‘I visited the tiny South London pub named the best that’s tucked away at the back of a florist’s’

CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) has named this quirky pub inside a florists as London’s best

I love pubs, me. They’re a beacon of hospitality whenever I’m in a strange, new place… I also have a small penchant for alcohol.

It was no surprise then, that when CAMRA awarded its regional London pub of the year award, I went straight on a mission to suss it out.

The Cockpit in Chislehurst, South East London, is an unusual choice for such an honour. This micropub combined with a florists opened in December 2020 in Royal Parade – a quaint row of independent shops and bars that looks about as quintessentially English as you can imagine.

Run by Adam Miller and Paul Steadman, the pub has a focus on cask ale and fine ciders, showcasing the country’s best independent producers as well as supporting local community projects. The Cockpit gets its name from the historic cockfighting that used to take place on Chislehurst Common.

It’s a searing hot day when I arrive, and I’m delighted by the old school charms of the place. Outside is a red phone box, Victorian lamp and hanging baskets.

The charms continue through The Cockpit’s doors as a waft of floristry aroma fills the bar, which is decked out in exposed wood with a traditional fireplace and lots of rustic seating.

There are all manner of local country beers, stouts and aromatic pale ales on the bar. None of them are chain brands you’ll see in other pubs, it really is a voyage of discovering new quality beers – all sold for remarkably good value.

I class myself more as a lager drinker, although I don’t mind a pale ale. And so it is, that I grab a pint of Sussex Pale (3.5% ABV) an earthy and refreshing pale ale with just enough hops to give a kick of flavour without alienating lager lovers like myself.

On my second trip to the bar, the barman taps his nose and tells me that he has the best lager ever… in the fridge. This haloed bottle – Rothaus Pils (5.1% ABV) – is of course a German brand and it more than lives up to its reputation. Crisp and refined with a faint hoppiness, this is a lager I’ll be ordering a cask of though the post (thanks Cockpit!). And, it’s also just strong enough to leave me slightly tipsy…

I’m not sure I can fully convey the quirkiness, the contrariness and the two-fingered response to trends that seems to characterise The Cockpit.

But as our high streets increasingly turn into homogenous copycats filled with the same chains, sometimes it pays for a business that goes zig when everyone else goes zag.

I’ll finish with a few words from Mr Miller and Mr Steadman themselves about their CAMRA victory, which seems a fitting conclusion to sum up the bar.

“Flabbersmacked we are,” they say. “Absolutely gobberghasted. Honoured to be rubbing shoulders with such a resplendent arsenal of boozers, let alone to be recognised by CAMRA as top of the pubs for Greater London this year.

“A sea spanning embrace to everyone that has supported us since opening 5 years ago, so many of you have invested a titanic amount of enthusiasm into what we love to do, it makes every day a joy.

“Above all, a pious curtsy to our team and everyone behind the scenes, the invigoration and zeal with which you approach each day is a constant vitalising tonic and a perpetual pleasure.”

The Cockpit is located in Royal Parade, Chislehurst

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