Prince of Peckham owner Clement Ogbonnaya knows what makes a successful pub: listening to the local community.
The Peckham institution, which opened in 2017, caters for a thriving hub of co-workers by day and a majoritively young crowd looking for a space to dance to live music by night – all fuelled by locally made food and craft drinks.
It’s going great guns, essentially, and now Clement is ready to expand his business, with plans to open five more community pubs in as many years.
First stop Tulse Hill, where he’s taken over the long-closed White Hart pub, transforming it into the Queen of the South.
Opening in a matter of weeks (though at the time of writing, no date has been set yet), the pub will run on a similar formula to that in place at the Prince of Peckham, serving up a menu of food, drinks and events that speak to the local community.
The South Londoner magazine spoke to Clement Ogbonnaya to find out more about what’s in store…
South Londoner (SL): You’re opening a new pub, the Queen of South London, in Tulse Hill this spring. How long has this been in the pipeline?
Clement Ogbonnaya (CO): It’s been three years in the making to get Queen of the South open. Lockdown slowed down the whole process, but we are happy to finally have the keys and can’t wait to open our doors to the people of Tulse Hill soon.
SL: What made you choose Tulse Hill as the location of your second pub?
CO: After the success of Prince of Peckham, it was important the next location had similarities to it. Like Peckham, Tulse Hill is a community-driven area, which is integral to our business model. At the core of everything we do is a goal of providing an inclusive space for the local community. Ultimately, we want to give Tulse Hill residents a home away from home, and something they can call their own. Tulse Hill is the area my wife grew up in and where I owned my first property. Through selling it, I was able to fund the opening of Prince of Peckham, which started my journey into pub ownership. This feels like coming full circle.
SL: Is there a recipe for making a pub popular with its local community?
CO: There are no tricks, I just keep it real. If you genuinely have the mindset and conviction to give back to the community, and you take the time to speak to the locals, this will be noticed and people will show their support along the way.
SL: Tell us about the food and drink offering at the Queen of South London. What will be on the menu?
CO: [Caribbean food connoisseurs] White Men Can’t Jerk have been vital in the running of Prince of Peckham, and we are delighted to say they will be running the kitchen at Queen of the South, too. They’ll be bringing over their signature dishes, like the jerk chicken meal and the Deliveroo favourite of chicken and chips. There will be more plant-based options too, plus special twists on Sunday lunches and a breakfast menu for our co-workers.
Drinks wise, our signature cocktail ‘The Queen’ is a combination of a local botanical rum ‘Market Row’, and a flavoured white rum ‘Aluna’, which has notes of almond, hibiscus and tropical fruits. We will also be serving local craft beers, including Gipsy Hill’s Hepcat IPA and Coldharbour Lager from Brixton Brewery.
SL: You mentioned you’ll be running the pub as a co-working space during the day. How will that work?
CO: Once we open, we will be offering co-working for free for a month so that people in the local area can see what we have to offer. Once we start charging, we will have subsidised spaces available for those who may not otherwise be able to afford to work away from home, and different tariffs for different budgets and needs.
SL: Will you be offering any other events, like pub quizzes or themed nights?
CO: As an events-led space, we will have activities programmed for every day of the week across the different floors. Live music will be at the heart of the pub, giving local creatives a chance to showcase their talent. We’ll run traditional pub activities like quizzes and comedy shows, but we’re also keen to put on art exhibitions, dance performances, wellbeing classes and panel discussions.
SL: Lastly, what do you hope the pub offers the area that wasn’t there before?
CO: Often when I talk to people about Tulse Hill they don’t know where it is. I hope the pub makes it a destination and puts it on the map, so that it’s not just somewhere people drive through. We want the Queen of the South to represent Tulse Hill as it is today by adding vibrancy and colour, and reflecting the interests of the people who live there through the activities we provide. We want to work collaboratively with local businesses and charities, and become a hub where we can come together and create positive change in the community beyond our walls.
Queen of the South Pub, 367 Norwood Road, Norwood, London SE27 9BQ.
Monday 4pm – 12:30am; Tuesday – Thursday, 12pm – 12:30am; Friday & Saturday 12pm – 2:30am; Sunday 12pm – 12:30am.
www.queenofthesouthpub.co.uk
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