A former computer programmer has turned redundancy into the opportunity to pursue his dream of opening a micropub.

Father-of-three Andy Wheeler, who lives in Bexleyheath, is set to open the doors to The Broken Drum in Blackfen on Good Friday (April 3), having transformed a disused nail bar in Westwood Lane into a tiny tavern.

He said: “I have wanted to open a mircopub ever since I visited various micropubs in the Kent area.

“I love my real ale and have been an active member of Bexley CAMRA for several years. So when I became redundant, opening my own micropub became my next life challenge.”

It has taken a just over a year for Andy’s plan to come together, after he began looking for premises in February last year and got the correct licences and permissions.

The pub is named after the tavern in the Discworld series of books as Andy is an avid reader of the recently deceased author Terry Pratchett.

When it opens, the Broken Drum will be Bexley borough’s third micropub and Andy has taken plenty of advice from the landlord of its first, The Door Hinge in Welling, which was also greater London’s first micropub.

Andy, 57, said: “He has been a great help from advising me of what to do, to helping build the two benches for the pub.”
Prior to becoming the Broken Drum, the building had been empty for two years.

Andy said: “I now hope to promote locals to relax and converse in a friendly atmosphere with good ale to drink.

“The premise behind mircopubs is that they sell mainly real ale, a little wine and cider, but no spirits and no lager.

"They encourage conversation and shun electronic games, TV, music and mobile phones. I'm hoping to sell pub snacks and the like.”