Bethnal Green’s Rogue Sarnies is teaming up with Hon’s BBQ for a two-night collaboration this September, combining fire-cooked meats, signature sandwiches and a Friday night vinyl session.
Taking place on 25 and 26 September, the collaboration brings the Hackney Wick barbecue restaurant to Rogue Sarnies’ Bethnal Green home for a special menu combining Hon’s Chinese-influenced approach to Texas barbecue with the sandwich shop’s cult crispy rolls.
The menu kicks off with chilli salt corn ribs before a choice of two sandwiches. Hon’s smoked ox cheek is sliced deli-style and layered with pickled red onion and chilli slaw, accompanied by a black peppercorn dipping sauce inspired by Hong Kong diners.
Alternatively, rich slices of pork belly are finished with a ginger and black vinegar glaze, fresh cucumber and pickled daikon. Rogue Sarnies’ fried smashed new potatoes will also get the Hon’s treatment, tossed in a honey and black pepper glaze.
Friday’s event adds music to the mix. Before turning his attention to barbecue, Hon’s founder Man Hon Luk was a fixture of East London’s underground music scene and ran second-hand record shop Vinyl Pimp. For one night, he’ll swap the grills for the decks, playing back-to-back with jungle DJ Tim Reaper and hip hop and jungle selector Deft.
The Friday 25 September event runs from 6pm–10pm and is ticketed, with a sandwich from the collaboration menu included. On Saturday 26 September, the same menu will be available to walk-ins from 6pm–10.30pm until sold out.
The pairing brings together two East London businesses with similarly unconventional origins. Chefs Freddie Sheen and Zac Whittle founded Rogues in 2021 before turning an underused conservatory into a wood-fired sandwich shop in 2023. Rogue Sarnies has since developed a following for its charred, chewy rolls and bold seasonal fillings, eventually moving into its own 2,000 sq ft Bethnal Green site.
Hon, meanwhile, trained in Texas barbecue in 2022 before launching Uncle Hon’s BBQ pop-ups, combining traditional smoking techniques with flavours drawn from his Hong Kong heritage. Hon’s BBQ now has a permanent 80-cover restaurant in Hackney Wick.
Rogue Sarnies x Hon’s BBQ takes place on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September at Rogue Sarnies, 263 Poyser Street, Bethnal Green, London E2 9RF.