Only in London can you sit down for a pitch meeting in what used to be the snug of a 19th-century pub.

It sounds mad, but it’s happening more and more, and not just as a novelty. Businesses are actively choosing spaces with history, soul, and a decent story. And nowhere delivers that quite like a converted pub.

Take The Old Red Lion in Angel. Once a classic North London boozer, it’s now a characterful creative space with exposed brick, vintage tiling, and huge sash windows. The meeting room? It used to be the upstairs function room. Now it’s where agencies brainstorm brand campaigns and startups raise seed rounds.

Then there’s The Larder Building in Clerkenwell. Originally a pub and wine vaults, now reimagined as a sleek open-plan office with touches of its drinking past kept intact, arched ceilings, cellar doors, glazed bricks. The heritage hasn’t been scrubbed out, it’s been spotlighted.

The Old King’s Head in Borough is another cracking example. A Grade II listed pub turned studio-office hybrid. They’ve kept the wood panelling, the low-beamed ceilings, even some of the etched glass. But they’ve added the tech, the infrastructure, and most importantly the flexibility tenants want now.

So why are these ex-pubs becoming such sought-after workspaces?

For one, they’re human. There’s something inherently welcoming about a building that used to serve pints and pork scratchings. These places were designed to draw people in. And when you’re trying to tempt staff back into the office post-pandemic, that matters.

They’re also loaded with character. You’re not walking into a sterile square box, you’re walking into a space with layers. Original tiling, fireplaces, signage, old timber; it gives businesses something to connect with. Something to show off about. And in a world where brand is everything, that’s no small thing.

Plus, they tend to be in fantastic locations. Pubs were always built at the heart of the action – corner plots, high footfall, central spots. So when you convert one, you’re often getting A-grade connectivity without paying new-build premiums.

From an investment perspective, the numbers can really stack up. With the right approach, these buildings lease well, attract a different type of tenant, and often punch above their weight in terms of rent per sq ft. If you retain the charm but upgrade the spec, you’re in that sweet spot.

But, big caveat – you have to get the balance right. Go too modern and you lose the soul. Keep too much and you might scare off the occupiers. It’s a delicate line, but when it’s done well, it absolutely works.

So if you’re sitting on an ex-pub or you’ve spotted one with potential, now’s the time to think creatively. There’s a tenant out there who’s looking for exactly that kind of space; and willing to pay for it.

In a market that’s crying out for something different, maybe the future of work really is pints to pitches.