Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Good Beer Guide

London – Lewisham (Borough of) – Brockley Barge Pub

I haven’t visited the Brockley Barge recently, this is just something of a tidying up exercise to write a few riveting words about a pub that I’ve been to which is in the Good Beer Guide. It’s a JD Wetherspoon operated venue and they’ve been listed in the Good Beer Guide for several years now. The Wetherspoon history of the pub is quite brief, namely:

“The name of this pub recalls the barges which plied their trade on the Croydon Canal. Opened in 1809, the canal was replaced (in 1836) by the railway line, which was laid largely along the same course.”

A large chicken jalfrezi and I have to note that I’ve only got a few photos here, so excuse the lack of interior shots of the pub. The venue has been operated by JD Wetherspoons since 2000, it was the Breakspear Arms before that which had first opened as a licensed premises in 1868. It closed in 1994 after some turbulent years and was left with an uncertain future for six years until JD Wetherspoons reopened it.

As I have a lack of interior photos, here’s some fish and chips I had in the pub a few years back. The pub has always been busy when I’ve visited before, it’s not that substantial in terms of its size and it is clearly a popular venue within the local community. Incidentally, if I revisit I’ll actually take photos of the interior, rather than having to rely on old photos of food which I accept have rather limited excitement to my large readership of two people.

The reviews for the pub are generally positive but I had a little look through to see what excitement was going on.

“My friend who is heavily pregnant was in urgent need of the toilet. We knocked on the door a couple on minutes after closing to which they heard of her pregnancy and walked away. The manager then came and shouted at us through the window, as I told her by the law an establishment should let a pregnant woman in to use the toilet”.

I’m fairly sure it was never in the licensing rules for the pubs that I had which said it was the law to open up a closed pub to a pregnant customer to use the toilets…… Mind you, there’s a myth that pregnant women have the legal right to urinate in a policeman’s helmet on request, another falsehood that amazingly persists.

“They didn’t answer the phone when I called to wish them happy new year”

Hmmmmm. That’s as exciting as the reviews get to be fair…..

At the time of writing the pub is offering six real ales, priced between £1.71 and £2.78 per pint, including Sambrook’s Wandle Ale and Sambrook’s Nightshift Mild. A pub with a mild can’t be a bad thing. Although it’s important to mention micropubs and other independently run pubs, it seems to me a real positive that this venue has been saved by JD Wetherspoons as there would otherwise have been a realistic possibility that it would have become another outlet of Tesco Express.

April 30, 2023
Cambridge – The Maypole (Repeat Visit)

I’ve visited this pub before, so will just add briefly to what I wrote a couple of years ago.

I was going to try a third of the Duality V4, as I’ve worked through the rest in that series, and a third of the Panna Cotta, but the manager told the server not to pour those drinks in that size. I must admit I’m not entirely sure that’s ideal, these are £9 per pint beers and I would have preferred to try two different ones. The last time that happened to me was at the Euston Tap, it’s otherwise not something I come across very often at all. It’s not a problem particularly as I’ll just opt for something else, but it feels sub-optimal from a craft beer perspective.

I instead went for half a pint of the Brazilian from Colchester Brewery, a reliable and creamy stout that I’ve had numerous times before, including from here. It was well-kept, at the appropriate temperature and reasonably priced, so I had no complaints.

The food options looked tempting and I might have worked through some more of the beer options, but we decided to just have one drink and leave to go elsewhere.

The full menu, looks suitably interesting.

Anyway, without repeating too much more from my previous post, the pub is still listed in the Good Beer Guide and there’s plenty of choice in terms of cask and keg beers.

April 30, 2023
Cambridge – Champion of the Thames

Working through my never ending task of visiting as many pubs in the Good Beer Guide as possible, this is a Cambridge pub that I haven’t been to before. As I’m an idiot I couldn’t work out how to get in, but a customer did make it obvious and commented that this happened frequently. The external chalk boards were mostly rubbed out and it wasn’t entirely clear that the pub was open at first.

There were four real ales on, without nothing particularly interesting or unique, and I went for the Mad Wolf from Wolf Brewery. It didn’t seem entirely well kept, but it was just on the right side of not being vinegary to persist with it without taking it back to the bar and there wasn’t anything else particularly interesting on anyway. However, this is a Greene King pub, so I wasn’t expecting to be surprised or delighted with the beer. I note on their web-site that they claim “we pride ourselves on having the best ales in Cambridge” and then list Abbot and Greene King IPA below that. Perhaps my expectations were too high having just come from Thirsty, a formidable bar in the city which offers beers of an exceptional quality.

The pub was quiet, but it is an inviting atmosphere, there were friendly customers and plenty of heritage evident in its design. It was also clean and well presented, so the environment was sufficiently comfortable. The staff member was also engaging and polite, but it did feel like a pub for locals rather than aimed at tourists. They seem to have deliberately kept it old fashioned in terms of the decor and that seems very sensible, it’s got an authentic feel to it and that positively to the whole arrangement.

I initially thought that it was positive they had events taking place, until I realised that they’re in a different pub. It felt an odd marketing strategy, but I assume it’s clear to the regulars. They do have other events, such as showing University Challenge which I can imagine leads to a quite fun atmosphere in the venue. They also do free cheese and crackers on a Sunday, that’s something that feels really community led.

I’m sure that this offers a reliable option for the community and it’s obviously of a decent enough standard to be listed in the Good Beer Guide, so I might have just got unlucky with the beer. The beer wasn’t for me though interesting enough in range or quality, both combining to be a disappointing visit. Given the heritage of the building and the potential here, it just feels a shame that it’s part of the Greene King pub empire.

April 27, 2023
North Walsham Pub Day – Hop In

The Hop In is the only Good Beer Guide listed pub in North Walsham and is a micro-pub that was formerly occupied by a taxi company. I’ve been hoping to come here for some time and it was the pub that Julian and I expected to enjoy the most in our day trip to the town, so we had left it to last.

This was the strongest real ale selection of the day, offering a combination of local breweries alongside some different national breweries to give a little more choice. They had some tempting chocolate bars and crisps on the bar, but I somehow managed to resist buying food that I didn’t really need.

It’s a small venue, just three tables downstairs and around five or so tables upstairs. I wasn’t able to get a photo of the interior as it was busy, but the environment is cosy, informal and extremely inviting for my needs at least. The service was outstanding, with the staff member being knowledgeable, engaging, personable and pro-active. It is absolute no surprise that this pub is doing so well given the welcome that customers are receiving. I was faffing about wondering whether I needed a chocolate bar, and the staff member mentioned that I also had the option of bringing in food from other venues, which is always a kind gesture.

I went for the Pit Stop from Prescott Brewery to start with, an example of my being able to try something new as the brewery is from Cheltenham and I hadn’t previously heard of it. The beer uses Citra hops which nearly always delights me, giving it a pleasant citrusy flavour and it was served in excellent condition.

I didn’t go for Boudicca on this visit, but if my new bar billiards team member friend Emma ever reads this I’d note I’d had one of her brewery’s beers the night before so I haven’t become disloyal to this fine brewery. This is instead a beer I’ve had plenty of times, the ever delightful Blackberry Porter from S&P Brewery. Well, I have to get my fruit intake somehow as it’s important to have a balance in life.

I had absolute no complaints about the Hop In, it’s a standout venue which absolutely deserves to be listed in the Good Beer Guide. Exceptional service, a well thought through selection of beers, an inviting atmosphere and the denizens of North Walsham should be delighted that they have this drinking option in the town. I was surprised and delighted, ready to return to the International Transportation Hub in the car park of North Walsham library.

April 8, 2023
Harwich – Alma Inn (Good Beer Guide)

This is the only Good Beer Guide pub in Harwich that was open during my visit to the town and although its frontage isn’t necessarily the most appealing I was aware from reviews that this would likely be a positive experience.

Customers need to walk down the little corridor and then into the bar area, ignoring the tempting doors to the side.

This range of real ale surprised me, five different options across numerous beer styles is hard to achieve and maintain quality. However, since they’re listed in the Good Beer Guide and the reviews are broadly positive, they’re clearly achieving that. The prices are high though, over £6 a pint for real ale is what I’d expect to see in London. However, this venue is primarily a restaurant and so I’m assuming those prices reflect that, although those just wanting a drink are also welcome and there are some stools at the bar for when they’re full of diners.

Not a very clear photo, but a sign showing how high the flood water rose in 1953.

The interior has plenty of character and feels homely. The service was informal and polite, although I wouldn’t say there was any attempt to much engage beyond the minimum needed. But, that’s fine, not every pub is going to be the Hop & Vine, a friendly welcome is sufficient for me.

I’ve had the Black Adder from Mauldons before and it’s a very good stout, a roasted flavour with a creamy texture, with the pint here tasting just as I expected. The crisps were also delicious and complemented the beer nicely.

Someone has added the word “beer” at the bottom, which isn’t a bad shout. The pub’s web-site has a section which has the title “Officially the finest pub in the East of England” underneath “CAMRA Real Ale Pub” but I can’t find any evidence of that on CAMRA’s area web-site. It did win the branch award seven years ago but I can’t find any regional awards, but perhaps they were from other organisations.

I’m slightly disappointed (and only very slightly, I have more pressing concerns) as well that the pub’s web-site mentions nothing of its history other than it dates from the 1850s. Instead, the Harwich Pub Trail has a full history of the pub which is interesting, particularly the reference to:

“As it stands the building dates from many different periods but it was probably built in 1464 as a house. By 1599 it was owned by Captain Twitt – a relative of Thomas Twitt (or Twytt) a merchant and brewer in the town. The Twitt family were well-connecting and well-known in the town and Captain Twitt’s daughter married Christopher Jones at St. Nicholas’s Church in 1593. Although Sara died aged 27 in 1603 her husband went on to own a rather famous ship named the Mayflower and used it to guide the Pilgrim Fathers to America in 1620.”

It was a Tolly Cobbold pub between 1957 and 1990, then Pubmaster before falling into the hands of the hopeless and hapless Punch Taverns who sold it in 2010. And there’s some more history and older photos here.

There’s elements of quirkiness that I like, such as the details of their six bedrooms where they note about the view from one that “it boasts a sea view and a view of a quite charming electrical substation“. I also hadn’t seen before the poster on the inside of the entrance to the toilet that said something along the lines of ‘let those coming in have priority, their need is greater than yours’. I like that informality, I think it gives a softer edge to the pub and makes it feel that bit more inviting.

As a random aside, it’s not my problem and nor indeed anything I’ll think about again after writing this, but I find the pub’s use of the CAMRA logo all over the place and on every page a little confusing, as well as the reference to their being a “CAMRA Real Ale Pub” without any links to the national web-site. It may be that CAMRA have authorised this use of the logo and wording, but it seems unusual terminology that I haven’t seen before.

The on-line reviews for the pub are very positive, so I’d say it’s a safe bet that the food is reliably good, whilst the clear fact they’re able to stock five real ales is showing just how much beer they’re selling. It’s one of the more expensive pubs I’ve been in for real ale, and actually the most expensive pub listed in the Good Beer Guide that I can recall and that includes tens of London pubs, but prices are rising and no venue is immune to them.

This is one of these pubs that’s worth coming to get a drink for just to feel part of the history of the building, but given the excellent choice of real ales and how well kept they are, that all comes together to feel like reasonable value for money. And I like the irreverent sense of humours that is evidence throughout the pub, all rather lovely.

April 4, 2023
Hempton – Bell Pub (Good Beer Guide)

I was pleased to discover that the Bell pub in Hempton opened at 11:00 as that meant I could make a flying visit to tick it off my Good Beer Guide list. Hempton is a moderately strange settlement as it’s effectively in Fakenham, but it feels entirely separate from it and in terms of its history it hasn’t much changed over the last 200 years.

It was evident that this pub would be excellent simply by evidence that it has survived at all, with the other two pubs in Hempton having closed long ago. As mentioned, it’s listed in the Good Beer Guide, but it also came highly recommended from people that I know in CAMRA. A quick look on-line shows that they’ve made an effort to have a web presence and they’ve also got a history of the pub which is something I always appreciate.

The Bell is a perfect example of a village pub where the welcome is immediate and the locals seem pleased when people come in to their pub. It feels like they have a buy-in, it’s a sign of an exceptional pub where the locals are so proud of their venue. And rightly so, it’s got a community feel where they show sports, have a pool table, two separate seating areas and a cosy atmosphere. There’s something for everything, not least a selection of four real ales which is a good going for any pub.

The beer is the Snetterton Scary Tree, the name of which comes from a local landmark which has unfortunately now fallen down. Brewed by Elmtree this is a session bitter which was suitably hoppy, being well-kept and at the appropriate temperature. Any concern I had that I’d arrive early on a Monday morning and might get a poor quality beer were unfounded as there were already several customers and all the beers had been pulled through.

My visit was short, but I got the impression that this was an exceptional pub which serves its community well and there were numerous events advertised which they’ve involved with organising. There was a friendly welcome, engaging service, keenly priced beer and plenty of real ales. It absolutely deserves its place in the Good Beer Guide, it’s a pub for the many and not the few.

April 3, 2023
King’s Lynn – Live & Let Live Pub

This was a pub that I didn’t get to on my previous trip to King’s Lynn but it comes highly recommended and is listed in the Good Beer Guide, meaning that Łukasz had high expectations. Well, I did anyway. The lack of active signage did though make me wonder whether they were shut as we approached. Although to be fair, I can’t imagine there’s much passing trade on Windsor Road in King’s Lynn that’s being tempted in by signage, their reputation is already strong enough to ensure they’re busy. Anyway, I digress. The pub has a substantial history, it has been here since the early nineteenth century.

I don’t much like formulaic interiors that some pub companies seem to go for when they periodically rebrand and refresh their failing pubs, this sort of traditional, cosy and homely feel is much better. The service was warm and polite, with the pub being reasonably busy for a Friday afternoon (I waited for customers to move from the above table to take the photo). It has two bars and it’s one of those places where the character of the pub is evident when walking in. They also accept cards which was handy as we had limited cash on us. For those visiting between Mondays and Thursdays there’s 50p off pints between 14:00 and 16:00, a sensible way to get a bit more extra trade in during those hours.

This arrangement surprised and delighted me. Let’s start with the crisps, I’m not sure that I’ve ever had these before and they were suitably beefy (they’re made with real Devon fore rib beef apparently) as the packaging had indicated. That meant they complemented the Elgood’s Brewery Black Dog nicely, both strong flavours and this is a pub that tries to always have a mild on which is a very sensible policy decision. The pub is also known for its cider selection and has won numerous CAMRA awards for that.

The phrase “proper pub” is I accept a hackneyed term, but it feels appropriate here since the pub has character, it has a decent beer range and also excellent crisps. And what more could anyone want? Definitely worth the 10 to 15 minute walk from the town centre.

April 2, 2023
King’s Lynn – The Wenns Chop & Ale House (2nd Visit)

I visited Wenns a couple of weeks ago for a flying visit, but since Łukasz and I were in King’s Lynn for the day exploring beer options, we decided to go for food there as well given how well reviewed it was.

The kitchen wasn’t quite ready when I ordered, but I liked how the staff member took the order and explained they’d get it ready as quickly as they could. I was in no rush, which meant that Łukasz and I managed to get through about 15 games of Jenga. I forgot how exciting that is to play after a few drinks. We did actually try other games as well, but I couldn’t understand the rules and so we thought we’d just stick to Jenga, that’s pitched more at my level.

My beer is the Battle Standard from Shadow Bridge which was a decent bitter from a smoky edge, it’s positive to see different breweries in pubs and this was particularly interesting as my friend Tony from the Hop & Vine had mentioned about this outfit which takes it name from being in the shadow of the Humber Bridge.

The garlic and chilli chicken strips, cleanly presented and fortunately just with a hint of garlic rather than a smothering of the stuff.

Excuse Łukasz’s arm in the photo, but the fish and chips was one of the best that I’ve had in a fair while. The batter had a depth of taste and was drained so it wasn’t greasy, the fish flaked away and the portion was generous. The chips were suitably fluffy and I think that the mushy peas and tartare sauce were homemade, or at least that’s what they tasted like.

I’m quite enamoured by this place, it’s really more of a continental type bar with a strong beer offering which has led to an entry in the Good Beer Guide, alongside a realistically priced and tasty food menu all with friendly service.

April 2, 2023
King’s Lynn – The Wenns Chop & Ale House

NB – I’ve revisited this rather lovely venue as I wanted to try the food.

One of the advantages of the Good Beer Guide is that pubs listed in it can genuinely get more trade from that entry, not least myself today in the Wenns Chop & Ale House in King’s Lynn. I did wonder whether it would have a restaurant vibe, but it was genuinely welcoming to me when I wandered in asking for half a pint. Indeed, their web-site really doesn’t address this issue, it’s very much all about their hotel and restaurant with the chop reference also hiding that their menu is quite broad.

The Wenns name is its historic name, although more recently it was rebranded to be Goldings. Its closure was controversial with allegations of staff not being paid, but regardless of whatever happened there, it seems better now that it has restored its former name. It’s in an historic part of King’s Lynn, opposite the church, a few minutes walk from the town centre.

Just the two real ales on at the moment, but they’re both local and I very much like the Small Town Hero from Three Blind Mice, which I’ve had before. It’s not an extensive selection, but it’s an entirely reasonable offering.

The Three Blind Mice beer, which was reasonably priced and tasting as I hoped for, so all was well there. The reasonably priced element is important here, as if they were excessive with their pricing for the beer than I imagine it might have failed to satisfy the local members of CAMRA. I also understand that they have a happy hour taking place between 16:00 and 19:00 on Mondays to Thursdays, with £1 off the price of a pint.

This was a comfortable and inviting pub, with the staff members being friendly and engaging. I like the informality and the food that was being served looked well presented and of a decent quality. It’s perhaps an unusual entry into the Good Beer Guide, but I’m pleased that it’s in the book as I would have likely otherwise overlooked it whilst meandering around the town.

March 10, 2023
Norwich – Bell Hotel

I haven’t written much about this JD Wetherspoon pub in Norwich, but since it’s listed in the Good Beer Guide I had better do so for completeness. It feels a long time ago now, but the above photo is from when the Bell Hotel was closed during lockdown, days I’m very much glad are in the past. This has been a hospitality venue in some form since 1485 and has been an important coaching inn over the centuries, but despite its name it hasn’t been a hotel for decades. JD Wetherspoon acquired the property in the 1990s and it was one of their first acquisitions outside of London, likely saving it from demolition. A few years ago there was a major expansion to the pub (and here are some photos of that, since I got to get a free meal and drink as part of their soft opening) which brought a former part of the hotel back into usage that had recently been used as offices by a bank.

And a little bit of history from the front of the pub. There’s a photo taken in 1938 by George Plunkett of the pub which is one of my favourites that he took, it’s a very different city today but the Bell is relatively untouched. As an aside, that balcony type structure has been removed from the front of the pub now, but in a photo from 1954 a bit is still remaining. I’m not sure if some of it fell off or something, but I’m quite intrigued by it.

This photo from 1936 interests me, I hadn’t realised that the hotel was previously in two bits. What is now the entrance to the lower bar was the entrance to the garages, along with its petrol pump, with that gap having now been filled in.

These are the only two old photos I’ve seen of inside of the Bell, with this old advert being on the JD Wetherspoon web-site.

This photo is from Norwich Heritage (I can’t link directly as it’s an image in a gallery) and shows The Bell before the tramways required the building to the left to be demolished.

I’ve many photos of the food here, but here’s once from 2017 when they still sold the pastrami bagel, which I think is one of the best things that they’ve sold.

The mushy peas are slightly splodged on, but I’m sure it tasted delicious.

And a breakfast from when they used to be more affordable, as there have been a series of price increases over recent months making everything more expensive.

Back to the beer and away from the food, there are usually seven or eight real ales available on a regularly changing basis. I’ve never had any issues with the beer here, it’s always well kept and at the appropriate temperature. At the time of writing they’ve got eight real ales on, with three of those being their staples of Greene King Ruddles, Sharp’s Doom Bar and Greene King Abbot Ale. They’ve currently also got Adnams Ghost Ship, Beartown Bearskinful, Brains Rev James Original, Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing and Woodford’s Phoenix IPA.

This was one of my favourites that they had on a few weeks ago, the Red Herring from Green Jack Brewing in Lowestoft and it’s a Rauchbier.

The pub is relatively well reviewed and I think it’s the busiest of the JD Wetherspoon outlets in the city. Looking through the reviews:

“This used to be my favourite Wetherspoon restaurant in the city until yesterday when I came in with my family for a meal and I was welcomed by a living SNAIL on my bbq chicken pizza”.

That sounds exciting to be fair, I’ve never been served a snail in any JD Wetherspoon pub.

“After 22 years of not eating any animals, I was served chicken nuggets today at The Bell Hotel instead of quorn nuggets. I’ve never had quorn nuggets in Weatherspoon before and I have not eaten chicken for 22 years, so I have not realised what happened until the mistake was discovered after I have eaten some of the meal.”

That is far from ideal, although I have often been served the wrong meal in this chain, so I’m not entirely surprised. The mistakes that they make with my order don’t have the same impact as this customer.

“No wonder the owner wants European staff, they don’t understand the negative comments”.

Oh good, a bit of hatred and piffle thrown into the mix.

“I asked for a double jack and coke with no ice the guy put ice ion not a big issue but instead of making another one Jim I think he was called just put his hand in the drink picked the ice out and then gave it back to me what the hell and during a pandemic”

I’d like to think that this isn’t true.

“Ok if you are a non-smoker. 13 tables to choose from, 4 if you smoke. WOKE PUB”

Of all the pubs that is ‘woke’, it’s not ones operated by Tim Martin. Unfortunately, the chain decided to scrap their social media presence a few years ago, so none of these reviews are ever replied to.

Anyway, I digress. It’s a perfectly well managed pub from my experiences and there’s a choice of bars with a smaller one downstairs and the main one upstairs. There’s plenty of real ale and also craft beer, I suspect it’ll be remaining in the Good Beer Guide for some time to come.

March 9, 2023