Club Mexicana

Time for a change

The story of Club Mexicana began a decade ago when Meriel Armitage decided to leave her job in advertising and start a new career in the food industry. With her new-found freedom, Armitage leapt into the burgeoning London street food scene. She knew that it was the most forward-thinking culinary space in the capital at the time, but came away disappointed at the lack of vegan offerings. Having experienced incredible plant-based food in cities like LA and Melbourne, she dreamed of something better for food lovers in her home country – and so, Club Mexicana was born. 

Starting out

It isn’t easy to build a new food brand in London, especially one which is 100% vegan. Fortunately for Armitage, she had the help of some friends in the industry who gave her invaluable advice as she set up her first supper club in Hackney. Here, she could let her creativity run wild and experiment with new ideas, crafting a delightful 3-course taco feast for her Saturday night visitors. However, she still needed something to take her business to the next level.

A chance meeting

In 2014, she attended an event run by street food market organisers Street Feast that would turn out to be the boost her vegan concept needed. Despite only being there as a plus one for a friend, Armitage made a strong impression with her bold ideas, and the enthusiastic entrepreneur received a fresh invitation to open a stall at one of Street Feast’s markets in the summer of that year. This gave her the toehold she needed to grow her inventive vegan brand.

Building a brand

Following this initial street market stall, Armitage took her plant-based food concept on the road to music festivals around the country. She was beginning to make waves in the industry, and in 2018, a year in which she set up London’s first fully vegan pub, The Spread Eagle, her jackfruit carnitas recipe appeared in the Guardian. She was also named Maverick of the Year in the London Restaurant Festival Awards, and Timeout put her in its list of 50 Londoners Who Make the City Awesome. Then, in 2019, she presented her own evening course aimed at others looking to set up a food business as part of the Guardian’s Masterclasses series. 

A permanent location

Even with all of this success, Club Mexicana was without a permanent home. As well as showing up at street markets and festivals, the spicy meat-free cuisine had been sold at The Spread Eagle and from a permanent stall at KERB’s Seven Dials Market, but there was no physical Club Mexicana restaurant at this stage. That was all about to change as August 2020 saw Armitage open her first fully vegan Mexican restaurant in Soho’s bustling Kingly Court in the heart of the West End.

Innovative food

With this new restaurant established, the creativity of Club Mexicana could be fully realised. Although the menu was entirely vegan, Armitage never really emphasised this, instead focusing on innovation and independence to create a small but captivating selection of tacos and burritos inspired by street food taquerias in Mexico. These flavourful Mexican-inspired dishes can still be found on the menu today, each with a choice of perfectly spiced vegetable fillings. Alongside To-Fish & Chips and Buffalo Mushroom is the restaurant’s most popular offering, BBQ Short ‘Rib’. Made using sumptuous jackfruit coated in a sticky glaze, stuffed with crunchy slaw and topped off with smooth garlic mayo, the plant-based dish has proved so popular that the restaurant began making up taco kits to send out across the nation so that Club Mexicana devotees living outside London could still get a taste of their signature flavours.

Bring the party

As well as preparing innovative vegan meals, Club Mexicana provides a warm buzz through the use of vibrantly coloured decor and classic 80s music. Additions such as a disco ball and neon lights tell customers that they’re in for a party when they turn up at the door, while the frozen cocktails and specialist Mexican beers keep the fun going into the evening. 

Continuous innovation

All of this has seen Club Mexicana grow and grow, with new locations opening up in Shoreditch and Brixton in just a few short years. This has allowed Armitage to innovate further, with a bottomless brunch available on Sundays at the Shoreditch restaurant alongside a Taco Feast Menu that is perfect for sharing and quick lunch options for those on the go. Each of her three restaurants can be booked out for parties, while on Taco Tuesdays, diners can enjoy all you can eat tacos at a more than reasonable price.

Building for the future

Having been at the forefront of London’s street food revolution, Club Mexicana has now established itself as the go-to place for vegan Mexican food in London. Despite this, Armitage refuses to restrict her menu to Mexican fare alone, preferring to leave her options open to incorporate inspirations from elsewhere in the world. It is this willingness to innovate that has seen the Club Mexicana concept flourish in recent years as London’s foodies wait with excitement to see where Armitage might take vegan cuisine next.