"It’s fun, accessible, and you don’t have to think about it" — Why new bar Pogo should be on your radar
"It’s fun, accessible, and you don’t have to think about it" — Why new bar Pogo should be on your radar
We chat to Nottingham's newest bar Pogo to find out what makes it stand out (spoiler alert: it's not just the bright green exterior)
It has been saddening to see so many Nottinghamshire restaurants and bars close down in recent times, due to the current cost of living crisis. So, when we spotted work on a bright green bar happening in Hockley, we were so pleased to see a piece of positivity pop up. We spoke to co-owner Adam Sumner to find out what it’s all about, and what makes it stand out in Nottingham’s rich food and drink scene.
Bouncing onto the scene
When walking through Hockley, there’s a whole range of colourful different restaurants and shops to wander through and peruse. From vintage shops to vibrant restaurants, there’s always a real buzz around the area. The latest addition to that rainbow? A cosy bar called Pogo. “I don’t know if you’ve seen, but the exterior is bright green,” says co-owner Adam Sumner. “This is either two things — either really obnoxious or really happy.” Sitting on the street, it certainly does stand out. “It’s not a horrible colour, though — it’s a cheerful shade that we want people to be drawn to.”
Its unusual name is also bold. “It's either a pogo stick or it's a dance, which just sums us up, as it’s fun, accessible, and you don’t have to think about it too much.” There are many different kinds of themed bars in Nottingham — from spooky bars to fairground bars — that attract everyone from students to professionals. But there’s something very refreshing about this new bar, that has accessibility at its core, without compromising on a quality experience.
Adam Sumner, co-owner of Pogo
Sumner and co-owner Kyle Bentley came up with the idea for it after working for over 35 years collectively in hospitality, from running bars to being distributors for whiskey brands. “We wanted to create a cocktail bar or premium drinks-led venue, that is for us and our mates essentially,” he tells me. “The Nottingham nighttime scene can be very loud, which can make places not comfortable enough for a chat.” He adds that the drinks can also be great, but they can be expensive.
These factors combined into the idea for Pogo, which serves a variety of classic and seasonal cocktails, draft beers, as well as hosting an extensive wine menu. “The drinks don’t have lots of ingredients that you don’t know, so you can find something on the menu that you like, but also have that extra corner where you can explore something new.”
When I visited Pogo, I knew I had to try a basiloma, from the scent of it hitting me as soon as I entered the bar. This is a cocktail of tequila, dark berry, grapefruit, and basil — just four ingredients that sounded refreshing on paper. The drink itself did not disappoint, with a refreshing fruitiness matched with a good bite of alcohol.
To start with, the drinks menu has four classic cocktails — an espresso martini, negroni, martini, and old fashioned. “We’ve also created Pogo signatures, which are a bit more creative,” Sumner says. “Also, we have given our head bartender Calum the go-ahead to try making different drinks, and if we all collectively like the drink, then that goes on the menu.”
This currently has the aforementioned basiloma, as well as a fruity vodka cam girl, a rum-based bad vacation, and a seasonal autumn gold which includes rum and pumpkin spice. “These will probably change every month or so, just because we just want to give him the freedom to be able to build different drinks and occupy people's tastes that way.”
A basiloma and a negroni
As well as this, there’s draft beer, non-alcoholic Pogo house sodas, and an extensive wine menu. “The older that we've got, we've changed from drinking WKDs and Smirnoff Ices to something a bit more grown-up.” With this in mind, they’ve taken good care of the wine list. “We've got things that people feel comfortable with ordering, such as your old world wines, but we've also got things that are more explorable.” For example, they have a Lebanese wine on there. “This is more selective and special, and complements those little bits of discovery that you can find on the menu.”
While they have clearly balanced accessibility in terms of different drinks, I’m interested to find out if the same goes for the price — especially in the current cost of living crisis. “People do still want to go out, but they don’t want to spend lots of money each day of the week,” explains Sumner. “We’ve make it accessible for people who want to go out for a decent premium drink, but not blow the bank.” All the cocktails currently sit at £10.50, all the draft beers sit at £5.80 for a pint, and a small glass of wine wine starts at £5.50.
The bar may have just opened, but it already have plans for the future. “Our general manager Sarah Tunney comes from a food and drink background, and she’s going to be leading the way with a food offering we hope to launch at the start of 2024.” It also has an upstairs function room, which the team is open to ideas for. “It’s such a creative area, so we don’t want to retrofit something that we think is good,” Sumner adds. “We want the community around us to approach us and say what they’d like.”
From left: Adam Sumner, Sarah Tunney, and Kyle Bentley
If you’re wandering through the streets of Hockley on an evening out, and the Kermit green interior catches your eye, this bright and inviting bar is worth heading into. “It is a really lovely, warm, cosy environment with lots of hidden corners to explore, either in the building as well as on the menu,” Sumner finishes by saying. “You will easily lose a couple of hours in just exploring the menu, talking to your friends, listening to good music, and enjoying your environment.” With delicious drinks that are just as appealing as the price tag, hopping on over Pogo is a fine idea indeed.