Category: Norfolk

Next in our little adventure out in Norwich was the Champion pub. First opened in the 1830s, it is said that it was named after the boxer Daniel Mendosa (1764-1834). I had a little read of the Wikipedia page about him which says that Mendosa was not really considered a champion at the time, so initially, I was doubtful about the actual origins of the pub name. However, this doesn’t ring true, there are scores of newspaper articles from the beginning of the nineteenth century referring to Mendosa as a champion, so the claim is quite likely valid. The pub themselves note:

“The pub is known to date back to at least eighteen forty five. It is named after a London Jew, Daniel Mendozer, who was an extraordinary middle weight fighter. He became English Champion, which was then, equivalent to World Champion weighing 160lb. He was acclaimed the first scientific fighter and after he retired he toured across theatres, and visited Norwich in 1790. In his act, which included no violence or indecency, he depicted various heroic styles of great boxers.”

The reliable Norfolk Pubs put the opening date of the pub at 1836, but I wonder whether it was likely just a little earlier and closer to the death of Mendosa. There’s a newspaper article from 1843 which notes how a game of bowls was played at Thomas Garwood’s bowling green outside his pub and they were playing for “a handsome pair of silver-mounted drinking horns”, the equivalent of the bar billiards plates of the day no doubt….

I can’t quite place the location of the bowling green, but I suspect that it’s the empty space between the pub and the Methodist Chapel. That space is still there today, although it’s become something of a mini traffic island, it’s also the home of the St. Stephen’s Square Community Garden.

Anyway, that distraction aside, the pub was operated by Lacons by the beginning of the twentieth century. Whitbread bought out Lacons in 1958 and promptly shut it down soon after, although they kept this pub until the 1990s when it was sold to a private buyer. Batemans took over the pub in 2007 and the bulk of the real ales are brewed by them and this venue is also listed in the Good Beer Guide. This is one of two Batemans pubs in the city, the other is the Kings Arms on Hall Road.

The pub’s old divisions between different rooms might have been removed, but it’s evident (because the signage is still there) how this pub was once divided between the saloon and lounge bar. This was once the saloon bar element and the area that I took the photo below in is the old lounge bar. I was excited that I had my new glasses and could read all the bottle names that were placed on that top shelf, before I would have to zoom in using my phone. There’s also a back room, which is visible in the rear of this photo, which then leads to the toilets.

The beer selection and they also had the XB from Batemans. That’s also the beer that Julian went for and reading his Untappd it was “as tasty as ever”, so that’s high praise as he can be picky about his beer. Julian mentioned that he used to go in this pub a lot during his younger days, although, frankly, he can truthfully say that about a lot of the pubs that we visit…. That reminds me that I forgot to add an anecdote he told me about the Rose, so I’ll have to write separately about that.

I went for the XXXB (Triple XB) which is a 4.8% beer from Batemans which was well-kept and was smooth and it had a pleasant malty taste with some toffee. I would have preferred a more decadent brand of crisp, but I am quite picky on this matter and that’s not really the pub’s fault. And, life would be boring if every pub had Tyrells, Pipers, Seabrooks, Ringos, Quavers and Hula Hoops to meet my needs. On the subject of food, I understand that they have some home-cooked food options between 12.00 and 15.00 and then 18.00 to 20.00 on Wednesdays to Saturdays. I am always very supportive of pubs and look for every single positive, but I do have to note for reference that the pub is currently sitting on a 1 star food hygiene rating from Norwich City Council and I will simply link to the report so individuals can make up their own minds.

The service was friendly, the environment was clean and the beers were of a good quality, so its inclusion in the Good Beer Guide seems like an excellent idea to me.

Next up on our little Two Julians visit around Norwich was the Rose on Queen’s Road. The pub was first opened in 1855 and it became a Bullards pub at the end of the nineteenth century, then Watney Mann in 1967, Courage in 1972, Adnams in 1984 and then free trade in 2003 (thanks to https://www.norfolkpubs.co.uk/norwich/rnorwich/ncrot9.htm for this). Julian talks fondly of the former look of the pub’s exterior, but I’m too young to remember it, although George Plunkett has a photo of the side of the building from 1934.

Firstly, it took me a little time to clear up the historic record of what this pub is actually called, as this has made it hard to link old newspaper articles with the correct pub. It’s historically the Rose Tavern, but is currently called the Rose, Rose Pub & Deli or the Rose Inn, I assume to differentiate it from another pub with a similar name in the city. Today, any mention of the Rose Tavern is likely referring to the one on Rupert Street. As some extra excitement, this pub is listed in the Good Beer Guide.

Just as a total aside of very little consequence other than it interested me, this is an early brand deal arrangement back from November 1912:

“STRONG NORWICH EVIDENCE.

ZAM-BUK RESCUES CHILD FROM WET DISFIGURING ECZEMA.

There is a ring of real gratitude about a Norwich mother’s account of the cure by Zam-Buk of her daughter’s shocking eczema. Florence Hicklin is the 14-years-old child of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Nicholls, of the Rose Tavern, Queen’s Road, Norwich. To a “Norwich Mercury” reporter the mother said:—

“The eczema started with small itchy places on Florence’s head. The disease spread rapidly, weeping sores breaking out all over her scalp and completely covering her face. The child suffered great pain in her head and eyes, and she was so ashamed of her awful disfigurement that she flew to a vacant room whenever visitors were shown in.

The itchy wet sores ravaged Florence’s skin frightfully, though I persevered carefully with the treatment specially recommended by a chemist. I also took the child to the hospital. On my way home from the hospital one day I bought a box of Zam-Buk and determined to give the balm a thorough trial.

When I started with Zam-Buk Florence’s head and face were in an awful condition. Within a few days, however, there was a marked change. The balm worked like magic through the crusts of sores, destroying the disease and soothing my child’s awful itch and pain, and I reproached myself for not having tried Zam-Buk earlier.

Keeping carefully to the Zam-Buk treatment I got my reward by seeing all Florence’s disfiguring sores cleared away and replaced by new skin. The girl is now quite free from disease, and has a much healthier and clearer skin than ever she had before I used Zam-Buk. I am deeply grateful for this splendid cure.”

There is only one Zam-Buk, and that is the highly refined preparation sold only in sealed packages bearing the trade mark “Zam-Buk” on the outside. It is prepared from certain valuable herbal extracts by scientific processes which are known only to The Zam-Buk Co., by whom they were discovered and perfected. A box of Zam-Buk retains its wholesomeness for any length of time, and it is guaranteed free from lard and all animal fat or impurity; its healing strength never varies. Of all chemists, at 1/1½ and 2/9 per box.”

And, I’m intrigued to see that Zam-Buk is still produced and is being sold in a number of South Asian countries. Anyway, I’m glad that Florence’s skin cleared up. There must have been something of a local fight as the Yarmouth Independent (the name of the newspaper, not the current Great Yarmouth MP) reported in February 1936 that Florence Freezer (a rather memorable name) had assaulted Dora Harvey, the landlady of the Rose Tavern. However, Freezer’s address was given as 233 Queen’s Road, which is also the address of the pubs, it all sounds like something of a drama.

The events list and I do know how good the Weird Pancakes are, so that’s always recommended.

I had just picked up my new glasses and hadn’t gotten used to taking them off to see what photos I had taken, so there are some which are slightly sub-optimal in terms of quality. Anyway, here’s the keg options with a suitably blurry element to it. The beer selection is well curated and most beer styles are represented here.

The real ales. The service was prompt and polite, although we were the only customers throughout our visit and so we were unlikely to be left waiting long to be served.

Cheeseboards, as the pub has a deli counter, and Good Beer Guide books from over the years.

These images really aren’t great, but my new phone arrives this week so expect some sharpening up on quality. Well, maybe. I’m surprised, just as it’s a little unusual, by how many high tables there are in the pub, but that’s not a complaint, as they’re my personal preference to sit at in terms of comfort.

This is the only bar billiards table that I haven’t played on in Norwich (and I’m pleased to note that I was an early player on the new table at the Artichoke so that one is ticked off my list). My team of the Serengeti plays there next week as a friendly against the Rose, but I’m not in Norwich to join them, but one day I’ll get to play there (although I’ve been saying that for years)…..

I went for the Make it Pacific Sunrise beer from the formidable Brew York brewery. A hoppy, light, fluffy little number. Julian went for the Hop Stash from Nene Valley, which he was suitably impressed by but the brewer has made it impossible to add with any accuracy to Untappd as the pump clip doesn’t mention which hops are in it and there are numerous versions. The beers were both well-kept and at the appropriate temperature, so no issues there.

The beer list and I like how well placed this is so it’s easily possible to see the options available. The Rose did have their beers listed on Untappd which makes things easier, but it does come at quite a price and I can understand why they don’t. I also rather like that they’ve made it clear that 1/3 measures are available, it’s rare that pubs selling craft beer don’t allow this, but it’s helpful for it to be pro-actively mentioned.

The pizza list and I know from past experience that the quality is high.

Overall, I’ve visited here a fair amount over the years, with the service always being friendly and attentive. It must be a little challenging for them as they’re away from the main drag of Norwich city centre pubs and it would be easy to overlook them, but it’s definitely worth making the effort to get here. There’s real ale, craft keg, cheese boards, pizzas and bar billiards and that to me sounds like a rather lovely combination of things. I have nothing negative to note about the pub, it’s a comfortable and well-run venue, with the beer quality being high and its position in the Good Beer Guide as entirely justified IMO.

Next in the Two Julians Norwich series is the Berstrete Gates which, as a disclosure, has been one of my favourite pubs for some time. I accept it’s not a craft beer haven, but many years ago a group of us used to go to the Berstrete Gates every Friday and the lovely owner, Hang Pham, merrily cooked for us every week.

Located on Ber Street, the history of this pub is complex and long, starting with when it was known as the King’s Arms in the early eighteenth century. A few weeks ago, I found an old theatre group mention in a newspaper from nearly 300 years ago and I think they were performing here. Above is the auction details of the pub when it was put up for sale in June 1879 and it had also been auctioned in January 1867 when it was known as “the old King’s Arms”. There have been twelve pubs in Norwich city centre with the name King’s Arms (including another one on Ber Street), so some form of differentiation was necessary. The current building is from the mid to late nineteenth century (I think from around 1870s from maps) and it isn’t listed, with many of the interior features hidden behind some paint, although it retains some charm. Although Nikolaus Pevsner said that the building was “uninteresting”, so don’t come here expecting beautiful pub architecture.

The pub took its current name of Berstrete Gates in June 1937 as it’s very near to the site of where the Ber Strete Gates entrance to the city was located. The gate had been pulled down in 1808, although it dated from the early twelfth century, as part of the destruction of the walls and gates in the city. There’s more about the history of the gate at https://www.norwich.gov.uk/site/custom_scripts/citywalls/29/29.html.

The beer board which is visible when entering the pub and it tells its own story. This is a cheap and cheerful venue, the beer comes in cans and bottles, the product range is limited and the service is exquisite. In more recent history, this was taken over just before Covid by Gary Harvey and I think the timing of his taking over was all a bit unfortunate with a global pandemic ongoing. My friend James and I did go there in that period and the welcome was friendly, personable and immediate. I remember we were offered sausage casserole they had left over from a wake and we promptly then went about four times in that week as they were closing relatively soon after. The furniture layout was unusual to say the least, everything was based around a large central table that looked a little bit more meeting-like than pub-like. I think that the plan was to create a pub where people would talk to others when they entered, but on our final visit there a number of rather young looking girls were scrawling on the walls and so it felt best to retreat back to an adult’s pub. Since January 2024, Hang Pham has taken over behind the bar once again.

The Guinness cost £2.50, a perfectly reasonable price. To add some variety to our visit, Julian went for a can of Holsten Pils, also priced at £2.50. Does beer drinking get much more decadent?

The bar. In not trying to be on-trend, I think it’s strangely become more authentic. It’s quite a stark design and the back room doesn’t seem much used, but it is what it is.

The signage outside and it’s fair to say that it could do with a little of bit of exterior repair work.

The mural was created by John Moray-Smith (1889–1958) in 1938 when the pub was owned by Morgans Brewery. They had purchased it in the 1920s from George May brewery and through acquisition it became part of Bullards, Watney Mann, Brent Walker, Pubmaster and then finally free trade in 2002. George Plunkett, a photographer who has recorded so much of Norwich’s history which might otherwise have been lost, took a photo of it soon after the mural was installed.

This is not a destination pub, it feels much more like an estate pub that just happens to be relatively near to the city centre. It’s got some considerable charm to it and although there’s a chance that it’ll end up as an on-trend craft beer bar in a few years if it doesn’t work out in its current iteration, I rather like what it currently is and the little bit of a local institution that it has become.