Hub Box launches first Welsh location partnered with Tiny Rebel Brewery

The English burger specialists launch their first Welsh location in Cardiff Bay, partnered with Tiny Rebel Brewery to deliver a street food dining experience

A classic Hub Box burger. Photo Credit: Hub Box.
All burgers use 21-day dry aged beef, sourced from a Cornish butcher. Photo Credit: Hub Box.

Cornish burger chain Hub Box launched their first Welsh location in Cardiff last Monday 9 November, partnered with local beer company Tiny Rebel Brewery. 

Hub Box’s latest site adds to the growing list of redevelopment within Cardiff Bay’s Mermaid Quay.

The company, founded in 2012, has 8 locations across the South West of England, specialising in burgers and hand-cut chips. 

Within their burgers, they exclusively use 21-day dry aged beef from a supplier on the border of Cornwall and Devon. For non-meat eaters, they also have a range of different options, including falafel, halloumi and plant-based burgers.  

Welsh roots run deep here at Hub Box

Richard Boon, CEO

The company has won various awards during its lifespan, including ‘Best Chain Restaurant, and the Bristol Good Food Awards in 2018. 

Notably, CEO and founder of Hub Box Richard Boon, spoke of how the “Welsh roots run deep” within the company, citing that his wife grew up within Cwmbran.“Ever since my first visit to Cardiff Bay, I knew that the waterfront location would suit us perfectly,” he added. 

Further cementing its ties to the city, Hub Box is equally taking advantage of existing local producers, partnering up with South Walian brewery Tiny Rebel.

Pairing burgers and beers

Tiny Rebel, also founded in 2012, is known across Wales for its award-winning range of beers, all made in its brewery in Newport. 

Brad Cummings, founder and CEO of Tiny Rebel, said, “We have been huge fans of Hub Box
and their approach to venues that welcome family and friends. It’s an absolute pleasure to work
alongside them as one of their chosen suppliers for their first venue in Wales.”

Within Hub Box, they plan on rotating a range of IPAs and New England IPAs behind the bar. Additionally, they will have the non-alcoholic version of Tiny Rebel’s beloved Clwb Tropica on draught.


Rebel yell drowned out by PepsiCo

Tiny Rebel’s flagship beer, Clwb Tropica, has proved to be popular across the UK and beyond, but it’s faced some challenges along the way.

After launching the beer in 2016 and seeing its success, Tiny Rebel filed to trademark its name at the time, Clwb Tropicana. This resulted in PepsiCo, owners of Tropicana juices, to serve the Welsh company with a formal warning, effectively barring them from using ‘tropicana’ within their product name. 

Whilst Tiny Rebel complied, they continued to create the tropical IPA, just under a new name: Clwb Tropica.