George Orwell 'prole's pub' to reopen...with Cornish touch

Under chef Michael Harrison and founder of the Cornwall Project Matt Chatfield, the Newman Arms will have produce seasonal menu using ingredients bought daily from Cornish suppliers such as Philip Warren Butchers and the Modern Salad Grower.

Chatfield said: "We’ve been pretty flabbergasted – the locals absolutely love the place. We've made sure our chefs are visiting suppliers all the time, driving us to get better and better whilst at the same time creating Cornish jobs.

"We have a great head chef in Michael - he's very into produce-led cooking. We just want to showcase superbly-cooked Cornish produce and for people to enjoy when they have a drink."

He added that the concept was highly scalable and that he would be interested in expanding the concept in the future. 

The downstairs of the pub is currently open Monday to Friday serving a 'bar-orientated' menu, with the 24-cover upstairs sitting area set to open alongside a more extensive menu in June.

Harrison and Chatfield previously ran pop up kitchen the Cornish Grill at the Adam and Eve, Homerton and the Three Crowns, Stoke Newington.

The Newman Arms is widely believed to be the inspiration for the ‘proles’ pub’ in George Orwell’s novel 1984, ​the late author having been a regular customer.

Outstanding produce​

The Cornwall Project took over the pub after property specialists Davis Coffer Lyons secured a new letting on behalf of property owners Shaftesbury PLC, who recently acquired the site.

Kate Taylor, associate director at Davis Coffer Lyons, said: “After careful consideration it was felt that the Cornwall Project – with its dedication to outstanding produce and its commitment to sustainable cooking – would prove a great operator for the site, maintaining a well-loved local pub and bringing with it a fantastic food offer to appeal to the local community and beyond.

“It will prove a great complement to Charlotte Street’s dynamic mix of restaurants, cafes and bars.”

Egging on​

Harrison’s hogs pudding Cornish Scotch egg won him first place in 2014’s Scotch Egg Challenge, which took place at Young’s site the Ship, Wandsworth.