What Happened to the Firkin Pubs
(Please Note: This article was originally written in 2000 when I created my first pub review and travel guide. I’ve added some annotations and additions, and these are indicated.)
History
The Firkin pub chain was started in London in 1979 by David Bruce[1]. He stepped in and bought a few run-down pubs off the major brewers where they were unable to make them pay. As well as redocorating the pubs in a basic but friendly style, he introduced the long forgotten concept of pubs brewing their own beer.
The breweries were tiny and were located behind or underneath the pubs – often with viewing windows or hatches so that the ‘machinery’ became part of the environment.
I first became aware of the chain in 1980 when friends took me to one of the original pubs, the Goose and Firkin in Borough, London SE1. The pub was packed and the atmosphere very lively, with a pianist leading everyone through an old style pub sing-song. I also used to frequent the original Frog and Firkin – a tiny pub just by the Hammersmith & City line near Westbourne Park station. Another well known pub was the Phoenix and Firkin which occupied the old ticket office at Denmark Hill station in South London. The name refers to the fact that the ticket office was previously destroyed by fire, but was renovated to create the pub.
Expansion
With the success of the concept, the chain grew rapidly until 1988 when David Bruce sold the chain to European Leisure. The pubs changed hands a couple more times in a short period until in 1991 the chain was taken over by Allied Lyons (later Allied Domecq).
After this the chain expanded again, not just in London but all over the country – typically in university towns. There were a few wobbly periods but generally the pubs were excellent, had a great atmosphere and played good music too.
The 1995 CAMRA Good Beer Guide records that the chain had 44 pubs of which 19 actually brewed. (The non-brewery pubs were supplied by one of the other Firkin pubs). Each pub tended to have it’s own named bitter, along with the Dogbolter and other seasonal beers.The Dogbolter[2] was always my favourite drink as it tasted like nothing else – a rich, dark, strong brew, although it didn’t do to drink it all night long.
When going for a night out in London, trips to Firkin pubs were always on the schedule. My favourites were The Flyman and Firkin, Fanfare and Firkin in the West End of London, along with The Fringe and Firkin in Shepherds Bush. I can’t remember the name but the Firkin pub in Winchester was really good too.
The Bass Takeover
Apparently in the spring of 1999, Whitbread and Punch Taverns both made hostile bids to take over the entire Allied Domecq pub roster. After a bidding war, Whitbread pulled out of the running leaving Punch Taverns to take over with financing from Bass. It then appears that Punch Taverns sold the Firkin chain on to Bass.
Early in October 1999, signs were appearing in Firkin pubs in London announcing that Firkin beers were to be discontinued, to be replaced with two ‘new’ and ‘exciting’ brews – namely Tetleys and Burtons.
So on October 8th 1999 all brewing of Firkin beers stopped completely and all the brewing staff were made redundant. Some of the Central London Firkin pubs had stock left for a few days, but because of the high turnover, it didn’t last to the following weekend.
It is unclear why Punch Taverns/Bass bought the chain and then decided to cease production of the distinctive Firkin beers, but it was certainly not done in the interest of consumer choice[3]. Tetleys, and Burtons especially may have been quality beers, but they are limp and lifeless when compared to Firkin beer.
Relevant Links
Following any of the links in this section will take you away from this site and I can’t be held responsible for their content.
- Some background to the Bass takeover could be found on a CAMRA Press Release, but the page has been pulled now.
- Link to other brewing related news stories at the CAMRA Home Page.
- John Paul Adams also has a site with beer related facts including a list of all the Firkin pubs within the Greater London area.
- Wikipedia also has an entry on the Firkin Brewery
2010 Notes
- David Bruce is now a director of the Capital Pub Company which operates about 25 pubs in London. These pubs are appranetly not themed in the same way the Firkin pubs were, and none of them brew their own beer.
- Dogbolter actually does live on! The Ramsgate Brewery, based in Broadstairs brews Gadds’ Faithful Dogbolter Porter which I believe uses the same recipe as the original Firkin versions. And I have read comments that it tastes very like the original. You can read more about it in a blog post elsewhere on this site from 2009 entitled Firkin Dogbolter.
- In 2000 I naively believed that pub chains would care what their customer thought since it was the customers that chose to go there and buy the beer. Looking back it was obvious that Punch wanted to minimise costs and maximise profits so weren’t really interested in the craft brewing and other unique aspects of the Firkin chain. I guess they were also interested in acquiring a chain of pubs that were often in prime locations within towns.
268 Responses to “What Happened to the Firkin Pubs”
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Flounder & Firkin – Holloway Road- late 90’s was excellent – working hard in the wooden flooring trade at the time, alwayas flushed out and away much sawdust with ‘Best’ – always had a fun eccentric crowd 🙂
Great reminiscing on this long lost wonderful ‘chain’. (The original one that is). I was a student in Bristol in 1984-85 and frequented (what I didn’t know was) the only ‘outside London’ Firkin pub that David Bruce had at the time – the Fleece & Firkin. I then moved to London from ’85 and had the pleasure of discovering there was a whole raft of Firkin pubs selling the glorious dogbolter! I’ve read most (all?) Of the above comments and I dont think anyone mentioned the fact that every pub had a large engraved mirror in it that depicted the pubs name. David Bruce also had a simple membership club. You got the odd newsletter but the most important one was also the saddest, it’s partly mentioned once above, David announced that he was sadly selling off the chain but if in the month of May 88 members went round most (maybe it was ten, or all of them, I can’t remember exactly) and had one pint of real ale they could get a collectors card stamped. Once completed you sent it off and received a commemorative glass tankard engraved with each of the pub names (the pub mirrors in fact!). This was the Firkin Farewell Ale Trail. I still have mine, obviously:-)
In 1990, I visited what I think was called “The frigate and Firkin” and there was an amazing performer who sang American Pie and some Van Morrison songs. He was fabulous. Loved that place.
I used to live in King’s College Hall on Champion Hill in ’92/93 as a student, right around from Pheonix & Firkin. Many fond memories!!! It didn’t help the very much with the studying, if you get off the train at Denmark Hill after school, and the pub is right in your face 😉
Met a barmaid and future girlfriend at The Fedora and Firkin in Luton, Tuesday was £1 a pint night must have been 1993/94 . They definitely brewed on sight heard the landlord watered down the beer but if he did we were none the wiser. Philanthropist and Firkin was also a good watering hole in St Albans. Saw some good bands including Electrasy who I’ve just booked up to see again at a pub venue in Kings X . Firkin pubs….. a distant memory just like the barmaid who cheated on me with the then head barman ! I was young and naive, still great memory of my younger days.
I worked in the Friar and Firkin in Euston in the mid nineties, hilarious lock ins, us staff all lived upstairs and had some belting parties
Anyone remember the piano player Mike Hayes? Is he still alive?
I worked at the goose for a year 1980-81 then drank there till I finished med school. Proper pub with the pianist getting paid in pints ! Sunday sessions were great with some hilarious acts that would be illegal today !
Dogbolter was the go to but our winter beer was called Kneetrembler and we could only sell it in half’s !!
David Bruce knew his market.
We already knew and frequently frequented the Goose when he visited us at Thames Polytecnic* just as he was opening The Fox…. the best attended lecture in my 3 years at college.. and most of on then busses from Woolwich to Ladywell on a regular basis.
Over the next few years we did out very best to visit each new pub as they opened…the success of the chain fairily quickly outpaced us.
He understood and focused on his crowd… reintroduced a generation who had lost sight of it to proper beer…clever man.
(*now Greenwich University but only ever Thames Poly to those of us that endured it)
Spent my second year of (US) law school at the Notre Dame London Law Centre in Mayfair. Early first semester one of our English law profs hired a minibus and took us on a pub crawl that thankfully included the Goose & Firkin. We went back the following Friday night and caught Franky Flame’s singalong and that was it for us – the Goose became our regular Friday night spot. I still never hit London without connecting with Franky (who sadly just lost his wife). Some here have mentioned tapes recorded at the Goose – those did exist (I have a couple), and about ten years ago they were released on CD, still seemingly available on Randale Records (https://www.discogs.com/release/11058974-Franky-Flame-Oi-The-Pub-Three-Live-Singalong-Albums-Recorded-In-The-Goose-Re-mastered-In-2014). I still wish someone would invent a Wayback Machine so I could take some friends back there in the 1980s – many, many great times.
Used to go to the Goose after finishing work on the signs at Wandsworth Arndale mid 80’s. Loved a couple of pints of Dogbolter and bought a homebrew kit as well for my housewarming. It had a great cartoon on the label. Such a shame that they are no more although I have family in Deal so may have to take a trip to Broadstairs sometime. Keep the faith.
I did a study abroad program in Lancaster and my favorite pub was the Friary Firkin. It was a converted church with 2 floors and life size games like jenga and connect 4 (genius for that time-1998). I always wanted to go back. So sad it is gone.
Just to add to this interesting thread – in between (I think) first and second year university I worked at the Fulmar and Firkin on Parker Street in Holborn in 199. I have very fond memories of working there with Tim and Jackie, the lovely couple who were a great landlord and landlady and gave me a chance when I wandered in off the street asking if they needed staff. It was a very busy pub with regulars from the big BT office. Lots of people would come in doing the Firkin Crawl looking for stamps on a card, which would get them a t-shirt if they did enough. The ‘I’m a Firkin Bar Steward’ polos we wore were also much sought after. While the Firkin beers were what the pubs were known for, I remember wrestling with the very frothy Lowenbrau tap much to the amusement of everyone ordering it. Loads of fun.
I used to hitch a ride to work on the back of an old vespa along The Embankment every morning, but first passing by the “Ferret and Firkin in a Balloon up the Creek” in the edge of Fulham. Must have done that daily for at least 6 months. Was about 26 at the time. Took ages till I realised the braxen joke in that name.
Sad to hear the Firkins are no more. In the 80s I made a special effort to visit all of them over time, even the one in Bristol. I loved the Fox in Lewisham for the Friday, Saturday “Firkin Proms”, sing-a-longs to old war songs, passed out on sheets around 10 while a chap thumped away at the piano. Took my folks visiting from Canada for a pint on a Proms night. They sat on a bench, enjoying the atmosphere, surrounded by a sea of 21 year olds. It really was packed! When tunes began, the crowd bellowed out the songs from the sheets with great enthusiasm but with interesting emphases in all the wrong places. Entertaining to be sure. My folks sang along as well, Dad enjoying his Dogbolter and Mum a shandy. At one point, two of the young patrons eyed them with wonder and exclaimed to his friend: “Oi! Look at them: they know the words!” Well, they should: Dad served in North Africa, Mum the ATS in London during the Blitz.
Just decorating my bar, if anyone has any firkin T shirts or memorabilia, please get in contact, I ran forking for 5 years(Reigate-Firecraker and Firkin and the Flyer and Firkin in Reading.
I was too young (17) but was taken to the Ferret and Firkin for my very first pub session on my birthday. What an experience! We went regularly to the Ferret, the Fox and the Phoenix always a really good night of pretty innocent fun and lots of singing and dancing. Between these wonderful pubs, the Clarendon in Hammersmith and the Half Moon where we would see The Boogie Brothers Blues Band so many Saturdays I think it was a very well spent youth! Happy wonderful days….
Im from Sweden and moved to London in 1997. I worked in the Flyman and Firkin on Shaftbury av.
I really enjoyed it. We had a lot of lunch guests from BT across the street.
Lots of tourists visiting the Theatre District.
I worked att the Flyman for about a year.
Had many pints of Dogbolter…Still have a Dogbolter t-shirt somwhere.