Cornish Pasty Co. in Boston's Back Bay Has Closed

A British-style spot in the Back Bay of Boston has shut down.

According to Geoff Wong, who posted on the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook page, Cornish Pasty Co. on Mass. Ave. is no longer in business, with a Facebook post from the place showing a closed sign out front and saying "Back Bay, Boston, and greater New England- it's been a blast! The future is bright and life is short so go ballistic making the most of it!"

Cornish Pasty Co. first opened in 2016, offering a variety of meat and vegetarian/vegan pasty options along with appetizers, desserts, beer, wine, and cocktails.

The address for the now-closed Cornish Pasty Co. was 51 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115.

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Cornwall's Tavern in Boston's Kenmore Square Has Reopened

A British-style pub is the latest Boston spot to end its winter closure.

According to a message sent to us, Cornwall's in Kenmore Square is open once again, a few weeks after the Beacon Street spot closed down temporarily. We have been told that the pub has indoor and (limited) outdoor dining available along with takeout and delivery, with lunch and dinner being served this week and breakfast starting next week.

Countless dining and drinking spots in and around Boston have shut down temporarily as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc with the restaurant industry, though a few other restaurants have opened back up of late, including Villa Mexico in downtown Boston and Amrheins in South Boston.

The address for Cornwall's is 644 Beacon Street, Boston, MA, 02215. Its website can be found at http://www.cornwalls.com/

[Earlier Article]
Bar Mezzana, Benedetto, Black Lamb, Cornwall's Tavern, Gustazo, Nathalie, Playmakers, The Poynt, River Bar All Announce Plans to Close for Now

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

British Beer Company in Franklin Has Apparently Closed

It looks like yet another location of a small local chain of British pubs has closed down, with the only locations now being found in Southeastern Massachusetts.

According to a source, British Beer Company in Franklin has shut its doors, with a check on the company's website showing that it has indeed been removed from the locations page. The Franklin outlet of the pub joins several others that have closed over the past several years, including Framingham, Danvers, Walpole, Westford, and Worcester, and it appears that both New Hampshire locations in Manchester and Portsmouth have shuttered as well. Outlets in Cedarville, Falmouth, Hyannis, Pembroke, Plymouth, and Sandwich remain in operation, with the closest one to Boston--the Pembroke restaurant--being approximately 30 miles from the city.

The address for British Beer Company in Franklin was 280 Franklin Village Drive, Franklin, MA, 02038. The website for the chain can be found at https://www.britishbeer.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Update: British Beer Company in Danvers Has Closed; Mexicali Grill Is Opening in Space

by Marc Hurwitz

[Ed note: This article was updated on July 9 to reflect the fact that a new restaurant is moving in.]

It looks like yet another outlet of a small regional chain of British pubs has shuttered, essentially leaving the Greater Boston area with no locations remaining.

According to a source, British Beer Company in Danvers is no longer in business, with a sign out front saying that the Andover Street spot is closed until further notice. It appears that this is a permanent closure, as the website for the chain has removed this location; if so, the Danvers outlet joins others in Framingham and Walpole that have shut down of late, which means the closest locations to Boston are ones in Westford, Pembroke, Plymouth, and Franklin, all of which are between 30 and 40 miles away from the city. (Other locations can be found in Cedarville, Falmouth, Hyannis, Sandwich, Worcester, Manchester, NH, and Portsmouth, NH.)

The address for this now-closed pub in Danvers was: British Beer Company, 29 Andover Street, Danvers, MA, 01923. The website for the chain can be found at: http://www.britishbeer.com/

[July 9 update: According to a message from @CappyinBoston, a sign out front at the former British Beer Company site says that Mexicali Bar and Grill is coming soon; while this has also been confirmed by a page within mandsbureau.com, it is not known if this will be a location of Mexicali Mexican Grill, which currently has locations in Holden, Natick. Spencer, Ware, Webster, and South Windsor, CT. As soon as we find out who is behind the place, we will post another update here.]

[December 20 update: According to a poster on the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Mexicali Grill is now open in Danvers, and the locations page for the group of restaurants mentioned above confirms that this is indeed connected to them.]

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]

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British Beer Company in Framingham Is Closing

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like another location of a small local chain of British pubs is shutting down.

According to a post from the Framingham Source, British Beer Company in Framingham is closing its doors, with the lease being up for the Route 9 space and construction being slated to take place next door. A Facebook post from the business states that it will close at the end of April and that "The new owners have some great plans for the property and we wish them well." The Framingham location of British Beer Company first opened 12 years ago.

The Walpole outlet of British Beer Company shut down last December, with that closure apparently being due to a lease issue as well; other locations can currently be found in Cedarville, Danvers, Falmouth, Franklin, Hyannis, Pembroke, Plymouth, Sandwich, Westford, Worcester, Manchester, NH, and Portsmouth, NH.

The address for the soon-to-close British Beer Company in Framingham is 120 Worcester Road (Route 9), Framingham, MA, 01702. The website for the chain can be found at: http://www.britishbeer.com/

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]

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British Beer Company in Walpole Is Closing

by Marc Hurwitz

A small local chain of British pubs is getting ready to close one of its locations.

According to a letter from the business, British Beer Company is shutting down its Walpole outlet, with a post on its Facebook page indicating that the closure--which will take place on Christmas Eve--is due to the fact that they couldn't reach an agreement with the landlord. It appears that all other locations will remain in operation, including outlets in Cedarville, Danvers, Falmouth, Framingham, Franklin, Hyannis, Pembroke, Plymouth, Sandwich, Westford, Worcester, Manchester, NH, and Portsmouth, NH.

The address for the soon-to-close British Beer Company in Walpole is 85 Providence Highway (Route 1), Walpole, MA, 02032. The website for the chain can be found at: http://www.britishbeer.com/

Thanks to a source for bringing this to our attention.

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]

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Cornish Pasty Co. May Open in Boston's Seaport District

It looks like a British-style restaurant that opened a location in Boston's Back Bay a couple of months ago may be opening a second spot near the water.

According to a Twitter post from Boston Herald writer @DGoodison, Cornish Pasty Co. is seeking a beer and wine license to operate on Northern Avenue by Fan Pier in the city's Seaport District. If approved, the new location of the Arizona-based dining spot would likely offer meat and veggie pasties along with soups, salads, and sides such as mushy peas and curried potatoes.

Cornish Pasty Co. opened in the former Boston Indian Kitchen space on Mass. Ave. in the middle of October.

The address for this proposed eatery in the Seaport District is: Cornish Pasty Co., 53 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA, 02210. The website for all locations can be found at http://www.cornishpastyco.com/

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Boston Indian Kitchen in the Back Bay Closes; Cornish Pasty Co. Replacing It

An Indian restaurant in Boston's Back Bay has shut down, and it looks like a British-style eatery may be moving into its space.

A message sent by BostonZest indicates that Boston Indian Kitchen is now closed, and that a place called Cornish Pasty Co. is replacing the dining spot; a check on the space today seems to confirm this, as the door and windows of the Mass. Ave. spot are papered over and a sign showing a Cornish Pasty Co. logo is shown on the inside of the door. The logo shown matches that of the Arizona-based Cornish Pasty Co., which has locations in Mesa, Scottsdale, and Tempe, along with another outlet in Las Vegas, NV. A message has been sent to Cornish Pasty Co. to find out more, including when it might open and what its menu may look like.

Boston Indian Kitchen opened its doors in January of 2015, taking over the space where India Samraat had been.

The address for Boston Indian Kitchen (and what appears to be the upcoming Cornish Pasty Co.) is 51 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115. The website for Cornish Pasty Co. can be found at http://www.cornishpastyco.com/

[May 2 update: A message sent from Cornish Pasty Co. confirms that they will indeed be coming to the former Boston Indian Kitchen space, with the new location looking at a possible fall opening.]

[September 28 update: Universal Hub mentions that the Boston Licensing Board will decide tomorrow on whether to give a license to Cornish Pasty Co., with the post also saying that if approved, it will be a full sit-down restaurant that features one-pound meat pies similar to those that workers would eat in English mines (vegetarian pies will be offered as well).]

[October 12 update: Eater Boston states that Cornish Pasty Co. opens its doors tomorrow.]

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Pret a Manger to Open at Least One Location in Boston

It looks like a London-based chain of sandwich shops is going to be coming to Boston.

The Boston Globe reports that Pret a Manger is planning to open at least one new outlet somewhere in the city, joining other U.S. locations in New York, Washington, DC, and Chicago. The article mentions that the chain is looking to open a total of 14 locations in the United States as part of its expansion plans.

Pret a Manger, which first started out in 1986, focuses on quick-food items made using natural ingredients. Its American menu is different from its menu in Britain, but expect to see such sandwiches as balsamic chicken and avocado, cheddar and tomato, egg salad and arugula, chicken and bacon, and more at its Boston outlet(s). Other menu options will include soups, salads, baguettes, wraps, toasties, baked goods, and pastries.

[April 10 update: The Boston Globe mentions the first Pret a Manger location in Boston will be within the former Borders space on Boylston Street in the Back Bay. It appears that the space will be divided into three sections, with a couple of clothing stores moving into the other two sections.]

[August 24 update: The Back Bay Patch is reporting that Pret a Manger is hoping to open its Boylston Street location by the middle of November. Thanks to Eater Boston for bringing this to our attention.]

[November 19 update: Eater Boston states that the new Pret a Manger on Boylston Street is planning to open today.]

The website for Pret a Manger can be found at http://www.pret.com/us/

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Limey's Pub Opens in Norwood

An English pub in Framingham has just opened a second location, with this one being southwest of Boston.

An email sent to us by one of our readers indicates that Limey's Pub is now open on Washington Street in Norwood, taking over the space where Martini's used to be. A check on Facebook shows that the new Limey's Pub has a bar and a fireplace within the space, and it is open for lunch and dinner daily. The Framingham location features a mix of British fare and American comfort food such as chip butty (basically a French fry or "chips" sandwich), nachos, a fish wrap, chili, burgers, chicken curry, shepherd's pie, fish and chips, and chicken wings, so expect to see such items at the new location.

The original Limey's Pub in Framingham first opened in the fall of 2010, taking over the space on Concord Street where the Chinese restaurant Sampan had been.

The address for this new restaurant and pub in Norwood is: Limey's Pub, 659 Washington Street, Norwood, MA, 02062.

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British Pub Batters The Black Rose's Record for Largest Serving of Fish and Chips

An Irish pub in Boston no longer holds the record for the larges plate of fish and chips, as another pub, this one in Britain, beat their record over the past weekend.

According to the Yorkshire Post, The Wensleydale Heifer in West Witton (North Yorkshire) created a fish supper that weighed 101 pounds, moving well past the record of 78 pounds formerly held by The Black Rose on State Street in downtown Boston. The article mentions that record-breaking meal included a huge fillet of halibut that was placed in more than four gallons of batter, then cooked in oil for a total of seven hours. The dish included buckets of chips and a vat of peas.

The record was confirmed by Guinness World Records, according to the Yorkshire Post.

The website for The Wensleydale Heifer can be found at http://www.wensleydaleheifer.co.uk/, while the website for The Black Rose is at http://www.blackroseboston.com/

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Owner of Elephant and Castle Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

The operator of a small Boston-based chain of British restaurants and pubs has filed for bankruptcy.

According to the Boston Business Journal, Elephant and Castle Group Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after defaulting on a loan. The article mentions that difficult economic conditions took its toll on sales and profits at the company, which apparently kept them from being able to make loan payments to GE Canada. For now, the group will keep its restaurant locations open (including the one on Devonshire Street in Boston's Financial District).

Currently, more than 20 locations of Elephant and Castle can be found in the United States and Canada. The parent group also operates the Piccadilly Pub chain of casual American eateries; we have not gotten any information on how the bankruptcy filing might affect them, so keep checking back for updates over the coming weeks.

The address for the Elephant and Castle pub and restaurant in the Financial District of Boston is: Elephant and Castle, 161 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA, 02110.

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Pop-Up Restaurant Coming to the British Consulate in Cambridge's Kendall Square

The people behind a series of pop-up restaurants in and around Boston are heading to "foreign soil" for their next pop-up, though in reality it won't be very far from the city.

An email sent to us by wheretoeat.in indicates that chef Will Gilson of Garden at the Cellar in Cambridge and event organizer/Twitter figure Aaron Cohen of Eat Boston are setting up a pop-up restaurant at the British Consulate-General on Broadway in the Kendall Square section of Cambridge. The event, which takes place on Friday, May 20, and Saturday, May 21, will feature a five-course prix fixe dinner with British-influenced dishes served. Some of the items featured will include seared foie gras and crumpets, chicken korma soup with curry leaves, earl grey tea smoked duck bangers, bubble and squeak, fish and chips, and sticky toffee pudding. Greylock Gin cocktails from Berkshire Mountain Distillers and beer from Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project will also be offered, and flowers will be supplied by Bittersweet Gardens.

Tickets to the British Consulate pop-up restaurant in Cambridge will cost $70, with some of the proceeds going to the British Society, which helps British nationals overseas. Tickets go on sale today (Friday, May 6) at 1:00 PM. For more information, please go to the following link: Eat at British Consulate-General

This is one in a series of pop-up restaurants that have taken place over the past several months, including pop-ups at the Mizu Salon in the Back Bay, the Boston Center for Adult Education in downtown Boston, Taza Chocolate and Bloc 11 in Somerville, and Mohr & McPherson in the South End.

[May 13 update: The pop-up restaurant at the British Consulate-General is sold out.]

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Limey's Pub Opens in Framingham

There aren't too many English pubs in the Boston area, but folks who like chip butties and other dishes popular in Britain now have a place to go in the MetroWest region.

According to the Northborough-Southborough Villager and Wicked Local, Limey's Pub is now open on Concord Street in the downtown section of Framingham, taking over the space where the Chinese restaurant Sampan used to be. The article mentions that Limey's Pub features a mix of British fare and classic American comfort food, including the aforementioned chip butty (basically a French fry or "chips" sandwich), shepherd's pie, fish and chips, a fish wrap, nachos, and chicken wings. The pub also has 10 beers on tap, including Guinness, Newcastle Brown Ale, and Smithwick's. Entertainment includes darts, a beanbag toss game, and live music.

The address for this new restaurant and pub in Framingham is: Limey's Pub, 101 Concord Street, Framingham, MA, 01702.

For more information on Limey's Pub, please go to the Northborough-Southborough Villager/Wicked Local link below.

Spitz: A Limey twist for downtown Framingham

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British Beer Company Opening in Westford

A small local chain of British pubs with eight locations in Massachusetts is about to open its ninth spot, with this one being northwest of Boston.

According to the restaurant's website, the British Beer Company is opening a new restaurant on Route 110 in Westford, in the space where Applebee's had been until closing this past winter. The British Beer Company website mentions that the new Westford location will be opening sometime in August, though a poster on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook page who lives in the local area states that it could be opening on August 1. [August 13 update: According to their Facebook page, the British Beer Company in Westford is now open.]

The British Beer Company features a mix of pub food and British specialties, with items on the menu including beer-battered onion rings, sliders, meatloaf, beef stew, macaroni and cheese, fish and chips, bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, and pasty pies. Beers such as Newcastle, Guinness, Samuel Smith, Fullers, and Smithwick's are available.

In addition to the upcoming Westford location, the British Beer Company can be found in Cedarville, Falmouth, Framingham, Hyannis, Pembroke, Plymouth, Sandwich, and Walpole.

The address for this new British restaurant and pub coming to Westford will be: British Beer Company, 149 Littleton Road (Route 110), Westford, MA, 01886. The website for the chain can be found at: http://www.britishbeer.com/

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