Ahead of the King’s coronation this weekend (Saturday 6 May), the royal couple travelled on the Elizabeth Line to the Dog & Duck pub in Soho, which is a Mitchells and Butlers site, to share their appreciation for those serving the nation over the bank holiday.
During the visit, which took place yesterday afternoon (Thursday 4 May), Prince William even tried his hand at pulling a pint of the pubs “specially brewed”, and fittingly named, Kingmaker.
Roll out the red carpet
The Dog & Duck general manager Maria Sojkova said: “We’re always ready to roll out the red carpet for all our guests, but we never imagined that members of the royal family would be popping in for a pint.
“It’s been an honour to welcome the Prince and Princess of Wales to the Dog & Duck and to invite them to pull the first pint of our specially brewed Kingmaker beer.
“Arrangements to host the visit were made at quite short notice so it’s been a busy 48 hours, but we’re so proud to have played a part in helping to get the celebrations started.”
Great British occasion
The coronation has been predicted to provide a £350m boost for the sector by trade body UKHospitality while a recent report from Greene King showed the pub operator and brewer expected to pull 1.8m pints across the weekend.
In addition, licensed premises have been granted extended licensing hours to mark the occasion, which will see pubs celebrate with a variety of events from garden or fancy dress parties to themed menus and live music.
Sojkova added: “The coronation is set to be a great British occasion that will be remembered in history, so it’s lovely to see the royals enjoy visiting a great British pub, which millions of guests are also set to enjoy this weekend.”
