Posts Tagged ‘Hog’s Back’
Hog’s Back Brewery Shop
May 22nd, 2010 |
Whenever I’m driving over towards Farnham I always try and visit the Hog’s Back Brewery shop which is connected to the brewery in Tongham – it’s always worth a detour.
Aldgate Lunchtime Options No2 – The Dispensary
Aug 17th, 2009 |
Number 2 in an occasional series of pubs I can visit at lunchtime. It follows on from my first ever post which concerned the Pride of Spitalfields.
The Dispensary is situated on the junction of Leman Street and Alie Street – just down the road from Aldgate East tube station. There used to be 3 pubs on this crossroads a few years ago. The Old Monk has now become a ‘gentlemans club’ and the Black Horse which reinvented itself as Bar Bed recently became a crime scene.
The Dispensary itself is enjoying a bit of a resurgence after having reopened some months ago. Prior to that it was closed for ages after a drastic decline in quality. It originally opened in 1998.
On the beer front, the Dispensary is now the local CAMRA group’s Pub of the Year, so you’d expect something special. I started with Hog’s Back HBB – refreshing and tasty, but I preferred the Nethergate Umbel which is a fruity, floral beer but slightly bitter. I know not everyone likes beer like this, but I do.
If you’re eating here and ordering from the menu make sure your bank balance is healthy. I chose the steak burger – almost the cheapest item on the main course menu at £9.50. But it was superb – cooked slightly rare, how I like it. And I was cetainly full up when I finished it.
The Dispensary is very much geared up like a restaurant at lunchtimes – you’re shown to a table and the order is taken from the table.
I was going to say that I’d be unlikely to eat there again given the prices but during a conversation with Annie who runs the pub she told me that they do offer Beer and Baguette lunches for £5, and Beer and Ploughmans for £9.50. I’ll certainly be back to try those.
I did pop back today for an excellent pint of Harvey’s Best which they usually stock. Dark Star Hophead is another regular apparently.
An Evening in Winchester (Part 2)
Aug 10th, 2009 |
This post follows on from the previous part of my write-up of our recent evening in Winchester.
The Old Vine
Having met my friend at the station we headed straight over to the Old Vine in Great Minster Street opposite the cathedral.
I occasionally used to visit the Old Vine when I lived in Winchester 20 years ago and it was very popular. But it got a lot less attractive over the years – descending into an awful chain pub format.
I was alerted that things had changed for the better at the Old Vine through the reviews on Beer in the Evening and I returned earlier in the year to investigate.
The interior of the Old Vine has been extensively refurbished and the pub is now split into two halves – a restaurant side and a pub side.
The restaurant seems very busy but I’ve not actually eaten here – I’ve just focussed on the pub side which was also very busy on our Wednesday evening trip.
The Timothy Taylor Landlord seems to be a permanent fixture, but on this occasion I had the Summer Ale from the Hog’s Back Brewery) – quite a dark and malty beer for a summer drink but tasty nevertheless.
We had a few more pubs to do so didn’t stay for more than one.
The Green Man
The Green Man on Southgate Street is another pub that has resurrected itself after some time in the wilderness. Even the barman at the Hyde Tavern couldn’t believe it was actually worth going to these days. But it’s definitely worth the short walk away from the centre.
The interior is very atractive with wood everywhere and a beautiful green tiled fireplace in the side wall. There’s even a skittle alley out the back but I’ve never tried it.
The Green man is a Greene King pub but you wouldn’t believe that from the usual selection of real ales. On my previous trip in March I think GK IPA on gravity was the only GK beer available.
Well Geoff and I had a shock waiting for us as the pub was closed – due to electrical problems – or so the sign said. That was a real shame as I could see that one of the handpumps was for Bowman’s Swift One – one of my favourite beers.
Thwarted, we had to head down the hill to the Wykeham Arms – one of the more famous and historic pubs in Winchester.
Read about the pubs we got to:
- An Evening in Winchester Part 1 – Albion, King Alfred, Hyde Tavern
- An Evening in Winchester Part 3 – Wykeham Arms
- An Evening in Winchester Part 4 – Black Boy
And the ones we didn’t get to: