When you’re watching any Olympics, it’s safe to say that you’re not thinking about pizza.
Still, when a city earns the right to host an Olympics, its people pour billions of dollars and countless hours of labor into new facilities for more than just a chance to watch Track and Field. They do it so the venues left behind can become new communities. They do it so a city can be transformed. They do it so you can sit in was once an abandoned industrial park and enjoy fresh pizza and a hand-crafted beer.
The sweeping construction of the 2012 Summer Olympics and the subsequent redevelopment of London’s once-neglected East End gave rise to new, popular and sustainable neighborhoods. New blood and new business spurred on by changes in the landscape re-created forgotten burghs into the hottest parts of town.
Case in point? Take a look at Hackney Wick, sandwiched in near the artsy, high-end Shoreditch and the Stratford/East Village districts restored by the Olympics.
The young artists who couldn’t afford rent in Shoreditch blend with the urban professionals attracted back to the east side by 2012 changes made Hackney Wick one of the most cool and vibrant parts of London.
Hackney’s young artists and entrepreneurs need spots to dine, socialize, relax and imbibe — so casual gems like Crate Brewery bounded to their rescue.
Situated on the pleasant banks of the River Lea, Crate is a popular pizza joint that fills up quickly around lunch and dinner time with tourists and hipster locals. The gourmet pies are thin and tasty, with the portions enough to keep rolling whether on tour or toiling in your sculpture studios.
Before the 2012 Summer Olympics, it would have seemed impossible to build a friendly popular bar and restaurant anywhere near the area. The River Lea was a polluted mess, and nearby Stratford was dominated by a gigantic garbage dump. Clean-up efforts restored the river, while construction build Stratford residences in easy reach.
What really garners Crate attention throughout East London are its varieties of hand-crafted beer. From Stouts to IPAs, Lagers to crisp and dry cider, the beer selection along the river shares fresh floral aromas and smooth aftertastes with notes of fruit and caramel.
Crate is also open for scheduled brewery tours and can be rented out as an event venue.
