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19-10-2021, 19:52
Visit The Bring on the Beer site (https://bringotbeer.blogspot.com/2021/10/pubtober-19-cambrian-tap-cardiff.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4xFkNISlAqrWvdwlhLvlOkto9J7p6emU-37Nndiw_TXnSEy1pKUt-TX0wJynPOv1_VFrxAATXqiE12_uKvJ1Hu3Xe6Sy2uHCVjLft7K YJuh9QAEhaJCy8sUfpL6F794N5dLC9WzbyCkZUVhIQFviXPXiw 70co_y8xNdrC1fanTfwrf4uLwOeaz40o2A=w609-h434 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4xFkNISlAqrWvdwlhLvlOkto9J7p6emU-37Nndiw_TXnSEy1pKUt-TX0wJynPOv1_VFrxAATXqiE12_uKvJ1Hu3Xe6Sy2uHCVjLft7K YJuh9QAEhaJCy8sUfpL6F794N5dLC9WzbyCkZUVhIQFviXPXiw 70co_y8xNdrC1fanTfwrf4uLwOeaz40o2A=s1171)
The Cambrian Tap is one of the first pubs you'll come across as you make your way from the railway station down St Mary Street in Cardiff. Picked out in gold and black, this evocative city boozer sits on the corner of this busy, social throroughfare and another of Cardiff's famous streets; Chippy Alley, or to give it its proper name, Caroline Street.
Built in 1830 as part of the original Thomas' brewery which was sold to Brains in 1882, the Cambrian abuts a bar called the Brewhouse and a plaza of hospitality venues called The Old Brewery Quarter.
It hasn't always had this name though. Between 2002 and 2015 it was known as Kitty Flynns, an unapologetic Irish bar right down to the tricolor flying over the door and the emerald green doors and windows which wished you céad míle fáilte.
Kitty was a real person - a Cardiff landlady who managed the Royal Oak in Adamsdown. It was in her honour that the pub was renamed after Brains asked the drinkers of Cardiff for suggestions. With over 50 years behind the bar, Kitty lived a long life and only passed away earlier this year. This article from the Western Mail (https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/kitty-flynn-cardiff-pub-adamsdown-20197526) is well worth a read.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBl0YoLJhj8H0We6i1PEj5BsX_WAsIKrXnPudZ0ts48S _19aCsIp5eEUShycP6KnLWUrMAik_ZVG-fM7pT2fk4R6PQG09CLSgHwvu0o8MKWOpP8x5vMhWtwMQQLHxac 75_FygNJnGzRLorq58H0b-Tnu2VGfvKOldN_NFk53zoL6JbsjxRg75teeEIbA=w604-h434 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBl0YoLJhj8H0We6i1PEj5BsX_WAsIKrXnPudZ0ts48S _19aCsIp5eEUShycP6KnLWUrMAik_ZVG-fM7pT2fk4R6PQG09CLSgHwvu0o8MKWOpP8x5vMhWtwMQQLHxac 75_FygNJnGzRLorq58H0b-Tnu2VGfvKOldN_NFk53zoL6JbsjxRg75teeEIbA=s1133)
Kitty doesn't live here any more.
In April 2015 Brains wanted a dedicated outlet for their Brains Craft Brewery offshoot and Kitty's was refurbished, rebranded and reopened as the Cambrian once again.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnXLqwaSRwV7lpWKtHtWYq7MnenT_c-4jp0QVjFVX498HOCibIvxkdovCNOAZ2THJAX8P_t0vJhFhXpgf-162AMw6-qutwGrz38nnYeyBVUYFqryXPrrjG22Q3BAc573_OTV_SKDn8NZ GGBDkYpQrjHKHT247BqaHH_8CZpS_K-nGWoKJW0qYCNWJt7g=w609-h457 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnXLqwaSRwV7lpWKtHtWYq7MnenT_c-4jp0QVjFVX498HOCibIvxkdovCNOAZ2THJAX8P_t0vJhFhXpgf-162AMw6-qutwGrz38nnYeyBVUYFqryXPrrjG22Q3BAc573_OTV_SKDn8NZ GGBDkYpQrjHKHT247BqaHH_8CZpS_K-nGWoKJW0qYCNWJt7g=s2048)
All the brews - and the brewers too. See how many famous names you can spot.
It is a narrow pub with the bar on one side and a section of booth seating on the other, with a small section of additional tall tables to the left of the entrance. The toilets are down a staircase to the rear. On busy days a one-way system is implemented with a way in and a way out, as well as a doorman keeping an eye on the capacity levels, such is this place's popularity.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBg44SNAcpHxNT5SRLQIgEpa1hv6PD9aMDh3EYys0W9_ qLOY8Ph08ZqPM_srhsr_a_Eqw-taYlgPIIGPPKNWFByinKuLjKvI5vbRxgjw4_edE6wkZ_ZPKfOH y9EthUV4haX7yM-GWJq1BMWXbKvbgB2ggp8dZXqT_Zi8qGPJ0cTUvSuZIuyeITWyD WVg=w547-h362 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBg44SNAcpHxNT5SRLQIgEpa1hv6PD9aMDh3EYys0W9_ qLOY8Ph08ZqPM_srhsr_a_Eqw-taYlgPIIGPPKNWFByinKuLjKvI5vbRxgjw4_edE6wkZ_ZPKfOH y9EthUV4haX7yM-GWJq1BMWXbKvbgB2ggp8dZXqT_Zi8qGPJ0cTUvSuZIuyeITWyD WVg=s615)
As it was....
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHtWhHUY55QYltFvdSpzUoATKhUOgl8-aJQXmjttYisHtDAdx0JFHIBmubL_JUEv1DyXEDLl-yrLmSTcjcSpGA6oumM8rLwdxdp-H9LxgOMROiCTFeq0bLxQhqB8En7E5HqAsGyws0ODCueXlBiM4a GLjfumha1chF3sowbbPPTMjM35TaSDrnNYweSQ=w562-h316 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHtWhHUY55QYltFvdSpzUoATKhUOgl8-aJQXmjttYisHtDAdx0JFHIBmubL_JUEv1DyXEDLl-yrLmSTcjcSpGA6oumM8rLwdxdp-H9LxgOMROiCTFeq0bLxQhqB8En7E5HqAsGyws0ODCueXlBiM4a GLjfumha1chF3sowbbPPTMjM35TaSDrnNYweSQ=s2048)
so shall it be...
At time of writing the Cambrian is still a Brains pub, albeit up for sale. As such on the bar you will find Brains cask ale and a couple of surviving offerings from the Craft Brewery such as Barry Island IPA. It is also one of the outlets serving Brains' new lager Bayside, which replaced the long-standing guest lager Korev from St Austell.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqFC2FQhJcUDTmEDEPcpkBdmHVdQTtfl82rMETZC-pziLD7OT-hQMa6JYFGb6zcW0v6o0OElNUC20wbD1Grpbn4KmkBVbLJcuePt mQ1IH8dmeSIKj7dzVuTtaDs92XIJCYq6MXpedIB-pxl-0j7QWFvG0mt0VZHnUT5UQICWtdIqCFxolTrQbbsRaGYw=w273-h485 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqFC2FQhJcUDTmEDEPcpkBdmHVdQTtfl82rMETZC-pziLD7OT-hQMa6JYFGb6zcW0v6o0OElNUC20wbD1Grpbn4KmkBVbLJcuePt mQ1IH8dmeSIKj7dzVuTtaDs92XIJCYq6MXpedIB-pxl-0j7QWFvG0mt0VZHnUT5UQICWtdIqCFxolTrQbbsRaGYw=s2048 )
My fondest memories of the Cambrian were of its February Dark Beer festivals. For a week the taps were taken over by dusky drinks of all kinds from all over the UK and beyond; from the sublime to the ridiculous.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi97h80srndO0mLXjmJZqhH_WP3wGSBlsVgj_4xu0gFVW sc0w6I3m9Z7Mi2SoUOcYpylw3P3LiPN5sQnpn-4w1oU6r0HOAYQvag6Vy8s7IrziaWwGHSlyYsi-JsJLh0hrLCs2m1Pa7HXWtF5fChTtGZB8bySChVbOFKZ-boCOpqG0yHUzmKfuPRITMI1w=w613-h344 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi97h80srndO0mLXjmJZqhH_WP3wGSBlsVgj_4xu0gFVW sc0w6I3m9Z7Mi2SoUOcYpylw3P3LiPN5sQnpn-4w1oU6r0HOAYQvag6Vy8s7IrziaWwGHSlyYsi-JsJLh0hrLCs2m1Pa7HXWtF5fChTtGZB8bySChVbOFKZ-boCOpqG0yHUzmKfuPRITMI1w=s2048)
I really really hope the Cambrian survives the Brains fire sale, if not for the benefit of the drinkers of south Wales and beyond, but for the memory of Kitty Flynn whose service to the Cardiff pub scene will always be remembered. There is no pub like this in Cardiff - it is unique, special and deserves to remain open and frequented for many years to come.
More... (https://bringotbeer.blogspot.com/2021/10/pubtober-19-cambrian-tap-cardiff.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4xFkNISlAqrWvdwlhLvlOkto9J7p6emU-37Nndiw_TXnSEy1pKUt-TX0wJynPOv1_VFrxAATXqiE12_uKvJ1Hu3Xe6Sy2uHCVjLft7K YJuh9QAEhaJCy8sUfpL6F794N5dLC9WzbyCkZUVhIQFviXPXiw 70co_y8xNdrC1fanTfwrf4uLwOeaz40o2A=w609-h434 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4xFkNISlAqrWvdwlhLvlOkto9J7p6emU-37Nndiw_TXnSEy1pKUt-TX0wJynPOv1_VFrxAATXqiE12_uKvJ1Hu3Xe6Sy2uHCVjLft7K YJuh9QAEhaJCy8sUfpL6F794N5dLC9WzbyCkZUVhIQFviXPXiw 70co_y8xNdrC1fanTfwrf4uLwOeaz40o2A=s1171)
The Cambrian Tap is one of the first pubs you'll come across as you make your way from the railway station down St Mary Street in Cardiff. Picked out in gold and black, this evocative city boozer sits on the corner of this busy, social throroughfare and another of Cardiff's famous streets; Chippy Alley, or to give it its proper name, Caroline Street.
Built in 1830 as part of the original Thomas' brewery which was sold to Brains in 1882, the Cambrian abuts a bar called the Brewhouse and a plaza of hospitality venues called The Old Brewery Quarter.
It hasn't always had this name though. Between 2002 and 2015 it was known as Kitty Flynns, an unapologetic Irish bar right down to the tricolor flying over the door and the emerald green doors and windows which wished you céad míle fáilte.
Kitty was a real person - a Cardiff landlady who managed the Royal Oak in Adamsdown. It was in her honour that the pub was renamed after Brains asked the drinkers of Cardiff for suggestions. With over 50 years behind the bar, Kitty lived a long life and only passed away earlier this year. This article from the Western Mail (https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/kitty-flynn-cardiff-pub-adamsdown-20197526) is well worth a read.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBl0YoLJhj8H0We6i1PEj5BsX_WAsIKrXnPudZ0ts48S _19aCsIp5eEUShycP6KnLWUrMAik_ZVG-fM7pT2fk4R6PQG09CLSgHwvu0o8MKWOpP8x5vMhWtwMQQLHxac 75_FygNJnGzRLorq58H0b-Tnu2VGfvKOldN_NFk53zoL6JbsjxRg75teeEIbA=w604-h434 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBl0YoLJhj8H0We6i1PEj5BsX_WAsIKrXnPudZ0ts48S _19aCsIp5eEUShycP6KnLWUrMAik_ZVG-fM7pT2fk4R6PQG09CLSgHwvu0o8MKWOpP8x5vMhWtwMQQLHxac 75_FygNJnGzRLorq58H0b-Tnu2VGfvKOldN_NFk53zoL6JbsjxRg75teeEIbA=s1133)
Kitty doesn't live here any more.
In April 2015 Brains wanted a dedicated outlet for their Brains Craft Brewery offshoot and Kitty's was refurbished, rebranded and reopened as the Cambrian once again.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnXLqwaSRwV7lpWKtHtWYq7MnenT_c-4jp0QVjFVX498HOCibIvxkdovCNOAZ2THJAX8P_t0vJhFhXpgf-162AMw6-qutwGrz38nnYeyBVUYFqryXPrrjG22Q3BAc573_OTV_SKDn8NZ GGBDkYpQrjHKHT247BqaHH_8CZpS_K-nGWoKJW0qYCNWJt7g=w609-h457 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnXLqwaSRwV7lpWKtHtWYq7MnenT_c-4jp0QVjFVX498HOCibIvxkdovCNOAZ2THJAX8P_t0vJhFhXpgf-162AMw6-qutwGrz38nnYeyBVUYFqryXPrrjG22Q3BAc573_OTV_SKDn8NZ GGBDkYpQrjHKHT247BqaHH_8CZpS_K-nGWoKJW0qYCNWJt7g=s2048)
All the brews - and the brewers too. See how many famous names you can spot.
It is a narrow pub with the bar on one side and a section of booth seating on the other, with a small section of additional tall tables to the left of the entrance. The toilets are down a staircase to the rear. On busy days a one-way system is implemented with a way in and a way out, as well as a doorman keeping an eye on the capacity levels, such is this place's popularity.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBg44SNAcpHxNT5SRLQIgEpa1hv6PD9aMDh3EYys0W9_ qLOY8Ph08ZqPM_srhsr_a_Eqw-taYlgPIIGPPKNWFByinKuLjKvI5vbRxgjw4_edE6wkZ_ZPKfOH y9EthUV4haX7yM-GWJq1BMWXbKvbgB2ggp8dZXqT_Zi8qGPJ0cTUvSuZIuyeITWyD WVg=w547-h362 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBg44SNAcpHxNT5SRLQIgEpa1hv6PD9aMDh3EYys0W9_ qLOY8Ph08ZqPM_srhsr_a_Eqw-taYlgPIIGPPKNWFByinKuLjKvI5vbRxgjw4_edE6wkZ_ZPKfOH y9EthUV4haX7yM-GWJq1BMWXbKvbgB2ggp8dZXqT_Zi8qGPJ0cTUvSuZIuyeITWyD WVg=s615)
As it was....
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHtWhHUY55QYltFvdSpzUoATKhUOgl8-aJQXmjttYisHtDAdx0JFHIBmubL_JUEv1DyXEDLl-yrLmSTcjcSpGA6oumM8rLwdxdp-H9LxgOMROiCTFeq0bLxQhqB8En7E5HqAsGyws0ODCueXlBiM4a GLjfumha1chF3sowbbPPTMjM35TaSDrnNYweSQ=w562-h316 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHtWhHUY55QYltFvdSpzUoATKhUOgl8-aJQXmjttYisHtDAdx0JFHIBmubL_JUEv1DyXEDLl-yrLmSTcjcSpGA6oumM8rLwdxdp-H9LxgOMROiCTFeq0bLxQhqB8En7E5HqAsGyws0ODCueXlBiM4a GLjfumha1chF3sowbbPPTMjM35TaSDrnNYweSQ=s2048)
so shall it be...
At time of writing the Cambrian is still a Brains pub, albeit up for sale. As such on the bar you will find Brains cask ale and a couple of surviving offerings from the Craft Brewery such as Barry Island IPA. It is also one of the outlets serving Brains' new lager Bayside, which replaced the long-standing guest lager Korev from St Austell.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqFC2FQhJcUDTmEDEPcpkBdmHVdQTtfl82rMETZC-pziLD7OT-hQMa6JYFGb6zcW0v6o0OElNUC20wbD1Grpbn4KmkBVbLJcuePt mQ1IH8dmeSIKj7dzVuTtaDs92XIJCYq6MXpedIB-pxl-0j7QWFvG0mt0VZHnUT5UQICWtdIqCFxolTrQbbsRaGYw=w273-h485 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqFC2FQhJcUDTmEDEPcpkBdmHVdQTtfl82rMETZC-pziLD7OT-hQMa6JYFGb6zcW0v6o0OElNUC20wbD1Grpbn4KmkBVbLJcuePt mQ1IH8dmeSIKj7dzVuTtaDs92XIJCYq6MXpedIB-pxl-0j7QWFvG0mt0VZHnUT5UQICWtdIqCFxolTrQbbsRaGYw=s2048 )
My fondest memories of the Cambrian were of its February Dark Beer festivals. For a week the taps were taken over by dusky drinks of all kinds from all over the UK and beyond; from the sublime to the ridiculous.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi97h80srndO0mLXjmJZqhH_WP3wGSBlsVgj_4xu0gFVW sc0w6I3m9Z7Mi2SoUOcYpylw3P3LiPN5sQnpn-4w1oU6r0HOAYQvag6Vy8s7IrziaWwGHSlyYsi-JsJLh0hrLCs2m1Pa7HXWtF5fChTtGZB8bySChVbOFKZ-boCOpqG0yHUzmKfuPRITMI1w=w613-h344 (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi97h80srndO0mLXjmJZqhH_WP3wGSBlsVgj_4xu0gFVW sc0w6I3m9Z7Mi2SoUOcYpylw3P3LiPN5sQnpn-4w1oU6r0HOAYQvag6Vy8s7IrziaWwGHSlyYsi-JsJLh0hrLCs2m1Pa7HXWtF5fChTtGZB8bySChVbOFKZ-boCOpqG0yHUzmKfuPRITMI1w=s2048)
I really really hope the Cambrian survives the Brains fire sale, if not for the benefit of the drinkers of south Wales and beyond, but for the memory of Kitty Flynn whose service to the Cardiff pub scene will always be remembered. There is no pub like this in Cardiff - it is unique, special and deserves to remain open and frequented for many years to come.
More... (https://bringotbeer.blogspot.com/2021/10/pubtober-19-cambrian-tap-cardiff.html)