Foxcroft & Ginger East

On a bright and chilly January afternoon, I ventured back to the Boxpark shipping-container-shopping-mall in Shoreditch for a second sampling of their dining offerings, after my recent visit to Hop Namo.

My mission? To check out restaurant and takeaway deli Foxcroft & Ginger – named after husband and wife team Quintin Dawson (his family name is Foxcroft) and his wife Georgina (a proud redhead). They have an existing Foxcroft & Ginger in Soho’s Berwick Street and this second outlet means the team are now constantly drawing straws to see who gets to do the early shift driving all the freshly-baked pastries, bread and cakes from the on-site bakery in Soho out to Foxtrot & Ginger East.

They have done well out of their industrial shipping-container framework, cheering up the cement and metal interiors with colourful stripped seating and flowery vintage crockery. Bottles of complimentary mint-infused water sit on the tables – a nice touch, mirroring the Americans’ attitude that every diner should be entitled to free-flowing table water instead of being made to feel like a second-rate citizen when asking for anything non-bottled.

The whole place had a chilled-out, take-your-time vibe. I noticed a couple of people happily eating solo and my dining partner and I were very content to wile away the afternoon grazing our way through the ‘Small Plates’ menu.

We started with Foxcroft’s own Soho-baked sourdough bruschetta with charred halloumi, braised peppers and confit garlic, which was salty and sweet, oily and delicious.

Second up was a rich dish of pork belly squares dressed with sesame, sticky glaze and small dollops of salty caramel. This was beautifully presented on a long wooden block but the pork was so rich and meaty that I would have liked some sort of greenery to go with it.

We then moved onto a light and crispy mushroom and spinach tart with béchamel sauce, and risotto balls with a touch of truffle oil – gooey in the middle and crispy on the outside, just as every risotto ball should be!

Foxcroft is serious about its coffee too. Their barista tells me of an intense 200 espresso tasting session with connoisseur coffee-bean roasters Climpson & Sons before they narrowed down and chose their own unique blend. And damn did it taste good alongside a piece of dense and devilish Foxcroft chocolate brownie.

The verdict? A delightful deli and restaurant turning out low-key food with dedication and flair.

Foxcroft & Ginger
Boxpark Units 42-43
Bethnal Green Road
Shoreditch
E1 6GY

Tel: 0207 428 4080