‘Beach Boys bottomless brunch’ foodie fest comes to East End as Fugitive Motel gets back on its feet
Fugitive Motel reopens six months after giving away its foodstock to passers-by and to NHS nurses. Pictures: Adrienn@Laforance & Haydon Perrior - Credit: Adrienn@Laforance & Haydon Perrior
Two lifelong pals who were living the dream running their own bar and kitchen in Bethnal Green that had to close because of Coronavirus are reopening with a free weekend festival of food and booze.
Fugitive Motel founders Liam Tolan (left) and David Burgess holding American West Coast-style free food and booze festival. Pictures: Adrienn@Laforance & Haydon Perrior - Credit: Adrienn@Laforance & Haydon Perrior
David Burgess and his ex-school chum Liam Tolan, both former rock band singers, had to shut down in March when they got the government directive.
They had a stockroom full of fresh food at their Fugitive Motel bar in Cambridge Heath Road which they decided to give away to the neihbourhood and to nurses and staff at the Royal London as a gesture for coping with the Coronavirus crisis.
Now they’re putting on a foodie fest influenced by West Coast America — the 30-somethings are fans of 1960s early rock.
It has a pizza-eating contest and a Beach Boys “bottomless brunch” where you stuff as much as you can, washed down with giveaway craft beers followed by rye whiskey chasers.
Foodstock that Liam and David gave away to Royal London Hospital staff when Covid lockdown closed their business. Pictures: Adrienn@Laforance & Haydon Perrior - Credit: Adrienn@Laforance & Haydon Perrior
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“We’re putting on a festival to give people something to get exited about,” Dave told the East London Advertiser. “We want to give something back after an uncertain summer to everyone who supported us at this difficult period.”
But they weren’t idle during the six-month lockdown. The pals started a food and booze home delivery service which is now expanding across London, another iron in the fire for the two hot-blooded entrepreneurs.
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The three-day foodie fest from tomorrow, September 10, running till Sunday, might be costing them an arm and a leg.
But they hope no-one ends up legless with their gift to the East End for making their dream come true.
