Review: Should I visit... Hatch, Gravesend?
There are now 12 hatches offering street-food, AR Darts and even an in-house deli
In the heart of Gravesend’s Creative Quarter, which itself is at the centre of the town’s ever-developing riverside area, Hatch is another welcome new arrival.
It has been created by Jamie Clark and Tom Mudge, the minds behind the successful Dead Pigeon in Rochester’s Old High Street Intra and Rainham’s The Greedy Banker, who have become known for their new take on the classic sports bar, with craft beers and outrageously good burgers.
Moving into Gravesend’s Borough Market building back in June, the transformation has been swift, with oft-empty market stalls replaced by sharing benches and tables as well as some comfortable seating areas. New wooden cladding has brought the hatches a new, warmer look and the big-screen TVs in the centre of the space bring both more customers and a lively atmosphere.
The Cocktail Bar and the Bierkeller (which even has a couple of genuine German beer pump taps) are serving up craft beverages, while the Augmented Reality Darts can be booked out for the competitive among you - there is also going to be a shuffleboard table shortly.
There are now 12 hatches offering a range of goodies, with some street-food stalwarts who have been at Borough Market for years, as well as several newbies to try.
There are of course some staples, like a Loaded Fries hatch and Chrystal’s Coffee Shop, which offers full breakfasts, cakes and bakes. A couple of our favourites from last time we visited were still here in the fabulous Ms. Earlyn’s offering of Caribbean treats like the outrageously nice curry goat and the ever-fresh Pad Thai Live, which never disappoints.
Newer to the market is The Grizzly, serving up gourmet hotdogs and melty Raclette cheese, as well as the Pizza Revolution, dishing out authentic stone-baked pizza.
There’s also Filly’s Cheesesteaks serving up sliced rib-eye steaks in a hoagie roll. Laszlo’s Hungarian street food offers lángos (a flatbread) with a range of toppings, as well as traditional favourites like goulash and the stunning-looking chimney cake.
The Kathmandu Nepalese street-food hatch is serving handmade momo dumplings with dipping chutney as well as spicy snacks such as the peanuts sadeko.
On our visit we were up for sharing and firstly opted for a dish from the Macho Nacho Man - yes, like the iconic 90s wrestler. Warm, homemade, extra crunchy nachos smothered in slow-cooked beef brisket birra and queso (cheese sauce). Plus, of course, we added on the guacamole, sour cream, salsa and jalapenos. It was absolutely bangin’.
The Mac Hatch was our next port of call for the Mac Rib, which was a tray of mac n cheese covered in melted cheese with ground bbq short-rib beef sprinkled on top, making for a sensational flavour. A dusting of toasted sourdough breadcrumbs made for an extra crunch on the surface of a great sharing dish.
While the really varied street food offer is, of course, the main attraction, it’s the little touches that make Hatch a great venue to visit. For example, there are smaller booths that offer pop-up opportunities to local craft-food and drink retailers that alternate - so there’s always something new to see.
There is also the deli and cheese counter offering cured meats, oils, vinegars and chutneys - complete with its own fresh-bread stand - and bottle shop (with wines and craft beers) for people to pop in and grab some artisan bites and bevvies if they can’t stay. They’ve already put on live music, karaoke, quizzes and had the Euros, Wimbledon and the Olympics on this summer - with more to come.
Having only been open for a couple of months, it’s great to see more customers using the space and we can’t wait to go back and see what happens next. Vibrant.
