In the 16th and 17th centuries, two taverns stood on the site of this venue. In 1994, London brewers, Fuller, Smith and Turner took over the lease and began a major refurbishment – with the aim of restoring this splendid building to its former glory.
This venue also has a more grisly connection with the past, for it lies between the site of the barber shop owned by Sweeney Todd, ‘The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’, and the pie shop owned by Mrs Lovett, his mistress.
Their basement contains the original vaults used to store bullion, and indeed some of the Crown Jewels during the First World War. Whilst two safes have now been changed to hold their cellars and kitchens, the main vault is intact and still contains the huge steel bullion cupboards.