MAGAZINE

The power of the humble pub

Like many from inside (and outside) the industry, I was excited for The Devonshire to open. As you’ll read in this issue’s lead interview, I’ve known co-founder Oisín Rogers for many years now and have always been a fan of how he runs pubs. So, when the news dropped in the summer of 2023 that he would be opening his own venue with Charlie Carroll of steak restaurant brand Flat Iron, another admirable business, there was a justifiable buzz about the arrival of this single-site operation.

Thanks to Rogers’ bonkers network of friends and industry contacts, the noise around his new Soho pub was at a preposterous volume before any paint even went on the walls. However, in the weeks leading up to its first service, the hype hadn’t reached anywhere near the levels that followed over the coming months, which meant I was able to book in for lunch during its first week. At that time, thanks to the presence of the likes of Giles Coren, William Sitwell and pretty much every pub or restaurant operator within a 30-mile radius, The Devonshire felt very ‘industry’. It was because of this, and the fact that its coverage clippings dominated both consumer and trade press for weeks on end, that I decided we’d leave it a while before asking Rogers and Carroll to tell their story, which at that time had been repeated over and over as their fame continued to explode across the country.

So here we are then. One year on. On 5 November 2024, The Devonshire celebrated its first birthday – a perfect time to sit down with Rogers and talk about the last 12 months, The Devonshire’s success, courting social media influencers and how many pints of Guinness it really sells each week. If you’re reading this not knowing who or what on Earth I am going on about, and questioning why a standalone pub is getting such attention, do flick to page 20. While Rogers believes the popularity is warranted, the fact remains that such hysteria over one Piccadilly pub is still quite remarkable. 

Tristan O’Hana - Editor