They rake in millions from their work on stage and screen, wear the latest couture and are used to crowds of adoring fans.
But many of today’s A-listers also appear to yearn for a simpler life by launching their own businesses, shops and hospitality ventures.
And if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the famous face working at their passion project.
From the Bridgerton-backed bakery to the bar owned by an Emily in Paris heartthrob, here’s where you can spot the A-list …
QUEEN CHARLOTTE’S CHIC COUNTRY BAKERY
Bridgerton star Golda Rosheuvel, who plays acerbic Queen Charlotte in the period drama, has set up a bakery in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, with her cousin, Tona Erreguin.
Bridgerton star Golda Rosheuvel, who plays acerbic Queen Charlotte in the period drama, has set up a bakery in Henley-on-Thames
Imma the Bakery specialises in artisanal bread and pastries, and it seems Golda knows her stuff, or Tona, a Michelin-trained chef, does: one of their loaves was crowned UK’s Best Sourdough in the British Baker Awards.
Customers can buy a white farmhouse loaf for £4.70, or a sausage roll for £3.50.
STAR POWER: Weekend regulars often spot Golda, 54, at the counter. 5/5
EMILY IN PARIS HUNK’S TRENDY LONDON BAR
Pop into The Wealthy Beggar, a two-storey bar in Kensal Rise, north-west London, and you might just see a familiar face sipping an overpriced cocktail.
Lucien Laviscount, 32, who plays heartthrob Alfie in hit series Emily in Paris, opened the venue in 2022 with restaurateur Zac Lichman.
Lucien Laviscount, 32, (pictured) who plays heartthrob Alfie in hit series Emily in Paris, opened the venue in 2022 with restaurateur Zac Lichman
Pop into The Wealthy Beggar, a two-storey bar in Kensal Rise, north-west London, and you might just see a familiar face sipping an overpriced cocktail
Decorated with graffiti, crystal chandeliers and flickering candles, the trendy watering hole is modelled on a speakeasy and serves cocktails with names like Lucky Penny and Loaded Dice.
You can also enjoy Pan-Asian tapas and sharing plates (£7 for spicy chicken gyoza and £14.50 for butter chicken curry).
STAR POWER: Adoring Alfie fans may be disappointed, as the jet-setting hunk is rarely in residence. 2/5
LIZ HURLEY’S FIVE-STAR SWISH HOTEL
Set within four Victorian townhouses in London’s Knightsbridge, you’ll find 11 Cadogan Gardens, Liz Hurley’s five-star hotel.
The sumptuous hotel oozes discretion: calling itself ‘an enchanting urban hideaway’. Guests include foreign dignitaries and members of the Royal family.
Liz, 59, checks in regularly to the £1,000-a-night Sloane Suite
Set within four Victorian townhouses in London’s Knightsbridge, you’ll find 11 Cadogan Gardens, Liz Hurley’s five-star hotel
Each of its 56 rooms is individually decorated, with touches including velvet curtains, gilt furniture and four-poster beds.
It’s run by the team behind the luxury New Forest hotel Chewton Glen, but Liz, 59, checks in regularly to the £1,000-a-night Sloane Suite, which has a private entrance, Taittinger champagne, in-suite afternoon tea, and a car at her beck and call.
STAR POWER: Though Liz doesn’t run the hotel, she is a regular guest. 3/5
ED SHEERAN’S GASTROPUB
Bertie Blossoms, on London’s Portobello Road, prides itself on being ‘Ginger-Owned’, and that ‘ginger’ is singer Ed Sheeran (and his business partner and manager Stuart Camp).
Bertie Blossoms, on London’s Portobello Road, prides itself on being ‘Ginger-Owned’
Although based in Suffolk, Ed and his wife, Cherry, have been spotted at Bertie Blossoms
The menu leans towards Spanish tapas, with plates including £9 chorizo, £6 tortilla and £11 for garlic prawns
The menu leans towards Spanish tapas, with plates including £9 chorizo, £6 tortilla and £11 for garlic prawns. Or you can splash out on the £27 oysters.
Although based in Suffolk, Ed and his wife, Cherry, have been spotted there.
STAR POWER: Ed has several businesses, from hot sauce to watches, but this seems to be his favourite. 4/5
IDRIS ELBA’S SWANKY BAR
Porte Noire, a wine and champagne bar in London’s King’s Cross, is the brainchild of Luther star Idris Elba and his French wine-expert friend, David Farber.
Idris Elba attending the reveal of Porte Noire’s new Petit Porte Noire Rose Champagne at Tramp last October
Idris, 52, is a huge wine lover: the bar – which opened in 2021 – offers more than 800 wines and one of the largest tasting rooms in London.
Food includes a £19.50 cheeseboard and a £26 chicken pie with truffle mash. Diners can also enjoy £29 rose champagne by the glass or a speciality cocktail, an £18 Porte Noire Flower (vodka, champagne and wild hibiscus).
Idris selects each of the bottles, and has his own champagne (Petite Porte Extra Brut by Idris Elba, £42.50 a bottle).
STAR POWER: Idris is not only a hands-on owner, but a regular, too. 5/5
LEO AND LEWIS’S TRENDY BURGER JOINT
There’s double star-power to be found at Neat Burger, a vegan fast-food franchise with five restaurants – three in London, one in Milan and another in New York.
The chain, which was launched in the UK in 2019, is backed by F1 champion Lewis Hamilton and Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio (though don’t expect to see either there).
The chain, which was launched in the UK in 2019, is backed by F1 champion Lewis Hamilton
Leonardo DiCaprio also backs Neat Burger, a vegan fast-food franchise
The menu, which lists ‘better burgers’ (made with synthetic beef and chicken) to salads, filled ciabattas and sides, serves ‘good mood plant-based food’ – concepts which appeal to Lewis, 39, a vegan, and Leo, 49, a passionate environmentalist.
Lewis describes it as a ‘healthier high-street option that tastes amazing’, while Leo says the restaurant had a ‘pioneering approach to alternative proteins’.
But their investment may not be as sound as they had hoped: last year the chain announced it was closing half its UK sites due to a ‘decrease in footfall’.
STAR POWER: You won’t see Lewis or Leo chomping on burgers here; their support of the brand is strictly business. 1/5
JODIE KIDD’S MODEL GASTROPUB
Former model Jodie Kidd bought a 15th-century pub, The Half Moon, in Kirdford, West Sussex, in July 2017 along with two friends, and set about turning it into a gastropub.
The venue is now a thriving and popular local spot, catering for families, corporate groups and weddings.
Former model Jodie Kidd bought a 15th-century pub, The Half Moon, in Kirdford, West Sussex, in July 2017
Jodie, 46, grew up nearby and is very much a working landlady. Regulars are said to love her ‘Bloody Sundays’ (Bloody or Virgin Mary cocktails, roast lunch and live music) as well as the roster of ‘naughty street food’ which offers themed dining options.
But this is one posh pub: as well as £22 burgers and £38 steaks, there’s also a £75-per-head six-course tasting menu.
Jodie recently posed naked for a new pub sign, as part of a campaign to raise funds for the hospitality industry. The local council later banned it and made her take it down.
STAR POWER: A cosy gastropub with a touch of Hollywood glamour, you’ll find Jodie pulling pints on a daily basis. 5/5
GANDALF’S EAST LONDON BOOZER
Sir Ian McKellen is behind one of the oldest pubs in London, The Grapes, dating to the 1720s, is on the site of a boozer built in 1583.
The acting legend, 85, bought the pub (which he co-owns with two others) in 2011 and used to run Mondays quiz nights – before getting the sack. He still lives on the same street.
Sir Ian McKellen is behind one of the oldest pubs in London, The Grapes, dating to the 1720s, is on the site of a boozer built in 1583
The acting legend, 85, bought the pub (which he co-owns with two others) in 2011 and used to run Mondays quiz nights
Not only might The Lord of the Rings fans bump into Gandalf himself having a pint, but they can see a prop from the films – Gandalf’s staff – behind the bar
‘I did this for a year and then my [business] partner Sean said, ‘We don’t need you any more,’ he explained in an interview.
‘I was sacked! From my own pub, doing a job for which I wasn’t paid.’
Not only might The Lord of the Rings fans bump into Gandalf himself having a pint, but they can see a prop from the films – Gandalf’s staff – behind the bar.
The Grade II-listed venue has appeared in fictional works by Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
STAR POWER: It may be steeped in history, but this ageing drinking hole isn’t much of an A-list draw these days. 1/5
TENNIS STAR’S SCOTTISH GUESTHOUSE
Andy Murray and his wife Kim had an affinity with Cromlix, a five-star hotel in Dunblane, Scotland, long before they bought it for £1.8 million in 2013.
Andy’s grandparents held their silver wedding anniversary there in 1982. Andy and Kim’s own wedding was held at Cromlix in 2015.
Set in 34 acres of Stirlingshire countryside, the sprawling Victorian mansion boasts 15 elegant rooms and a private lodge for the ultimate in rural luxury.
Andy Murray and his wife Kim had an affinity with Cromlix, a five-star hotel in Dunblane, Scotland, long before they bought it for £1.8 million in 2013
Andy’s grandparents held their silver wedding anniversary there in 1982. Andy and Kim’s own wedding was held at Cromlix in 2015
Kim is the ‘creative force’ behind the hotel, choosing everything from the upholstery to the artwork, while Andy prefers to keep a lower profile. Earlier this month, he announced his plans to open a new, 80-cover restaurant in the grounds.
A one-night stay for two, with champagne and a three-course meal, costs just over £1,000.
STAR POWER: You’re more likely to spot Kim than Andy, as well as Judy and Duncan Murray (the lesser-known brother), who are giving two upcoming festive talks. 2/5
CHARLOTTE CHURCH’S LUXURY WELSH RETREAT
If you like your luxury with a side of celebrity, look no further than The Dreaming, a plush spa retreat in rural Wales owned by singer Charlotte Church.
If you like your luxury with a side of celebrity, look no further than The Dreaming, a plush spa retreat in rural Wales owned by singer Charlotte Church
Charlotte, 38, first visited Rhydoldog House in Powys (the former home of designer Laura Ashley) in 2020. It was love at first sight and she has turned it into a top-of-the-range retreat.
Guests at the retreat, voted Wales’ Spa of the Year 2024, won’t find any of the usual jacuzzis and rainforest showers, however: instead they’ll participate in activities including meditation, yoga, moonlit forest bathing, cold water immersion and gong baths.
For £1,550, you can sign up to a five-day session led by Charlotte herself, called Song of the Soul and designed ‘to help you uncover your unique voice in the world’, running on four dates in 2025.
STAR POWER: Mum-of-three Charlotte isn’t there every day, but pay for the privilege and you’ll have small group sessions with her. 3/5
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