“Sitting in there is like being transported back in time,” says Ince of the building, which boasts an original sloping mosaic floor and semi-vaulted ceiling. “A public house with so much history – you can imagine the countless shenanigans and tears, smiles and kisses over its 130 years.”

Yet while they are a nostalgic cornerstone of British culture, the pub isn’t quite the fixture in national life it once was. Soaring costs, redevelopment, falling alcohol consumption and the rise of work from home have all threatened its existence. Pubs are closing across the country at an exponential rate.

But those that are able to thrive in such an uncertain environment are linked by their ability to innovate and embrace a wider set of patrons.

As champions of locally sourced produce and home- grown artisanship, pubs like The Marble Arch have been a major driving force behind the UK’s food renaissance of the last two decades. While pub food and drink used to be cheap and basic, a revolution within the British food scene over the last few decades has given rise to the “gastropub”, seats of high-quality dining and drinking, many outside the major cities.

“We’re proud of our locality”, says Ince. “We put a brewery in the back of the pub in 1997, and it kept growing until we moved it to a bigger facility in 2019.”

Both ventures continue to operate in tandem, creating a positive feedback loop on customers’ ever-evolving tastes. “Our pub and the brewery almost challenge each other,” Ince explains. “We want the focus we put on producing high-quality beers, wines and spirits to be reflected in the food we serve. Our chef is really good at taking our beers and incorporating them into dishes in interesting ways.”

Of course, as with any beloved institution, there is a balance to be struck between embracing change and honouring tradition pub classics. As Katherine notes, keeping it local is important. “Some of the people at The Oddfellows had been going 50, 60 years,” she says. “They don’t necessarily want fancy stuff, especially if it means they get priced out.”