It's been 26 years, and licensee Stephanie Lawler (a trim vivacious and youthful 51, married to Rob with three children), reluctantly, is on the move.
Prompted by Greene King there are a number of changes in the old Taylor Walker estate - re-branding and makeovers, and a different demographic perhaps is being targetted. Stephanie and her team have moved from the Two Brewers in Covent Garden to take over the Swan, Cosmo Place, Bloomsbury - not one I know well - and some of her loyal customers have already followed!
She has built up a good crowd and loyal following, and that is also changing - the cast of Stomp are moving on as Cameron Mackintosh has bought the Ambassadors, and the Lloyds people are moving lock stock and barrel to Chiswell Street.
And there's an irony there - as she started with Whitbread as a management trainee at the Railway Tavern, Liverpool Street - almost within spitting distance of the brewery - around thirty years ago.
The daughter of a haulier, from Northern Ireland, and a mum in catering, she'd always wanted her own business, like Dad, but with the support of a large company.
Her first own pub was the lamented late King of Bohemia in Hampstead - one where we as choir boys used to be able to get a half of cider after a fish 'n chip lunch, between morning and afternoon weddings on a Saturday. She then jumped ship to Chef and Brewer then owned by Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, and then sold to Greene King in 2003.
The Two Brewers have been their home for twenty six years, and it will be a wrench to move. Stephanie had started the Sunday night jazz in 2009 or 2010, but the tradition dated back to at least 1969. She's been a trainee manager trainer, as well as running the pub and the cellar, and in 1998 she's proud to have been awarded a medal by Prince Philip as the first to gain the supervision management Level 3 NVQ.
Although there was an opportunity to buy the freehold from Punch she decided that was perhaps a bridge too far. But she admired and respected what Binnie Walsh had managed to achieve down the road at the Harp.
So it is a move that had not been looked for, but probably the right time for it.
There's opportunity as well as challenge, and Holborn isn't so far to go.
She'll be graduating from three cask ales on a short cramped bar to a long bar and seven or eight ales.
Judging by the quality of the beers on last night the customers of the Swan have a lot to look forward to. Problem was that they were running out, and the one that should have been ready to go on - Hackney H - had been fobbing just a tad too much that morning. I know, 'cos she specially checked again for me. So it was a matter of gently supping the Rockin' Rudolph, and with CAMRA member discount a reasonable for the area £4.00. The Robinson's Trooper was fine - just a little on the sweet side for me.
(Thanks to Dominic Pinto for this article and photo)
