Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Good Beer Guide

Cromer – White Horse (Two Julians)

The final pub on our study tour to Cromer was the Good Beer Guide listed White Horse and the owners mention on their web-site that it has been a coaching inn since the sixteenth century, although I’m assuming that it has been entirely rebuilt since then as it feels more Victorian.

There were three real ales to choose from, although nothing which surprised and delighted me. We went with the Ghost Ship from Adnams which was well kept and tasted as expected. The service was again efficient and friendly, with a prompt welcome after I reached the bar.

The pub seems to have a generally very good reputation for food judging by the on-line reviews and there was some interesting specials available.

And the standard menu.

The food area of the pub. Timing meant that we had a bus to catch (which meant we had opted for chip shop chips…..), as there are a limited number of evening options back to Norwich, otherwise this looked like one of the most tempting locations to get food. The pub is close to the town centre, but it’s located just away from the main area and it seemed to be getting more local trade than from visitors.

And the main bar area, with another section of the pub to the other side of the bar having a pool table. It was all clean and tidy with a laid-back and relaxed atmosphere. They also offered accommodation, with one family room, three doubles and two singles. Perhaps, from the customer perspective and I’m conscious that there are a number of factors with this, on the margins of the Good Beer Guide as the real ale choice wasn’t spectacular, but it was a welcoming pub which clearly has a loyal following. All clean and comfortable, this was a perfectly respectable way to end the day’s study tour and just a short walk to the bus station.

August 3, 2023
Cromer – Red Lion (Two Julians)

After enjoying a beer on the pier, we hiked up the hill to reach the Good Beer Guide listed Red Lion. This has been trading as a hospitality venue since the 1760s and Norfolk Pubs has this interesting story from the pub’s past:

“Mr. Reilly Mead was summoned on 5th January 1914 of having an unjust glass in his possession and having the same unstamped. On that day Inspector Robinson had sent his assistant, John Youngs, to purchase a pint of beer. It was served in an unjust and unstamped measure. On saying that he (Inspector Robinson) should seize the glass, Mr. Meade sent for the police and said that he would not allow Robinson to thieve the glass. Upon the police advising that the Inspector had authority to act, Mr. Meade said that they had never sold pints OR half pints since he had been at the place. Miss Gow, the barmaid confirmed that she had refused to sell a pint to Youngs and said that he could have `a large glass’. When tested the glass was found to be deficient from a pint by 5 per cent. The Bench convicted and imposed a fine and costs totalling £3/0/6d.”

There’s always one pub wanting to do its own thing 🙂

I liked the effort that they’ve made with their external A-Board.

On first impressions, it looked a little decadent for us on the inside, but it transpired that this was just the restaurant area and there was a separate and more informal bar area. The distinction between the two areas was clear and the menu looked tempting, albeit a bit expensive for our purposes. These study tours we undertake for the community don’t come cheap…..

One side of the bar area.

And the frontage of the main bar area. Above the bar is the acronym WYBMADIITY? which I had to look up and means “will you buy me a drink if I tell you?” which is a clever little ruse for the barman or an enterprising customer to get a free drink 🙂

The Red Lion had eight different real ales available, as well as some ciders, which was the widest selection we encountered during the day. They were all local beers, from brewers including Woodfordes, Green Jack, Lacons, Mr Winters, Grain and Moon Gazer. This is a marvellous selection for any visitor to the area who wants to try beers from a number of local breweries.

This is the latest Norfolk Nips magazine that was distributed at the weekend and it contains an abbreviated write-up of our trip to Wymondham a few weeks ago. How lovely to be in print and Lucy did a marvellous job with it. As for the beer, I went for the Trawlerboys from Green Jack Brewing of Lowestoft and it was of its usual reliable quality.

And another page from the article 🙂

The draught menu.

The bar snacks and doggie menu, the latter of which is certainly intriguing in terms of its concept….

Not an unpleasant view from the window.

The bar when it became a little quieter, but this was a busy venue for the entire time that we were here and many customers were clearly locals.

You can buy your own pub merchandise if you so wish.

And some fun facts.

The Red Lion, which is also a hotel, is very well reviewed on-line and this felt like a really well run venue. There was an extensive range of real ales and other drinks, the service was immediate, there was a timely welcome and the atmosphere was inviting. It has some marvellous views of the sea, it’s got an informal and relaxed feel and their entry into the Good Beer Guide definitely seems a good shout from our experience.

August 2, 2023
Annan – Blue Bell Inn

Annan isn’t a place that I had expected to visit, but various circumstances combined and it seemed wrong not to visit a Good Beer Guide pub which also has a CAMRA historic interior. For me, knowing that Annan is where Thomas Carlyle was educated was excitement enough, but Liam and Ross seemed slightly less enthused by the whole arrangement.

There’s wood panelling throughout which is a legacy of when this pub was part of the Gretna State Management Scheme. There were three of these schemes in the UK which were designed for the state to take control to ensure that local defence workers didn’t get too drunk. They were successful in their aim and there were schemes in Carlisle, Gretna and Enfield, although the latter was short lived. They lasted from 1916 until Edward Heath’s Government privatised them, bringing the scheme to an end in 1973.

There’s more about the pub’s traditional look on CAMRA’s web-site. It has a long history, it has been standing since 1770 and was for a long time a popular coaching inn. It stands at a prominent location near to the entrance to the town and was built by William Stewart, a vintner from Lockerbie.

There were three real ales and a cider to choose from. The service was polite although it was evident that this was a community pub where much of the trade was from locals, but it didn’t feel unfriendly. With no disrespect to Annan, I’m not entirely sure how many tourists they get, there did seem some slight surprise when we entered. But, perhaps they just thought Liam looked odd, who knows….

I went for a pint of the Swan Blonde from Bowness Bay Brewing, a well-kept light beer with a touch of citrus to it.

The pub stables are still visible at the rear of the building, but the highlight is perhaps the view over the bridge which was designed by Robert Stevenson (not to be confused with the railway engineer of the same name). As a final titbit, it’s suggested that Hans Christian Anderson stayed at the hotel, although I’m not sure how much truth there is in that tale.

July 22, 2023
London – Camden (Borough of) – Skinners’ Arms

Another one ticked off in my never-ending quest to visit every Good Beer Guide pub in the country…. This Skinners’ Arms is located on Judd Street, near to King’s Cross railway station, with the road name being relevant here as its commemorates Sir Andrew Judd, the donor of the estate to the Skinners’ Company.

The bar, tastefully decorated and with some suitable heritage elements. There were six real ales on which was an excellent selection, although there was nothing overly decadent there was at least Timothy Taylor’s Landlord.

There hasn’t been any excessive attempt to modernise the interior design and it’s all the better for that. They were serving food when I arrived and are meant to until 20:30, but before that time was reached a gentleman who sat down and was waiting for table service was told that they had stopped serving. He looked disappointed but left quietly, I felt quite sorry for him. Anyway, the food prices are around £12 to £15 for main courses which is reasonable for the King’s Cross area and the reviews for food are generally very positive.

I went for the Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, a reliable beer that was well kept and at the appropriate temperature.

The King’s Cross area has seen many traditional elements swept away, but the Skinners’ Arms hasn’t lost its heart. The interior was warm and comfortable, allowing customers to forget just what a busy part of London they’re located in. The service was efficient and polite, with the atmosphere feeling inviting.

Fair enough…..

Having a little look at the reviews, a customer posted:

“Very patronising and horrible bartenders who might be the 2 managers? In there 50’s lecturing on how I should relax! I was just looking arround to find a sit quietly. But I’m speedy in nature which is how I am and love being speedy it suits my adhd energy, so I walk and move fast and I am fidgetty. Slowing down stresses me out, it’s a constrain. Felt very regretful to have come here and being received by somone who suggest that I tone down my rhythm. Not coming back here”

There’s likely an interesting back story here, but it sounds as if this customer presented something of a challenge to the management. They weren’t disappointed at his announcement that he wasn’t returning, noting:

“Chooc – probably for the best”.

Actually, they’re quite forthright, another customer posted:

“Rude manager wouldn’t let me finish my coffee as I walked in before trying to order a pint so I won’t be coming back here. Weird vibes from him as well made me feel unwelcome. Plenty other good pubs around so I’d not bother with this one.”

This sounds like the customer walked in with a coffee from another venue and was annoyed that the manager wasn’t impressed. The pub certainly aren’t very apologetic and I think they sound right:

“Matthew – I think you going elsewhere is a grand idea”

Another customer posted, and I’d note that most reviews are positive, with a rather direct:

“Poor service and rude staff. Would give zero stars if possible.”

This is one of the best replies that I’ve seen on Google:

“Tom – I think Google should have minus star ratings – then you could really vent your feelings”

That’s a classy response. I already liked this venue, but I liked them a bit more after reading this.

Overall, I very much liked this pub and its traditional interior design. There was a choice of beers, the prices were moderate for central London and the staff for friendly. A worthy addition to the Good Beer Guide and certainly worth visiting for anyone who needs to get a train from Euston or King’s Cross St Pancras.

July 20, 2023
Beccles – Ingate

First in our day out in Beccles was the Good Beer Guide listed Ingate pub, around a ten minute walk from the centre of the beating heart of the town. The Ingate has been serving the local community since 1906 and it was initially built to be a hotel as well, although there’s no longer accommodation offered here.

My first impression is that I was surprised and delighted to see that the two sections of the pub were still separated out into the lounge bar and the saloon bar. The divide now is more between a lounge bar and a sports bar, with some creative interior design to add to the atmosphere. We were welcomed promptly on arriving and it felt a genuinely inviting pub to visit, as well as being spotlessly clean.

This is the sort of DIY project that I’d started and then get bored with after about 25 coins. My friend Liam would probably be tasked with finishing the whole arrangement off.

These resin tables seem to be the on trend design element at the moment.

More decorative work and I have to note that I was impressed with the effort that the publicans have put in here.

There are no shortage of darts boards in the Ingate. There are also numerous screens showing a variety of different sports and for those customers who are excited by the prospect, there’s also karaoke.

If a pub can’t have a bar billiards table then a pool table isn’t far behind in excitement value 🙂 Unfortunately, Julian and I don’t have time for pool during our intensive study tours.

Julian managed to miss this when he walked by it.

There were two real ales available and I went for half a pint of the rather agreeable Little Green Man 1 from Green Jack Brewing, a beer I’ve had a few times in the King’s Head on Magdalen Street. The beer, which is named after the first pulsar signal which was discovered in November 1967, was well kept and was suitably refreshing. I had expected a slightly wider choice of beers, but I enjoyed this one and it’s far better than to have two impeccably kept options rather than four beers that don’t quite taste right.

An article in the Sun ‘newspaper’ mentioning the pub in a favourable manner. We were thanked as we were leaving the pub, something which I always think is a nice customer service touch.

The large external drinking area and I like those little cabin things. This was part of a project during lockdown and the land was previously used as the pub’s car park.

There’s a food truck serving burgers, pizzas, wraps and loaded chips at weekends. The on-line reviews for the pub are nearly entirely positive, so they’re clearly getting a lot right here.

The menu and note the Lacon’s Brewery falcon on the wall.

This is an excellent pub, with friendly service, a clean environment, decent beer and low pricing. Lots of thought has been put into the interior decoration and it feels like a community pub trying to serve a wide range of customers. Quite justifiably in the Good Beer Guide and a marvellous way to start the day’s study tour.

July 5, 2023
Stone – Royal Exchange

Continuing on our tour of Titanic pubs, we visited the Royal Exchange which is also listed in the Good Beer Guide. Their pubs all seem to be sharp looking, with clear branding and in a decent state of repair.

Formerly known as the Stone Inn there have been some efforts made with the external floral arrangements.

A beautiful line-up of beers. The staff member was helpful and friendly, it’s the inviting atmosphere that I had expected from Titanic.

The prices for the beer options.

The pub has just opened when we entered which is why it’s rather quiet, it’s clearly a popular pub judging from the positive on-line reviews. Although one customer posted:

“Called in today. Lovely pub, but when you say 1 for yourself when you get served I didn’t expect the barmaid to take £3.50 thought that was a bit naughty.”

I’m not sure that is entirely naughty, I think that might more be getting yourself a double whisky or something, but there we go.

How very true. I do like motivational signs in pubs that help customers develop and improve themselves.

I decided it would be a good idea if we sat in the front room as it seemed to have some character to it. This is one of those pubs that must feel quite cosy in the winter as they have real fires going, something which seems to be ever rarer today.

I went for half a pint of the First Class, an agreeable session hoppy bitter, which is the first time that I’ve tried this beer.

We were going from here to the Titanic Brewery tour, so this was a handy prequel to the whole arrangement. It’s a traditional and welcoming pub, handy for locals and visitors to the town. To top it off, as soon as I get to visit Stone for the first time, the veteran MP Bill Cash announced that he was standing down from the House of Commons at the next General Election, but I don’t think that the two events are linked. Anyway, I’m digressing again, I’d say in summary that this is an excellent pub and quite rightly in the Good Beer Guide.

June 19, 2023
Newcastle-under-Lyme – Artisan Tap

Continuing our trail down the Hartshill Mile, this is another pub that’s listed in the Good Beer Guide. There appears to be a way in that doesn’t require walking through customers smoking, but it seemed to be closed when we arrived. I’m also conscious that I’m listing this pub in Newcastle-under-Lyme, but it’s actually just over the border in Stoke-on-Trent.

I found this board just a little confusing to be honest, but that might just be me as it often is.

I’m not sure that the beer they gave me was the one that I ordered, although they seemed confident that it was even though it didn’t resemble the colour that it should be. It’s the first time this has happened to me, but perhaps given that beer is always slightly different in its brewing that all was in order, it just wasn’t what I expected.

The service was pleasant, but I can’t say that I felt particularly comfortable here, it was the sort of inviting atmosphere that we’d just left at the formidable Greyhound. It was all a bit loud and vibrant shall we say, even though it wasn’t overly busy. These things are transient, it’s likely that if we had arrived thirty minutes before or after that I might have found the environment different.

Some information about the bar and how it has evolved in recent years. In short, it opened in June 2018 and they mention that the bar area was once the workshop and rehearsal stage for a Victorian theatre. That’s some interesting heritage to have.

There’s a cosy room at the rear of the pub, decorated very differently from the rest of the venue. The pub was just a little grimy in places when we visited and the toilets weren’t in a great state, but the bar area seemed clean and tidy.

The pub is very well reviewed on-line and seems to be surprising and delighting its customers in a positive sense, so that’s all marvellous. They appear from reviews to be popular for their live music and they do have several real ales available alongside a wide variety of other drinks, so considerable efforts are clearly being made. Nothing really wrong here, but I think I’d say that I just felt a bit more at ease in some of the other venues that we visited.

June 18, 2023
Newcastle-under-Lyme – Sanctuary Ale House

The Sanctuary Ale House is a Good Beer Guide listed pub on Hartshill Road in Newcastle-under-Lyme, not to be confused with the pub the Sanctuary which was located in the centre of the town and has now closed.

The beer options, a variety of cask and keg were available.

The bar arrangement looked modern and the service was efficient and friendly.

I hadn’t initially noticed the keg options when ordering, although Liam was more observant, I went for the stout from Nightjar which was well kept although unexceptional.

We were left standing as the relatively small pub was full, so they’re obviously doing something right to have plenty of customers. The atmosphere in the pub felt inviting and the decoration was quirky and interesting. We were standing looking at some slightly odd animals which were placed on top of a filing cabinet, it was all a little different. The pub is located on the Hartshill Mile and CAMRA note that it was converted from a former cafe in late 2016. I didn’t notice that there are apparently a couple of car seats for customers to sit on, it all felt innovative and if there had been more seating available when we visited I think we would have lingered here for a little longer. All rather lovely.

June 18, 2023
Newcastle-under-Lyme – Greyhound Pub

I’ve wanted to start ticking Titanic pubs off my list for some time, as it’s my favourite UK brewery and it was something that I had planned to do during the relaxed period after total lockdown. This weekend meant that I could start to visit a few of these fabled venues and the Greyhound in Newcastle-under-Lyme was where we started. That’s also appropriate, as I went to the nearby Keele University and remember it with very fond memories, although am moderately annoyed that it was somehow a quarter of a century ago. Anyway, I digress. Unfortunately, Titanic don’t seem to provide much information on the history of their venues, so I can’t add much on this one.

How very lovely. Titanic is known for its Plum Porter, but I rate its Cherry Porter even higher and so that’s what I went for. Not that it’ll interest very many people, but Ross went for a lager and Liam for the Anytime Session IPA. There’s certainly no shortage of choice here and the helpful staff seemed knowledgeable and keen to engage about the beer options.

The beer list and the Greyhound is keg and cask. I’m also delighted to note that it’s listed in the Good Beer Guide. The environment in the pub was laid-back but wasn’t particularly busy even though we were there on a Friday evening.

And the drink. The Cherry Porter was well-kept, at the appropriate temperature and had a sufficient amount of cherry flavouring running through it.

I’m assuming that the bar is designed to look like a ship and very noble and sleek it is. The on-line reviews for the pub are positive, just a couple of outliers including someone who was furious they had to wear a mask during the period after lockdown. The bane of publicans, I’m glad that those times are hopefully over….

The quirky looking clock. Not that we were taking part on it in its entirety, but The Greyhound is one of the pubs which is located on the Hartshill Mile pub crawl.

The bottled selection. I had a plan that I would purchase anything I hadn’t tried before during the brewery tour, which transpired to be a good plan.

A model of the Titanic and I’ll explain why the brewery has this name when I get to the brewery tour post. What a treat….

Anyway, this was a marvellous way to start the weekend and the pub was clean and had an inviting atmosphere. Quite rightly in the Good Beer Guide, the service was friendly and it’s always a delight to have the Cherry Porter.

June 16, 2023
Bassingham – Bugle Horn

I suspect some local wags and pesky kids might well have been having a go at the pub signage of the Bugle Horn, a Good Beer Guide listed pub in the Lincolnshire of Bassingham. The pub has been serving alcohol to customers since the seventeenth century, it’s a sizeable building and there’s also a large beer garden. I’ve tried to work out the reasons for the pub’s name, but I can’t see any local military connection and the actual reason is likely lost to history.

Here it’s the Te Buge Horn.

Here the Ugle Horn.

And here the Bugle Orn. It’s like something out of Fawlty Towers and the kids changing the letters on the sign. But, I won’t linger any further on the external signage.

This wasn’t what I expected to see from a Good Beer Guide listed pub if I’m being honest, especially as this appears to be a free house which isn’t manacled to a pubco or brewer. As there was another bar where more exciting options might be available, I asked if there were any other ales to choose from.

The friendly staff member, who I assume to be the landlady, politely pointed me straight towards the keg options from Beavertown. I’m not averse to these, although I’ve obviously worked through them all before, so I was hoping for a local beer that I might not get anywhere else. Prices of these were towards the higher end of the scale, but I liked the inviting nature of the pub so I felt it was a price worth paying to not have to drink Greene King IPA.

I went for the Bloody ‘Ell from Beavertown, an entirely agreeable blood orange keg IPA. It’s a nod towards craft beer, I approve of the pub’s attempts to widen their beer range.

There are two separate bar areas, the one in which we seated was comfortable enough but they do perhaps need a refurbishment as some of the seating is heavily stained and things are a bit wobbly in places.

Having said that, the pub still felt traditional and if there is a refurbishment, I hope that it doesn’t change the layout and separate areas of the interior that currently exist.

Liam’s gammon (that’s a description of the food he ordered, not his politics which are far more reasonable), delivered just seconds after he had gone off to explore the toilet facilities in the pub.

Although the Beavertown beers might have been just a little decadently priced, the meals certainly weren’t, this fish and chips was at the very agreeable price of £10. The home cut chips are mostly hidden here by the fish, but there were more than I could eat and so I let Liam finish them up. For the perfect arrangement, the fish could have been drained better and the oil could do with changing, but the batter had a decent depth of flavour and the fish flaked away. I think they’re using some form of margarine on the bread, that wasn’t a highlight if I’m being honest. But, for the price, this was a satisfying and filling meal, if I was a local I’m fairly sure I’d eat here on a regular basis.

The pub is well reviewed on-line, with the staff member giving the atmosphere a family friendly atmosphere where customers feel welcome being there. They’ve built up a reputation for large portions of home-cooked food at reasonable prices, which is quite a selling point as far as I’m concerned. Although I can’t say that I was surprised and delighted by the range of real ales, they’ve made an effort with offering Beavertown beers as an additional option. Definitely recommended, although some form of minor renovation might improve the ambience, as it’s an element customers have mentioned on-line for a few years. But, times are hard for pubs, and at least they’re keeping the food prices down. It felt like a proper pub to me, a phrase that’s over-used I admit, but some things are timeless and too much change here would be a bad thing.

June 6, 2023