• Ian McKellen’s pub The Grapes in London is the celebrity side hustle attracting the best reviews, with a score of 72.17% excellent Google reviews.
• Charlotte Church’s retreat, The Dreaming in Wales, ranks second with 67.30% excellent reviews.
• Hakim Ziyech’s Taco Taco ranks third with 67.13% excellent reviews.
New data has revealed the top 10 best-rated celebrity hospitality side hustles in the U.K.
The research conducted by side hustle experts at Wealth of Geeks analysed a list of celebrity-owned and invested hospitality businesses in the UK to establish which places are the best rated by the average total percentage of excellent reviews on Google Reviews.
Ian McKellen’s pub The Grapes in London has topped the list of celebrity-side hustles receiving the best reviews from the public, with a rating of 72.17% excellent reviews. The pub is not only owned by a renowned figure but is also one of London’s oldest establishments. Charles Dickens was a regular visitor and even featured the pub in his novel ‘Our Mutual Friend’.
Singer Charlotte Church is in second place with The Dreaming retreat in Wales. The retreat scored a 67.30% excellent review rating and is described on its website as a pioneering and uplifting wellness retreat set in the scenic heart of Wales. A three-day weekend retreat stay can cost from £540 to £1,344 per person.
Footballer Hakim Ziyech’s Taco Taco in Shoreditch comes in third place, with an excellent score of 67.13%. Taco Taco is a Mexican gourmet food restaurant and takeaway. It was founded in 2023 and is entirely inspired by a love for tacos.
Adam Rickitt’s Dexter & Jones in Cheshire ranks fourth, scoring 64.67% excellent reviews. Dexter & Jones is a craft beer, artisan gin, and fine wine bar and shop that offers over 800 different craft beers.
Tennis player Andy Murray and his wife are just behind in fifth place with 63.23% excellent reviews for the Cromlix Hotel in Sterling. The five-star luxury stay can cost from £702 a room for a two-night weekend stay, with the option to upgrade to a £250 arrival package. This includes a transfer from Edinburgh or Glasgow airport, a bottle of champagne, and a box of chocolates on arrival.
Hotel Football in Manchester is at number six, with 62.87% excellent reviews. Manchester United legends Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs, alongside their 1992 teammates Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville, opened Hotel Football in 2015. The football-centred hotel can cost from £411 for a two-night weekend stay.
At number seven is Neil Morrissey’s pub, The Plume of Feathers in Stoke-on-Trent, which has 60.43% of excellent reviews. The Men Behaving Badly actor’s pub features classic mains such as braised brisket ale pie and fish and chips, all priced at £16.50.
In eighth place is singer James Blunt with his London Gastropub, The Fox and Pheasant, which has received 57.57% excellent reviews. The Chelsea pub’s snacks and starters include crispy squid and hoisin duck tacos, while mains include dishes such as salads and cheese and ham hock pie.
Guy Ritchie’s Lore of the Land in London is in ninth, with a rating of 54.97%. The pub and restaurant are spread over three floors and offer a contemporary English food menu.
Finally, rounding off the list in tenth place is The Libertines’ hotel. The Albion Rooms has 54.77% excellent reviews and is based in Kent. Along with hotel rooms and bars, there is a state-of-the-art recording studio for hire with an on-hand sound engineer.
A spokesperson for Wealth of Geeks commented on the findings: “Establishments owned by celebrities as a side hustle has emerged as a prominent trend in the hospitality industry, and it’s interesting to see what the public thinks are the best-rated.
“The range of celebrities who have ventured into the hospitality sector varies from football legends to musicians and actors, which demonstrates how attractive it is as a business opportunity. However it’s also a risk, because poor reviews from customers could do more than just impact people’s opinion of the establishment, they could also damage the celebrity’s brand and persona. Therefore the celebrities who feature at the top of this list will be pleased their side hustles are proving popular with the public.”
