Chop Bloc steak restaurant to open in Essex
Chop Bloc will be spread over three floors and will measure 6500sq.ft in size. The restaurant will have 200 covers over the ground and first floors and some additional outdoor seating. There will be a separate cocktail bar on the second floor called the Bloc Bar.
The restaurant will specialise in ‘reasonably priced’, high-quality cuts of meat that will be butchered and dry-aged on site.
The Chop Bloc concept was developed by brothers Steve and Dave Patten, alongside their father Colin, all three of whom have years of experience in the meat industry.
The brothers hope to expand the concept and aim to open more restaurants when this venture is up and running.
"We're very excited about bringing our concept of good quality meat at affordable prices to the heart of Chelmsford, and hope to expand in the next five years to three to five sites,” they said.
Food and drink offering
Chop Bloc will source its meat from nearby Hertfordshire cattle. It will sell cuts by the gram, sliced by chefs which will be specially trained to butcher whole cuts of meat. The cuts will include bone-in, which is rare in the UK.
The restaurant will also have a burger focus; it will serve burgers made in-house from 28-day matured British chunk steak. Chop Bloc’s burgers will be cooked using the traditional 1940s American ‘smash’ technique, which creates a ‘crust’ on the outside of the burger.
The menu will also offer a range of ‘fuss-free’ sides and desserts, and a three course meal will typically cost between £25 and £35.
The Block Bar on the second floor will have a cocktail focus, but it will also serve craft beers and will offer a large selection of wines.
The look
The venue has been designed by Design LSM and it will feature heavy woods, ‘rich’ leathers and exposed brick. The aged meat will also be on display in full view of the diners downstairs.
Upstairs, the Bloc Bar has been styled separately, and will be in-keeping with the style of a classic Manhattan bar.
Chop Bloc will be located at 8-9 Grays Brewery Yard on Springfield Road in Chelmsford.
