Esther Sutton, one of Croydon’s most respected business-owners, will next week be taking the keys to The Royal Standard pub, one of Croydon’s hidden gems and which boasts the “most Croydon of beer gardens”.
Flying high: The Royal Standard is about to get a new landlord
“The Standard will still be The Standard,” Sutton told Inside Croydon, “and The Oval will still be The Oval.”
Sutton has been in charge of The Oval Tavern since late 2013 (she had previously run The Green Dragon on Croydon High Street).
The Addiscombe pub has been transformed, with its offer of good, reasonably priced food, decent beers and live music on almost every night of the week. Where else could you get to enjoy an electric didgeridoo performed on stage?
The Oval really came into its own during the covid lockdown in 2020, when Sutton and her team deployed the pub’s kitchens to make wholesome meals for the isolated and vulnerable in the local community, as well as using a cargo bike to ferry the hot food over to Mayday Hospital for their hard-pressed doctors, nurses and staff.
The acquisition of the licence for The Royal Standard, Sutton is careful to stress, is an expansion, rather than a move, of her pub managing enterprises.
The Royal Standard was a Fuller’s-owned pub until last year, when it was sold to the Admiral Taverns pubco.
As first reported by iC, the accomplished team at The Standard have decided to take the plunge and buy the Two Brewers pub on Gloucester Road, giving a reprieve to another of Croydon’s under-threat pubs since it was closed by Shepherd Neame earlier this year. The new owners have already begun refurbishment work there.
In charge: Esther Sutton is extending her operation
The general view among regulars at The Royal Standard this week was one of relief that their local is going to be in the safest of hands.
The Royal Standard is a quirky little boozer, at the end of a row of terraced houses that survived Croydon’s 1960s bulldozing, and now faces a multi-storey car park on one side and the Croydon Flyover on the other, providing year-round cover from the rain for customers in the pub beer garden (which adjoins another car park).
CAMRA’s pub guide says of the pub on Sheldon Street: “This is a small, friendly traditional back-street pub. Four distinct small drinking areas each have their own character, and there are interesting features in the areas at the back of the pub, including wood panelling.”
Sutton, who has been a Green Party councillor for Fairfield ward since 2022, said, “The Oval will still be The Oval – I have a fantastic team here led by the amazing Mikey Miller. I will be keeping an eye on everything.
“And The Standard will also still be The Standard. It is a very special little gem of a pub and a Croydon institution under The Flyover.
Under new management: the Admiral Taverns-owned pub changes hands next week
“I won’t be changing very much. I’ll continue to take care of the local community and offer a safe space for everyone. Paul and Emma ran the place with tender loving care and I’m hoping to do them proud!”
Fuller’s London Pride and Harvey’s Sussex ale will continue to be sold, Sutton says, accompanied by “some interesting guest ales in rotation”. She’s considering staging a beer and cider mini-festival in late summer.
“The plan is to fire up the kitchen in due course and serve a similar menu of comforting meals as we cook at The Oval.” There’s even to be a takeaway service. “I also plan to make the most of the outside space and get some barbeques in the summer calendar.”
Given the differences in scale between The Oval and The Royal Standard, Sutton admits that it is unlikely that there will be “the same hectic programme of entertainment” on Sheldon Street, “But I’d love to hold regular acoustic sessions at The Standard, while retaining the quiz night, the Ukuleles and Pub Poetry.”
Sutton says that there will be some refurbishment work undertaken, “and I’ll be doing some work on the most ‘Croydon’ of Croydon’s pub gardens”.
And she added: “I’m sure customers of both The Oval and The Standard will recognise some familiar friendly faces behind the bar, and, as always, quality genuine service will be a priority.”
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So Sutton stays in Croydon ?
Once these pubs are gone, they will be gone forever. Support your local pub NOW!