When The Black Horse in Barnet closed its doors last September, locals feared they had lost more than just another pub.

Dating back to the 1720s, the former coaching inn has been part of Barnet's history for centuries. The town is famously known as "the town of inns", while Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist is said to have met the Artful Dodger on Barnet High Street.

More than 4,000 people signed a petition to save the pub, helping it secure Asset of Community Value (ACV) status before three local residents – Simon Anderson, Martin Taylor and Danny Daly – took on the lease from Star Pubs, part of Heineken.

Just weeks after reopening, the response from customers was so overwhelming they nearly ran out of beer... twice.

For the latest edition of Taproom Talks, The Pub Show caught up with Simon Anderson, Licensee of The Black Horse, to discuss breathing new life into one of north London's oldest pubs, designing a venue for modern drinkers without losing its soul, and why he believes pubs should be valued as more than just businesses.

Image: The Pub Show PR Director Nicola Macdonald and The Black Horse's Simon Anderson

"I always knew the pub had great bones"

Unlike many operators, Anderson wasn't discovering The Black Horse for the first time when he took on the lease.

"I moved to Barnet about 12 years ago and this was the kind of pub we used to come to. We live a couple of roads over, so it's always been our local," he says.

When the previous operators closed the pub, the building remained empty for nine months.

"I think, like many businesses, they were dealing with the aftermath of COVID and had lots of different challenges," he says.

Rather than watch another local disappear, Anderson and two friends decided to step in.

"I always knew the pub had great bones and had potential," he says. "Most operators probably think it when they walk into a venue – 'If I had this I'd do it differently.' There were real threats that it might not reopen as a pub, so rather than let it stay closed, we decided we'd step up and take it over."

The pub's heritage also played a part in that decision.

"Barnet has a really interesting history when it comes to pubs and taverns because, if you were stagecoaching into London, this was pretty much where you'd get your last change of horses before finishing your journey," he says.

"Dickens described Barnet as the ‘town of inns’, so it has amazing history. Pubs and the history of pubs are really important to the town."

A community determined to save its pub

The Black Horse wasn't rescued by investors looking to add another site to their estate. It was rescued by three neighbours determined to keep their local alive.

"The three of us are locals and this pub was saved through a huge amount of work by the community," Anderson says.

When the pub closed, more than 4,000 people signed a petition, helping secure Asset of Community Value status and demonstrating just how much the venue meant to local residents.

"That ACV status was really important because it demonstrated just how important this pub is to the local community," he says.

Since reopening, that community focus has remained central to every decision.

"We've got christenings taking place, we're hosting charity events, we've offered the space to community groups and we're looking at anything we can do to add value and make sure the pub is at the heart of the community," he says.

Two and a half weeks to transform a building site

When the new operators finally got the keys, there wasn't much time before opening day.

"It's amazing how quickly somewhere deteriorates after being closed for nine months. The whole inside was in a really bad state. The garden was knee-high and completely overgrown," Anderson says.

With help from local tradespeople, friends and plenty of favours, the team transformed the pub in just over two weeks.

"We managed to mobilise lots of contacts and call in loads of favours. We put in new carpets, redecorated and tried to upcycle as much of the existing furniture as we could. About 90% of the furniture is probably the same," he says.

Working with designer Sally McCoy of Edwards McCoy, Anderson also wanted to rethink how customers experienced the space.

"We wanted somewhere that felt more family-friendly, more female-friendly and would appeal to a wider audience," he says.

"A pub needs to feel like a pub"

Although food forms an important part of the future plans, Anderson believes too many pubs lose sight of what made them successful in the first place.

"The restaurant area is clearly defined now, but you've still got the bar area where people can just sit and have a drink because a pub needs to feel like a pub," he says.

He believes operators should resist turning every pub into a restaurant.

"With the ‘gastrification’ of pubs, you don't want to lose the pub element of the pub. People still want somewhere they can just come in for a drink, whether that's standing up or sitting at high tables. It's important to keep all those elements," he says.

Selling so much beer they ran out... twice

The response from customers has exceeded even the owners' expectations.

"The first weekend we ran out of everything apart from Fosters," Anderson laughs.

The following weekend, The Black Horse hosted a charity music festival featuring around 20 acts in memory of a local friend.

"We raised somewhere in the region of £6,000 for charity. With that event and the football on as well, we were so busy we ran out again," he says.

Anderson believes a combination of warm weather, football and growing awareness on social media has helped.

"It's great that influencers are coming up here because we're right on the edge of London. It's a beautiful part of London and it's nice that people are helping give the area some awareness," he says.

Looking beyond opening weekend

The team deliberately launched as a wet-led business while the kitchen is completed.

"We wanted to get open as quickly as possible and catch as much of the football as we could," Anderson says.

The kitchen will soon introduce a focused menu centred around rotisserie chicken before moving into Sunday roasts, while the recently opened outdoor bar has already proved popular.

"We've been serving frozen margaritas and Lageritas [which, for the uninitiated, is a classic margarita mixed with lager], which sold amazingly well. In future we could have food trucks, whole roast events on Sundays and lots of different things in the garden," he says.

Recruitment has also been encouraging.

"We actually put recruitment signs in the windows and after one weekend we had to take them down because we'd had so many applications," he says.

Finding kitchen staff has proved more difficult.

"We want all of our staff to be local. We're trying to refine the menu so it's high quality but also as simple as possible to execute. That means we can bring in people who can learn and develop with us rather than relying entirely on experienced chefs," he says.

More than just another business

Our interview took place the day that incoming UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced business rates relief for pubs, with Anderson welcoming the move but adding that VAT reform would have a greater impact.

"Twenty per cent business rates relief is great, but VAT is still the big one. Business rates will move the dial a bit, but it's not massive compared to the day-to-day difference that a lower rate of VAT could make," he says.

Ultimately, though, he believes the debate should go beyond taxation.

"I think people sometimes overlook just how important hospitality is to communities, to mental health, to young people and to employment opportunities," Anderson says.

"Pubs shouldn't just be viewed as businesses. They should be recognised for the value they bring to British society."

Follow the latest updates from The Black Horse on Instagram at @theblackhorsebarnet. Subscribe to The Pub Show newsletter for the latest industry news, interviews and trends insights.