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alex_ said:
Most sensible people don’t
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And they might end up selling it at a loss when it’s going out of code. It got them a load of cheap publicity though.

I remember a night in the Brixtonian about 20 years ago (was down the side of Craft as it happens) and they had some very expensive rums on the back of the bar. (A friend ordered a round of something he’d drunk in the Caribbean and got massive bill shock)
 
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thebackrow said:
And they might end up selling it at a loss when it’s going out of code. It got them a load of cheap publicity though.
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Not all publicity is good publicity though, and judging by the response on FB it's proved to be a massive own goal. It's certainly put me off going to the place.
 
editor said:
Not all publicity is good publicity though, and judging by the response on FB it's proved to be a massive own goal. It's certainly put me off going to the place.
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It reminded me they exist, if nothing else. They were a bit of a novelty ten years ago. Now folk like Ghost Whale, Craft Metropolis and The Sympathetic Ear are doing what they do, but with nicer surroundings and a bit more soul. Not to mention the dozen or so brewery taprooms that are also hereabouts.
 
Craft beer pubs often have gimmicks like this - used to be more common too. I remember when Brewdog first opened in London a decade ago that was their big marketing angle - super strong beer.

I like the pub, more chance of getting a seat there than elsewhere.
 
BusLanes said:
Craft beer pubs often have gimmicks like this - used to be more common too. I remember when Brewdog first opened in London a decade ago that was their big marketing angle - super strong beer.

I like the pub, more chance of getting a seat there than elsewhere.
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You like Brewdog or Craft?

Having mentioned it I decided to try Dog's Grandad just now.
The loyal customers were outside on benches so I had plenty of space to mull over what to have at the bar.
All the draft beers - various IPAs 4.5-5.5 abv were £5.50 a pint or £2.75 for a half.
I am addicted to special offers - so I settled in the end for a 440ml can of Chocolate and Vanilla stout - special price in the bar £2.50 (reduced from £4.00) I was impressed by the smoothness and the delicious taste etc.

If I go in there again and this beer is on offer I would be tempted to have it again - though what I really wanted to try was the Dog's Grandad Black IPA. When the Beehive was a more mainstream Wetherspoons they sometimes had Mauldons Brewery Blackadder 5.3% abv. Blow your head off!
 
CH1 said:
I've seen Brixton Brewer Coldfront Baltic Stout 10.5% abv listed on the ratings sites.
Anyone tried that - or know the price?
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Coldfront hasn't been available for a while as it was a limited one-off but it was £8 for a 330ml bottle. Both Coldfront and the beer at Craft are barrel aged which significantly adds to the cost of production.
 
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Elm Park tavern for sale - Check out this Pub for sale on Rightmove

And for those who complain about the cost of a pint these days - after you’ve bought a 100k leasehold pub, you need to pay 56k in rent and 17k in rates.

With 200 a day in fixed costs, before staff or energy bills - you can see where the 5+ pound pint comes from.

Alex
 
BusLanes said:
Interesting. I went the other week and it did feel a bit unloved
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Its been run in a strange way for several weeks - erratic opening hours, sometimes extremely limited beer choice (there was only Heineken to be had last time I went in two weeks ago), no food on offer and staff apparently supplied by an agency.

Hopefully someone can take it on and get it back on an even keel.
 
technical said:
Its been run in a strange way for several weeks - erratic opening hours, sometimes extremely limited beer choice (there was only Heineken to be had last time I went in two weeks ago), no food on offer and staff apparently supplied by an agency.

Hopefully someone can take it on and get it back on an even keel.
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That lines up with my experience. They had maybe two beers on tap and no food. Which was a bad sign given it was a Thursday
 
alex_ said:
Elm Park tavern for sale - Check out this Pub for sale on Rightmove

And for those who complain about the cost of a pint these days - after you’ve bought a 100k leasehold pub, you need to pay 56k in rent and 17k in rates.

With 200 a day in fixed costs, before staff or energy bills - you can see where the 5+ pound pint comes from.

Alex
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On the other hand I notice it is free of tie, so they should be able to order beer a fair bit cheaper than if they were tied to a brewery, so there shouldn't be a need to charge £6+ here as long as they attract enough punters.
 
alex_ said:
Elm Park tavern for sale - Check out this Pub for sale on Rightmove

And for those who complain about the cost of a pint these days - after you’ve bought a 100k leasehold pub, you need to pay 56k in rent and 17k in rates.

With 200 a day in fixed costs, before staff or energy bills - you can see where the 5+ pound pint comes from.

Alex
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They've had a rough time. The previous owner (when it was connected to the King & Co) sold it as they couldn't make the return from it they wanted to (but the freeholder had made their killing by building flats above it and over the previous outside space at the back). The new owners took it on right at the start of the pandemic and it's got no outside space at all so they spent a lot of time not trading. There was a crowdfunder back at the start of the year but their most recent problems were staffing apparently - post Brexit theres a massive shortage of hospitality staff and they hadn't got a chef so no food.

Of course the OneLambeth nutters are blaming it on the Tulse Hill LTN which means 'it can't get deliveries' (despite being 400 unrestricted meters from Brixton Hill) and 'has no passing trade' (absolutely nothing illogical about the idea that a pub in Brixton would depend on drivers rat running through Elm Park screeching to a halt to down a couple of pints and have a bite to eat)

Small pub, away from tube, not outside space. Not many like that have survived the last 20 years but I hope someone can make it work.
 
thebackrow said:
They've had a rough time. The previous owner (when it was connected to the King & Co) sold it as they couldn't make the return from it they wanted to (but the freeholder had made their killing by building flats above it and over the previous outside space at the back). The new owners took it on right at the start of the pandemic and it's got no outside space at all so they spent a lot of time not trading. There was a crowdfunder back at the start of the year but their most recent problems were staffing apparently - post Brexit theres a massive shortage of hospitality staff and they hadn't got a chef so no food.

Of course the OneLambeth nutters are blaming it on the Tulse Hill LTN which means 'it can't get deliveries' (despite being 400 unrestricted meters from Brixton Hill) and 'has no passing trade' (absolutely nothing illogical about the idea that a pub in Brixton would depend on drivers rat running through Elm Park screeching to a halt to down a couple of pints and have a bite to eat)

Small pub, away from tube, not outside space. Not many like that have survived the last 20 years but I hope someone can make it work.
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It's been my local for the past 20 years so I hope it manages to survive in some form. For half of that time it was all peeling paint, sticky carpets and fruit machines, with the back bar a festival of formica that was rarely opened to punters. No kitchen and hence no food, but they'd give you a fistful of takeaway menus and a plate and cutlery if you promised to stay and drink. It had a laughably crap quiz and occasionally someone lamely strumming a guitar, but not much more.

The two people who took it over in about 2010 gave it a light cleanup but continued to run it in the same convivial but shabby spirit as before. One of them then died very suddenly and his business partner struggled on for a bit before selling up. It's had three (at least) other owners since then, each of whom has invested more in the place, but with every refurb I've found myself liking it just that bit less and consequently going there less often. Now it has all the appearance of a smart gastropub but lacks the ability to offer the kind of experience that implies. The audience bandwidth has narrowed and it feels to me like a generally less comfortable place to be.

As you say, it's a small place in the backstreets, but it's in a very residential area with quite a large catchment if they play it right. I'm not even going the dignify the anti-LTN crowd argument with a response. It's simply not an issue for all the reasons you say.
 
Does anyone know, on the off chance, are there any pubs in Brixton that show the GAA? I'd like to watch the Derry match on Saturday early evening. Im thinking maybe the Alex by Clapham Common would be the closest bet?
 
jimbarkanoodle said:
Does anyone know, on the off chance, are there any pubs in Brixton that show the GAA? I'd like to watch the Derry match on Saturday early evening. Im thinking maybe the Alex by Clapham Common would be the closest bet?
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Haven't been in for several years so not even sure its there any more but Skehans in Nunhead used to have setanta and showed gaelic football and hurling
 
technical said:
Haven't been in for several years so not even sure its there any more but Skehans in Nunhead used to have setanta and showed gaelic football and hurling
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Thanks, Skehans is very much still there and is an excellent pub. Might end up there or The Blythe Hill Tavern in Forest Hill if nowhere down Brixton way is showing it.
 
Jimbeau said:
It's been my local for the past 20 years so I hope it manages to survive in some form. For half of that time it was all peeling paint, sticky carpets and fruit machines, with the back bar a festival of formica that was rarely opened to punters. No kitchen and hence no food, but they'd give you a fistful of takeaway menus and a plate and cutlery if you promised to stay and drink. It had a laughably crap quiz and occasionally someone lamely strumming a guitar, but not much more.

The two people who took it over in about 2010 gave it a light cleanup but continued to run it in the same convivial but shabby spirit as before. One of them then died very suddenly and his business partner struggled on for a bit before selling up. It's had three (at least) other owners since then, each of whom has invested more in the place, but with every refurb I've found myself liking it just that bit less and consequently going there less often. Now it has all the appearance of a smart gastropub but lacks the ability to offer the kind of experience that implies. The audience bandwidth has narrowed and it feels to me like a generally less comfortable place to be.

As you say, it's a small place in the backstreets, but it's in a very residential area with quite a large catchment if they play it right. I'm not even going the dignify the anti-LTN crowd argument with a response. It's simply not an issue for all the reasons you say.
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I'm a local for this pub as well and I'd agree with everything you say there.

When we first moved to the area, it was shabby and really quite smelly, but we would go a lot for a quick pint of an evening because it was a very convivial local.

It looks lovely now. The refurb is great. But the beer is too expensive, the food is just not what I want to eat, the clientele, as you say, has narrowed and it has lost that "local pub" feel. We hardly ever go now even though it's minutes from where we live.

We went for a Sunday roast there, when the pubs started opening up after COVID, and we were very unimpressed. Haven't been back for a roast. I'd rather go over the park to the Commercial or the Florence or even to Streatham to the Rabbit Hole. All of which serve much better food.

It would be a real shame to lose it but I can hardly complain if I don't go myself can I?
 
Mrs Miggins said:
I'm a local for this pub as well and I'd agree with everything you say there.

When we first moved to the area, it was shabby and really quite smelly, but we would go a lot for a quick pint of an evening because it was a very convivial local.

It looks lovely now. The refurb is great. But the beer is too expensive, the food is just not what I want to eat, the clientele, as you say, has narrowed and it has lost that "local pub" feel. We hardly ever go now even though it's minutes from where we live.

We went for a Sunday roast there, when the pubs started opening up after COVID, and we were very unimpressed. Haven't been back for a roast. I'd rather go over the park to the Commercial or the Florence or even to Streatham to the Rabbit Hole. All of which serve much better food.

It would be a real shame to lose it but I can hardly complain if I don't go myself can I?
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I liked it best when it was rough around the edges and felt like a proper community pub that was affordable to all.
 
editor said:
I liked it best when it was rough around the edges and felt like a proper community pub that was affordable to all.
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Yeah it was a great pub back then. You could walk in, stand at the bar and just chat to another punter.
There was a crowd who were in there almost every night. I see one or two of them around still but not in the pub.
 
jimbarkanoodle said:
Does anyone know, on the off chance, are there any pubs in Brixton that show the GAA? I'd like to watch the Derry match on Saturday early evening. Im thinking maybe the Alex by Clapham Common would be the closest bet?
Click to expand...
I think The Alex will only be showing the tennis from Wimbledon and Rugby Union...
 
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