Alex Derrick to open London-style gastropub Rose & Crown in South Bank

After 24 years rising through the ranks of the pub sector in the UK Alex Derrick has returned home and will bring the “famous feel” of British gastropubs to an iconic Brisbane location, but with some glaring omissions.

The Little Big House in South Bank will become a London-inspired gastropub when it opens on February 29. Picture: Tertius Pickard

After more than two decades in the British pub scene Alex Derrick will open his first London-style gastropub in the heart of the South Bank precinct, but there will be no pokies and not even a parmy.

The Rose & Crown will open its doors on February 29 in what was the former Little Big House, a two-storey heritage-listed Queenslander built in the 1880s.

Mr Derrick, who left Queensland for the UK on what was a two-year working holiday, said he has returned 24 years later with a mission.

“I fell in love with two things in the UK. The great British pub and my wife Bella,” he said.

“I changed my plans for a career in medicine and started operating some of the first gastropubs in London. These were pubs that really took food seriously, using the best available seasonal ingredients and producing a small but ever-changing menu.”

Mr Derrick said he put his stamp on more than 80 pubs in London, the south of England and Wales and he and his team earned several awards, most memorably Best Pub Company in the UK in 2010.

He said he always wanted to bring the same idea to Brisbane and after returning home with his family last year Mr Derrick set his sights on finding the perfect spot for a proper London-style gastropub that would offer a point of difference from the existing offers across the city.

“There will be no pokies, no TAB, not even a parmy! It will be a place you can feel at home, whether you are looking for a three-course freshly cooked meal or a spontaneous pint with a mate,” he said.

“I really want to recreate the famous feel of a good British pub where regulars love bringing friends to their local and staying up later than they should, having a ball.”

Alex Derrick and CBRE Hotel’s Paul Fraser at the former Little Big House which will become the Rose & Crown gastropub.

CBRE Hotels’ Paul Fraser and CBRE’s Tanaka Jabangwe struck the five-year leasehold deal.

The property at 271 Grey St, between the Flight Centre building and The Emporium Hotel, was previously a pub/restaurant called Little Big House which move in 2021 but closed its doors just before Christmas.

It was also occupied by celebrity chef Matt Moran’s award-winning restaurant under the same name. It closed its doors at the start of the covid pandemic.

Mr Fraser said the off-market deal was sparked when the previous tenants made moved to surrendered their lease. “It was a very quick turnaround,” he said.

“I knew Alex was looking and he’s very excited about the medium and long-term future of the site, especially with all the infrastructure, the building of the casino and the 2032 Olympics,” he said.

“Hospitality will be a very robust sector moving forward.”

The Rose & Crown will be the only pub in Queensland serving traditional cask beer, direct from the cask. Tap beers will include Birra Moretti, Brewdog, Magners and Guinness in addition to a 40-bin wine list.

Head chef Kevin Honeywood has worked in many top UK kitchens while Bella Derrick is an experienced interior stylist whose plans include incorporating classic elements to complement the heritage Brisbane building, while adding a few nods to her British background.

To engage the local community the Rose & Crown will host a weekly pub quiz, showcase regular live music and sport, and have a karaoke room, with the grand opening set for March 13.