ABOUT ROGUES LONDON.
Our story…
Rogues is the brainchild of two chefs, Freddie Sheen and Zac Whittle, who met at the classic Galvin brothers’ establishment on Spital Square Galvin La Chapelle. After working alongside one another for a year, the chefs recognised similarities in their styles and a desire to branch off into a different concept all together. They began hosting pop-ups on the side and quickly decided it was the direction they wanted to head in.
In December 2019, Rogues was born as a pop-up restaurant concept but after three months of pop-ups that were quickly gaining momentum… the pandemic struck. The duo were left with no grants, furlough, or government aid of any kind. They instantly pivoted and turned their website, which was being used to sell tickets to pop-ups at the time, into an online supermarket filling its shelves with the amazing produce still being imported by their long-time suppliers.
As the lockdowns eased, the pop-ups restarted. They hosted sell-out nights across London in Mayfair, Kensal Rise, Spitalfields and Hackney. This led them into the path of Hackney Coffee Co. who, seeing their success in the area, offered them a long-term spot.
This was brought to a premature end in December 2020 as another national lockdown stopped trade once more. The duo pivoted yet again and turned the newfound restaurant kitchen into a gourmet sandwich shop. Banging out seriously tasty sandwiches such as the ‘Sausage & black pudding crumpet sandwich’ and the ‘Slow poached egg & smoked cheddar bun’. This was followed by a very popular meal delivery service Rogues at Home, as well as cook along boxes and recipe kits.
Once lockdown finally eased in spring 2021 and outdoor dining became the forefront of London’s restaurant scene Rogues once again burst into life, opening their terrace BBQ pop-up at Hackney Coffee Co. This lasted all the way through the summer with the duo then moving back inside for the winter months serving a more refined small plates concept in the beautiful indoor space.
Rogues moved into their new permanent space on Hackney Road in March 2022 and have struck a chord with local diners, offering seasonal sharing style plates alongside an ever changing selections of natural wines and cocktails.
Although they have been constantly adapting and overcoming the struggles that the hospitality industry has had to endure over the past few years, the best is surely yet to come with this dynamic duo. And as they add new talent to the roster and grow into their new space they continue to be a small, tight-knit group of friends working tirelessly at something they love, and who are every bit as passionate about sharing their obsession with others.
Oh, and they’re all Rogues.
