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Say
hello
to...
Have your
cake and
drink it
Ben & Monty
Meet the long-serving landlord of The Windmill
in Clapham and his famous pub dog, Monty.
Ben’s birthplace is the Lancashire village of Great Eccleston, but
he was lured by London’s bright lights straight after uni. He’s been
running The Windmill for a decade and has fallen in love with
Clapham’s pretty Old Town, full of independent shops and cafés,
just 15 mins to the West End by tube.
The pub, which sits right on the edge of Clapham Common, is always
full of thirsty pooches and their thirsty owners. In fact, one of Ben’s
favourite pastimes is a bracing stomp with Monty, his adorable silver
Labrador (his half-missing ear makes him look even cuter).
When Monty isn’t walking, he’s hungry, so he needs to be watched
like a hawk when the kitchen’s famous sausage rolls appear. He’s also
a real star of the pub and hosts the annual Dog Halloween Costume
and Dog Christmas Jumper competitions, both raising money for local
pet charities. The two events are complete chaos but lots of fun.
Who doesn’t love a cherry Bakewell tart.
But did you know you can capture its cakey
essence in cocktail form?
The Bakewell Tart 0.0 is a luscious fruity concoction,
and you don’t even miss the alcohol. If you close your eyes,
you can revel in the cherry and almond 昀氀avours of its pastry
counterpart. Open them, and you can enjoy the festive hue.
Christmas day is another mega event at The Windmill (they normally
sell out the 200-sitting lunch by the end of July). But for the last nine
years, Ben’s been sure to reserve and give away a table of four to
deserving locals, in partnership with Something To Look Forward To,
a small charity for families affected by cancer.
Mix our Bakewell Tart 0.0 for a sumptuous seasonal sip.
– 50ml Lyre’s Amaretti (non-alcoholic amaretto)
– 10ml cherry syrup
– 25ml cranberry juice
– 35ml pineapple juice
Sundays are super busy, too. The pub is rightly famous for its roasts,
and Silvia’s secret-recipe Bloody Marys go down a storm. The day
wraps up with the pub quiz run by Tash, the question queen for over
ten years.
Add the ingredients and plenty of ice to a shaker.
Shake well and strain into your glass (we recommend
a coupe), and garnish with a mint sprig and a cherry
(fresh or maraschino).
Ben always says The Windmill is his dream pub as a landlord. But it’s
his favourite pub for a pint as well (a sentiment shared by celebrity
regular Michel Roux Jr.)
