But I was intrigued that none of the Ripley pubs have ever graced the pages of the Good Beer Guide in the editions I’ve got from the last ten years. Some of the pubs must be doing something right as they can be obviously busy at times when I’ve driven through the village.

So given a fine summer Thursday evening and a friend and two bikes we went exploring.

Seven Stars

The first stop was the Seven Stars which is not in the centre of Ripley but about half a mile along the road towards Pyrford. It’s a large pub for such a remote location but a welcoming one. From the small real ale selection we chose the Hogs Back TEA. This favourite from the local-ish Hogs Back brewery was a recurring feature of pubs in Ripley as we were to discover.

Anyway the beer was in good condition and was enjoyed in the attractive garden behind the pub. I didn’t eat but my friend had a superb ham, eggs and chips. Overall a good experience and a pub to return to. I’d like to explore the food menu a bit more.

Talbot Inn

Once into the centre of Ripley we parked up the bikes and started at the Talbot Inn. The Talbot is right at the northern end of Ripley and is an old coaching inn. Apparently Nelson used to stay here too on his way to Portsmouth. The older parts of the inn have been extended with more modern dining areas and accommodation blocks.

As non-diners we weren’t really supposed to crash the patio immediately behind the pub but they lacked the will to shift us so we stayed. The Talbot may have a reputation for food (if you can afford it) but the Hogs Back TEA chosen from a conservative selection of beers was disappointing. Good job we were only drinking halves. We didn’t stay long.

Half Moon

Over the road to the Half Moon. We were practically the only customers on this Thursday evening – does it ever get busier? Full of interesting bric-a-brac felt welcoming – but empty. Bypassing the Courage Best we opted for Shere Drop from the local Surrey Hills brewery and it was not bad, but not the best pint of the night.

Anchor

After the Half Moon we strolled tp the southernmost pub in the centre of Ripley – The Anchor. But we quickly beat a hasty retreat when we realised all the handpumps were turned round. The pub looked interesting and I’ll explore another time when hopefully they’ll have some real ale on.

Ship

Last pub of the topur was the Ship – right in the centre of Ripley. Compared to the rather empty pubs we’d visited up to now the Ship seemed buzzing. Despite being strangers we were made to feel welcome by the barman and the Hog Back TEA (again) was actually very nice. Unfortunately evenings don’t last for ever so we couldn’t stay long but the Ship is definitely a pub I’d want to visit again.

Our Ripley cycle tour was a good evening and yielded a couple of good pubs – the Seven Stars for food and the Ship for best beer and atmosphere. Maybe we should have been in Ripley on a Friday night – perhaps the pubs would have been much busier. And it was good to see local beers (Hogs Back, Surrey Hills) present in amongst the more national brands.

Full reviews of these pubs will appear soon.

Ones We Missed

On the night we didn’t have time to visit the Jovial Sailor – a Chef and Brewer pub just south of Ripley. I’ve read lots of negative reviews about this place but they must be doing something right as the car park always seems to be full when I drive past. There is also the Saddlers Arms close by on Send Marsh.

The Sovereigns in Woking

The Sovereigns in Woking is part of the Ember Inns chain but is definitely a cut above the normal Ember Inns pub.

Some two to three years ago it suddenly reinvented itself as a real ale heaven. No more aggro – no more burining downs – just somewhere adults can go to have some safe fun and get some good beers. I sometimes visit on my way home from London as the atmosphere is so welcoming. They do quizzes twice a week and other special events.

It’s a large pub inside with many different areas. There’s also a canopy out the front for the smokers, and a small balcony out the back with a fine view of the car park.

The Sovereigns has in the recent past been the local CAMRA group’s pub of the year. There are 6 handpumps and the beer choice changes constantly although Deuchars IPA seems to be fairly constant.

At the moment they are doing ‘Tasting Racks’ for £1.99. Basically you can choose 3 of the real ales available and they give you a third of a pint of each. So effectively £1.99 for an eclectic pint – not bad eh? As I write this I’m drinking the Stonehenge Danish Dynamite – a gorgeously light and slightly fruity beer. I’ve also gone for the Mordue Coffee Porter and the Hop Back Red Ember – I’ll be enjoying those in a few minutes. Put with the pint of Arundel Autumn Old I had earlier which is a fine malty dark beer, this is shaping up to be a lovely session when it’s just supposed to be a pint on the way home…

Apparently these tasting racks are now a permanent feature and other Ember Inns are doing them too. It works here in the Sovs (Woking vernacular) as they have a good real ale turnover – less so in other Ember Inns I’m told.

Have you got a like minded Ember Inn near you?

Read my pub review of the Sovereigns, Woking here

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.