The Coal Shed (sister restaurant to Brighton’s much loved The Salt Room) opened up a few years ago, serving all manner of grilled meat and seafood to suits and tourists alike. And now that they’ve stretched their legs a bit with lunch and dinner vibes, they’re tackling the brunch life.
They do this by playing to their strengths, having created a surf ‘n’ turf feast that will ultimately have you changing the notches in your belt a few times throughout the meal. Made for two people to share, the platter consists of an impressive array of meat and fish.
Sandwiched together are the 500g Himalayan salt aged bone in sirloin steak and equally large maple-cured Tamworth bacon chop. This alone is enough to send you into a mini food coma.
The steak is juicy and well charred, giving off some hearty smoky meat feels. And the bacon chop tastes like Christmas on a plate. It reminds us of the days following Christmas when you end up eating the leftover roast ham for breakfast, slowly chipping away at the leg of meat for a good week.
Within the same cast iron platter comes a homemade smoked black pudding which somehow tastes like a decadent block of pate. And next to this lies a skewer of buttery textured scallops and crispy pork belly.
The pork might have been a touch dry, but the scallops were cooked to absolute perfection and more than made up for it – we could have eaten a bucket full of the scallops alone and been happy. Things then get a little messier as you move into the other seafood options.
You’ll be covered in a light garlic and herb sauce as you rip off the tiger prawn shells, licking your fingers are you go. We’d almost recommend you look a little foolish and tuck your napkin into your shirt just to avoid all the mess – unless you consider yourself to be a prawn peeling pro.
The mussels can be equally messy if you’re not careful, too. Yes, there’s even more food to come. The mussels arrive in a rich and spicy nduja sausage sauce which is another great blending of fish and meat for the surf and turf theme. Alongside all of this, you get two fried eggs and can choose two sides and a dipping sauce.
Sauce-wise, they’ve got béarnaise, green peppercorn, salsa verde and Korean BBQ – although we would have loved to sample more than just one of these. Yes, we are greedy souls.
For sides, we couldn’t turn down the big and chunky beef dripping chips – adding carbs to this epic feast may not have been the smartest choice, though.
And we got a few sautéed mushrooms just to make ourselves feel a better health-wise. Some greens would have done the same job, too. Clearly, this is a ridiculous amount of food. And it certainly defeated us. The two of us couldn’t finish all the food brought before us.
Thankfully, though, this is how most of the surf and turf brunches end, so they’re fully prepared with their own doggy bags for leftovers. It helps reduce food waste and gives you a little treat for the next morning.
And you can’t get through all of this without getting a little boozy. Lean into the brunch life and grab some espresso martinis and Prosecco to help wash it all down. Or go for some of their signature cocktails for something a little different.
They have clearly curated the ultimate surf and turf brunch at The Coal Shed where quality and quantity are both thrust in front of you. Accept the challenge any Saturday for £35 per person and see just how much of this meaty and fishy goodness you can fit into your belly.
Tower Bridge Road SE1 2UP
