This three story, plus basement, building is being used as a creative, social working space. Within the sprawling reach of technology roundabout, this is very much tech-land. However Forge & Co. firmly believe in the value of collaboration and face-to-face contact, even within the digital world. The office space is curated to place compatible companies in close proximity to one another, creating a mutually beneficial environment for all those who choose to work here. The basement is a cavernous exhibition space alongside a retail unit currently displaying one of the founders’ fashion lines.
With all this the ‘canteen’ is mentioned as almost an afterthought. If that is the case, this may be the most lucid afterthought of all time. The spirits selection is gobsmacking, we recommend ordering one of the 5-borough classics with any number of their varied and unusual base liquors. There are two copper Meantime tanks in the corner producing brewery-fresh London lager, the coffee is Allpress and the tea is from We Are Tea. The food dovetails into the communal work theme. The sharing platters are perfect for a two to three person working lunch. For dinner, anything coming off their enormous and proudly displayed grill is a safe bet. The smell emanating from the semi-open kitchen tells you all you need to know. Yet despite excelling behind the bar and the kitchen alike, the canteen plays second fiddle to the social, working environment of the complex. We’re yet to use the office space but with a second fiddle like that, we can only imagine how good the first one sounds.