Archive for September, 2009
Fine Beer at Ripley Farmers Market
Sep 17th, 2009 |
Surrey Hills beer on sale at Ripley Farmers Market
Ripley in Surrey hosts a Farmer’s Market on the second Saturday of most months. It’s a great place to sample and buy local produce – vegetables, sausages, cheese, olives, curry sauces etc.
The Surrey Hills brewery usually have a stall at the market too and you can buy beer to take home in 2 pint and 4 pint containers. Business was brisk last Saturday and I got there too late for the Gilt Complex but the Shere Drop was on good form so I had that. Ranmore Ale – a slightly darker bitter was also available too.
The Shere Drop went down a treat with the sausage and mash later on.
Further details on Ripley Farmers Market can be found here.
Holiday Pubs in Devon
Sep 15th, 2009 |
Last month I took a family holiday in Devon which prevented me from attending the Great British Beer Festival. However I wasn’t too disappointed as I visited a couple of good pubs when in the area and another old favourite on the way there.
The Odd Wheel, Wembury
Highlight of the week was the Odd Wheel in Wembury, near Plymouth. The farm where we were staying was just up the road and my nightly pilgrimmage down the road with a takeaway container didn’t take too long – unless of course I stopped for a drink whilst I was there.
The Odd Wheel, Wembury, Devon
The Odd Wheel is going through a period of transition from its previous incarnation as a 70s timewarp, but the new managers are keen to ensure that people have a good time whilst there. They’re also keen to carry on the Odd Wheel’s tradition of selling good quality west country beers. Whilst there I tried the following: Skinners Heligan Honey, Skinners Ginger Tosser, South Hams Devon Pride, Dartmoor Jail and Dartmoor IPA, plus one or two others that I don’t remember. Whilst I was there they also were selling Courage Best (why?), and Sharps Doom Bar made a swift appearance on the quiz night but went very quickly.
There are no handpumps on the bar – all the beers are served straight from the barrel in the cellar.
Certainly I felt like I’d been to a beer festival at the end of the week, but I was able to sip beer overlooking the Atlantic. Superb, and I can’t wait until next summer.
Read a more recent review of the Odd Wheel, Wembury here.
The Mussel Inn, Down Thomas
Also in the Wembury area, the Mussel Inn in is the tiny village of Down Thomas. My wife and I popped out here for an evening meal leaving the girls behind to be minded at the farm.
It’s definitely geared up as a restaurant but they are happy for people to just drink as well. The St Austell Tribute here was very good. The food was not bad either – although slightly let down by the desserts.
Good Beer Guide Launch
Sep 13th, 2009 |
Varsity Bar, Guildford - exterior view
Went to the Varsity Bar just outside Guildford on Thursday night for the local CAMRA group’s launch of the 2010 Good Beer Guide. The venue was chosen as the Varsity Bar has been in the guide for 10 consecutive years now – a reward for selling a wide range of superbly kept beers. There was a special presentation to commemorate this.
Last night the beer options included King’s Red River, and Shere Drop and Gilt Complex from the Surrey Hills brewery – all fine beers.
Varsity Bar, Guildford - hand pumps
I’m not sure if it’s the quantity of beer that I drunk but the GBG seems so much heavier than previous issues. Investigation will start at the weekend as to which pubs are no longer in.
There was some mention of the price of the GBG. CAMRA members could get it for £10 at the event last night and the non-members price is £15.99. However some will have spotted that it’s available for £7.99 from Amazon at the moment. Apparently this is less than cost price and it is not possible to prevent Amazon from selling it at a loss. It’ll be interesting to see how long that price sticks.
Aldgate Pub Lunch Options 4 – Hoop and Grapes
Sep 11th, 2009 |
I’ve been coming to the Hoop & Grapes on and off for nearly 20 years. It’s situated on Aldgate Hight Street, just east of and opposite Aldgate tube station.
Hoop & Grapes, Aldgate
The Hoop & Grapes is a Nicholson’s pub so to a certain extent you know what you’re going to get. But I think that Nicholson’s is one of the better pub chains – compared to the All Bar One, Pitcher & Piano indentikit establishments. The interior is old and woody, mainly dark but with pools of light beneath the ceiling windows half way up and at the back. You’ll be amazed how big the pub is inside given the small frontage on Aldgate High St.
I always make sure to get there as early as possible to get a table when eating lunch as it can get quite busy – especially towards the end of the week.
Tasty gammon at the Hoop and Grapes, Aldgate
The food menu contains few surprises but the prices are pretty reasonable and lunchtime deals are available on some dishes. My enormous gammon steak with two eggs and chips was £5. The food always tastes good.
Beer-wise, the Hoop & Grapes usually carries four real ales. London Pride, Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, and Sharp’s Doom Bar seem pretty constant and there is one guest. Usually the beers taste well kept but some colleagues have remarked on the odd dodgy pint.
The pub’s good in the evening too – once again getting busy quickly after work. Food is not available in the evenings though. They do ale tastings every Thursday nights.
Previous posts in this series
The Royal Oak in Borough
Sep 9th, 2009 |
The Royal Oak, Borough
The Royal Oak in Tabard Street, Borough is Harvey’s only London pub. That’s not to say that Harvey’s beers are not available elsewhere in London – most notable at the Dispensary and the Peacock in Aldgate, and the Harp in Covent Garden. But the Royal Oak is the place to go to see how it should be done.
The Royal Oak in Borough: Read the full post »
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