Homegrown Pubs and Bars Ltd announced as new operator of the Fellowship Inn

We are happy to announce that Homegrown will be the new operator of the Fellowship Inn when it reopens next month (September 2022).

Steeped in local history, The Fellowship was built in the 1920s as part of the Bellingham estate, which celebrates its centenary next year. It was the training base for local heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper ahead of his 1963 fight with Mohammad Ali and has hosted gigs by legendary rock bands Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, and The Yardbirds.

Restored by Phoenix in 2019 with a £4million fund through the Heritage Lottery Fund, the refurbished pub now features a cinema, theatre, café, and restored music rehearsal space.

The pub officially opened in February 2019 but had to close in March 2020 due to lockdown restrictions which meant the previous operator withdraw from running the pub. Since then, we’ve have been searching for a new operator to take over the running of the pub.

Phoenix Community Housing Chief Executive, Denise Fowler said: “We’re proud of the heritage of Bellingham and the Fellowship plays a vital role in that history.

“We’re pleased to welcome Homegrown as the new pub operator and create a space for people in the community to connect socially again. Reopening The Fellowship as a thriving community venue is essential to Phoenix’s ambitions to regenerate  Bellingham and the surrounding wards in Lewisham.” 

Homegrown currently operate one other pub in London with a focus of reviving historic pubs with the community to create social hubs in the local area.

Co-Founder of Homegrown, Ben Martin said: “After many months of conversation and planning we are incredibly excited to finally get the keys and start work on the relaunch of the Fellowship Inn.

"We hope to unlock this venue's potential to become the social heart of the Bellingham community and beyond. Having managed and launched many pubs over the years our experience with working alongside Phoenix has been a breath of fresh air in terms of support, communication and genuine enthusiasm to get the Fellowship open again. We believe our values when it comes to running pubs are the perfect fit for the Fellowship and the Bellingham community. We cannot wait to welcome you all back inside for a pint, a party, a film or a fry up.”

Visit our website to stay up to date with when the Fellowship opens.