Oldest English pub in Bordeaux bought by Franco-British couple

The oldest English pub in Bordeaux has been bought by a Franco-British couple, who plan to use it as an outlet for their beers brewed in the town of Lacanau (Gironde), near the Atlantic coast.

Named The Golden Apple, the English pub opened in 1989 just behind the Garonne river waterfront in the Chartrons district of the city, and quickly became a well-established feature of the area.

James Anderson, who bought the pub with his wife Céline, told The Connexion: “I first went there in 1991 and loved it. I have been visiting and seeing how it got on ever since. 

“We got into brewing, by accident in 2018, and opened pubs in and around Lacanau to sell our beer. When we found that The Golden Apple was up for sale, we were immediately interested.”

Mr Anderson, who is British-Australian, said there was a difference between British-style pubs and French bars and café-bars.

“They each have their charm, but I think it is the greater emphasis on a pub being a centre of life for a street or a small area which makes the difference,” he explained.

“A pub should be multi-generational, with everyone from grandparents to children having a good time. There is more emphasis on games than in a bar, be it darts, snooker, board games or watching the match on television, and of course, being able to have a pub meal if you want to.”

The couple opened their brewery La Canaulaise in Lacanau in 2018, with Céline as the brewer.

“We fell into the business through a joke present I bought her of a home-brewing kit,” said Mr Anderson.

“She is a physiotherapist and has a scientific background, and she loved it, to the point where quickly the brewing vessels and equipment took over the kitchen and bathroom.

“It got a bit much so we hired a garage for the brewing and soon realised we and our friends could not drink all she was producing ourselves, which is when the idea of setting up a proper brewery started.”

Around 30% of the brewery’s production is sold through its own pubs – a vertically integrated model inspired by the tradition of ‘brewers’ pubs’ which existed in the UK for many years.

The remainder is sold through other bars and restaurants as well as through local supermarkets and specialist stores.

“It is difficult for small craft brewers to get into the beer distribution circuit, so having our own pubs gives us an immediate advantage,” said Mr Anderson.

The main pub, also called La Canaulaise, is in Lacanau town centre, home also to their second pub Les Brasseurs de l’Ocean.

A third, beachfront pub called L’Australien is open in the summer at Hortin Plage about 30km north of Lacanau.

The brewery’s main beers include blond beers in an Indian Pale Ale style, with Ouest Coast IPA as one of the most popular. Various seasonal brews are also available. 

A recent customer favourite is a dry dark stout, called Stout Orange inspired by the “ridiculous” price of Guinness in France, said Mr Anderson.

The stout has marked bitter orange aromas and a finish with an orange taste.

Mr Anderson said their experience mirrored research which has shown that more French people are drinking beer now, rather than wine.

“It is very rare for people to come into the pub and order wine, although we always have it,” he said.

“I have friends in the Bordeaux wine trade and they all say there has been a marked shift away from wine. It is not surprising – when I first arrived in France 35 years ago, you would go into a restaurant at lunchtime and every table would have a bottle of wine on it.

“Now you go in at lunchtime and there is hardly a wine bottle in sight.”

Data from intergovernmental organisation shows that Consumption of wine per capita in France was 78 litres in 1995, dropping to 40.5 litres in 2024 (latest available figures) according to data from the International Organisation for Vine and Wine (OIV). 

Beer, meanwhile, is the only major alcoholic beverage category in France whose consumption has grown over recent decades, according to industry data from FranceAgriMer, France’s national agricultural and seafood establishment.