North London Pub Operator Takes On First Star Lease

North London pub operator, Enda Murray has taken on a Star lease for The Ship on Tottenham High Road, a one-time Spurs fans’ haunt. This latest venture brings his estate to three.

A joint £550,000 investment with Star Pubs will see The Ship, which is walking distance from the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, reopen in early November as an event-focussed family friendly local following a three-and-a-half-year closure and an eight-week renovation, starting on Monday.

The refurbishment will retain the pub’s late Victorian character. The layout will consist of a ground floor with a light and airy bar and a first-floor function room.

The downstairs bar will feature a central bar counter, and an eclectic mix of freestanding seating for 48. There will also be a sports area with a new pool table with electronic payment system and a darts zone with halo lit darts and an electronic scorer.

Outside, the façade will see the green wall tiles refurbished and new etched glass windows, signage and gold lanterns fitted to give the pub a smarter look.

Enda plans to build on the success of his wet-led North London pubs – Madden’s Bar in East Finchley and The Dog & Duck in Winchmore Hill – and expand his estate further in the coming years.

He says: “I want to work with Star Pubs as they have pubs in good locations and I have found the team to be great to work with, which is important in this current challenging market.

“Pubs have to work really hard to look after customers and become true local hubs. Our pubs have managed to prosper by embedding themselves in their communities and supporting them whenever they can. We’ll do the same at The Ship. It has the added benefit of being close to the stadium, and so can profit from all the events held there.”

Says Steve Morris, Star Pubs business development manager: “We are delighted to be supporting Enda reopen The Ship and look forward to helping him with his expansion plans. He’s a very experienced operator and knows the North London hospitality landscape well. I am confident he’ll work his magic again and create a wonderful Tottenham local and home from home for Hotspur fans.”