After 32 years at the helm, Adrian Larner has announced that he is stepping down as landlord of the Grade II-listed Calthorpe Arms in Gray’s Inn Road (WC1X 8JR). Adrian started at the Calthorpe as a manager for what was then Young’s Brewery, before taking a tenancy which he continued with Young’s when they became a pub company after the brewery was sold. The pub’s clientele is an eclectic mix of professionals, including journalists from the nearby ITN building, and locals. The pub has always been part of the community, with various groups using the upstairs room. As well as hosting many CAMRA meetings, it is home to the London branch of the Burnley Football Supporters Club among many, many others. All of them however will agree on one thing: the quality of the beer. It is renowned for serving one of the best pints of Young’s Ordinary in the capital and on Adrian’s watch, the pub has appeared in 31 editions of CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide. Adrian will be very much missed by CAMRA’s North London branch who marked the occasion by presenting Adrian with a special award at their recent AGM. The inscription on the certificate was ‘In recognition of over three decades of serving fine ales in one of London’s best pubs’.
Christine Cryne
