January/February 2024 news

Here's an update on the latest news and information from West London branch of CAMRA.

Branch and other local CAMRA events

Why not join us on one of our branch socials or meetings? We'd love to see you! Here is a list of our events:

• January
  • Mon 22 (7pm) Covent Garden Social: White Swan, New Row WC2N 4LF; 8pm Lemon Tree, Bedfordbury; 9pm The Harp, Chandos Place.
• February

  • Wed 7 (2pm) Social: Swan, Bayswater Road, W2 3PH.

  • Tue 20 (2pm) Joint Social with Richmond & Hounslow branch: meet Old Pack Horse, Chiswick High Road, W4 5TF. (NB this is NOT the Packhorse & Talbot pub also in Chiswick High Road.)

  • Wed 28 (7/7.30pm) Meeting: Carpenters Arms, Seymour Place, W1H 7NE

• March

  • Tue 5 (2pm) Social: meet Buckingham Arms, Petty France, SW1H 9EU.

  • Wed 20 (7pm) Social: meet Wellington, 351 Strand, WC2R 0HS

Branch and regional CAMRA news and events

• London Pubs Group continues its tours of historic pubs - for information see https://londonpubsgroup.camra.org.uk/events. Upcoming events: 15 June 2024 - Daytime tour of Rotherhithe and Bermondsey.
• The December/January issue of London Drinker is now available in pubs across London and online at https://londondrinker.camra.org.uk/wordpress/ with details of CAMRA and beer related events across London, pub and brewery news, and more.

 Pub and brewery news

• NW1, GLOBE (Wellington), 47 Lisson Grove, NW1 6UB. 10% off cask ale for CAMRA members.
• NW1, SPORTS BAR & GRILL (Stonegate), Melcombe Place, NW1 6JJ. No longer Cask Marque accredited.
• SW1, GRENADIER (Grosvenor Estate/Greene King/Ineos 123 Ltd), 18 Wilton Row, SW1X 7NR. CLOSED for kitchen refurb. Reopening expected 29 Jan 2024.
• SW1, WETHERSPOONS (Network Rail/Wetherspoon/Wetherspoon), Unit 5, Upper Concourse, Victoria Station, Terminus Place, SW1V 1JT. CLOSED for expansion into neighbouring premises and refurbishment.
• SW3, QUEENS HEAD, 25-27 Tryon Street, SW3 3LG. Closed for seven years, this 3,600sq ft, two-storey 1840-build pub site finally reopened in December 2023, the second to open under the Tom Kerridge BUTCHER’S TAP & GRILL concept. This is his third London site and follows Kerridge's Bar & Grill at the Corinthia hotel in Whitehall, and Kerridge's Fish & Chips at Harrods' dining hall. Following very substantial refurb work, the ground-floor pub features a focal hardwood bar, chestnut leather booth seating and a bespoke timber staircase. The restaurant area is downstairs with an open plan kitchen equipped with meat-ageing fridges. The menu at Butcher's Tap & Grill Chelsea offers a selection of British-centric butcher-cuts, burgers, hot dogs and small bites, such as grass-fed beef rom HG Walter and Dovecote Farm and Longland Farm duck. The pub is open for lunch and dinner and serves a Sunday roast; as well as takeaway services. Kids eat free Monday - Thursday 3-5pm. Kerridge has said: "We very much want to be a local's local, somewhere to pop in, have a pint, watch some sport have a bite and relax. We will also be dog friendly so well behaved four legged friends are very welcome too!" There are three ale handpumps serving fairly low-ABV session beers including Rebellion IPA.
• SW6, BROADWAY BAR & GRILL (Stonegate), 474-476 Fulham Road, SW6 1BY. Reopened.
• SW6, KING'S HOUSE (Wellington/City Pub Company), 541 Kings Road, SW6 2EB. Closed, now a hireable events venue.
• SW6, WELLINGTON (Manica Properties), 56 Haldane Road, SW6 7EU. Planning granted for conversion to flats.
• SW7, BUMPKIN, 102 Old Brompton Road, SW7 3RD.Was in use as a popup pub until .June 2021 BROMPTON BEER & WINE HOUSE - on the market via Ian Scott.
• SW10, LOTS ROAD PUB & DINING ROOMS (Market Taverns), 114 Lots Road, SW10 0RJ. Shortened to LOTS ROAD.
• W1, ARBER GARDEN (Open House London), 1 Pearson Square, W1T 3BF. Closed future uncertain.
• W1, DE HEMS (M&B/Castle), 11 Macclesfield Street, W1D 5BW. Closed for refurb – due to reopen 1 Feb.
• W1, GEORGE & DRAGON (Ad-hoc Pubco), 151 Cleveland Street, W1T 6QN. Real Ale reinstated - Timothy Taylor Landlord.
• W1, SIMMONS SOHO (Soho Estates), 2 Bateman Street, W1D 4AE. Freeholder now City Pub Group.
• W1, WHITE HORSE (Jordan Trustees (Samuel Smith), 45 Rupert Street, W1D 7PJ. No longer sells real ale.
• W12, DEFECTOR'S WELD (Young's), 170 Uxbridge Road, W12 8AA. Reopened following lengthy refurbishment.
• W12, POCKET WATCH (Brakspear), 434 Uxbridge Road, W12 0NS. Real Ale no longer available.
• W14, HAVELOCK TAVERN (Greene King/Metropolitan), 57 Masbro Road, W14 0LS. Reported the real ale discount scheme no longer honoured.
• WC2, BAR & CO, The Wilfred, Unit1, Temple Pier, WC2R 2PN. Event venue on a boat. Sunk!
• WC2, OCHE , 105 Strand, WC2R 0AA. This venue is on the site of a demolished Smollensky's restaurant, The substantial rebuild included retail units at ground-floor level, one of which is Oche, which combines tech-enhanced darts with gastro food and is one of the growing number of socialising "experience venues" in London. The general ambience is high-tech plus neon lighting. Operator The Social Gaming Group is owned by Norwegian tech investor Karbon Invest. The food menu is of the "crossover tapas" variety plus sharing plates, and at the bar some keg beers and lagers are on offer. It is perfectly possible just to pop in for a drink without needing to book a playing area. See venue website for offers. Note restricted opening hours.
• M&B/Nicholson's chain has withdrawn from Cask Marque scheme. This includes FEATHERS, 18-20 Broadway, SW1H 0BH; CLACHAN, 34 Kingly Street, W1B 5QH; CROWN, 64 Brewer Street, W1F 9TP; MARQUIS OF GRANBY, 2 Rathbone Street, W1T 1NT; SWAN, 46 Hammersmith Broadway, W6 0DZ; WELLINGTON, 351 Strand, WC2R 0HS; WHITE SWAN 14 New Row, WC2N 4LF.

National CAMRA news

• More national CAMRA news and events can be found in CAMRA's online newspaper What's Brewing available at https://wb.camra.org.uk/.
• CAMRA also regularly produces a podcast 'Pubs. Pints. People' available at https://camra.org.uk/podcast/.
• The Good Beer Guide 2024 is now on sale at https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product-the-good-beer-guide-2024/. There is also a mobile friendly online Good Beer Guide app available at https://goodbeerguide.org.uk/.
• The Great British Beer Festival Winter will be held in Burton-on-Trent on 15-17 February 2024. See https://winter.gbbf.org.uk/ for more information and tickets.

For the latest news check out our Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) pages. Also for news from CAMRA across London see London Drinker, and the London CAMRA Facebook page.