Meetings specialist De Vere Venues has announced a new dining-themed event space in south-east London.
Brigade, located in the old Fire Station building on Tooley Street near London Bridge, will have four private dining rooms and a cookery school for corporate events on the first floor.
The largest event space, also on the first floor, will be able to host up to 100 people standing, while Brigade Bar and Bistro, on the ground floor, will be able to host a maximum of 90 seated and 32 on the terrace.
Due to open in September, Brigade will be De Vere’s seventh venue in London, but the first to allow members of the public to eat in the restaurant.
Brigade is somewhat of a departure from De Vere’s usual city centre set-up, according to the new venue’s general manager Michael Westenbrink.
“It is an absolute new venture for De Vere,” he said. “Where the uniqueness comes in is the working partnership with the Beyond Food Foundation.”
De Vere has entered a joint venture with Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) to set up the new venue as a social enterprise, offering 14 apprenticeship places to homeless people.
The two companies are working with the Beyond Food Foundation, founded by chef Simon Boyle, to find the apprentices.
“It’s a great way for De Vere venues, with our management and hospitality experience, to show that we can make a social enterprise a profitable business, and hopefully be an example for other businesses to follow,” said Westenbrink.
www.beyondfoodfoundation.org.uk www.devere.co.uk