Food review: Tin Drum Charcuterie

With economic gloom set to persist for eons to come and winter looming, my joy at discovering a half-price food offer at the Tin Drum Charcuterie on Seven Dials was unbridled. 

Charcuterie is a French method of cooking devoted to cured meats (OK I googled it), and the bar-restaurant specialises in pork from the owner's Sussex-based farm. Locally sourced and discounted? All boxes ticked.

Miles at work behind the new bar

Things get even better on arrival as it's also happy hour drinks, and I ask bar supervisor Miles about the recent refurbishment and new menu. 'The bar has been brought forwards to create more of a social atmosphere', he says, and it's succeeded. The low lamps create a warm and inviting ambience and the place is buzzing, most tables taken. I order the mixed charcuterie plate, the dish Miles tells me is most popular with the locals.

Mixed charcuterie plate

The carefully presented meats showcase all the farm's products: chorizo, air dried ham and prosciutto, all tasting fabulous when washed down with an ale. Best of all is the pork terrine with a wonderful rich, earthy flavour while the pot of pickles, onions and capers add a sweet, juicy zing to set the dish off perfectly. The fries are great too, skins on and hand-cut.

So how do Brighton's famous vegetarian community feel about the concept? 'We get asked that a lot, but the owner wants to push his produce' says Miles. Bold principles, and a refreshing approach to bar food which looks here to stay.

Art heist in Seven Dials

A Seven Dials bar manager set up a sting operation to catch thieves stealing artwork worth £1000 from his premises.

Xuma bar manager Cormac Eddery exhibits works by local artists and first noticed a print by Saoirse Louise Towler and one by Sara Abbott, worth £400, had vanished on October 30th 2011.

On October 31st the group returned to steal another print but were followed home by Mr Eddery. He called the police who advised the thieves had to be caught in the act for an arrest to be made. A sting operation was then conceived to catch the gang red-handed: in the bar another work by Towler was hung on the gallery's lowest hook, with cameras trained on the item and security staff ready to swoop.

Exhibition work by Saoirse Towler

The following day Mr Eddery watched in amazement from his cellar as CCTV footage showed the thieves returning and casually removing the picture. Within 10 minutes security staff had arrived to apprehend the group. Stunned locals looked on as one of the gang attempted to order a beer whilst the police were called. 'We just couldn't believe it', Mr Eddery said.

All the prints have now been safely returned and a local woman has been charged, to stand trial in December.

A version of this story later appeared in The Brighton Argus - click here to view