Oisín Rogers, The Devonshire: Building London’s Most Successful Pub, The Power of Storytelling, Embracing Lovely Chaos, Trends are Wrong, Be Besotted not Obsessed

A ripe afternoon eclipsed a rotten morning before. everything erupted.

Snotty grey-clotted cream clouds passed.

Peach-peeled sunshine danced along the rooftops, apple-green light flushed into the Soho streets. Everything GLOWED

Friday, 4.30ish.

I rested against the verdant green, freshly painted walls, nursing Guinny n ciggie

A porridge of boozehounds and tangle of ThankGodItsFridays flowed and spilled and laughed into streets.

The Devonshire, SOHO is the Moon landing for battle cruisers.

Centrifugal rocket ship.

Fairground of Fun.

Banging bacchanalia.

I sat in the middle of this Puddin’. Soaking. This lovely-lovely brash bewilderment. Quaffing back Guinness at race-hound speed. Bone-rattling-cold. Creamy Dreamy. Black Abyss. Raging Bliss.

Absolutely DEEE-lighted to welcome co-founder The Devonshire, Oisín Rogers on the pod.

Alongside trio Charlie Carroll (Flat Iron) and Ashley Walter-Palmers (The Fat Duck) - they’re creating something truly special.

Osh is HANDS DOWN one of the best storytellers I’ve had on the poddy.

We dance through the full helter-skelter-kaleidoscope of human emotions.

Our conversation will change the way you view pubs forever.

Before The Devonshire, Osh ran The Guinny Grill in Mayfair and The Ship, Wandsworth. Osh was responsible for the infamous Ship Sundays.

You’re going to love this one

ON THE MENU:

1. The Secrets of Great Hospitality and How Osh Became “OctoPaddy”
2. Why The Devonshire is 1000 little things done well = Storytelling = “the currency of pubs is storytelling”
3. The “Obsessed” Reframe: Change “obsessed” to “besotted”. What a lovely reframe.
4. Everything Popular is Wrong - Oscar Wilde: “there’s no such thing as a good trend” - focus on building a timeless business.
5. The best pubs = Land Lord becomes synonymous pub. Pub becomes synonymous with landlord
6. Devonshire’s Bin man & Chairman Rule = Create a place where everyone speaks to everyone
7. Carrol, Rogers, Palmer-Walters Symphony for Success = Chaos + Order + Perfection
8. Paddy Rogers (Osh’s Dad) Simple Rule for Life “Avoid Unpleasantness”

Monday 8am. Cannae wait till then? Other episodes below

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