Daniel Craig and Soho House Founder Nick Jones Take Over Historic Clerkenwell Pub

Daniel Craig has become part-owner of The Horseshoe, a Clerkenwell pub with a history stretching back some 250 years, in a venture that returns him to the trade his family once worked in.

The former 007 has bought into the London site alongside Nick Jones, the Soho House founder, whom he has known for around 30 years. Jones built that business into an international private members’ club group.

The pair are backed by two further partners. Charlie Carroll, founder of the Flat Iron steak restaurants, is also involved in The Devonshire in Soho. Justin O’Shea, creative director of Bad Belze, the lager brand he and Craig launched earlier this year, completes the line-up.

For Craig, the move is a continuation of his family’s history in licensed hospitality. His parents ran the Ring O’Bells in Frodsham, Cheshire, while his grandparents ran a pub in the centre of Chester. Much of his childhood was spent in those premises.

He recalled chatting with regulars, particularly at lunchtimes, when conversation centred on the events of the day. He described the pub as a place where people can talk freely, including about their worries.

Craig has outlined a refurbishment expected to take around a year. The centrepiece is the transformation of the upstairs bar, currently given over to dartboards and in need of updating, into a dining room.

He has been clear, however, that the pub’s character will remain. The owners intend to keep The Horseshoe as a “traditional boozer”, with only a light refresh.

The Horseshoe was previously run by Pauline Tucker and her husband Richard, who held the licence for 36 years.

The new owners were reportedly unaware until completion that the building is said to be haunted by Gilbert, a ghost identified in local lore as a hangman. According to the tale, leaving a pint of ale in the cellar keeps the spirit settled. Craig joked that the team may need to oblige, though he admitted he did not know Gilbert’s preferred tipple.

Craig joins a growing number of high-profile names with pub interests. Sir Ian McKellen is linked with The Grapes in Limehouse, and film director Guy Ritchie owns The Lore of the Land in Fitzrovia. Singer James Blunt bought the Fox & Pheasant in Chelsea, saving it from conversion into flats.