When you enter The Crown & Anchor on a Thursday night in late spring, it’s difficult to miss the change. Something louder and more anticipatory has taken the place of the typical low hum of discussion. A line is already developing along the pavement as a tiny jazz trio sets up outside beneath string lights that Marcus Hale placed up last week. A few regulars are standing at the bar, observing the scene with the mildly amused looks of those who recall the days when the establishment was only partially occupied on weeknights.
Marcus says that one borrowed concept was the beginning of the change. When the main performer at a nearby festival cancelled three years ago, he allowed a local promoter to host a tiny folk night in the back room. Maybe thirty people, he thought. The place was packed by ten o’clock, and the front bar was engaging in the kind of business he usually saw on FA Cup weekends. He claims that one evening helped him realize that local activities weren’t only pleasant additions. They were subtly changing the survival guidelines for areas similar to his.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Pub Name | The Crown & Anchor |
| Location | Camden, London, UK |
| Established | 1892 |
| Owner | Marcus Hale, third-generation publican |
| Signature Local Events | Camden Jazz Nights, Borough Market Food Fest spillover, Arsenal match days |
| Recent Revenue Boost | 47% increase during 2025 summer festival season |
In London, this pattern is repeated. The calendar of street festivals, farmers’ markets, and one time events that appear within a few hundred meters is now used by pubs to gauge their success. Previously, these establishments relied on the same devoted patrons every night. Since the Crown & Anchor is located two streets from Camden Market’s perimeter, there is nearly always a knock on effect when the market holds its monthly vintage fair. In between perusing vintage records, some stop in for a pint and decide to stay for the live music that begins at eight. Behind the bar, Marcus keeps a little notebook in which he records the events that draw the largest crowds. It’s always the antique fair. Second is the outdoor screening night of the local film club. He’s still not clear why so few people attend the poetry readings.
It seems that the most prosperous landlords have begun to create reasons for tenants to vacate their apartments rather than waiting for foot traffic. Marcus also sends out messages to three or four local organizers each month, proposing the bar as a rain backup location or an after party spot. He knows that the real money is in the extra pints sold after the event is over, so he doesn’t charge them anything, sometimes nothing at all. This strategy might not be effective in every community. Quieter suburbs lack the natural flow of tourists that Camden enjoys. Nevertheless, the principle appears to move.
The weather unexpectedly warms up on the night of the jazz performance. The sound wafts out onto the street while the doors remain open. A fifty year old woman stands outside the window and taps her foot, claiming she hasn’t been inside the tavern since 2019. She tells me that the Guinness tasted better than she recalled, so she stayed even though she had come for the music. Though he acknowledges that he has been adjusting the cellar temperature for months, Marcus chuckles when he hears. Dozens of evenings’ worth of small tweaks pile up.
Not all experiments succeed. He attempted to hold a pop up gin tasting in conjunction with an open day at a local distillery last autumn. The distillery employees departed early, and the attendance was small. As a reminder that local events only succeed when they feel authentic to the area, Marcus continues to store the leftover tasting glasses at the office. The link is forced. Everyone can smell it.
How little of this is shown in the official figures that the industry releases is startling. The quiet schedule of local events that now determines which bars remain open into their tenth birthday is rarely mentioned in trade reports, which instead focus on rising energy costs and shifting drinking habits. In any case, Marcus monitors those reports. He is aware of the larger pressures. He just believes that the bars most likely to experience those pressures first are those who treat local events as afterthoughts.
Later that night, as I make my way back through Camden, the queue has shrunk to a few people finishing their smokes, and the string lights are still burning. The bar employees are cleaning surfaces that won’t last long as the jazz trio is packing up inside. Marcus counts notes at the register with the same meticulous attention to detail he used when placing stock orders. He makes no claims about having found a long term solution. All he knows is that the tavern will be prepared when the next local event shows up in his notepad.