Hard work pays off for award-winning venue

The Fox and Firkin, in the heart of Ladywell, is a historic pub, large-scale music venue and also now the home of their on-site brewery. 

The Fox and Firkin were the deserving winners of the Best Bar or Pub award at the 2023 Mayor of Lewisham Business Awards and are now one of five familiar faces fronting the Discover Lewisham campaign.

Didier was thrilled when the venue came on the market, as the pub has always had a unique history.  

“I couldn't wait to come back to southeast, I always had my heart in this part of of of London.” 

When he first took over the venue, he described it as a ‘cave’, painted black from top to bottom and outdoor area resembling a dumping ground. Over the last decade, Dider and his team have been working hard to revamp the space and expand their offering. Now, it’s a well-known local gem with an impressive lineup of music and community events.  

“I couldn't have dreamed of a better spot to develop my ideas.”

From extending the bar, fixing the roof, clearing the land, and building a stage – everywhere you look you can see the love and hard work that’s been poured into this venue. 

“We get a lot of support from the community. And we always make sure that we accommodate any form of community-based events."

The Fox and Firkin host smaller, intimate events including trivia and private events, but they are well-known for their unmissable outdoor beer garden, which transforms into a festival space for around 800 people during shows.  

As they are surrounded by warehouses with less sound restrictions, they’ve really leaned into their live music programming. Recently the outdoor stage hosted 2024 Grammy award winner, Julian Marley, who is also the son of Bob Marley. Didier and his team are dedicated to curating unique events, bringing large acts to the borough, while also supporting the grassroots music scene to flourish.  

“People love to be outside. I think it’s our biggest selling point.” 

In the garden, you can find an old train carriage with seating, their new on-site brewery, and local food trucks - it’s a unique space. 

For the last year they have been establishing their on-site brewery, the Firkin Brewery – once a popular brewing brand in the 80’s. Didier was excited when the trademark finished a couple of years ago, so he could reinvigorate the name. Since finishing building the brewery, the team have been developing their recipes and serving them on tap in the pub. They look forward to exploring more of the beer market in the future. 

Visit Fox and Firkin 

• 316 Lewisham High St, London SE13 6JZ 
• Visit the Fox and Firkin website 

This hidden gem is one of the many proudly independent small businesses that Lewisham has to offer. Here's our guide to a great summer in Lewisham. 

Discover Lewisham 

We are proud to launch Discover Lewisham this Summer. Since 2022, this is the fourth time we have run a Discover Lewisham campaign, and this time round we are featuring local business as the face of Discover Lewisham this Summer. These local businesses were all winners at the 2023 Mayor’s Business Awards, as voted by the local community. 

It originally started out as a six-week campaign over the 2022 summer that positioned Lewisham as an events destination, using the London Borough of Culture programme as an anchor to attract local people to stay in the borough and spend locally, and visitors to come and discover what Lewisham has to offer. 

Did you know, in London, VISA/CBRE have also calculated that for every £10 spent locally, £3.80 remains in the local economy. This could double if people actively choose to spend more locally. So, we are encouraging people through this campaign to stay local and spend local, because if our Lewisham businesses thrive, so does the community. Whether it’s relaxing in our award-winning parks, attending an outdoor festival, or exploring the local cafes and arts scene, there’s plenty to enjoy - and it's only an 11-minute direct train journey from London Bridge station. 

So visit your local, explore a part of the borough you might not have ventured to before, make recommendations to friends, comment on social media, share your experiences, it all goes a long way to making sure our local business community are supported, and shining a light on Lewisham as a vibrant, diverse and exciting borough. 

Lewisham Council has utilised its UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation to support the Discover Lewisham this summer campaign.