Based on the South African ‘bunny bar’ concept of bread loaves filled with various toppings, Bunnychow will have six types of ‘bunnys’ to choose from, along with breakfast items served before 11am.
Each ‘bunny’ will be filled with freshly-made sauces and locally-supplied meat and vegetables, and topped off with crunchy slaws and homemade pickles. Recipes were developed with input from customers and of the Bunnychow truck and pop-up.
Pop-up experience
Atholl Milton, CEO of Bunnychow, said: “Working on the street food scene for over a year gave us a real chance to develop and evolve the food. When you’re that close to your customer, the feedback is immense and it gave us a chance to play around with flavour combinations and get direct feedback.”
He explained that the bunny chow originated in Durban, South Africa, when sugar plantation workers in the 1940s were looking for a portable solution for their lunchtime curry, and created an ‘edible lunch box’ by taking a white loaf, emptying it out and filling it with a mutton or bean curry.
The venue’s signature bunny will be the ‘Monkey Gland Bunny’ filled with handmade meatballs in a BBQ-style sauce with peppers and fresh chili.
Reflecting the flavours of South East Asia, the ‘Bangcluck Bunny’ combines chicken and beansprouts in a Thai ginger sauce, topped with a vegetable slaw.
The ‘Pork n’ Pickle Bunny’, which was trialled at Boxpark, blends slow-roasted pulled pork with mini pickled veggies.
Breakfast ‘bunnys’
Opening at 7am, Bunnychow will also serve a ‘Full English Bunny’, a brioche loaf packed with mini Cumberland sausages, bacon, handmade black pudding and baked beans, topped with a poached egg.
The breakfast menu also includes the ‘Huevos Ranchero Bunny’ – a loaf filled with scrambled eggs, chorizo, black beans, chili and fresh salsa.
On the drinks side, the menu will include freshly-squeezed juices and alcohol-free cocktails such as Beetroot Bloody Mary and Cucumber Mojito.
Set over two floors with seating for 16 on the ground floor and a kitchen on the lower ground floor, Bunnychow opens on 29 September at 74, Wardour Street, London. ‘Bunnys’ are priced between £4.50 and £6.50.
Expansion plans
Bunnychow announced strong expansion plans for London last February, targeting 19 permanent sites over the next four years.
At the time, Milton said Bunnychow’s potential was due to an appetite for more unique food offerings in London.