Army officer-turned-singer/songwriter James Blunt has taken over the Carpenter’s Arms in Hammersmith, his second pub after the Fox and Pheasant, his local in Chelsea.
James acquired the cute Victorian pub in elegant St Peter’s Square from Jack Greenall of Wren Pubs, owners of The Surprise in Chelsea and The Walmer Castle in Notting Hill.
A publican since 2018, James rescued the run-down Fox and Pheasant as a “duty” to his local community near Stamford Bridge stadium: “If this pub had gone, my street wouldn’t have the same character. So many pubs in London are shutting now — making a profit is a struggle.”
He said he worked shifts in the pub, mainly doing uncomplicated tasks like bottle wash – and that he cleared the pub at closing time by playing his breakthrough hit ‘You’re Beautiful’ over the PA.
He also told the Standard that he had no intention of building a Blunt pub empire: “I’m happy with this one, it’s a special little thing. This pub has been around for 170 years. My job is to look after it for the next person as best as I possibly can.”
Meanwhile, Wren Pubs are working on their next project, a pub with the unpubby name No 7 Sloane Square, which was run as The Botanist for 20 years and is scheduled to reopen soon. The company is also looking for new sites in London, ideally with accommodation.
During its short two-year tenure at The Carpenter’s, the company upgraded the bar, upstairs private dining room and garden. Jack Greenall said: “The sale was a difficult decision for us, but we are so pleased with what we have achieved to date. Having worked hard to bring this beloved venue back to life, it felt like the perfect moment to pass the pub into new ownership.“
