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Image posted by Just a quick pint, then I'm off
Submitted on Wednesday, 9^th September 2026
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Big Penny Social, E17

Pub added by Steve of N21

1 Priestley Way
E17
E17 6AL

Correct details

Served areas

Walthamstow, Higham Hill

Reviews of Big Penny Social (Average Rating: 6 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Big Penny Social

Huge drinking shed where the barn and kitchen servery look a bit lost, and with only a few customers in, it all felt rather soulless. Further space in other rooms to the side and at first-floor level. With nine of the 16 bar-back taps in use, there was a wide selection of different beer styles and strengths - including my Coppice IPA from Vibrant Forest (£3.80, half) - available, along with more (mostly from Camden, including some less usual Arch Series brews) from several conventional fonts on the counter.

On 9^th September 2026 - rating: 6
[User has posted 9226 recommendations about 9226 pubs]

Steve of N21 left this review about Big Penny Social

This is another venue on the Blackhorse mile that has changed since my last visit. The Reincarnated Truman brewery became the Big Penny Social, the Truman naming rights were sold off ( to the owners of the original Truman’s Brewery) and brewing stopped here all together. The cavernous downstairs bar area and spacious outside space is unchanged from the Truman days, except for the removal of all the Truman branding and the addition of fizz taps to the front of the bar dispensing brews from Camden and other nationals. But the brewing kit from the room behind the bar is now all gone and the area has been converted into an events space called the Big Penny Studio. Fortunately the tap wall at the back of the bar is still in situ and these had some interesting options advertised on boards above them from mainly independent London craft brewers. For our visit these were in the form of ELB Lido Pale Ale, Raspberry Incident Sour from The Great Beyond Brewery, 3 Locks Brewing Hazy IPA, Pressure Drop Pale Fire American Pale and Allsops interpretation of Double Diamond. These were complemented by Vibrant Forest Pupa Hazy Pale Ale from slightly further afield and the real Czech Budweiser from even further afield. We went for the Double Diamond and am glad to say Allsops have failed miserably to recreate the bland original.
The upstairs space has now been converted into a large games hall called Flukes which houses four pool tables, six electronic dart boards, two electronic shuffle boards and three separate karaoke rooms, all of which can be hired by the hour. Unlike the downstairs space that opens at 12.00 mid day, the Flukes section does not open till 5.00pm.
This is very much a social venue targeted at the upwardly mobile thirty somethings that continue to be attracted by the ongoing gentrification of Walthamstow and we clearly dated most of the other customers by at least a couple of decades. But we still had fun, especially enjoying the fact that the irony of eight old ale codgers drinking Double Diamond would have been completely lost on all the other clientele.

On 12^th August 2026 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2375 recommendations about 2216 pubs]

David Walton left this review about Big Penny Social

Visited 23/04/26

No cask. Craft keg offering from the taps on the wall behind the bar counter of Existence as a Radical Act a pale from Queer Brewing, the AF Run Wild IPA from Athletic Brewing, the Mountain Mama pale from Howling Hops, the Crush Hour hazy pale from Vocation, the Hazy IPA from 3 Locks Brewing, the Honk if You're Sour fruited sour from Pretty Decent, the Hoxton Stout from the Great Beyond Brewing Co, the Talk of the Town hazy pale from Two Flints, the Crafty Berry cider from the Real AL and Budvar! More standard keg on the taps on the bar counter, namely Camden Stout, Hells, IPA and Pale, then Asahi, Meantime Dial Lager, Caple Rd cider from Weston's and Double Diamond. I didn’t see any of their own brewed beers (as last sampled by me in their outlet airside in City airport in late February this year).

Got impression from photos this was a big place, but it really is aircraft hangar size, proper industrial. Concrete flooring and v high ceiling, industrial insulation and giant fans and track lighting keeping the venue way below well illuminated. The glazed ceramic bar counter, itself long, and on the right-hand wall mid venue seems quite small in the enormity of the venue. Loads of bench seating at rows of similarly matched tables with a row of tall tables and tall backed stools directly in front of the bar counter. Some of the seating is inside curious booth like enclosures. There are a couple of traditional table football tables and a table tennis table plus the inevitable Photo Booth. Single screen high on the wall to the left-hand end of the bar counter showing promotional shots of the venue on my visit. A large open kitchen in the rear left-hand corner. There is no seating outside at the front but a good amount out the rear in the Aperol Spritz Garden. There is a large event space with stage area the other side of the wall behind the bar counter called the Big Penny Studio and an upstairs cocktail bar with pool tables (from the promo material) called Flukes but not open at the time of my visit. Really quiet on my visit (although there were quite a number out the back in the sun), can’t say I would return absent an event, but rated above average as a decent craft beer offering (mystery about lack of their own stuff) and that extra point for the novelty value.

On 26^th April 2026 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1975 recommendations about 1937 pubs]

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