Gweilo Beer opens a brewery restaurant in Hong Kong

Gweilo, one of Hong Kong’s leading craft brewers, has teamed up with Woolly Pig Hong Kong to open Grain, a hybrid restaurant and craft beer ‘brewlab’ in Kennedy Town.

Situated at a site which was formerly a flour store, Grain is home to the Gweilo Brewlab, a research and development brewing facility that reveals newly developed brews before they are released globally. Catering to 150 guests, it is now the only dining venue in Hong Kong to house a working brewery on-site.

By bringing together the creativity of both a restaurant and a brewery, in addition to innovative craft beer, Grain offers comforting flavours from a menu of dishes driven by the best quality seasonal ingredients, many of which are used in the beer brewing process.

The venue’s high-ceilinged industrial interiors include a series of individual spaces that allow guests to define their visit. These spaces include the Gweilo Brewlab, which is framed by towering brew kettles contrasted with vibrant neon signs that offer a touch of chic playfulness. It also features a workshop and beer tasting space that caters to up to 20 guests. Frequent beer workshops and opportunities to taste-tempting new concoctions will encourage guests and beer aficionados to visit and learn more about the brewing process.

The bar is home to 24 taps, which serve a rotating selection of brews created by Gweilo and a handful of other breweries. There is also be a series of tap-served cocktails, including Gin & Tonic made with Gweilo Gin and Capi Tonic; Pineapple Mojitos; and Pampelle Spritz.

The main dining room focuses on the action of the restaurant’s open kitchen. Led by head Chef Matthew Ziemski, who boasts a solid 12 years of culinary experience in modern British cuisine, his career has spanned luxury hotels and established gastropubs in the UK, including Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Town Hall Hotel in East London, Princess of Shoreditch, and Smokehouse Islington.

Chef Ziemsk moved to Hong Kong in 2019 to take the helm of Woolly Pig Hong Kong restaurant Big Sur. Inspired by his love of gastropub culture, Chef Ziemski delivers comforting dishes with big flavours.

By bringing a brewery and kitchen together, the link between beer and food at Grain is evident, with crowd-pleasing gastropub dishes that incorporate fresh, seasonal ingredients, as well as those integral to brewing. The venue will serve weekend brunch, Sunday roast meals, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. Guests can expect the comforting gastropub flavours with a modern twist, along with rotating seasonal dishes and a selection of Roman-style Pinsa pizza.

Many of the beers can be paired with selections from the dedicated bar snack menu, which includes slow-cooked curried Wagyu beef brisket croquettes; potato and ‘Lincolnshire Poacher’ cheese hash browns served with marmite gravy; house-made pork and beer malt sausages served with burnt apple ketchup and celeriac remoulade; Scotch eggs with a beer mustard; and “GFC”, Gweilo IPA and buttermilk marinated fried Japanese chicken thigh served with spicy mayo.

For the mains, signature dishes include slow-cooked ox cheek with stout beer pie served with bone marrow and mashed potato; Tagliatelle pasta cooked with clams, nduja, smoked cherry tomato and lager; deep-fried crispy crumbed black cod stuffed with potted brown shrimp butter and served with creamed avocado and herb salad; and “steak and chips”, a steak of your choice served with pickled mushrooms, “beer-delaise” sauce and fries.

In addition to its all-day bar and a la carte menus, the restaurant will serve weekend à la carte brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm. Inspired by the traditional Sunday roast in the UK, where the family will get together to enjoy a feast of roasted meat and vegetables, GRAIN will serve a weekly rotating roast menu, available every Sunday from 12 pm to 8 pm.

Address: G/F, Shop 1, New Fortune House, 3-5 New Praya, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong