Firkin Brewery

Firkin Brewery

File:Lamb, Holloway, N7 (6875904727).jpg This site has had many names over the years, but has now reopened in February 2012 under an older name as The Lamb, and looks promising. (It was in the Good Beer Guide as the Flounder and Firkin.) (Photo of it as Barcosa.)
Type	Brewery
Opened	1979
Closed	March 2001
Key people	David Bruce
Parent	Punch Taverns

The Firkin Brewery was a chain of pubs in the United Kingdom. The original UK chain is now defunct, but a number of pubs operate under the Firkin name in other countries. The chain took its name from the firkin, an old English unit of volume.

Established in 1979 by David Bruce as Bruce's Brewery, the Firkin Brewery grew as a chain of mostly brewpubs offering cask ale. It was acquired by Midsummer Leisure in 1988, Stakis Leisure in 1990 and then by Allied Domecq in 1991, rapidly expanding thereafter. In 1999, Punch Taverns bought the entire chain and the rights to the Firkin brand, and then sold 110 of the pubs to Bass, leaving 60 Firkin pubs under Punch ownership. The brewery side of the chain was wound up, and in March 2001 Punch announced that the Firkin brand was to be discontinued.

After several corporate restructurings, most of the Bass sites ended up in the Mitchells and Butlers pub company formed in 2003. Many have been rebranded as O'Neills, Scream, or Goose pubs; the Scream and Goose sites were among those sold to Stonegate Pub Company in 2010. Some of the Punch Taverns-owned Firkins were rebranded as Mr Q's or Bar Room Bar pubs. A small handful of establishments still retain the Firkin branding, distinctive because they all followed the same naming convention. The format was always The ---- and Firkin, where ---- was a word, beginning with either "F" or "Ph", which had some connection to the pub building or to the local area.

The Firkin Brewery also gave out T-shirts for anyone who managed at least 12 pubs in the Firkin Crawl. A "passport", issued by the Brewery, would be filled with a stamp from each pub visited, and public transport directions to the nearest pub in the crawl would also be in the "passport". Although there was no stipulation in the rules that the 12 pubs had to be completed on the same day, this was often the goal of participants.

Firkin pubs outside the UK

North America

Firkin pubs in Canada and the United States operate under the Firkin Group Of Pubs franchise, a chain of English theme pubs founded in Ontario, Canada in 1987. The naming scheme for the pubs is similar to that of the UK chain (for example, "The Crown and Firkin", in Whitby, Ontario, Canada), and many Firkin Group pubs in fact share their names with former UK Firkin Brewery pubs. In the United States, the franchise pubs are named with "Firkin" first, as in "The Firkin & Fox" as opposed to "The Fox & Firkin".

The pub chain once credited itself as being the "largest and fastest growing" group of pubs in North America. Lately the claim is "largest & most dominant chain of traditional English pubs" in North America. About 10 pubs have closed out of the about 25 pubs that have opened since 2005. New pubs have opened about every 6 months, keeping the overall number of open pubs around 15. Typically the demographic ranges from parents with children during the day to an older drinking crowd in the evenings and late night. Although the menu is somewhat limited, the food is on pace with other more well known bar & grill restaurants.

The current list of active pubs in the United States as of December 2009 is listed below.

Australia

A number of independent English-style pubs in Australia use "Firkin" in their names, such as the Firkin and Hound in Alice Springs.

List of Firkin pubs

UK pubs

Firkin Name	Location	Current Name	Current Brand
Fabricant and Firkin	Huddersfield	Warehouse	Scream
Faculty and Firkin	Aston University, Birmingham	Gosta Green	Scream
Factor and Firkin	Paisley
Factotum and Firkin	Birmingham	The Sun on the Hill (formerly The Hill)
Fahrenheit and Firkin	Woking		O'Neills
Fair and Firkin	Nottingham	Firstly Horn In Hand (Scream), now Spanky Van Dyke's
Fairfield and Firkin	Govan, Glasgow
Fairway and Firkin	Blackheath, London	Was originally The Railway Arms now called the Railway
Falcon and Firkin	Hackney, London	The Victoria Park now called The Britannia
Fallow and Firkin	Harborne, Birmingham	The Huntsman
Fantail and Firkin	Muswell Hill, London		O'Neills
Faraday and Firkin	Battersea, London	The Goat
Farmyard and Firkin	Aylesbury	The Harrow
Fathom and Firkin	Worthing	The Assembly
Fatling and Firkin	Hornchurch, London
Faun and Firkin	Leicester Square, London
Fawn and Firkin	Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent	(Now demolished)
Fayre and Firkin	Ashby De La Zouch	The Bulls Head
Feast and Firkin	Leeds	The Library	Scream
Featherie and Firkin	St. Andrews	The Raisin	Scream
Fedora and Firkin	Luton	Bellini
Felis and Firkin	Kenilworth, Warwickshire	The Lion
Feline and Firkin	Wolverhampton, West Midlands	The Billy Wright
Fellow and Firkin	Perry Barr, Birmingham	Hare of the Dog
Felon and Firkin	Leeds		O'Neills
Felons and Firkin	Knowle	The Red Lion
Fermenter and Firkin	Wolverhampton	Billas Bar
Ferret and Firkin (see note below)	Chelsea, London	Originally the Balloon Tavern, now known as Lots Road Pub and Dining Room	Food & Fuel
Ferryman and Firkin	Southampton	Closed in 2009, Empty ever since
Fettler and Firkin	Paddington, London
Fettlers and Firkin	Nuneaton	The Crown
Fewterer and Firkin	Sydenham, London
Fez and Firkin	Reading	The Turks (reviving its pre-Firkin name, The Turk's Head)
Fiddler and Firkin	Croydon, London	Firstly reverted to its original name The Duke's Head, then became the Apatura restaurant
Fielder and Firkin	Sutton, London	The Prince Regent
Fieldmouse and Firkin	Moseley, Birmingham	The Fighting Cocks	Goose
Figurehead and Firkin	Bristol	The River, now No.1 Harbourside
Filament and Firkin	Newcastle		Goose
Filibuster and Firkin	Darlington	Retro
Filly and Firkin	Nottingham	The Rose of England
Financier and Firkin	Kingston upon Thames, London	Now a Pizza restaurant
Finch and Firkin	Liverpool	The Brookhouse	Scream
Fine Leg and Firkin	Swansea, Wales	The Cricketers
Finings and Firkin	Warley	The Bridge
Finn and Firkin	Stirchley, Birmingham	The Hibernian (now Dogpool Hotel)
Finnesko and Firkin	Norwich	The Reindeer
Firecracker and Firkin	Crawley	Formerly The Rocket, using a picture of Stephenson's Rocket as its sign, now The Railway
Firefly and Firkin	Bournemouth	The Inferno	Scream
Fish and Firkin	Southend-on-Sea	The Alex	Scream
Fitchew and Firkin	Rugby, Warwickshire	The Bull
Fitter and Firkin	Partick, Glasgow	Boho Club
Fitzooth and Firkin	Broomhill, Sheffield	Nottingham House
Fizgig and Firkin	Exeter	Starz Bar
Flag and Firkin	Watford	The Flag (echoing the original name of the smaller former benskins brewery pub 'the pennant'.)
Flamingo and Firkin	Derby	Flares
Flamingo and Firkin	Kingston upon Thames, London	Originally Three Tuns, subsequently Flamingo, Hog and Stump, Kingston Tup, No 88 Bar & Grill. Brewkit transferred to Packhorse Brewery at Grantham Arms (Now Closed), Portsmouth.
Flanker and Firkin	Coventry	The Hare and Squirrel
Flapper and Firkin	Birmingham	The Flapper
Flare and Firkin	Aberdeen	The Holburn	Arena
Flax and Firkin	Preston	The Assembly
Flea and Firkin	Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester	The Footage (Also previously called Footage and Firkin after Flea and Firkin, see below)	Scream
Fledgling and Firkin	Hertford	Blackbirds
Fleece and Firkin	Bristol	The Fleece
Fleet and Firkin	Portsmouth	Did not brew Beer, A Flares (Popworld) Nightclub traded on the top floor.	Stonegate
Fletcher and Firkin	Nottingham	The Castle
Flicker and Firkin	Richmond upon Thames, London	The Lot	Scream
Flitch and Firkin	Leigh	The Boars Head
Flock and Firkin	Walsall	The Wheatsheaf
Floozey and Firkin	Woodseats, Sheffield	Woodseats Hotel
Florikan and Firkin	Bedminster, Bristol	The Steam Crane (after spells as Bay Bar and Bar Salt)
Flounder and Firkin	Holloway, London	Originally the Lamb, the brewery tap of the Highbury brewery, founded in 1740 and taken over and closed by Taylor Walker 1912. Numerous guises post-Firkin including Bar Cosa, since March 2012 independent pub The Lamb.
Flower and Firkin	Kew, London
Fly and Firkin	Middlesbrough	Southfield	Scream
Flyhalf and Firkin	Cardiff	The Queen's Vaults
Flyer and Firkin	Reading	Oakford Social Club
Flyman and Firkin	Central London	Now Thai Square restaurant
Foal and Firkin	Derby	The White Horse
Fog and Firkin	Newcastle	Stereo Bar
Font and Firkin (now called The Font)	Brighton
Fool and Firkin	Plymouth	Woodside Inn
Footage and Firkin (previously called The Flea and Firkin)	Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester	The Footage	Scream
Footbridge and Firkin	Clifton, Bristol	The Mall
Force and Firkin	Cheshunt	O'Sheas
Ford and Firkin	Romford, London	The Bitter End. The pub's original name was the White Hart. Closed in 2012.
Forehorse and Firkin	Wakefield
Forger and Firkin	Guildford	The Drummond Arms
Forester and Firkin	Stafford	The Firkin
Fornax and Firkin	South Harrow	Star
Formula and Firkin	Weybridge	Hand and Spear
Fort and Firkin	Windsor	Browns
Forum and Firkin	Bath		O'Neills
Fo'c's'le and Firkin	Hull	Pub now Demolished
Founder and Firkin	New Hall Street, Hanley, Staffordshire	Bar 360
Foundry and Firkin	Sheffield	The Beehive
Fourpence and Firkin	Leicester		O'Neills
Fowl and Firkin	Coventry	The Aardvark	Scream
Fox and Firkin	Lewisham, London	Original name the Black Bull. Retains the name The Fox and Firkin although has been known simply as the Fox.	The TCG Group
Francis and Firkin	Chatham, Kent	The Old Post Office
Franklin and Firkin	Canterbury	The Old Buttermarket
Freebooter and Firkin	Plymouth
Freedom and Firkin	Tooting, London		The George (now Gardenhouse)
Freelance and Firkin	Dundee	Duke's Corner
Fates and Firkin	Bradford	now closed
Freetrader and Firkin	Bristol	The Crown
Fresher and Firkin	Cambridge	Tivoli	J D Wetherspoon
Friar and Firkin	Central London	The Rocket	Scream
Friary and Firkin	Lancaster	The Friary	Scream
Friesian and Firkin	Clapham, London	Originally the Bull's Head, subsequently the Calf	Castle Mitchells & Butlers
Fringe and Firkin	Shepherd's Bush, London	Sindercombe Social	O'Neills
Frog and Firkin	Central London	Name first applied in 1981 to London's third Firkin pub, the former Tavistock Arms in Tavistock Crescent W11. The pub was used as location for the film Withnail and I (1987). This ceased to be a Firkin in 1992 and went through several subsequent names including Babushka's, the Mother Black Cap and the Tavistock before being demolished in 2010 and replaced with flats. The Frog and Firkin name was transferred to the Elgin in Ladbroke Grove, which has since reverted to its original name.	Geronimo (Young's)
Fruit and Firkin	Bracknell	The Goose	Goose
Fruitmaker and Firkin	Glasgow		O'Neills
Fuggle and Firkin	Oxford		Goose
Fugitive and Firkin	Norwich	The Lawyer
Fullback and Firkin	Leicester	Polar Bear	Scream
Fulmar and Firkin	Holborn, London	Parker Place [Currently Closed, undergoing refurbishment]
Furlong and Firkin	Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire	The Cornerhouse
Furze and Firkin	Streatham, London
Fusilier and Firkin	Camden Lock, London
Fuzz and Firkin	Portsmouth	Became Goose at the V&A in 2001, Renamed Victoria and Albert in 2013. brewer transferred to Buckland Brewery in Winchester Arms, Portsmouth.
Fuzzock and Firkin	Leicester	The Donkey
Goose and Firkin	Southwark, London	The Duke of York	Shepherd Neame
Phalanx and Firkin	York	The Priory	Town
Phantom and Firkin	Plaistow London	(demolished 2002)
Phantom and Firkin	Loughborough	Phantom	Scream
Pharaoh and Firkin	Fulham, London	Located in a converted former Temperance Billiard Hall dating from 1910. After a period as an O'Neill's now renamed The Temperance.	Stonegate
Pheasant and Firkin	London	The Old Ivy House
Philanderer and Firkin	Oxford	The Jericho
Philanthropist and Firkin	St Albans		O'Neills
Philatelist and Firkin	Bromley, London		O'Neills
Philosopher and Firkin	Oxford	The University and City Arms
Phizog and Firkin	Newport	The Six Bells
Phoenix and Firkin	Camberwell, London	The Phoenix (Name chosen because the pub rose out of ruins after the listed building of Denmark Hill railway station was destroyed by fire in the 1980s.)
Photographer and Firkin	Ealing, London		O'Neills
Phrenologist and Firkin	Slough		The Assembly
Physician and Firkin	Edinburgh	The Crags	Scream
Physio and Firkin	Leicester	The Phizz! Now demolished
Ffesant and Firkin	Bangor	The Hen Glan

Note: The full name of the Ferret and Firkin, in Chelsea, was "The Ferret and Firkin in The Balloon Up The Creek". This referenced the original name of the pub - The Balloon - and its location, Chelsea Creek.

Canadian Firkin Pubs

Firkin Name	City	Province
Badger & Firkin	Etobicoke	ON
Bear & Firkin	Pickering	ON
Beaver & Firkin	Scarborough	ON
Bull & Firkin	Toronto	ON
Churchmouse & Firkin	Toronto	ON
Crown & Firkin	Whitby	ON
Drake & Firkin	Mississauga	ON
Falcon & Firkin	Richmond Hill	ON
Falls & Firkin	Niagara Falls	ON
Ferret & Firkin	Toronto	ON
Fiddle & Firkin	Cambridge	ON
Filly & Firkin	Aurora	ON
Flatiron & Firkin	Toronto	ON
Fox & Firkin	Toronto	ON
Friar & Firkin	Toronto	ON
Frigate & Firkin	Brampton	ON
Frog & Firkin	North York	ON
Goose & Firkin	Don Mills	ON
Gull & Firkin	Toronto	ON
Hare & Firkin	Mississauga	ON
Lion & Firkin	Newmarket	ON
Moose & Firkin	Woodbridge	ON
Owl & Firkin	Markham	ON
Pheasant & Firkin	North York	ON
Quail & Firkin	Toronto	ON
Spitfire & Firkin	Tecumseh	ON
Squire & Firkin	Etobicoke	ON
Swan & Firkin	Toronto	ON
Tannery & Firkin	Kitchener	ON
Wolf & Firkin	Toronto	ON
Frog & Firkin	Vancouver	BC
Firkin & Knight	Ottawa	ON

U.S. Firkin Group Pubs

Firkin Name	City	State	Year Est.
Firkin & Phoenix	Houston	TX	2006
Firkin & Kegler	Orlando	FL	2008
Firkin & Hound	South Riding	VA	2006 (Closed 2008)
Firkin & Hound	Visalia	CA	2008 (Closed 2012)
Firkin & Frog	Vancouver	WA	2008 (Closed 6/2009)
Firkin & Frigate	Newport News	VA	2006 (Closed 3/27/11)
Firkin & Friar	Tucson	AZ	2007 (Closed 2009, Opened as "Canyon's Crown")
Firkin & Crown	Cumming	GA	2009 (Closed)
Firkin & Fox	Albany	NY	2005 (Closed 04/09 - now is under a new name)
Firkin & Pheasant	Chicago	IL	2009 (Closed)
Firkin & Fox	Burton	MI	2005
Firkin & Fox	Carson City	NV	2008
Firkin & Wolf	Reno	NV	2010 (Closed)
Firkin & Fox	Glen Ellyn	IL	2006 (Closed 08/07 Now the "Tap House")
Firkin & Fox	Des Moines	IA	2007 (Closed 06/09)
Firkin & Fox	Dulles	VA	2006
Firkin & Fox	Modesto	CA	2008
Firkin & Fox	Morgantown	WV	2007 (Closed 2008)
Firkin & Bull	Wichita	KS	2008 (Closed 2010)
Firkin & Beaver	Tracy	CA	2008 (Closed January 2010)
Firkin & Lindbergh	Atlanta	GA	2009 (Closed)
Firkin & Gryphon	Atlanta	GA	2010 (opened 12/8/10, Closed)
Firkin & Fox	Bradenton	FL	2008 (Closed)
Firkin & Bulldog	Stafford	VA	2008 (Closed)

Continental European pubs

Firkin Name	Location	Country	Current Name	Current Brand
Fiddler and Firkin	The Hague	Netherlands	Fiddler
Florin and Firkin	Utrecht	Netherlands	Florin

External links

• Firkin Group Of Pubs home page (US and Canada)
• List of Firkins with histories
• Pub Reviews at PubJury.com
• List of Firkin pubs in Greater London (1999)