A London pub chain known for its Scandinavian-influenced interior design and gourmet breakfast menu is changing hands, as the “neighbourhood” bars group was bought by Portobello Pub Company today.
Darwin & Wallace operates seven pubs, mostly in South West London, at locations including Battersea Power Station and Chiswick Fire Station. It says all of its locations “take inspiration from their local areas”, and are designed in response to the “formulaic” style of many London watering holes.The chain is named after naturalists Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.
The price was not disclosed, but the acquisition likely means a big payout for Darwin & Wallace founder Mel Marriott, who will step away from the day-to-day operation of the pubsas Portobello takes over.
Marriott said: “I am incredibly proud of what we’ve built at Darwin & Wallace and am immensely grateful to everybody who has been a part of this journey.
“While it’s the end of an era for me, what we have created is truly special and I am looking forward to watching the business continue to flourish under the stewardship of Mark, Richard and the Portobello team.”
The deal means Portobello Pubs now operates 27 sites across the capital and the suth east. Its chair Mark Crowther said: ““This is a fantastic acquisition for Portobello, bringing an extremely successful and high-quality business under our umbrella.
“It represents a fantastic opportunity for us to blend our existing high-quality estate of pubs and restaurants with a collection of truly excellent and premium high-street hospitality venues.
“Mel and her team have done an extraordinary job in creating and building the business over the past decade, and we’d like to thank her for trusting us to be careful custodians; we are looking forward to taking Darwin & Wallace to the next level. We’d also like to thank the teams at both Imbiba and Zetland for supporting this deal, enabling us to start this exciting new chapter at Portobello.”
