Dallas Campbell (right) at the opening of The Astronomer with Fuller’s Marcus Turner (left) and Joanthan Swaine
The Astronomer, in London’s Middlesex Street — the latest addition to the Fuller’s Ale and Pie brand — has been opened by Bang Goes The Theory and Gadget Show presented Dallas Campbell.
A minute’s walk from Liverpool Street Station, The Astronomer has a strong cosmological theme. The two bars have been named The Observatory and The Hubble Room.
The pub takes its name from the building in which it sits. Astral House was originally the home of the Jewish Board of Guardians. The Astronomer was previously known by another stellar-related name, The Shooting Star.
The large ground floor bar, The Observatory, has a wide selection of cask, keg and bottled beers. The biggest transformation in the pub has occurred downstairs. Once a large but bare function room, The Hubble Room is now a cosy sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the City above. There are individual booths, each named after a famous astronomer, for intimate dining and cocktails. The Hubble Room bar now boasts a cocktail station, a large wine cooler and a genuine Wray telescope.
Dallas said: “I’m really chuffed to have been asked to open The Astronomer. It’s great to see a pub show such an appreciation for science. I love the detail and thought put in to the decoration — I could spend a lot of time looking at all the artefacts here. The Wray telescope is particularly impressive — it’s the best I’ve seen in a while and definitely the best one I’ve seen in a pub.”
Jonathon Swaine, managing director of Fuller’s Inns, said: “The Astronomer is a fantastic site and this new scheme really takes it to a new dimension. It’s the perfect marriage of science and beer — and the first time we’ve included two astronomical clocks in a pub’s design. If you have a passion for the stars, and a love of pies and pints, this really is the pub for you.”
