New Black Horse Tap Opens on Walthamstow’s Blackhorse Beer Mile
A Brewhouse You Can Sit Above on the Blackhorse Beer Mile
If you’ve walked along Lockwood Way recently, you’ll have noticed how the Blackhorse Beer Mile has grown into one of east London’s most useful places for a drink. On Friday 27 November, East London Brewing Co. adds a new chapter with the Black Horse Tap, a pub built directly above its working brewery at Unit 2, Lockwood Way, E17 5RB.
The layout is what sets it apart. Internal windows look straight down onto the brewhouse, so you can watch the day’s beer being made while you wait at the bar. It’s a rare chance to see what usually happens behind the frosted glass of a brewery. The site covers around 22,000 square feet, making it the largest on the Mile. The company moved here in April, and the new pub is part of marking its 15th year in business.
Inside, expect a pool table and a dartboard, the sort of unfussy furniture that makes a local pub feel lived-in. The main draw in warmer months will be the large terrace overlooking the Mile, which should fill quickly once the evenings lengthen. Out back, a yard with a heated marquee will keep things going through the colder months. That matters in Walthamstow, where residents want a reliable local to gather in when the nights draw in.
For people living nearby, the Mile has long pulled in beer fans from across London. A pub sitting on top of the brewhouse gives locals a reason to stay close to home rather than heading into town for a good night out.
The People Behind the Pints and the Fire
At the heart of the opening is head brewer Paul Hancock, whose beers will be poured at the bar in full view of the people drinking them. The range runs from traditional cask ales to modern keg beers and lagers. Among the highlights is East End Premium Pilsner, named Pilsner of the Year at the 2026 London Beer Competition, and Cowcatcher American Pale, which won Gold at the 2025 CAMRA London Cask Beer Awards. Weekly-changing guest casks mean regulars will always have a reason to come back.
The business behind the pub is owned by Ronnie Finch, who has spent the past decade reviving closed and struggling East London pubs. His portfolio includes The Duke in Wanstead, the Leytonstone Tavern, Tavern on the Hill and the Empire Tavern. For many local drinkers, his venues have become familiar fixtures, and this latest project extends that record of keeping community pubs alive.
The kitchen is run by Matt Purkis, the chef behind the charcoal-led outfit Play With Fire. He previously worked at Lagom and Ibai, and his residency runs until the end of the year. Expect brisket sausage rolls, Basque-style black pudding, skewers cooked over the coals and his signature Alabama chicken, which is smoked for four hours.
The opening also creates work for freelance DJs, bar staff and kitchen teams, along with local suppliers. Small firms in the trade, sole traders and hospitality businesses across west London often rely on dependable local bookkeeping support, including Hounslow bookkeeping specialists, to keep their finances in order through a busy season. As venues like this grow, the surrounding network of local services tends to grow with them.
What Walthamstow Residents Should Know and Watch Next
The Black Horse Tap opens on Friday 27 November, and it’s worth planning your first visit around the pub’s regular rhythms. Pints start from £4 on Thursdays, Sunday roasts are served every week, and DJs play neo-soul, jazz, funk and disco on Friday and Saturday nights. The Play With Fire residency runs until the end of the year, so food from the open-fire kitchen is available for a limited window before the menu may change.
If you want to avoid disappointment, check eastlondonbrewing.com before heading down, especially for busy Friday and Saturday evenings when the DJs are on. Booking ahead for the Sunday roast is also sensible, as local demand is likely to be strong. Visitors coming from further afield, such as Richmond or Hounslow, will face a longer trip across town, so it’s worth checking your route and travel times before setting out.
What to watch next is how the venue settles into the neighbourhood. Will the residency be extended beyond the new year? How will the heated marquee perform in the depths of winter? And will the terrace become the summer hotspot the team clearly hopes for? These are the questions that will show whether the Black Horse Tap becomes a long-term fixture of the Mile.
For residents, the practical message is simple. A new, well-equipped pub has arrived on your doorstep, and it’s worth giving it a try. Support the local businesses that make it work, and let the team know what you think once you’ve tried a pint.
Source: A New Walthamstow Pub Is Opening On The Blackhorse Beer Mile
