As previously reported by The Morning Advertiser (The MA), six fire engines and about 40 firefighters were called to the Thirsty Bear on Stamford Street in central London at 12.48pm on 22 July after reports of a fire.
The incident came less than three weeks after the pub reopened on 4 July, following 105 days of enforced closure due to coronavirus after Prime Minister Boris Johnson called last orders in pubs on 20 March.
While the pub’s owners announced their intention to close "until further notice" following the blaze, a post on the Thirsty Bear’s Facebook page on 4 October apologised for being “a tad on the quiet side” and announced plans to reopen the venue on 17 October.
Thirsty Bear experience
“As many of you know we suffered a fire back in July just weeks after lockdown measures were lifted which forced us to once again close,” the post explained.
“Like all pubs, 2020 has been an incredibly challenging period and we thank you a million times over for your support and best wishes which really have been a huge morale booster during these troubling times.”
“There is social distancing still in place, you will be required to check-in and we will not be able currently to accept bookings for groups larger than six but we hope to give you as close to the Thirsty Bear experience as you came to know and love [before] this disaster of a year,” it continued.
“We really look forward to serving you all again soon and any questions at all just drop us a message and someone will come back to you.”
The pub, previously known as the Stamford Arms, is well known as an early adopter of self-service ordering with the installation of an iPad system and tabletop taps.
