About Our Food

Our menu can best be described as modern British “comfort food.” Our goal is to source out the finest ingredients from land and sea, to present a dining experience you will want to come back for soon.

Our menu features a variety of traditional starters perfect for sharing and main dishes such as Fish & Chips, Bangers & Mash and a selection of pots and pies.

Every Sunday, the Penny honours the British tradition of the “Sunday Roast” featuring a roast served with all the trimmings.

Gastropub History

A gastropub is a British term for a public house (pub) which specializes in high quality food a step above the more basic "pub grub." The word, a combination of the terms gastronomy and public house, was coined in 1991 when David Eyre and Mike Belben opened a pub called The Eagle in Clerkenwell, London. The Eagle drew crowds with its bold exhibition kitchen and fresh Mediterranean menu and sparked the gastropub revolution. Not wanting to miss the boat, owners of many traditional pubs soon followed suit, hiring talented young chefs to expand their menus and even adding separate dining areas.

Gastropubs usually have a relaxed atmosphere and a focus on offering cuisine prepared as well as it is in the best restaurants. Staying true to the format requires a menu that complements the assortment of beers and wines the gastropub offers. Some describe gastropubs as the Anglo-equivalent of the French brasserie.

Gastropub cuisine defies strict categorization. Some chefs update British classics with lighter preparations and international - especially Mediterranean, Indian, and Thai - influences. Others serve innovative dishes barely recognizable as "pub food." The common denominators are a streamlined approach and a focus on seasonal ingredients. And whether you're in London or the Lake District, you'll always find a laid-back, neighbourly atmosphere and reasonable prices.

Gastropub Glossary

Bangers & Mash

Bangers and Mash is a British colloquial phrase for sausages (bangers) served alongside mashed potato, very often deluged with gravy. A popular winter dish, Bangers & Mash is thought of as an example of pub grub, relatively quick and easy to make in large quantities as well as being tasty and satisfying, and ranges in quality from cheap sausage and instant mash with Bisto to the Gastropub version using gourmet sausage and handmade mashed potatoes and gravy.

Irish Stew

Irish stew is a filling, flavourful dish made with the most readily-available ingredients. The Irish raised primarily sheep and root crops for subsistence. The sheep provided wool for warm clothing, milk for drinking and making cheese, and eventually food. Potatoes were the main food crop, prior to the potato famine.

Irish stew, or "stobhach gaelach" in Irish, is traditionally made of lamb or mutton, potatoes, onions and parsley. Sometimes, only lamb or mutton neck bones, shanks, and other trimmings were the only basis for the stock. Yet, these would-be discards still held enough flavor after a long simmering process to do justice to a hearty bowl of stew. The root vegetables added further flavor and thickening power, as well as filling sustenance. Some cooks added turnips or parsnips, carrots and barley when available.

When the Irish people began immigrating to the United States, they naturally brought along their food traditions. The stew evolved and adapted to include the local offerings. Sheep were not as plentiful, so other types of meat were often substituted. When made in the traditional manner, the result is very thick and hearty, not thin like soup. The recipe has evolved to often include Guinness stout and Paprika. Some variations have exalted this original peasant dish to near gourmet status.

Shepherd's Pie

This baked classic originated during the 18th century in Northern England and Scotland, as sustenance for — you guessed it — sheepherders. The traditional recipe calls for minced lamb or mutton topped with mashed potatoes. Gastropub chefs have updated it with more upscale ingredients, such as chunks of sweet lamb shank.