Pub Of The Month - November 2012
A pub is for life not just for Christmas
Early days but The North Laine looks an excellent addition to the already great pub scene inBrighton
"Do I know where hell is? hell is in hello"
A proper real ale pub with great beer, friendly staff and comfy. Very hard to leave here Kings Head
easy choice this month the new Craft Beer Co in Islington.a warm welcoming traditional style pub.Best yet in this growing chain.
My pub of the month for November goes to the The Bulls Head in Burslem,a great choice of Titanic beers plus guests,two real fires on the go,bar billiards table and table skittles table.
What more could you ask for in a pub.
My nomination this month is The Black Friar in Blackfriars, EC4. Loved the amazing interior and enjoyed a cracking pint of Jaipur. Fortunately, they were enough to negate the appallingly rude service from the young hipster barman.
'And where he supped the past lived still. And where he sipped the glass brimmed full' John Barleycorn, Carol Ann Duffy.
I hesitate to nominate pubco outlets for two months running, or to follow Aleandhearty by recommending another Nicholsons, but I'll go for The Marquis of Granby in SW1 this time. Now up to seven handpumps, with a good range on offer, plus space for four more ales on gravity at the back of the bar.
You might suspect that my opinion was swayed by the free ale (or fizz) on offer at their reopening event after the recent refurbishment, or the bottled beers in the 'goody bag' handed out by the nice lady from the marketing department to departing guests... However, to be fair, I think that Nicholsons have improved vastly over the last five years and are now leading the way to help drive up standards at other pubco brands such as Punch's Taylor Walker and even for encouraging the increasing number of real ale-led outlets run by Stonegate, etc.
My nominated pub is obviously not in the same class as some of the more renowned freehouses that one might think of, but it is important to acknowledge that some pubcos are making strides to up their game (and the improvements at this particular outlet deserve noting).
Three contenders: The Town Wall Tavern in Coventry and The Malt Shovel and Wig and Pen, both in Northampton.
The Malt Shovel shades it by being a very comfortable boozer with a commitment to good quality, local beers.
Only been to one pub all month,although many times, so pub of the month goes to my local The Waggon And Horses.A small traditional locals pub now usually five ales available,two on hand pump the remainder dispensed by gravity, plus Weston's Traditional Scrumpy.Worth popping in should you be passing,situated on the main A.30 so gets some passing trade as well as a healthy cross section of locals.CAMRA North Hampshire Pub Of The Year 2012.
Last edited by Mobyduck; 02-12-2012 at 09:43.
"Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer."
-W.C.Fields
There has already been a nomination for The Malt Shovel,Northampton ,so I will instead go for The Town Wall Tavern,Coventry for my POTM.Very unusual to find a locals pub inside the City Centre Ring Road,it was a haven of good ale and good chat.
December can be a poor month for pub visits if works drinks venue decisions are left to younger members of staff.However there is still a bit of boating to do but in the MK/Leighton Buzzard area.I can only hope that fortune favours the brave
"Good people drink good beer" Hunter S Thompson
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