Antic to expand with purchase of Clapham Walkabout

Antic, led by Anthony Thomas, plans to refurbish the two-storey bar and reopen it as the Battersea Mess & Music Hall this autumn.

It is one of a handful of sites the operator, known for its 'back to basics' approach to pubs, is planning to open in south and east London this year. It already operates 16 in the capital, mostly in south London.

Anthony Jenkins, associate director of corporate pubs at Christie & Co, the agent in charge of the sale for Walkabout owner Intertain, said: “The group has 16 pubs, the majority of which are south of the river, and all are ‘proper pubs’ in traditional buildings with some of the best entertainment that London has to offer. We’re delighted to have sold this bar to this expanding empire.”

Antic will open its latest site, the Red Lion in Leytonstone, next week before opening the Clapton Hart in Lower Clapton Road. The company also plans to open the Greyhound in Sydenham this winter.

The former Walkabout, in Clapham's Lavender Gardens, was the location of the first Jongleur's Comedy Club. It was sold by Intertain, who took over the Walkabout brand along with Old Orleans following the collapse of Regent Inns in 2009.