Matt Whiley and Rich Woods join forces at Scout

Two of London’s most talented mixologists, Matt Whiley and Rich Woods, have become business partners and are now joint owners of Scout bar in Hackney.

Matt Whiley and Rich Woods are now joint owners of Scout bar in Hackney

Whiley, known as Talented Mr Fox, and Woods, who goes by the alias The Cocktail Guy, run drinks consultancy company Weapons & Toys, whose clients include Zetter Townhouse and Gold in Notting Hill.

Scout opened on Great Eastern Street in East London in 2017, and relocated to Graham Road in Hackney last September. Currently number 28 on the World’s Best Bars list, Scout’s zero waste, British produce focused ethos will remain the same under the new joint ownership.

Whiley and Woods will run their Weapons & Toys consultancy from the bar’s basement. The pair are currently developing Scout’s new cocktail list.

Scout pushes the boundaries of cocktail innovation

The new list will focus on foraged ingredients and house ferments that push the barriers of flavour and challenge perceptions. The cocktail offering is due to continually evolve with the changing seasons.

Called ‘Ecö Systems’, the list will focus on three key sections with four to five drinks in each: Metropolis & City / Oceans & Streams / Woodlands & Forest.

The Metropolis & City section zones in on sourcing locally in London, championing locally foraged ingredients from the capital’s green spaces

Oceans & Streams meanwhile, focuses on coastal regions and inland streams through drinks made with the shoreline spoils from the British Isles.

The Woodlands & Forests section shines a light on ingredients foraged from across the UK, including Norfolk Lavender, local honey and fermented birch sap.

On-trend fermented drinks made with fruit and veg will appear under the ‘Skins’ section of the new menu. On the food front, you’ll find mushroom jerky with maple dusting; bread, coffee butter and Hackney honey; and Scandi-inspired sorrel sarnies.

“Matt is one of the industry’s most modest individuals. He’s got bags of creativity, a unique vision and individualism in every stride, and I’m ready to see what we can achieve with Scout and future brands,” Woods said.

“Both driven and passionate yet laid back, Rich and I work in similar ways but bring wildly different creative ideas to the table, and that’s set to bring an extra spark to Scout,” Whiley added.

Known for his love of molecular gastronomy, Rich Woods made a name for himself via his experimental, concept-driven cocktail menus at Duck & Waffle and SushiSamba inside the Heron Tower.

Whiley has also been at the forefront of cocktail innovation at Purl, Worship Street Whistling Shop and Peg + Patriot at the Town Hall Hotel.