Celebrities Invest in UK Pubs, From Clarkson to Craig

A growing number of celebrities are venturing into the hospitality industry, purchasing and revitalizing pubs across the United Kingdom. The trend includes actors like Daniel Craig and James May, musicians such as James Blunt and Rick Astley, and media personalities like Jeremy Clarkson and Jodie Kidd.

James Bond star Daniel Craig recently co-acquired The Horseshoe, a 250-year-old pub in Clerkenwell, London. He plans to refurbish the establishment, which is known for its resident ghost, a hangman who is said to haunt the cellar. Craig, along with partners including Soho House owner Nick Jones, aims to restore the pub without turning it into a modern gastropub.

Jeremy Clarkson, former host of Top Gear, purchased The Farmer's Dog pub in the Cotswolds in 2024 for approximately £1 million. The pub focuses on an all-British menu supporting local farmers and features Clarkson's own beer, Hawkstone. Clarkson has reportedly expressed interest in opening a pub abroad.

James May, another former Top Gear presenter, became a co-owner of The Royal Oak in Salisbury in 2020. He invested in the Grade II-listed 18th-century inn to prevent its closure. May stated that he invested because he wanted a local pub within walking distance of his cottage, emphasizing that the inn is self-sufficient.

Sir Ian McKellen, known for his role as Gandalf, has owned The Grapes, one of London's oldest pubs, for 15 years. Located near Canary Wharf, the pub boasts a 500-year history, with Charles Dickens rumored to have visited. It serves traditional pub fare and hosts a weekly quiz.

Filmmaker Guy Ritchie, director of "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Sherlock Holmes," owns Lore of the Land in Fitzrovia, London. He purchased the traditional British pub and restaurant in 2018, opening it in 2019. The establishment offers its own Gritchie beer.

Singer-songwriter James Blunt is also a pub owner, with two establishments to his name. He and his wife, Sofia Wellesley, purchased The Fox & Pheasant in Chelsea in 2017, transforming it into a local spot that brews its own ale. In July, Blunt acquired his second pub, The Carpenter's Arms in Hammersmith, which is set to reopen in summer 2027.

TV personality Jodie Kidd owns The Half Moon in West Sussex, a Grade II listed building she restored with business partners in 2017. The award-winning pub offers craft beers, cocktails, wines, and a menu emphasizing British ingredients.

Rick Astley, the singer, partnered with Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, founder of Mikkeller brewery, to open Mikkeller Bar in Shoreditch in 2018. The bar offers a wide selection of craft beers on tap.

Cricketers Stuart Broad and Harry Gurney opened The Tap & Run in Melton Mowbray in 2018. The pub provides a food and drink menu, live music on Fridays, and a monthly pub quiz.