name and role?
Patrick Dalton, the duty manager.
BREWERY or pub company?
We are run by Fuller, Smith and Turner, which is a brewery.
WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE?
The atmosphere. The location. The food. We are just off Edwardes Square, and we are included in lots of secret London guides and walking books. We are off the beaten track and so a bit of a hidden gem.
PUBS ARE STRUGGLING IN THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN. HOW ARE YOU COPING?
We are a very busy pub. We have a lot of regulars that keep the trade ticking over.
WHAT’S YOUR BEST-SELLING BEVERAGE?
Our London Pride, for its hoppy, malty taste.
HOW MUCH IS A PINT?
Our cheapest is the Gales Seafarers, a light and fruity ale. It costs £3.74, and for every pint we sell a penny goes to maritime charity, Seafarers UK. At the other end, we have a range of guest cask ales, which appeal to the connoisseurs and cost £4.09 a pint.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR AVERAGE CUSTOMER?
We have a lot of local regulars, and we seem to attract a lot of people by word of mouth, but we are also famous with the American Airlines pilots. When they get off the plane the first stop is here for our lamb and a pint of Pride.
tell us about the food
We have a daily bar menu, and up on our blackboard we have the changing specials – we do great traditional foods, like our pies of the week. Our best-selling dish is our slow roasted shoulder of lamb. It is roasted for three hours with onions, garlic and rosemary. If that ever came off the menu there would be uproar!
tell us about the history of the pub
The pub has been here since the square was built by French architect, Louis Léon Changeur, some 200 years ago. It was designed with the idea in mind that when Napoleon invaded, his battalions and troops could stay here in the square.
