Parched celebrates 20th anniversary
The group will host a series of events across its estate to mark two decades in the business
Parched, the south London-based independent pub group founded by friends Isaac Tooby, Michael Robinson, Neil Watson and Shane Ranasinghe, celebrates its 20th anniversary next month.
The group owns and operates The White Hirse in Peckham, The Roebuck in Borough, The Railway in Streatham, Grove House Tavern in Camberwell and The Montpelier in Peckham. Its most recent opening, The Earl of Derby in New Cross, was met with critical acclaim.
Parched acquired the lease to its first pub, The Roebuck, in November 2003. Throughout the years, its founders have taken ownership of underused venues – some of which were on the brink of being shut down by developers. Between 2011 and 2017, they fought the previous landowner of The Montpelier and saved the pub from being turned into a block of flats. Similarly, in 2021, they saved Grove House Tavern from being taken over by a large developer.
Director Neil Watson says, "When we know an area and community well and we have confidence a pub can thrive, we throw everything at trying to get the keys to ensure we can keep it going."
As part of this year's milestone birthday celebrations, Parched will host a series of events across its estate including DJ nights, quizzes, beer festivals and running weekly knockdowns to 2003 prices across all venues.
The future
Looking ahead, the founders hope to continue their mission to help save pubs in the capital. The team remains eager to restore underused community hubs to their former glory, should the right landmark venues become available.
Not only this, but the founders have noted that 2024 will be all about improving staff welfare and training. "Staff welfare must be prioritised," says Robinson. "We understand that putting our staff first has a positive impact on everything we do. It allows us to meet key targets while also promoting a culture of inclusiveness and ensuring a more personalised and tailored experience for our customers. Happy staff means happy customers."
After a turbulent start to the decade, the Parched team is keen to focus more on team building and training via trips to wineries, breweries and distilleries.
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