The first south east London location for Electric Star Group will open in early 2019 in Bellingham, Lewisham, in partnership with Phoenix Community Housing.
The Fellowship and Star is a £4m restoration project granted to Phoneix Community Housing by Heritage Lottery Fund to breathe life into the Grade II-listed building.
Steeped in history, the former Fellowship Inn will include a renovated cinema, live music, theatre and comedy venue, cafe, music hub and rehearsal space and a complete restoration of the 1920s pub. The venue will also serve as a community space, with space available for hire.
The site was built as part of a Homes for Heroes development to ease inner city overcrowding following the First World War. The pub later acted as a training base and home for the heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper ahead of his 1963 fight with Cassius Clay, and its large theatre was graced by bands including Fleetwood Mac and Eric Clapton.
Rob Star, Director of Electric Star Group, said, 'I’m really excited to finally be opening a site south of the river. I attended Goldsmiths College in the mid-’90s and spent 8 years living in various parts of south east London, so its great to be back.
'The Fellowship has such an amazing history and we are really excited about working with Phoenix to restore this beautiful pub to its former glory and make it an asset that the whole community can enjoy.'
Phoenix Chief Executive Jim Ripley said, “The restoration of the Fellowship is an amazing project that will transform Bellingham, and we’re very excited to be working with Electric Star Group on bringing the pub back as a thriving community venue. It’s going to a fantastic new resource for the community and we can’t wait for the opening.”
Since acquiring its first venue in 2008, Electric Star Group has secured a further four locations, establishing a network of independent venues despite pub closures across the UK. The pubs offer a safe haven from pretension and trends, concentrating on quality food, drink, people, entertainment and music in venues with character.
The firm currently holds the license for five pubs in Bethnal Green, Leyton, Leytonstone, Hackney Downs and King's Cross.