Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Hereford

Hereford – The Orange Tree

The next pub on our tour around Hereford was the Good Beer Guide listed Orange Tree which is operated by Black Country Ales, a chain that I know from my previous visits to Birmingham. The Orange Tree is Grade II listed and the front section was built in the seventeenth century, with a more modern section at the rear of the venue. For reasons unknown to me, it was called the Firefly for a while, but the older name returned in 2019.

Then, in 2020, the pub got national publicity when the landlord posted on social media:

“There’s a lot of young chavs, or roadmen, with bum bags in Hereford, if you know what I mean, been frequenting the pub and they don’t know how to behave. The youngsters don’t know how to handle themselves in a pub. A lot of them turned 18 during lockdown and are just misbehaving to be fair, and putting off other customers.”

To reinforce his point, he then banned hoodies and anyone in Stone Island clothing. Oh, and banned under 21 year olds on some evenings. Any pub which has to resort to banning people based on their clothing choices is unlikely to last long (unless it’s so good that it decides that it wants a decadent dress code, but how many city centre pubs are realistically going to be that extravagent?), and it was the inevitable course of events here. It was sold just a couple of months after to another operator, but then, two years later, Black Country Ales purchased the pub and admitted it had been failing for years, before they steadied the ship. They removed the upstairs commercial kitchen to put in a larger manager’s flat, but they restored calm and balance, with a swift entry in the Good Beer Guide coming soon after.

The Hereford Times reported how a former landlord checked on the age of customers:

“If Jacko the landlord had doubt about your age, he used to open your mouth and check your teeth like a vet checks a horse’s.”

Interesting…. I don’t think that will catch on instead of the Check 25 age verification policy.

Looking towards the more modern rear of the pub, much of the wood panelling in the venue has remained in place. There used to be bagatelle played at the pub, but that habit no longer persists. More pubs need bar billiards tables and a bagatelle arrangement. Writing about matters of the past, I liked the article in the Hereford Journal in July 1860 given it covers the subject of pubs and walking:

“VISIT OF JOHN MOUNTJOY – THE CELEBRATED PEDESTRIAN, TO HEREFORD.

On Monday last, it was advertised by public bills, that John Mountjoy, the celebrated pedestrian, whose wonderful feats have been heard of far and near through the medium of the sporting papers, had visited this visit, and that on Monday morning last, he was to perform the following wonderful feats three days in succession – the more wonderful as the pedestrian is now in his 60th year. The bills stated that he was to start from Mr. Hewitson’s the Orange Tree, in King Street, and walk to the Green Man at Fownhope, and back again to the Orange Tree, four times in the course of each day.”

The walking though was just the start of it:

“The other part of the programme was that he would perform the following nine feats in 40 minutes :- To walk forwards half a mile and backwards half a mile; to run half a mile; to hop on one leg for 100 yards; to run backwards 100 yards; to pick up with one hand 30 stones, placed one yard apart, and to deposit them singly in a basket; to pick up 20 eggs in his mouth without touching the ground with his knees or the eggs with either hand, and to deposit each in a bucket of water, without breaking it; and, finally, to leap 20 hurdles, each ten yards apart, with the last egg in his mouth without breaking it”.

Perhaps we should add this extra element to LDWA events….

The bar with its extensive range of real ales, including several from Black Country Ales. With regards to the team member, he was engaging and personable, offering a positive and warm welcome. We were visiting the pub towards the end of the evening, but it was evident he was content to serve until the advertised times. This might not sound particularly notable, but there are a few pubs who do ignore their opening hours and shut early or open late.

They’re not Untappd screens, but they’re useful ways of seeing what beers are available. A well curated selection of beers, with the prices being reasonable.

I went for a snack and the Old Mill Stout from Little Eaton Brewery from Derby. It was a well-kept plum porter and it was smooth with an edge of decadence, a more than acceptable way to end the evening. I was, once again, pleased with my food pairing choices.

All credit to Black Country Ales for this comfortable, friendly and laid-back pub, especially given what the venue has gone through over recent years. It’s done well to get into the Good Beer Guide and from my visit, it seems well deserved. All really rather lovely.

November 7, 2023
Hereford – Beer in Hand

The next pub on our evening meander around Hereford was the Good Beer Guide listed Beer in Hand. It’s got the atmosphere and ambience of a micropub and it has won numerous CAMRA awards over the years.

There were real ales available as well (although apparently the number of these has been reduced from previous years), with this being the keg and cans list. I like nicely presented boards which make things simple for me to understand rather than some rickety board that I can hardly read perched precariously behind the bar. The beer list was well curated with a range of beer styles to choose from, as well as an up-to-date can list by using printed versions of it. The service at the bar was friendly and timely, all suitably relaxed.

Bottles, cans, real ciders and all rather exciting. I liked the inviting atmosphere of the pub and the atmosphere felt comfortable, informal and safe. They don’t sell food, but they are proud of not just their beer and cider but also their craft spirits.

I went for the Dream House from Left Handed Giant brewery from Bristol. I like this brewery, I’ve been to their brewpub in Bristol and they make some particularly decadent stouts. This beer was a NEIPA, with a decent fruity and hoppy flavour.

Julian, who is a natural sporting sceptic (despite my attempts to get him to play football), was convinced to play Jenga. Just wait, I think he might move onto bar billiards before you know it.

Then, for reasons unknown, Jonathan brought over some Russian dolls. What was also evident was that there was an element of community about the venue with that micropub tendency to have plenty of events going on even though the opening hours might be a little limited compared to traditional pubs. There’s a debate about that in the latest CAMRA magazine, but I won’t go down that rabbit hole at the moment.

Anyway, sport aside, I very much liked this pub and am pleased that it’s listed in the Good Beer Guide. The choice of beers is impressive, the pub was clean, the service was friendly and they had a number of different pub games. The on-line reviews are positive and I’d merrily recommend a visit here.

November 7, 2023
Hereford – The Herdsman

This pub sounded intriguing on CAMRA’s Whatpub, so I thought that it would make something of a contrast to the JD Wetherspoon operated Kings Fee that we had just visited. The building was constructed in 1861, on the same site as an older inn, and was used as a hotel and bar when it opened in its new format. The building is substantial in size and apparently has a skittles alley upstairs and a large function room, but the bar area itself is relatively small.

The prices for the food were towards the lower end of the scale and this is served during lunchtimes only throughout the week.

There was only one real ale, but it was 6X from Wadworth, so that more than sufficed me. It was well kept, smooth and at the appropriate cellar temperature. I assume that the venue is owned by a Pubco as the pub was stocking Cruzcampo and not many free trade locations would be rushing to sell that. But let’s not get me back onto Cruzcampo which has managed to fall to a rating of 2.83 on Untappd, which is at least higher than Bud Light.

The bar perhaps feels just a little dated, but that didn’t detract from the atmosphere for me as this felt like a proper community pub. The pub was clean and tidy, with the front bar being dry and not sticky whilst glasses were collected promptly from tables. The function room was being used for some party where there was an element of fancy dress, so there was a steady flow of people coming into the bar who were dressed in various manners of which some were more decadent than others. That combination of locals and heavily dressed up new customers certainly added something to the visit.

The on-line reviews for the venue are positive and they do a good trade in breakfasts, which perhaps explains why JD Wetherspoons are charging so little for theirs. They also do food deliveries with Deliveroo, with their focus on what they refer to as simple and decent meals. I was served by what I assume was the landlord and he was helpful and pleasant, the whole arrangement felt inviting for locals and visitors alike. They’re not trying to be cutting edge here, the feel is of a traditional and authentic pub which is safe and reasonably priced. All really rather lovely, and the 6X didn’t let me down.

November 6, 2023
Hereford – Kings Fee

The second pub of the evening on our little tour was the JD Wetherspoon operated Kings Fee which they opened in 2001. The building (which is architecturally of moderate interest, although it’s not listed) was previously used as a Kwik Save supermarket, but as for the pub name, I’ll quote from the JD Wetherspoon web-site:

“The name of this pub recalls the early years in the history of Hereford. The central area around the cathedral was the Bishop’s Fee (or property) and the rest (within the city walls) was the King’s Fee. Hereford’s ancient cathedral is dedicated to the city’s patron saint Ethelbert, the Saxon king murdered at the behest of King Offa on the outskirts of Hereford in AD794. During Offa’s reign, the city expanded. The extended area became known as the King’s Fee, the eastern part including the ancient priory of Saint Guthlac.”

Surprisingly to me, given that this is a city centre location, it’s on pretty much the cheapest price band for the chain and is offering the ‘Top Plates, Low Rates’ menu. Those prices for breakfast really are hard for anyone else to compete with.

It’s a sizeable pub and it was relatively busy on the Saturday night that we visited. It was certainly quite vibrant, but the service was fast and the team members seemed friendly. It is rather difficult to picture this as a supermarket, they’ve done a decent job at converting the building to become a viable pub.

I went for a pint of the Devon Dumpling from Bays Brewery of Paignton, a well kept golden ale which was hoppy although didn’t quite have the depth of flavour that I would have expected from a 5.1% beer. Jonathan was already on double whiskies, a drink that is affordable in JD Wetherspoon at least.

The reviews of the venue are fairly average for the chain, I noted one customer had an interesting experience:

“Food tastes like the carpet looks. Waiting for service had to endure a conversation between a man chewing straw and wearing wellies and someone wearing a cravat, sunglasses and desert boots, thinking he was Rambo. I thought I was on a film set!”

Certainly sounds like they have some customers with character and I can’t say that there’s much wrong with that. Also, the above photo shows the carpet, it’s hard to imagine the food tasting like that.

“I asked for mixed berries Stowford press and she started pouring normal, I then notified her that I asked for mixed berries and I arrived at an very abrupt no you didn’t, to which a few times I assured I asked for mixed berries and she was adamant and very argumentative that I hadn’t asked for what I know I ordered to then she gave in and muttered ” for fuxks sake” under her breath. Disgusting service to what seems like a nice pub.”

If this is true, and there are always two sides, it doesn’t sound like the most optimal of customer service engagements. Certainly a bit of drama for anyone watching though. I’m impressed that they gave the pub two stars out of five in their review given that.

“We came to the kings fee for a friends birthday, the staff were extremely rude. We arrived at 12 and by 5 they were refusing to serve us any more drinks – due to us being rowdy. Understandable that we may have been a little loud, but, this is a pub not a library.”

I rather feel I can tell what has gone on here….

“Refused another drink because we are Welsh.”

I suspect there’s more to this story, but sadly no more details were provided.

Anyway, I digress once again after looking at the reviews of the venue. We were visiting Good Beer Guide pubs in Hereford, and some other interesting looking independent venues, but this was also worth a quick visit as they had a small real ale festival going on. No issues here, but there are other pubs in the town which have a bit more character to them.

November 6, 2023
Hereford – Hereford Beer House

The first pub of the evening was the Hereford Beer House, where we also met Des and Clare. It’s a micropub that opened in 2015 in what was formerly a bookshop called Hooked on Books (and before that it was a video rental shop) and it has an open and welcoming feel. It’s no secret to my two loyal readers that I’m strongly in favour of micropubs and so I was excited to see that Hereford had one.

The beer and cider board, and a strong focus on cider, with some interesting options on it. The pricing was clear, although it’s a little unusual not to see anything priced by the pint.

The beer fridge with some tempting cans in it, although I had already opted for the Breezy from Ideal Day brewery. The interior of the micropub was bright and it was moderately busy when we arrived.

And there’s the Breezy, in front of Des’s feet. It was a gentle and herby sour, but not quite as decadent as I had hoped in terms of the richness of taste.

I liked this micropub and its inviting and laid-back atmosphere. The service was prompt and polite, with the ordering process being clear. The on-line reviews for the venue are positive, with over 300 beers and ciders available in cans and bottles so there’s no shortage of drinks to choose from. All really rather lovely and I like that their beer list is available on Untappd, it makes forward planning that bit easier.

November 1, 2023
Hereford – Edward Elgar Statue

The quality of the photography isn’t great here, but that’s partly because it was dark and that’s sub-optimal. The statue here is that of Edward Elgar (1857–1934), a former resident of the town between 1904 and 1911, and he is leaning against his bicycle looking at the Cathedral. The statue was sculpted by Jemma Pearson (1960-) and it was placed here in 2005. There’s an inscription by the statue which says:

“This is what I hear all day – the trees are singing my music – or am I singing theirs?”

Also in the photo, posing thoughtfully (or something like that), are Julian and Jonathan.

November 1, 2023
Hereford – Mary Gold Indian

Always wanting to take any opportunity possible to visit an Indian restaurant, I was pleased when Jonathan and Julian agreed that our dining experience of the evening would be at Mary Gold. I’m not sure what the building used to be and it’s not listed, although in 2007 it was given planning permission to change from a warehouse facility to a restaurant.

The opening hours weren’t entirely correct on Google, meaning we arrived around twenty minutes before they were open. This didn’t faze them in the slightest, they welcomed us in and got drinks ready for us. I thought that was rather decent hospitality and my first impressions were positive. It was also a fortunate turn of events as the restaurant was soon at capacity and we might have missed out entirely if we had waited for much longer.

Although prices have risen quite sharply over the last couple of years, I thought that this still represented seemingly acceptable value for money. We all went for the first option which made things easier in terms of meal planning, with the waiter being helpful during the service. I don’t get to try enough Indian restaurants to have a complete understanding of this, but I think that this is towards the lower end of the scale for pricing.

I’m not normally a beer drinker with Indian meals, my option is usually a mango lassi, but beer felt appropriate here. Julian went for the Mongoose which I hadn’t heard of, but tasted similar to Cobra to me when I tried it, and I liked the play on names.

The poppadoms appeared promptly and the lime pickle had a suitable bit of kick to it, although we could have done with more of it.

They could probably do with smaller plates to make the portion size give the appearance of being bigger, but it was a perfectly sufficient sized starter. It’s chicken pakora and the meat was tender, the coating had a pleasant flavour and the sauces added to the presentation.

I went for the peshwari naan and the Gunpowder chicken curry. The chicken was once again tender, there was a slight spice kick although as usual, I wanted a little more heat. However, the sauce had a depth of flavour, the portion size was reasonable and the peshwari naan had a light texture and a richness from the almond.

We tried to leave at this point as we had a walk and several pubs to visit, but they then politely queried why we didn’t want the free dessert. I stampeded back to the table, I’m easily sold on a Viennetta type dessert at the best of the times and this felt an appropriate moment. I had the orange as well such is my obsession for fruit.

There was then a free chocolate and a free Amaretto. I was glad that we hadn’t left and Jonathan was particularly surprised and delighted at how things were turning out.

And then free sweets to complete the meal. This is quite clever as I suspect it leads to a bigger tip, which is what we did, but I still liked the gesture and we weren’t obligated to give anything. I was also pleased to note that the waiting staff never tried to rush us out, even though it felt evident to me that they could do with the tables. I’m keen on proper hospitality and I felt that this was offered here.

Overall, I was pleased with the restaurant and that was quite useful since it was my suggestion to go there. Jonathan and Julian seemed equally delighted, with the whole meal representing value for money. The quality was high, the surroundings were spotlessly clean and the service was attentive and warm. OK, it doesn’t match the free items given by Lowestoft Tandoori (but where does?) but I left feeling the experience had been positive. Definitely recommended and I can see why it’s the best rated Indian restaurant in Hereford.

October 31, 2023