For a venue tucked away on West Street in Carshalton, The Hope has become something of a local legend.
It’s a pub known not only for its beer, but also for its people, its independence, and the kind of atmosphere that’s increasingly rare in London.
Regulars know it’s no ordinary place. Behind the bar is a team of staff who’ve chosen to work here, often for years. Behind the scenes, it’s owned not by a brewery or pub chain, but by a group of 46 local shareholders, some of whom started out pulling pints themselves.
Rodger Molyneux, licensee and part of the founding group, first got involved when the pub was under threat in 2009. At the time, it was in poor shape and facing closure.
He told Your Local Guardian: “The pub had been shut for a couple of years. It was in a bad state and being run by a holding company, just ticking over until it could be sold or rented.
“One of the suggestions was to turn it into an Indian restaurant. Luckily, I knew someone who could get our proposal in front of the Punch Taverns board, and we matched the restaurant’s offer but kept it as a pub.
“They probably thought we’d go bust after a couple of years and they’d get it back.
“We negotiated a 20-year lease, the same terms they’d have given the restaurant, and ran it through a company we set up called 48 West Limited.
“Eventually, we bought the freehold in 2015 for £500,000 plus VAT. That gave us the freedom to grow.”
For a venue tucked away on West Street in Carshalton, The Hope has become something of a local legend (Image: Amy Clarke)
That growth has been steady and considered. A basement cold room now supports the ever-expanding beer list.
The garden marquee, used heavily during the pub’s monthly beer festivals, hopes to soon be replaced by a permanent wooden structure with solar panels and a dedicated beer cellar.
Inside, the focus remains on quality. The Hope typically has seven cask ales on at once, alongside keg taps, real ciders, and a wide array of bottled and canned beers.
For those not drinking beer, the bar also offers a substantial list of wines, whiskies, gins, rums and meads.
Rodger said: “There are certain pumps where the beer changes regularly, but it’ll always be something similar. If you like a four per cent pale, you’ll always find one.
“We keep two beers on permanently – Windsor & Eton Knight of the Garter and Downton New Forest Ale – partly for some of our older regulars who don’t like to switch too much.”
With growing demand over the years, sourcing has evolved. What used to be road trips to pick up barrels from Manchester now arrives via pallet deliveries.
The team still makes an effort to stock local breweries where possible, including through CAMRA’s ‘LocAle’ scheme.
The emphasis isn’t just on the drink. In a London landscape increasingly filled with gastropubs and chain venues, The Hope has found its identity by staying, unapologetically, a proper pub.
He added: “We’re not a gastropub. We’re a pub that serves food. There’s a difference. The hot pots are made in big batches, tested carefully, and we try to play to people’s strengths.
“One of our chefs has a Korean background, another has Polish roots, and that comes through in the recipes.”
Hot pots now make up a regular part of the menu — simple, comforting meals served in individual stone bowls.
At lunchtime, you’ll also find hand-carved ham, cheese rolls and other straightforward fare, offered with the same thoughtfulness that goes into the beer selection.
The Hope’s structure as a community-owned venue is central to its ethos. No individual can own more than 24 per cent of shares, and the only way to become a shareholder now is to inherit or to work behind the bar for five years.
Rodger explained: “It started with 17 of us, then we expanded when we needed to raise more money to buy the freehold. Since then, the only way in is through the five-year route.
“That keeps it rooted in the community. Nobody can come in and push it in a direction we don’t want.
“We’ve had families with three generations working here. Some of the younger ones are now becoming shareholders.
“We’ve got a strong core of people who’ll step in and help out whenever they’re needed.”
Every great pub has a cat. The Hope’s pub cat, named simply “pubcat”, was a stray who wandered into a nearby bookshop before making herself at home in the pub, she quickly became part of the furniture — often seen lounging above the bar or weaving between customers’ legs.
In recent years, she’s retired from pub life and now lives with a former manager, but her legacy lives on. Visitors still ask after her, and she remains part of the pub’s identity, featuring in social media posts and artwork around the building.
Asked why someone should give The Hope a try, Rodger said: “It’s bigger than it looks from the outside. We try to blend traditional and modern.
“We’ve worked hard. Everything we serve earns its place on the bar. And if you’re not sure what to have – just ask for a taster. We’d rather you find something you enjoy.”
