14 • GREVILLE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY: ROB LAWSON A hidden gem
Nestled among the dazzling shopfronts of London’s most exclusive jewellery district, the Society Members’ Rooms at 19 Greville Street are at the heart of the Capital’s vibrant and thriving whisky scene
stores – the entrance to the Society Members’ Rooms at 19 Greville Street is easily overlooked by those not in the know. Yet, behind that tasteful glass door and up a winding staircase is a hive of activity, the centre of the Capital’s thriving whisky scene and a meeting place for knowledgeable connoisseurs of every type. The Members’ Rooms themselves will feel familiar to Society members; smart and warm, with a long bar packed with tiers of iconic green bottles. As part of a recent refurbishment, there is now even a roaring fireplace in front of two long leather sofas. I arrive on a particularly exciting day, to
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witness the delivery of a crate of innocuous sample bottles filled with whisky of every conceivable hue. There are around 60 bottles in all, each representing a soon-to-be-bottled Society cask. With me to welcome the new consignment are
Ryan Chetiyawardana, one of the brightest starts of the UK cocktail scene; Hannah Lanfear, bars manager at Boisdale; blogger and Society whisky adviser Phoebe Brookes; Society ambassador John McCheyne and venue manager Joe McGirr. Between drams, I take the opportunity to ask them what makes Greville Street special. For Brookes, it is “the atmosphere you get
when the place is really busy”. “There’s nowhere else like it for whisky
drinkers,” adds Lanfear. “It’s really nice to have that concentration of people who can talk about whisky. It’s unusual to find the members are as knowledgeable as the employees. People really do love their whisky here.” Chetiyawardana says the Society’s London
home has contributed to whisky’s growth among groups who may not have given it much thought. “The Society’s always been good at challenging people’s perception of whisky,” he says. “So if you’re not necessarily a big whisky drinker, if you come to Greville Street and experience this range of single cask, single malt whiskies, that’s a real showcase. That to me is why this member’s room is really special – it’s like a mission!” Particularly in the evenings, the bar throngs with members and their guests, often to the point where the upstairs room serves as an overflow. Its young, diverse clientele gives the place a palpable buzz and the bar staff are kept busy – not just serving drinks but talking with obvious passion to the members. For venue manager Joe McGirr, it’s the ability
THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY
ithin an unassuming courtyard in London’s fashionable Hatton Garden area – best known for its many diamond and jewellery
of the Society staff to connect with members and provide personal insight and recommendations that keeps people coming back. But he is keen to emphasise that Greville Street is not just The Vaults replicated in central London – it has always sought to reflect its clientele and the city it calls home. A great example of this are the links it has
formed with local businesses and the broader community. In a city the size of London, this may seem a little counter-intuitive, but the Society in London feels like an integral part of a relatively tight-knit group. Most obvious is the venue’s long-standing
relationship with the three Bleeding Heart restaurants with which it shares the courtyard. Comprising a bistro, a bar restaurant and a fine dining restaurant, Bleeding Heart provides the Society with everything from burgers to high- end French cuisine, depending on the occasion. There are many others, including the nearby
Craft Beer Company, supplier of many of Greville Street’s exotic and curious beers, Café Spice Namaste, whose pan-Asian tiffin boxes have become a regular fixture for members, and the Department of Coffee, whose Monday delivery of single estate beans is a staff highlight. Events are another major draw to Greville
Street and McGirr works hard to understand what members want and craft his programme. “The new wave of whisky people aren’t as
impressed by getting that big-name person down from Scotland to lecture them,” he says. “Good whisky and some good food are what is important. So, even if we’re doing an evening based around some aspect of whisky production, we’ll build in a lot of interaction and plenty of opportunity to just sit, chat and enjoy your dram.” But there’s undeniably an argument that the
Society’s success in London is partly due to good timing. The city has woken up to whisky, as part of a growing interest in artisanal products. This is borne out by the steady rise in semi-
organised, unofficial whisky tasting clubs, using Greville Street as a regular base for their exploration. And, according to McCheyne, this is good news for the Society and the capital’s whisky lovers. “I believe the existence of these groups
shows the health of whisky appreciation in London,” he says. “There’s a much more vibrant whisky community here than was the case when Greville Street opened 14 years ago. I’m not saying the Society is solely responsible, but this place has been at the heart of the transformation.”
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WORDS: RICHARD CROASDALE
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