Beer Insider took a trip down to Brixton to visit the Crown & Anchor and neighbouring sister site Booma, which serves up Indian food, and meet owner Martin Harley.

During a meal consisting of some of its top dishes matched with great beers Martin, owner of London Village Inns, ran me through the story of his business through five of his pubs and his Indian restaurant.

Pairing 1 – Papadums served with Augustiner Helles

The Wrestlers, Highgate

We have run the Wrestlers since 1997. We’ve had a lot of fun there and met a lot of interesting people and many friends, although we didn’t really have any customers for the first 18 months. But we kept smiling and eventually they came. My wife Di and I ran it full time ourselves until around 2008 when we took on the Rose & Crown. They always say going from one to two pubs is the hardest move, and I would say I agree. I think a lot of the regulars felt like I’d left them and I suppose I kind of did in a way.

Pairing 2 – Achari Paneer Tikka served with Umbrella Cider

The Rose & Crown

I was 14 and still at school in Grays, Essex, and living with my lovely Nan & Grandad but I ran away from school as soon as I could to go and join my parents up in Stoke Newington. Boy how Stokey has changed since then, it’s super-posh now. I remember back then walking our dog in Clissold Park and there would only be a handful of people whereas nowadays it’s always super-busy.

We took on the Rose in 2008 when my parents had moved to Spain a couple of years before and we bought the lease off them. It felt a bit odd taking on the pub, but I’m proud of the fact between us my family has held a lease there for nearly 40 years.  

Pairing 3 – Onion Bhaji served with Delirium Tremens

The Jolly Butchers

I was like a kid in a candy store when we took on the JB as it was my first free-of-tie pub. I was a beer fan and the craft beer scene was just kicking-off. I essentially just picked my favourite beers in the world and put them on the bar. It was very organic and we were packed overnight. There were only a handful of pubs selling interesting beers in London at that time that I knew of (The Rake, The Southampton Arms, The Craft Beer Co. and the White Horse in Parsons Green – all great pubs) so we were early to the party. When we first opened, unlike The Wrestlers, nobody really knew or cared who ran the place, it was all about the beer and the vibe and it was bloody lovely.

Pairing 4 – Pudhina lamb chops served with Rodenbach Grand Cru

Crown & Anchor and Booma

I love beer and I love Indian food so it only seemed natural to open an Indian restaurant opposite our Crown & Anchor pub in Brixton. It works great having a restaurant next to a pub as they feed off each other so well. We pair great beer with delicious food, which is so much fun and when it works, it really does enhance the experience of dining out. We have only recently reopened it after an enforced closure due to staff shortages coming out of lockdown and fortunately people seem to be very happy we are back open. The restaurant business is without doubt a tough one and you are only as good as your last meal but watching people smile when they tuck into a plate of Pudhina lamb chops and wash it down with a Rodenbach Grand Cru makes all the worry worthwhile.

Pairing 5 – Crab Kurkuri served with Rothaus Hefe Weizen

The Black Lion

When I first walked into the Black Lion in Kilburn over 10 years ago my first reaction was ‘Wow’, so when the opportunity arose to take it on some years later it was tough to turn down. It really is a stunning pub, although it has been a tough couple of years with many challenges to get it to this stage. Our ops director Ozi and I have spent many hours down there with lots of building work going on. It’s also grade II* listed so it was a ball-ache, but now the 11 letting rooms and the pub are doing really well and we are very proud of it. 

Glynn Davis, editor, Beer Insider