Spring is in the air and beer gardens are on our brain. And we can vouch for the fact that one of our favourite – and one of London’s most unusual – beer gardens is just a hop, skip and a bridge over the canal from East Village.
Set on the banks of the Regent’s Canal, craft brewery and fantastic pizzeria Crate is a testament not only to quality food and drink, but to the local community who built, own and operate the venture. The interiors of the building have been crafted from reclaimed materials from around the local area in a style befitting the post-industrial vibe of the rest of the ‘Wick, while the brewery, opened last year, has continued to provide a fantastic new hangout for locals and Londoners alike, following on from the Olympics.
Crate isn’t just for its the aesthetically-minded, however (though the outside tables, overlooking bobbing boats on the canal, don’t hurt either). Crate is a real foodies’ paradise: in fact, we’ve written about their pizza before in our post on London’s top five pizza joints. The unusual topping combinations on their popular pizza are mouthwateringly good, but for beer sommeliers, Crate really comes into its own. Some beers are brewed on site, including the excellent India Pale Ale, Golden Ale, Best Bitter and their newest addition, Crate Stout, while other craft beers from around the globe will have you licking your lips in anticipation.
While we know we love Crate Brewery, we want you to experience it too, so that’s why we’re giving away a whopping £100 bar tab for one lucky winner to spend. Whether you take your friends down for a feast on the bank holiday weekend or have the beer blowout to beat all blowouts, it’s not a prize to turn your nose up at. All you need to do to win is let us know in the comments below who you’d treat to beer and a pizza feast at Crate and why. We will pick a winner on Monday 25th March. Good luck!
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My fiance as he looks after my daughter and I so well and I want to treat him for a change. More importantly though he loves beer and is great company!
My fiancé Michelle!
omg I so want that pizza right now! looks delish! and now…Im starving lol
Id treat my husband to a feast with me! we havent been out since we had our son (which is nearly six years ago!) and I think we deserve a blow out!
I’d treat 3 mates who live in Clapham, so I can show them how much better East is than South West!
I’d take my lovely friend Ben as he’s very kindly letting me stay with him for a couple of weeks until I can move into my new place. Otherwise I would officially have been homeless….eeek!
I would treat my two hard working daughters who never give up on trying hard to acheive the best in whatever they do. My eldest daughter has dealt with a heart condition and several operations whilst studying at Art University and has graduated and is now exhibiting and has ambitious plans for the future. My youngest daughter is studying hard in her second year at Nottingham University. She has so far gained two firsts in her exams in Pharmacy! We come from East End London humble beginnings but that is not stopping them and I would like to say well done and thanks them. This would be the perfect way!
I would take my friend Hannah as she claims that all pizzas in England are rubbish and I would love to prove her otherwise!
would treat sons and family to beer and pizza… random birthdays and GF`s birthday and anniversarys coming up in march and april
A bunch of good beery buddies because, well, why not?
I’d take my lovely housemates, the crew, the 10C massive! We are all such good buddies it would be a great way to celebrate before we all have to go our separate ways in the summer. Plus I’ve been going on about the pizza and beer at Crate for long enough, time for them to find out why 🙂
I would treat my BEAUTIFUL girlfriend who lives around the corner but has never been to Crate. I’m sodding off to the other side of the world for 6 months so this would be a wicked goodbye softener for us both.
I would treat my beautiful & inspirational friends Laura & Angela for always being there for me & helping a friend in need, which they have done sooooo many times. I think they deserve this yummy treat!
I’d treat my dear homegirl Jo as she let me crash in her tiny tiny tiny room and destroy her waking hours for two months; and all without warning, just a “SURPRISE ! LET ME IN !”
The belly is ALWAYS the way to someone’s heart ;]
I would take my fellow East London volunteer Towpath Rangers as Crate sits nicely on the cross between 2 of our beautiful canals & we thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas get-together there!
Congratulations Kerena – you’re our lucky winner! We sent you a tweet 🙂
“Guys, pizza night tonight. And the first £100 is on me… you can split the rest”.
Sounds like a decent subject line to sparkle up Monday 25th, no? 🙂
Id like to take my 2 best friends who have been through a bit of a tough/sad time recently and need a good night out and some TLC…
I’d treat my brother and his friends for his birthday and treat myself for mine!
My sister. It’s always a struggle to get her to leave west london and see what Hackney has to offer…pizza and beers on the canal would definately be the best persuader.
I’d take all the new friends I’ve made in London and drink some delicious pale ales and eat some pizza while sitting in the sun (fingers crossed) beside the canal.
I’d take Pope Francis – it’d be a perfect excuse for him to make his first papal visit to the UK. He could help to ease Anglo/Argentine tensions over a pint (or 5) of East London’s very own holy water – Crate Golden Ale. He could also get better acquainted with the national cuisine of his new employer by chowing down on a Crate pizza. He’d have a biblical time, bless him.
I would take my foolish friends who allege that west is best when it comes to pizza and prove them wrong! Crate is unreal, and personally, I think craft beer washes pizza down better than wine ever could.
I would sit there by myself for 4 days until they had to roll me into the river and allow my bulging body to float away while I digested.
My fiancé cos he just bought me a sparkly diamond and asked me to marry him and I want to say a big thanks!
I just moved to east London and to say thank you my boyfriend asked me to be his wife. I’d like to say thanks to him with the other two things he loves. Beer and pizza.
My brother and his new fiancé as they are such a beautiful couple! X
id treat my girlfriend to food and drink in the spring sunshine, its about time we had another trip to London 🙂
I would treat my best friend and my partner. No sob story here, just good honest people who appreciate good, honest hearty pizza and great tasting beer.
As it’s my birthday coming up soon I’d take all my friends (and probably half the bar out) with that drinks tab – what better way to celebrate than sharing all the pizza and beer you can eat with everyone else in the sunshine! All hail the long awaited British Summertime 🙂
i’d treat all my collegues from work, as we always plan going out together but then never do!
I’d take my boyfriend for pizza and beer to celebrate our year anniversary a month prematurely, because I accidentally booked to go to Mexico with another dude over our actual year anniversary (oops, my bad!)
xXx
I’d treat my mum, because mums are entirely irreplaceable. (We may need to draft in some additional help though!)
I would take my Mexican girl friends, 😀 .. why not 3 Mexican girls can have an Italian pizza party night in London ??
It would be great ! 😀
I’d treat my best mate Samantha as together we’ve been on a diet for months and we need to break it!!
Id treat my friend Natasha as she is having me over for Easter Holidays coz i cant afford to go back home !!! 🙁 haha –student life–
i would take my housemates: one is studying hard all the time for his actuarial exams, the other has recently become obsessed with an online dating site. THEY NEED TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE MORE. please help us! thanks 🙂
I’d invite a friend that always asks why do I live in Hackney. That’ll teach her.
I’ve just moved to the area and me and my boyfriend are currently trying to do up our new house. We dont have a kitchen please can we come eat at Crate!
my wonderful boyfriend, who does too much for me already! 🙂
I will treat my lovely wife as she deserve to go out and see the lovely site which is new to her. I would like her to explore the East Village of london.,.,,thank you.,.,.
My hubby, who deserves a treat of a meal, and yours look a real treat 🙂
My other half, so I can show him how awesome East London is an convince him to move there with me!
I would take 5 friends to a jolly good night out off good quality ale and pizza on a nice spring evening.
My friend Sarah because she never finishes her food and doesn’t like beer, so more culinary and drinking delights for me 🙂
I would treat my hubby as it its his birthday soon (28th March) & it would be nice to take him out for a treat 🙂
I,d make it a double birthday celebration for my son & daughter in law:)
so it would go towards a big family meal out
I would take my sister as she has just announced her engagement!!! She has asked me to be the maid of honour so I think we need a girly chat over pizza and drinks before the diets start for the wedding! 😀
I’d take my gally Shariqa, shes helped me through thick and thin when first moving to London last year and I think she would really appreciate this as a massive THANK YOU!
I would take my boyfriend Joe, pizza, beer I cannot think of a better way to spend a day
I’d love to take my girl friends out for a treat … it’s so hard sometimes for us to get together, whether it be other work/life commitments or simply not having extra money to spend on a treat when there are bigger things to pay for! It’d be a great night of great beers, pizzas and no worries!
I would treat my boyfriend as we don’t have much time to spend together it will be nice slow down stop running and have a good time 🙂
I’d take 5 of my old school friends there to celebrate my 29th birthday. Looks absolutely amazing 🙂
I’d take my aunt; for all the food and comfort she’s provided me throughout the years, she deserves the favour in return!
I’d like to take my girlfriend, I’ve been saying for ages I’d take her out somewhere, but seeing as we’ve always lived in different areas and time and money is always limited, it’s hard to arrange or get around to a lot of the time.
I would take my grown up kids because they deserve it
I would take all my family as a treat, lived in east london all my life and never been to Crate.