Porterhouse to sell Barnes pub (SW London)

Jan 30, 2005 7 Replies

I never got out to this place, was/is it in similar style to Covent Gdn?Anyone stayed at the Bray guesthouse yet? cheers, MikeMcG. _____________________________________



From the Irish Sunday Business Post

formatting link
Porterhouse to sell London pub


30 January 2005 By Neil Callanan The owners of the Porterhouse chain of pubs are to sell their outlet in Barnes in London. They are expected to use the money from the sale to fund other acquisitions in the English capital.

Former barrister Oliver Hughes and his cousin Liam La Hart are major shareholders in the chain. There are a number of other investors in some of the premises including accountant David L'Estrange and architect Frank Ennis.


Hughes confirmed last week that they intend to sell the Barnes outlet, but added that the sale has not yet been concluded.


Meanwhile, the Porterhouse outlet in Parliament Street in Dublin may get its own hotel-style accommodation.


Through a company called Iskasinc, the owners have applied for planning permission to open 11 en suite bedrooms at the pub. If approved by Dublin City Council, an additional mansard floor will be added to the building and the upper floors would also be converted into accommodation.


The pub, which covers the basement, ground floor and first floor levels, will not be affected.


Last year, the original outlet in Bray was refurbished to include a new hotel known as the Porterhouse Inn.


The hotel has 16 rooms, all of which have a stereo system, flatscreen television and air conditioning.


The Porterhouse chain has been growing steadily in recent years. Last year, a new outlet opened in a former art deco garage in Phibsboro on the north side of Dublin.


It also has an outlet in Covent Garden in London and another is planned for Judge Roy Bean's pub near Grafton Street, which the consortium recently acquired, along with Lillie's Bordello, for €5.5 million.

"MikeMcG" snipped-for-privacy@my-deja.com :

No, just a rushed clean up and none of the refurbishment that accompanies the 'typical' Porterhouses. It served as an experiement and an investment I think. Logistically, getting kegs and casks back and forth to both spots must have been a real headache.

I saw them being refurbished. Luxurious, boutique...terrific. They also rejuvenated the back of the Bray pub to hold bacbar, which features great pizzas and it's very different from the trad front pub.

I think it's great that they are making accommodations at the upper floor of Parliament Street and adding an adidtional floor. It was lost space otherwise.

accompanies the

I spoke to one of their dray guys outside Covent Gdn a few years back, it did sound like a lot of fannying about.

I saw pics, & they looked great.

I must visit at some point.

Agreed, sounds like a good idea, both in terms of making them money & giving people a great & central place to stay. Talking of lost space though, I have my doubts about how regularly they brew in central Dublin - when I was there (year last Xmas IIRC) the FVs were empty, & everything looked a bit dusty. Still loved the beer though, esp the Plain & Wrasslers. Hope like's treating you well J2, cheers, MikeMcG.

I just had a look at the Porterhouse website - which BTW is a real bugger to find, using obscure methods like Google, etc! (*). And I was reading the description of their excellent Wrasslers 5X Stout "Made to a recipe originally brewed by Deasy's of Cork. This was MIchael Colin's favourite tipple."

Over Xmas I was flicking thru an odd little book my Dad picked up(**), it's about the history of Dublin's pubs & written largely from interviews with elderly Dublin drinkers & landlords, etc.

I remembered reading about the origin of Wrasslers before, and laughed when I read the following passage . . .

Page 91 - Tom Bourke, 86 is the oldest publican in Dublin still pulling pints . . . Tom served drink to Michael Collins . . . (Tom B himself speaking -) "Now Michael Collins would come in and have a drink of a small sherry . . . he was a great friend of my boss's at the time . . . "

I can just imagine it, "If you ever tell anyone I drank a fecking small sherry . . . ! If anyone asks, just tell them I loved that strong Cork stout, alright!?" cheers MikeMcG.

(*)its should anyone want to find it. Very nice looking site, with a good bit of their humour & personality thrown in. (**)'Dublin Pub Life & Lore, An Oral History', by Kevin C. Kearns.

In article , MikeMcG writes

What's the name of the Pub?

Derry Barbour (living in Barnes)

Oddly enough, it's called The Porterhouse ;~) from their website -

The Porterhouse,

201a Castlenau Barnes SW13 9ER tel: (+44) 208 748 4486 cheers MikeMcG

But that's in North Barnes, not Barnes Proper (Barnes Village, Pond, Bull's Head Jazz Pub etc)..........

SW13 Snob.

Thanks anyway, next time I use my Freedom Pass I might check it out.

English spoken there - or is it a Herniated Hammersmith Dialect?

Ta.

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required