New Pubs

Back in October I blogged about a new pub that was opening in Powis street Woolwich,  called the Volunteer.  According to the Murky Depths website (  Murky Depths – News and views in London (fromthemurkydepths.co.uk)  permission was given the go ahead for Antic pubs to develop the building way back in 2014 and again in 2017 but they just sat on it and did nothing.

In 2023 new permission was given to develop it again and since then we have been waiting for it to open but still nothing.

Unfortunately, due to an updating mistake and lost data that blog was lost.

Since they had to close one of the better pubs The Woolwich Equitable in General Gordon Place which was owned by Antic pubs but closed due to rent arrears after the pandemic, we have been waiting for a new decent Woolwich pub to open.

Antics have 23 pubs running throughout London and another 4 waiting to finally open, but they have either sold or closed 20 pubs and some of them were pretty good pubs selling real ales.

A pub in waiting. The soon to open Volunteer pub 

If like me, you want to keep updated with the glacial rate at which this place is to open then go to the Volunteers website:  Welcome – The Volunteer (volunteerpub.co.uk)

Another Antic pub due to open soon just up the road in Plumstead is The Plumble which will be housed in 236 Plumstead High Street, next door to what used to be up until 2008 a pub called the Horse and Groom but is now an African church.

Up until 2012 there was another pub next to the other side of the African church called the Electric Orange. So years later we are getting one pub back after loosing two next door to the future pub, The Plumble.

Another new pub being planned for the Greenwich based river front location at the Cutty Sark  in what used to house Byron Burgers and Frankie and Benny’s, and has laid empty for a number of years now.

It will be called The Ship, and is a business venture between the owner of The Trafalgar Tavern, American businessman Frank Dowling who owns a number of restaurants and bars in the Greenwich centre area and a number of other investors.

Given it’s prime location by Greenwich Pier and in the middle of a popular tourist area with great River Thames views it should be a success.

Win some, lose some.

Over the last few years, we have lost at least three pubs namely, The Vanbrugh, The White Swan and the Star and Garter and now we are about to gain two new ones. When I say we gain two new ones I actually mean we gain one new one and get back one that lost its licence in 2020 due to a particularly violent stabbing incident.

The formerly named pub the Star and Garter is set to reopen soon as the Star of Greenwich and run as a community-based pub rather than a commercial business enterprise and is at the moment trying to raise money in this endeavour by crowdfunding.

Their aim is to run the pub as a community pub run by east Greenwich people for east Greenwich people.

If you want to contribute to the crowdfunding then visit their website: The Star of Greenwich – Home

The other new pub is the new Wetherspoons pub at the O2 called the Stargazer which is planned to open on 21^st March 2023.

The Wetherspoon business model has a bit of a bad reputation as well as the type of clientele that it attracts, which unfortunately includes me. I love the cheap prices (who doesn’t) as well as the large selection of beers and ales on offer.

Unfortunately, it can be noted that when a Wetherspoons opens near a well-established local the local struggles to compete against a giant like Wetherspoons and many go under.

There are a number of pubs in the O2 already that are charging a fairly high price for a pint of beer compared to Wetherspoons. The Observatory, a Nicholson’s pub, The Slug and Lettuce O2, an All Bar One and the O2 Blue Room. I’m sure they cannot be happy with their new neighbour.