The Talbot up for sale
The Talbot pub on Tyrwhitt Road is up for sale.
The current owners bought one of London's most dilapidated pubs and turned it in to a nice little local that does fairly brisk trade. However, they were not previously publicans by profession so the sale doesn't come as a huge surprise. Whoever buys it will have a good business on their hands, but one with room to attract more local customers, especially as just down the hill in Lewisham, hundreds of new homes are nearing completion at Loampit Vale.
The pub's been available for a few months and is being marketed by Davis Coffer Lyons now.
Thanks to Deb for the link.
44 comments:
So for about the same price or even less than a house in Tyrwhitt you can have a pub! What is the owner's real job?
What is the owner's real job?
Running a pub, it's a 98 hour week with variable rewards. Your boss is whoever lent you the money, usually a pubco who tells you what to sell and pockets most of the proceeds.
basically need to be a people person who enjoys talking to drunks
lewisham drunks
Brockley drunks actually the pub is in SE4.......just.
I quite like it, I hope it doesn't change too much.
The owner in this case isn't a pubco.
As the owner isn't behind the bar he doesn't need to hone his people skills to address the Lewisham drunks.
But please don't let me put you off telling it the way you see it.
Really like the talbot - brought so much to this end of brockley - recent monday night 2 courses for a tenner is superb value for excellent food. I also hope it does not change too much.
Hope it keeps its staff!
...and some of its locals grow on you after a while.
It never had enough business. It's a shame they're not going to see it through, because it could have developed more of a scene. I was always waiting for them to advertise events, because they've got great space.
I hope the food doesn't change.
I lived in Cliffview Road, by Hilly Fields, with my parents in the late 1960s and early 70s. I have fond memories of the Talbot, as I used to stroll down there for an evening pint with my dad, soon after I first got the taste for beer. It was a typical local then, although I remember one occasion when two very 'refreshed' middle aged men (one Irish, the other West Indian)went outside to settle their differences - having done so, they returned to the bar to share a drink!I now live in Kent but hope the pub survives, as I would like to sup a nostalgic pint sometime.
I lived in Cliffview Road, by Hilly Fields, with my parents in the late 1960s and early 70s. I have fond memories of the Talbot, as I used to stroll down there for an evening pint with my dad, soon after I first got the taste for beer. It was a typical local then, although I remember one occasion when two very 'refreshed' middle aged men (one Irish, the other West Indian)went outside to settle their differences - having done so, they returned to the bar to share a drink!I now live in Kent but hope the pub survives, as I would like to sup a nostalgic pint sometime.
Dr.D (loving the name), I don't know that we should nessecarily take from its up for saledness that it's failing as a business.
Perhaps, (and I just put this up as a suggestion) the business plan was always to develop it to the point where it was an up and going concern and then cash in the chips.
Maybe?
Sorry about the previous duplicate posting. Does anyone have any idea which major brewery The Talbot would have been tied to back in the 1960s/70s? It would be interesting to know what beer I was drinking in those days!
The talbot had great potential for a beer garden but ruined the space by making it bleak and open to the road
Will somebody please run a decent pub in Brockley
The Talbot historically was tied to Bass Charrington.
It was then sold to Punch Taverns who sold it to the present vendor as part of their many disposals to raise capital.
Mike you would recognise the pub now if you haven't been in since the 70s. I first drank there in I think 1981 and I don't recognise it as the same place as it was then.
Could you add to that TM that it would be great to see Mike of Dartford visit and that people with a 'bit of previous' with the old Talbot have sometimes dropped by and lifted a quiet night.
Er... did look on the sale site- this quote is fairly interesting...
"Staff are completely unaware of the impending sale and therefore your utmost discretion is appreciated, especially if you are wishing to inspect as a customer in the first instance."
Looks like they aren't unaware any more!
that's decent of the owners not to let their staff know.
What is about gutless bosses/companies, who hide or text employees to say they're sacked which seems all to common now.
Yes, from their demeanour this evening, they were just waking up to the fact.
They have all worked really hard to make the project a success
Really is quite skanky out of Felix.
Never been there, had written off the "borderlands" between Brockley and Lewisham.
I should have of course said "wouldn't recognise"........yesterday.
Apologies.
I went there from 1973, it was packed, usually. 2 bars, one pretty skanky with a chap playing an electric piano sometimes, and wine bottles for decoration only. The other, the public bar, bare, wooden floorboards, scary clientele.
The intro implied the owner had a different career other than that of landlord. The house next door is up to let again. Wasn't the sale of that house intended to fund the purchase and renovation of the Talbot?
I hope the owners are cashing their chips in rather than having to sell.
I've always enjoyed my food there and they also have a decent wine list.
I went recently with our salon manager Ana who ordered a steak - she only managed to eat half of it.
The manager noticed the steak was a bit too fatty and asked her if he could replace it or if she'd like something else?
Ana said it was fine and that she just couldn't eat the whole thing.
When I went to settle the bill at the end of an enjoyable lunch, the manager refused to charge for the steak. I thought this was most generous and totally unnecessary as we'd enjoyed our meal.
My experiences of the Talbot have always been pleasant ones and my only little gripe is they sometimes leave the front door open on cold days.
I really hope the owners make a decent profit on the sale and that whoever takes over the business makes it go from strength to strength.
from the add: "Staff are completely unaware of the impending sale and therefore your utmost discretion is
appreciated, especially if you are wishing to inspect as a customer in the first instance."
I guess they know it by now...
TM and NAT - thanks for your responses to my earlier comment. I will make a point of calling in soon (when the snow has gone!).
We also have fond memories of the Talbot and a group of us used to meet there more or less every Sunday afternoon from about 1986-1993, sometimes alternating with the Dewdrop in New X. The outside space was better then but I can't remember why exactly; it feels a bit bleak and exposed now. The interior was pretty awful even (especially) after the makeover but it was easy going, the staff were friendly and we preferred it to the Crystal Palace, Royal George, Wickham or the Lord Wolseley although we went to those at other times for music, pub quiz, pool etc. Once was enough in the previous, scary incarnation of the Brockley Barge! Good luck to the current and next owners, it does take time after a pub has been closed for so long and god knows enough of them have closed for good.
You wouldn't have so much choice these days! The Crystal Palace, Royal George, Dewdrop and Lord Woleseley have all closed down/been converted into flats and the Wickham may be next...
It's property development by the backdoor. Developing an old (large)the pub by dividing it in two, then producing a house out of it - and then sell.
Hope whoever takes it on can jazz the place up a bit. Seems a waste not to use the upstairs space for music/performances too.
@George - that's one way of looking at it. The other way of looking at it is that three years ago, everyone thought the most likely future for this dilapidated pub was closure and redevelopment as flats (like what's happened to many other local pubs).
Someone spotted an opportunity to make it viable and make some money and they have. Now we have a good local pub that everyone wants to see continue.
Everyone's a winner.
@George
Is it a crime to develop properties and sell them...?
Commie.
@headhunter
How true. For a brief period in the 90s I did the books for a couple of pubs and I remain shocked at what they were charged by the landlords not just for the drinks (and quotas/barrel averages) but repairs and all sorts - an eye opener. I don't know how they made a living being squeezed like that and admire anyone who makes a go of it under those circs.
Only moderately true.
The Royal George showed every indication of being a pub at about 8pm yesterday.
I dearly hope the Wickham doesn't get turned into flats. I thought it was up and running under new owners anyway?
I love the Talbot and hope whoever buys it keeps the chef and the rest of the staff. It's a great local.
When I asked about this the lady behind the bar said it isn't for sale; they just got it valued and somehow it ended up on the estate agent's website and then BC got hold of the story and it all got out of hand... This sounds highly unlikely! Are they still trying to fob off staff with this as an explanation? If it weren't for sale, surely they would have asked the agent to take it off their website but it's still there.
The surprising thing as that wet sales are given as 30 per cent of turnover. I know that meals generate some of that, but still.
Sorry, 70 percent of turnover.
They have a beer festival coming up at the end of March if anyone is interested.
I hope it closes. I want it to turn into a bank.
New owner now in place with most of staff remaining.
Great, thanks for the update.
Hello,
I'm the lucky new owner of The Talbot! Please do drop in to see myself or my partner Mike, if you have any questionf or just want to say Hello, one of us is always around.
The Talbot is a great local pub, serving fabulous food and super beer.
I have some plans to make the place a little cosier and friendlier.
We also have a lovely little function room (currently having a make over) that I'm happy for the Brockley community to use. Were also having a party on The 25 August 2014, music from 1pm, all welcome. Thanks Lesley
It would be great if you could transform the front patio into a nice place to sit with plants, trellis etc. It feels like your sitting in an empty driveway at the moment.
Post a comment