Close to the northwest corner of Victoria Park in East London, you’ll find The Hemingway. In operation for two and a half years, the pub was well received by critics in early days: lauded for its comfortable decor creating a welcoming atmosphere, solid selection of spirits, frequently updated menu, and a friendly and efficient staff. And while good reviews are useful to get patrons through the door once, lasting success requires a loyal following. The Hemingway has managed to cultivate a regular crowd, becoming what many in the neighborhood consider a home away from home. What’s the key to their success? To answer that, we can look to the purveyors of the establishment. The owners are a small group of individuals who had many years of experience in the hospitality industry, compiling a complete understanding of what it would take to achieve success, before hanging their own shingle. Fittingly, the conditions which created the opportunity for the ownership of The Hemingway to thrive, neatly parallels its namesake’s view on what creates the condition for great writing. As Ernest Hemingway wrote in Death In The Afternoon, “The great thing is to last and get your work done and see and hear and learn and understand; and write when there is something that you know; and not before; and not too damned much after.” No doubt the literary giant would have loved carousing here.

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