One much-loved Croydon boozer has closed its doors, while the borough’s oldest pub is promising cheaper prices
Last orders: the brewers who owned the Two Brewers have sold the building – a pair of Victorian cottages, to developers
The Two Brewers pub on Gloucester Road closed on Sunday for the final time, its owners, brewers Shepherd Neame, reportedly having sold the property to a developer.
Not too far from Selhurst Park, the Two Brewers was a favourite with Eagles fans on their way to matches, or wanting to drown their sorrows after games such as Sunday’s. That will no longer be an option…
The pub was once described by this website, in a search for the cosiest winter pubs in Croydon, as “effortlessly cosy at any time of the year”, although our curmudgeon of a pub reviewer also noted: “its decor appears to have remained unchanged since the Spitfire was our first line of defence against the Nazi hordes”.
The Two Brewers was the only pub in Croydon run by Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewery, based in Kent and with popular ales such as Spitfire and Bishop’s Finger on offer at its bars.
After several rocky years for the hospitality trade, last year Shepherd Neame reported strong business figures, with record revenues of £172.3million and a “good” uplift in profit as trade publications reported it to have shifted its “focus on its pubs”.
The group, which owns almost 300 sites across Kent and south-east England, “was boosted by its estate of London pubs”, where beer sales jumped by 14.5%, it was reported as recently as October.
Yet that has not been good enough to save the Two Brewers, as the pub owners appear to be prioritising property values over beer sales.
Lower prices: that’s the offer under the Dog and Bull’s new management
Croydon CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has confirmed that the Two Brewers is a long-term closure.
CAMRA described the pub: “The Two Brewers is a fine example of an English town pub, the building being two Victorian cottages converted into a traditional charming hostelry.” Which ought to make any developers’ planning application an interesting prospect.
“It is very well served by public transport, and is near to Crystal Palace football ground.”
- In other Croydon pub news, the borough’s oldest pub, the Dog and Bull on Surrey Street, is “under new management”. And that has led to the promise of lower prices, according to the pub’s social media publicity, which makes a change…
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Always sorry to see a pub close, but probably not helped by Sheps beer generally being awful.
” Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewery…”
So you’d think they’d be better at it by now.
Hmmm… Not sure many would agree with your judgement there, Jack.
But what was odd was the relatively late notice of the closure, at least as far as we were aware, so there was no long wake towards the final “last orders”, and no time for a campaign to save it or buy it out.
If anyone close to the former landlord or the pub knows more background, you know where to come.
The same thing happened when the Royal Standard was sold off by Fullers to Admiral Taverns. The licensee didn’t know about it until one day before the handover. Now a few of us are worried about what Admiral might want to do to it. The back street local is vanishing fast and along with the choice of where you can enjoy an alcoholic beverage of your choice.
There’s nothing on the Council’s planning register about either an application or permission to change the pub to another use, such as conversion into flats.
That didn’t stopped pub flogger off-ers AG&G from putting in a secret prospectus last September that “From verbal enquiries of the London Borough of Croydon it has been established that the property is not statutorily listed nor does it lie within a conservation area” and that it “May suit alternative uses (subject to obtaining necessary consents)”.
https://agg.uk.com/sites/default/files/2024-09/Particulars%20-%20Two%20Brewers%2C%20Croydon.pdf
When lining up prospective purchasers for the property (seemingly a snip at a guide price of £400k plus VAT), they said “The staff and customers are unaware of the intended disposal and therefore it is requested that you respect the vendor’s wish to keep the matter confidential. The sale must not be discussed with any staff or customers.”
What’s odd is that last March, Shepherd Neame were recorded as having invested over £6m in its estate in the preceding 12 months, with its Director Jonathan Swaine saying at the time that “demand has been strong all year with recent trade in our pubs encouraging, and we look forward to continuing our ambitious programme of investments in the coming months”.
Maybe Councillor Fraser, Vice-Chairman of the council’s Planning Committee, and who is said to take a keen interest in the brewing industry, could look into this matter?
Shep’s beer isn’t awful, imho. Whitstable Bay is a great session beer, for example. 1698 Kentish is an absolute stunner. IC’s very balanced article shows Shepherd Neame are investing in pubs generally, it just looks like a lot of businesses, they’ve decided that Croydon isn’t worth the bother.
Finally as a virtual resident of the Radius Arms. Mr Myers has a subject he has some insight upon. It’s a shame it is going, but isn’t it completely dead outside the football matches. Surprised it has limped on this long really.
On the subject, IC’s real ale fans might be interested to know that Shep run informative tours of their brewery in Faversham. 1698 refers to the date they were officially established, but brewing has carried on at their HQ since 1573. Nothing ‘virtual’ about my Radius residency – but a single pint is my limit
So you have stopped drinking two pints at the same time now. Age catches up with us all.
Odd to put this document on the internet of they wanted to keep staff and customers unaware. It’s a shame it’s going, it’s the sort of place I’d like to have on my doorstep.
How sad. Had many a pint there back in the day.
Totally disagree with Jack.