Photo by Erin Nelson.
Jerrod Gates and Teddy Bando laugh as they enjoy orders of fish and chips for lunch at The Little London in Homewood on Nov. 6. Gates and Bando stopped for lunch at The Little London, while visiting Birmingham from Chattanooga after watching the Netflix show “Fresh, Fried and Crispy - Birmingham” that featured The Little London.
Fans of “Cheers” need not look further than Homewood for a pub that comes about as close as possible to the popular show.
Bea Morrissette owns The Little London pub in West Homewood — at 162 Oxmoor Road — with her husband, Matthew, and opened it in February 2020 just before the COVID-19 pandemic and after about a year of initially introducing cuisine from her native England through the Duchess, the couple’s red double-decker bus that is still in service.
Through the ups and downs of the pandemic, Bea Morrissette said she has still been able to develop regulars who will come for lunch, leave their tab open and go back to work or go shopping before coming back for dinner to finish up. In addition to unique foods from across the Atlantic, along with Filipino foods (a nod to her mother’s heritage), the pub features plenty of comfortable seating. The goal is for customers to feel at home, whether that’s finding someone to talk to, sitting in the corner reading a newspaper or relaxing with a few drinks with friends, Morrissette said.
“We want to be a version of ‘Cheers,’” she said.
Plenty of British flair adorns the walls, along with a bar table with exposed piano strings and jerseys of Morrissette’s favorite “soccer” team, Manchester United. The pub is now officially listed with the club as a “Man U pub,” she said.
“That’s been a dream of mine … I’ve supported Manchester United since I was a little girl,” Morrissette said.
The Little London recently expanded its hours, added staff and is working to add to its menu. Like many businesses, the pub was hurt by the pandemic, both last year and as the Delta variant surged this year. But Morrissette said it now is fully open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon-8 p.m. Sunday, instead of just being open in the afternoons and evenings.
“Wellington Wednesdays” featuring beef Wellington will return soon, Morrissette said. She hopes to continue improving the menu through the talent of her two executive chefs, Teresa Cottrell and the newly hired Sean Fincher. Fincher, along with several staff members, recently came to The Little London following the closing of Spring Street in Avondale.
In addition to the food, the pub has become a place for therapy following a rough couple of years for many regulars, Morrissette said, and the pub’s staff has realized its place in helping people heal.
“I feel like the pub has become a mass therapy place,” Morrissette said. “People want to talk about what just happened. People just wanted to talk. … We need to realize our customer base has been through a lot.”
The Little London also offers music on the weekends, and Morrissette said she wants to add trivia and other special events to attract customers. The pub is near restaurants and other popular destinations such as Seeds coffee shop, which Morrissette said has been a great help, especially during the pandemic, asking if the team at The Little London needed anything.
“It’s nice to have friendly neighbors,” Morrissette said.
With more staff coming in recent months, Morrisette said she feels the pub is now ready to take off and add more for its customers.
The Little London also offers take-out and pickup orders at toasttab.com, and the space has been popular for event rentals, Morrissette said. Afternoon tea is also offered until 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays.
In December, the pub is being transformed to pay homage to Harry Potter. From the pub’s decorations to new “Butterbeer” offerings and special cocktails, Morrissette said the plan is to “go ham” on Harry Potter.
