Daniel Craig has traded the high-stakes world of international espionage for a much more grounded British institution. The actor, who portrayed James Bond in five films, has teamed up with a trio of hospitality entrepreneurs to purchase The Horseshoe, a historic eighteenth-century pub located in the Clerkenwell district of London.
The acquisition brings the 58-year-old actor back to his roots, though this particular venture comes with a uniquely spooky twist. According to local legend and the pub’s previous owners, the establishment’s cellar is haunted by the ghost of an eighteenth-century executioner named Gilbert.
A Royal Addition and a Cellar-Dwelling Spectre
The Horseshoe, which boasts roughly 250 years of history having opened its doors around 1748, operates under more than just conventional management challenges. Pauline Tucker, who ran the establishment alongside her husband Richard for thirty-six years starting in 1990, did not disclose the resident phantom when negotiations began, only revealing the spectral detail just before handing over the keys. You feel it,
Tucker said.
Rather than balking at the paranormal acquisition, Craig offered a characteristically dry response to The Times regarding the cellar dweller. “I don’t know what he drinks, but maybe we’ll have to leave a pint down there: ‘There you go, Gilbert,’” the actor joked.
Craig is far from alone in the venture. He shares ownership of The Horseshoe with Nick Jones, founder of the private members’ club chain Soho House; Charlie Carroll, creator of the Flat Iron steakhouse chain; and Justin O’Shea, creative director of the Bad Belze beer brand, which Craig helped launch earlier this year, as detailed by La Vanguardia.
Childhood Memories in Cheshire Pubs
The transition from Hollywood blockbusters to cellar management is less of a pivot than a homecoming.
That formative experience shaped his philosophy on hospitality. Craig reflected on the environment of his childhood pubs, comparing the rhythm of opening a bar to stepping onto a theatrical stage: you clean the floors, prep the room, unlock the doors, and let the show begin.
Renovation Plans and Community Access
The new owners plan to close the pub to undertake a comprehensive, year-long renovation project, as reported by La Vanguardia. The overhaul will keep the ground floor functioning as a traditional drinking establishment, while the upper-floor bar—historically crowded with dartboards—will be transformed into a dedicated dining room. The plans also include revamping the building to incorporate a terrace and an expansive beer garden.
Despite the high-profile backgrounds of its new investors, Craig has emphasized that The Horseshoe will not be turned into an exclusive, high-end modern gastropub. The goal is to preserve its accessibility, ensuring it remains an open, welcoming space for the Clerkenwell community as the wider British hospitality sector faces mounting economic pressures.
Industry Crisis and Upcoming Film Projects
Craig, whose upcoming film project is the new Narnia movie directed by Greta Gerwig and scheduled for release in February 2027, joins this broader effort to preserve local institutions.
