Fasten your Salomons and hold onto your small plates: the rumours circulating Hackney are true. Dalston’s most meme’d local, The Spurstowe Arms, will take over beloved Clapton boozer The Elderfield at the end of the month. In recent years, The Spurstowe has built a formidable reputation thanks to its New York-style Dough Hands pizza residency and lively beer garden. Its frequent appearances on the hyper-local Instagram account Socks House Meeting have cemented its reputation as a hangout du jour for the Lime Bike-wielding archetypes of east London’s fashion crowd.
But while The Spurstowe may be known for its abundance of Tabis and Jolene tote bags, owner Naomi Rogers and her team are committed to respecting The Elderfield's existing community identity and mixed demographic. Though the takeover will be immediate as of the end of this month (ensuring Clapton doesn’t go thirsty over Christmas) the new custodians will use the festive period to get to know the space and its regulars. “We don’t want to just barge in and create chaos in the community,” manager Lee Foster tells Broadsheet. “This is a long-term project, not a smash and grab.”
This slow and sensitive approach aims to build upon The Elderfield’s legacy, creating a cosy, welcoming atmosphere while honouring the pub's historic character. “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, as the pub has fantastic bones – she just needs her features rediscovered.” A mini makeover is planned for January, which involves swapping out modern elements for antique mirrors and giving the space a fresh lick of paint. “We’re currently hovering over every green and cream the universe has to offer,” Foster says, “and our candle budget is obscene”.
Naturally, the wine list is a major focus. Pub-goers can expect a drinks menu full of old-world classics and a couple of oranges and pét-nats – it’s Hackney, after all. “We’re working with a fantastic small independent company; everything is organic and sustainable.” This includes an “insanely good” house red from Sicily, which Foster speculates may be his downfall this winter. The team is also looking forward to presenting a cider selection (“It’s a whole world we didn’t know existed”).
The kitchen is still under review, but the food concept, when it launches, is expected to be simple, homely, and as you’d expect from Dough Hands’s success at The Spurstowe, “probably a little bit naughty”.
