Foxtons - the shit hits the fan

[MrBen]

Pages of drivel from the usual suspects....and a neat line from Jah Lush pretty much sums things up perfectly.

[Otta]

Yeah yeah, you should have heard what Jah said to me about it. ;-)

[Louisa]

Let's face it, the new owners, whoever they are, will be concentrating on food, that's the one thing we all know. From my experience, pubs that concentrate on food tend to be gastropubs. They are aimed at a certain demographic. The same happened with the FHT (the rose). Most old customers didn't return. Why can't we just have one or two pubs left where it's all about drinking and not bloody eating. If I wanna eat I do it at home or in a restaurant. Not in a pub.

Louisa.

[Alan Medic]

If you want to talk about a pub, start a thread about it.

[BrandNewGuy]

Jah Lush Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Re: The White Horse. Hogie has decided to leave

> and sell up after 33 years. He ran a fine old

> school boozer. His son is going to run another pub

> in the area and he'll be part of that. I like the

> pub, especially for Hank Dog's Easycome music

> nights on Wednesday. It's that club that I'm more

> concerned about as it will possibly have to move.

> Recently, I've enjoyed sets in there from people

> like Dave Mankind, The Petrels, Misty Miller and

> her brother Rufus, a couple of members of Fat

> White Family (Saul and Lias) and another local

> legend Flameproof Moth. So it's not all old farts

> in there. I'm hoping that the new owners can

> create a decent mix of old and new and keep

> everyone happy.

Maybe the Easycome could move back to the Ivy House?

[*Bob*]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

The same

> happened with the FHT (the rose). Most old

> customers didn't return.

All six of them.

[Jeremy]

Louisa - would agree that "pubs that concentrate on food" is a reasonable definition of "gastropub", but last time I went in the FHT/Rose the only food on offer was pie and mash (about a year ago). And there were about four other people in there.

[edcam]

Not enough people go out to pubs just to drink any more to make them financially viable, drinking out is just too expensive and fewer people do it.

Easier in busy areas for drinking holes to survive but there are few "locals" that can make that work any more. That culture started to change many years ago, it's not a new thing. Was in Paris last weekend and was reminded how much I like their caf? culture where people go out together and some eat, some don't, some booze, some don't.

[Louisa]

Hardly busy now in its new guise is it though *Bob*?

Louisa.

[Sue]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> That's the point Sue. It's a pub, not a

> restaurant. It's not trying to gain a Michelin

> star.

>

"It currently does one of the best roast dinners in the area". That's what you said :)

My point was, it doesn't :)

[Jeremy]

edcam Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Was in Paris last weekend and was reminded how much I like

> their caf? culture where people go out together

> and some eat, some don't, some booze, some don't.

TBH doesn't sound a million miles from a lot of pubs these days.

[Louisa]

But surely that's a matter of opinion? It's one of my favourite roasts I've had locally. But just because it does a great roast on a Sunday, doesn't mean it's wanting to suddenly specialise in food.

Louisa.

[DulwichFox]

Why do Pubs rely on selling food to make ends meet...?

...and Restaurants rely on selling alcohol.. ?

DulwichFox

[bob]

Food must be real rubbish in the Horse that's why it's ramo every Sunday with people booking just to eat don't take my word just stick your head in there on a Sunday lunch and see all the un happy punters that return every Sunday power to the people. Bob S

[Earl Aelfheah]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Why do Pubs rely on selling food to make ends

> meet...?

>

> ...and Restaurants rely on selling alcohol.. ?

>

> DulwichFox

Ha! That's a very good question.

[Jeremy]

It is a good question Fox... think pubs often need to sell food to make ends meet, because of scandalous brewery ties.

[bob]

You make a very good point J

Bob S

[MrBen]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Why do Pubs rely on selling food to make ends

> meet...?

>

> ...and Restaurants rely on selling alcohol.. ?

>

> DulwichFox

Simple answer: because either way you need the sum of both to survive. That's why pubs that just sell bitter with a few peanuts in a bowl on the bar have gone the way of the plague, rag and bone men and trams.

[Louisa]

Croydon still has trams!

Louisa.

[DulwichFox]

I don't remember trams.. I am Too young..

DulwichFox

[Louisa]

Foxy don't you remember the tram lines on dog kennel hill?

Louisa.

[DulwichFox]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Foxy don't you remember the tram lines on dog

> kennel hill?

>

> Louisa.

I did not move to East Dulwich till 1980. I'm actually a blow-in.. First Phase.

By 1952 trams had already been phased out in several English cities but some of London's old trams were sent to Leeds where they remained in service until 1959.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/6/newsid_2963000/2963092.stm

The lines may still of been there till later but I don't remember them.

Foxy

[Otta]

So how does the castle (never dead, not overly expensive compared to local competition) survive then?

And likewise Fox's on Kirkdale (same owners).

Both of these feel old skool without feeling like you're likely to get glassed IMO.

Guess it's just a case of everywhere else changing so they got all the drinkers. I'm also told (but have no.intention of checking) that the Legion on Barry Road is doing a roaring trade, at least on Sundays.

[bob]

Yep the Castle still going strong Bob S

[Louisa]

Absolutely agree Otta. As so many old style pubs close, the customers look elsewhere for the same offering. The few surviving old time boozers will be thriving in a few years from now.

I still miss the Oglander (not it's later restaurant incarnation). George, Joey and Eric sat in the corner of the public bar, with tales about the war. Roasties on the bar with smiths crisps a plenty. The castle reminds me of those times.

Louisa.