Chris Miles is a quiet man. He is soft-spoken, sometimes even a little reserved, but always friendly. It helps that it’s a celebratory occasion when we meet: We’re at The Penny Black, his second pub in Edinburgh, which is about to mark its first anniversary. Though it was formerly a heavy metal pub, Chris says he wanted to change the scene when he took it on, and make it more of a place for locals.
“I think everyone should just be encouraged to mix,” he says. “For me, a pub should be for everybody.”
In the hour we spend together, the impression I get of Chris is of a man who cares deeply about the place he lives. Every story he tells relates to common themes of bringing people together and the importance of community.
It may surprise you to learn, then, that as a child, he used to be a thief.
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