Pitcher & Piano

The fun and friendly bar chain that reinvented the way we socialise.

Founded in 1985, exited 1996

Piper’s origins are entwined with the founding of the iconic bar chain, Pitcher & Piano. We started out as a strategic consumer brand consultancy in 1985, working with top retail, FMCG, and leisure brands. When a pitch for a new bar concept got rejected, our founders Crispin and Libby saw an opportunity to create something truly different that they couldn’t let go.

Pitcher & Piano was a new kind of bar for a new generation. At a time when the market was split between stuffy wine bars and rough-and-ready pubs, we spotted a gap. A casual bar experience that catered to women as much as men, combining great drinks, friendly service, and a buzzing, piano-accompanied vibe. It heralded a new breed of bars and restaurants that challenged the status quo, disrupting the traditional pub and wine bar scenes that had dominated for decades. Our first site in Fulham drew in crowds from day one.

When coming up with the concept and envisioning the brand, Crispin sat down and wrote the aspirational philosophy that would guide Pitcher & Piano. It opens with, ‘The aim of Pitcher & Piano is to be the best known bar in Britain. To become a legend in our own lifetime, the chain that sets the standard for the competition.’ This framed philosophy still hangs in our office today, a proud reminder of where it all began and the origins of our expression, brand legend.

Over the next decade, we transformed standout locations like old banks and churches into vibrant social spaces. Within the bars themselves we prioritised training and supporting our staff, understanding that happy, well-supported teams deliver outstanding customer experiences.

In 1996, we sold Pitcher & Piano to Marstons plc for £20m.

Pitcher & Piano lives on today with 16 sites across the UK and a legacy of transforming how people socialise. It was our first “brand legend,” and it embodies the values that continue to drive us: building innovative and enduring brands that customers love.

Piper: Building brand legends since 1985.