After becoming the talk of the town with Nottingham’s worst-kept secret, the team behind Boilermaker have recently launched their brand new venture, Boca Lima - which promises to bring classy, cosy vibes to Hockley. Owner Nigel Garlick tells us all about it…
What can people expect from Boca Lima?
Boca Lima is a laid back bar serving fresh, quality bites to complement the fantastic drinks we serve from 9am to 1am. We’ve called time on the novelty cocktails that Boilermaker pioneered, that are now sadly omnipresent - even in Spoons. What did we start?! We’ve decided to grow up and focus on the classics but with seasonal twists. We’ve added more European beers and natural wines to our menu, and in the morning it’s the perfect place for coffee, pastries, cakes and jumping on the internet.
Boilermaker had a real unique selling point with its speakeasy-esque set-up. How do you plan to give Boca Lima a similarly effective selling point?
Lockdown was huge for us - Boilermaker just couldn’t be any more. We had to react to the way people were now socialising and create a space that customers were seeking out. We saw that Nottingham, and especially Hockley, was starting to embrace the European cafe culture scene. So instead of us pioneering something new, we created Boca Lima - an informal, Mediterranean vibe that we hope will be a really good fit for the area.
Obviously Boilermaker became a beloved institution in the city over the years. What were some of the stand-out moments from your time running the bar?
The biggest highlight? Probably the fact that most people always got the name wrong. Boiler Room or Boiler House, for some reason, were preferred to Boilermaker - which always made us smile. That and the fact that so many other bars copied our drinks and concept… You’ve got to take it as a compliment, I guess!
What’s one pick on your new drinks menu that people have to try?
Our Sakura seems to be the one we've had the best reaction from - it’s both delicious and looks amazing! It’s a beautifully balanced gin cocktail with hibiscus, Umeshu plum, yuzu and cherry blossom.
We’ve called time on the novelty cocktails that Boilermaker pioneered, that are now sadly omnipresent - even in Spoons. What did we start?!
How much of a role will local suppliers play in your food and drink menus?
They’ll be huge. We’d be idiots not to take advantage of our friendships with the many great local suppliers like Delilah, Fruit Basket, Welbeck Bakehouse and Dark Woods Coffee. There are so many more we are going to tap into as we grow - we can't wait!
What is it like being part of Hockley’s exciting food and drink scene, and is it challenging to stand out among so many incredible bars and restaurants?
It's great being part of Hockley, there are so many amazing independent restaurants which bring a lot of people to the area - we’ve always believed in cooperation not competition, and we hope our offering complements the scene perfectly.
This month will see a new wave of uni students coming to the city. They can sometimes get a bad rap, but how important are they to your business and the city at large?
The students always give us a real boost. Nottingham is a place with a large student population that brings a huge pool of creative talent - whether that’s in music, art, fashion or design - and that sets us apart from our neighbouring cities and small market towns like Derby, who have always looked on enviously at how much cooler we are than them.
You’re now open to the public. How have you found the response to Boca Lima so far?
The overall response has been really great. Both old customers and new are liking the new look and vibe - everything has been very positive. We are a little more grown up but we still have our playful side, and we have lots of things planned in the months ahead - please keep in touch with our socials to see what’s coming up!
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