The Baltic Triangle is so called because of the maritime trade between the Baltic States and Liverpool. The area is a mix of rambling Victorian outhouses and modern industrial units. It's far from gentrified and in between car garages and lumberyards you'll find a number of creative enterprises one of the most influential of which happens to be Camp and Furnace.
The now defunct Cains Brewery forms part of the industrial Baltic Triangle.
Camp and Furnace opened in the Spring of 2012. It's the brain child of an architect, a designer and two musicians. Three cavernous spaces have been renovated, the new decor is minimalist and fits well into the story of the building. The Furnace area contains the bar and restaurant. It's filled with communal tables and heated by the big open furnace it gets it's named from! The smell of wood permeates the entire room and lends itself to a cozy atmosphere. Out the back you'll find Camp. An enormous space filled with potted trees, twinkling fairy lights, quirky art installations and vintage caravans. They eventually hope to turn the collection of caravans into a hotel rooms. During some of the many events held in Camp you can find a myriad of things going on in the caravans such as; vintage clothes sales, tattoo artists at work or even tarot card readers. The day we were there it was being set up for a wedding. Suffice to say this place is really cool. I wish there was somewhere similar in Dublin!
Inside Camp. Soon you'll be able to spend the night in one of the caravans!
If you visit on a Sunday be sure to try their renowned roasts. We were there on a Saturday so had to make do with the regular menu! Most items on the menu come in under £7.50 (€9), you can choose from hot dogs to black pudding to mushrooms on toast. M opted for the chorizo burger while I decided on the bbqed brisket.
The large communal area in Furnace
The chorizo burger was oozing with juice. It had a lovely smoky flavor owing to the small chunks of chorizo through the beef. The patty was encased in a very study bun which contained the juicy meat nicely, it was accompanied by some crispy chips and a decent helping of pickled cucumber. It was a perfect lunch!
Fantastic chorizo burger and chips
I was suffering from serious food envy watching M enjoy his burger. My brisket wasn't as successful. This was partly due to my own expectations. Thanks to the wonderful Bison Bar I have come to think of bbqed brisket as being a succulent slow smoked tender piece of meat. I wasn't expecting it to be small stewed pieces of brisket in a sweet and sour sauce especially when it was served with cheddar and potato croquettes. The dish didn't work on so many levels. I suspect that the sauce was store bought as it had an over powering flavor of pineapple like so many commercial sauces do. Aside from being a weird accompaniment the croquettes absorbed the sauce and became soggy and unpalatable. I'm going to have to go back to Bison for some brisket to cleanse my memory and palate!
Disappointing bbqed brisket.
At least I had something nice to drink! Liverpool Brewing Company have created a number of beers for Camp and Furnace, we went for an American Red Ale which was a nice well rounded substantial beer. The star of the show though was their very special Brown Bear. The wheat for the beer is smoked in their own furnace! You don't get more local than that! The beer has a wonderful robust smoky flavour, it packs quite a punch for a beer not too high in alcohol (5.4%). It was a perfect accompaniment for the chorizo burger and cut through the gelatinous sweet and sour sauce of the brisket very well.
Yummy libations!
So I hear you asking is Camp and Furnace really worth going to Liverpool for? Well I think a trip to Liverpool is always worthwhile and while food in general in England has more or less always disappointed me Camp and Furnace is breathing new life into not only an old building but the Liverpool dining scene as well. It's definitely worth it.
The bar area in Furnace
One final thing, if you make it to Camp and Furnace be sure to drop into The Baltic Fleet Pub which is just down the road and is home to some pretty decent craft beers which are worth checking out.
Camp and Furnace
67 Greenland Street
Liverpool
Mersyside
L1 0BY
United Kingdom
+44 151 708 2890
Website
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