Three friends who met at university are attempting to visit every pub in London, a challenge that involves 3,535 venues. Danny, Spike and Nikol have so far ticked off 17 pubs, with 3,518 remaining, and they are documenting their progress on social media.
The trio, who are from the Isle of Dogs, began their quest in Greenwich, where they were filmed cheering with pints of lager in a pub garden overlooking the Cutty Sark. They are doing the crawl for fun, aiming to show that young people still value traditional pub culture despite the recent closure of iconic venues across the capital.
An intricate map and a 13.5-year plan
Spike devised the map, which connects all 3,535 pubs and covers every borough, from high-end gastropubs to Wetherspoons. The route starts and ends in the Isle of Dogs, which Spike described as "a bit of a homecoming for us as it's where we are from." The group can deviate from the plan as long as they stick to the general area.
When Metro caught up with them, they were tackling east London, having chosen four pubs overlooking the River Thames. They rate every venue on atmosphere, price and Guinness pouring ability, hoping that people will one day use their account for pub reviews.
The group expects to finish in around 13.5 years if they maintain their current pace of at least five pubs per week. They have already told friends they cannot join unless they commit to the full crawl. "If you are going to do it, you need to join us for every single one," Spike said.
Financial hurdles and free pints
Finance is their biggest challenge, with the average price of a pint in London nearing £8 and travel costs rising. However, Spike said: "Because we are doing this over almost 15 years, we don't think this will financially destroy us."
The group has deferred trips to far-flung areas like Romford and Biggin Hill, planning to visit all the pubs in those areas in one go. They have received support from pubs offering free pints, and their social pages are already filled with encouraging comments.
Danny, a musician, said: "We all met at a pub, so it really feels like a nice thing to be doing together and keeps us meeting after work. And we are making more friends as we go."
