazy… Have a dog? Then your four-legged friend will love the “Woof” section on the London menu. Currently offered at all US Shacks, the Pooch-ini is a sweet treat made with vanilla frozen custard, peanut butter sauce and Red Velvet dog biscuits that are specially made for Shake Shack Covent Garden by NYC-based Bocce’s Bakery. Or pick up a Bag O’ Bones doggie bag so your pup can enjoy five Red Velvet dog biscuits at home.
If all that wasn’t enough awesomeness rolled into one (they sell luxury dog biscuits for god shake!) as part of its community outreach efforts and mission to Stand for Something Good, the Covent Garden Shake Shack is partnering with nearby Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust, a community centre serving disadvantaged youth, families and the elderly. Five percent of sales from the Big BlENd concrete will benefit Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust, and Shake Shack staff will volunteer with the organisation. We tip our hats to you guys!
For further information on Shake Shack and Union Square Hospitality Group, please visit www.shakeshack.com and be sure to keep and eye on the site as hopefully we’ll be reviewing the place soon!
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