Durrant family since 1964

The Durrant family’s story at the Old Fountain began in 1964, when Ted Durrant arrived to manage the pub. At the time it was tied to the Whitbread Brewery, as many London pubs were.

After Ted’s passing in 1971, his son James took over. Together with his wife Maureen, James ran the Old Fountain for nearly 40 years, and for many regulars the two of them were the heart of the place. During their time the pub’s link with Whitbread came to an end, and the Old Fountain became a free house. That freedom shaped the pub we know today, with its own choice of what goes on the bar.

In around 2008, James was joined behind the bar by his son, David Durrant. James retired shortly afterwards, leaving the Old Fountain in David’s hands as the third generation of the family to run it.

Since then the pub has seen some careful updates. A new first-floor roof terrace has been added, and the bar now offers an up-to-date range of drinks, including an extensive beer selection. Around the same time, the kitchens were fully refurbished, which lets us serve excellent food every day, along with our very popular Sunday roasts.

Through all these changes, the Old Fountain has kept what matters most. It is still a traditional London boozer, run by the same family for more than 60 years.