The King William IV recalls a proud East London tradition of brewing and hospitality. It is the brewery tap for the adjoining Sweet William Brewery, providing beer for a remarkable £1.99 a pint. Additionally, the pub retains the style and character of its 17th century origins as a local hostelry for farmers, drovers and carters.

The Venue
The first pub on this site opened in 1656 and served a thriving local rural community around the Lea Valley plus travellers to and from Essex and London. Its name commemorates King William IV who became popular by consenting to the adoption of the notable Parliamentary Reform Act of 1832.

It is now owned by the Brodie family who also operate the Old Coffee House in Soho and Cross Keys in Covent Garden. Thirtysomething brother and sister, James and Lizzie Brodie, are especially involved in the brewing operation.

It is close to the junction of Leyton High Road and Lea Bridge Road, just yards from the Bakers Arms junction. The present building dates from 1897 and is imposingly four-storied. Predominantly red bricked, it has white decorative edgings and an array of notable finials. The exterior is particularly eye-catching in summer, with hanging baskets of flowers providing vibrant colours.

The large interior is marked into a front and rear bar by a Tudor arch and there is a curved wooden central service point for both bars. Walls are covered with prints, etchings and photographs. There is an array of reproductions by the Regency satirists Gillray and Rowlandson. These are highly appropriate as William IV was, like others of the royal family, the object of critical barbs for his extravagant love life! Also prominent is a massive wall mirror dedicated to Truman’s, once a famed Spitalfields brewer. There are plenty of other decorations including a bull’s head, musical instruments and a petrol pump.

The Atmosphere
Customers come from Leyton and Walthamstow and there are nine buses stopping at Bakers Arms, making for access easy. Weekends see their numbers swelled by beer aficionados from further afield who can alight at Walthamstow Central by Tube or train, or Leyton by Tube.

Among the customers there are residents from the six double en-suite rooms that the pub provides upstairs. Many are from abroad as they are attracted by the competitive prices of £45-£60 per night and the easy access to central London.

Two TV screens provide the highly popular Sky Sports and a bar billiards table in the rear bar is also well-used. Thursday nights are music nights. Professional groups perform with jazz and blues predominating.

The Food
Food is provided throughout the day and is standard pub fare to accompany the drinks. Jacket potatoes, burgers, lasagna and scampi and chips, among other offerings, are available at £5.50 and even the more expensive dishes such as steak and mixed grill are priced at only £7.95.

The Drink
Brodie’s real ale is the centrepiece of the King William IV and it pulls in the punters in great numbers. 14 are normally available on draught during the week and this becomes 20 at weekends.

The brewery is housed in the former stables at the side of the pub. Opened in 2008, it is the first brewery to operate in East London since 1975 yet the area once rivaled Burton with three giant breweries – Truman’s, Charrington at Mile End and Mann Crossman and Paulin in Whitechapel.

Brewer James Brodie is aware of a reputation for London beer excellence and is constantly seeking to produce something different. There’s usually a portfolio of 40 beers which can be produced – an astonishing range of styles and strengths for what is still a microbrewery.

Among them are a 3.7% cranberry pale ale and a 3.8% pomegranate rye. Even more exotic is a classic 3.4% Berliner Weisse wheat beer and a stunningly strong 12.1% Romamov Russian Imperial Stout, a style favoured by the 19th century czars. Not for the faint-hearted is a rich, malt-drenched and treacly-black 22% Elizabethan – served only in nips.

All of the above may be featured but there are five always on offer – 3.9% English Best bitter; 4.2% Amarilla, a golden ale; 5.3% California IPA; a distinctive 6.2% Hackney Red; and a 7.2% London Porter. The last time-honoured brew is much appreciated by quaffers who complain that London is a dark beer desert.

Three other guest beers, usually best bitters, are also on draught. They can include products from Camden Town and Tottenham’s Redemption to preserve an East London theme, but Dark Star and Millstone often feature too. Astonishingly these other beers are sold for just £1.99 a pint as are all the Brodie’s range. No wonder people travel to the King William IV.

Other drinks include Stella Artois, Guinness and Strongbow. Wine is available including a white soave and red valpolicella and there’s the normal spirits and liqueurs range.

The Last Word
A trip to the King William gives you the opportunity to relive a wondrous part of London’s proud history of brewing and hospitality. Brodie’s groundbreaking craft allows you to sample loads of unique beers and at £1.99 a pint it’s even more appealing.

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