New British pub to incorporate Southern fare

Diners can now enjoy the atmosphere of a British pub with a mixture of Southern flair in north Shelby County.

The Anvil Pub & Grill opened Feb. 27 in the Village at Lee Branch. After more than 14 months of extensive renovations of the former Revolve Kitchen location, the space was doubled from 2,600 square feet to 5,200 square feet.

The restaurant’s walls are painted a deep shade of blue, and the restaurant is filled with wooden tables made by a local company. The white quartz bar countertop and brass chandeliers hanging from the ceilings make the interior feel cozy and comfortable.

“It’s been a long process. We’ve been wanting so long to get to this point,” said Gerrit French, one of the four co-owners of Anvil. “I hope when people come in and see it, they understand why it took that amount of time and that we wanted to do it right. We wanted to make sure every decision we made was based on quality and not just to get it done.”

This is the first true start-up project for French and each of the co-owners. The partnership is unique, with each of them coming from different backgrounds. French said he will handle operations, while Preston Hooten will head the beverage and cocktail program. Chef Sedesh Boodram, formerly of Ovenbird, is head of culinary and Colin Feather is their other partner.

“What is unique about our situations is that we all bring different elements to the table,” French said. “It’s definitely fortuitous the way we all came together.”

The owners believe in helping support the local economy and getting as many of their items from local businesses as possible. Everything is made fresh in-house, and Boodram said they use as many local ingredients as they can and believe guests will be able to tell that quality.

“We use fresh produce from Southern Organics, McEwen & Sons grits and get our fish from the Gulf,” Boodram said. “I can look at the plate and tell you where everything is from. We will put our spin on everything we have and pull from culture here to present it in a different light.”

Weekends will feature brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and include a full English breakfast of English black pudding, Irish bacon, fried eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms. The Anvil Pub & Grill even has its own coffee blend made by Non-Fiction Coffee in Pelham that is a mix of Peruvian and Honduras blends.

To wrap up the weekend, Anvil will host Sunday supper, a tradition in England where family and friends gather at the end of the week to enjoy a meal.

French said what he likes about the concept at Anvil is that being an upscale British pub allows them to have so many different flavors. He said it allows them not to be just fish and chips and shepherd’s pie, but also have the ability to play with flavors and keep it interesting.

“We will try to provide an upscale, casual atmosphere with fresh, made-from-scratch kitchen products that are and make it approachable and affordable,” French said.

The bar area features two dart boards and five televisions that will show English Premier League soccer, European soccer, cricket and rugby.

As for beverage options, Hooten said they are focusing on having a solid selection of liquors, scotches and bourbons along with a special focus wine list that will feature 21 by-the-glass selections.

Another nod to the British is the Anvil’s tea room, which will be used for high tea on weekends and will be able to be reserved for private events. It seats 40 and has its own sectioned off part of the patio, private bathroom and a private entrance.

The restaurant opened with a staff of 30, and French said they are still looking actively hiring. French said they are happy with the results and may open other locations in the future.

“I feel like this concept would really fit well in a lot of different places,” he said. “A lot of areas around town could handle one.”