Fair Pint duo open jazz club

By Ewan Turney

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Fair pint Nightclub Friday Mark dodds

The Crypt: jazz club taken over by Dodds and Corbett
The Crypt: jazz club taken over by Dodds and Corbett
Fair Pint founding members Steve Corbett and Mark Dodds have taken over a famous jazz club in south London. The duo have taken on a free-of-tie...

Fair Pint founding members Steve Corbett and Mark Dodds have taken over a famous jazz club in south London.

The duo have taken on a free-of-tie lease at The Crypt in Camberwell from the St Giles Church of England.

The club, based in the crypt of the active church, is famous for its live jazz on a Friday and Saturday night.

If the pair can get consent from the church, they plan to to extend opening to from Tuesday to Saturday to host comedy and other live music and entertainment evenings to complement the jazz on Fridays and Saturdays.

The deal came about after the church approached Dodds, who runs the nearby Sun & Doves pub.

"We'll put some investment in to it and offer sensible and professional management," said Dodds, who has previously hosted jazz and live music nights at his pub.

"Then we will look to do some more activity in terms of marketing and promotion. It has a fantastic reputation and a core audience, which we hope we can build on — plus its free of tie and has a sensible rent."

Corbett, an ex-Enterprise lessee, added: "The venue is just beautiful — it is packed on a Friday and Saturday.

"It is a great entertainment venue. I am really looking forward to making a success of it."

The club currently charges an entrance fee of between £7-10 and markets itself as having "top brands, cheap bar, low cost quality food and a 300-year-old atmosphere."

Fair Pint is still on the look-out for a pub in Westminster. Revenue from the pub — to be called The Fair Pint — will help fund the group, and the site will act as its head quarters to "showcase the group's objectives".

Corbett said the group was considering a number of venues.

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