Pub of the Month (February)

[Conrad]

January thread now archived.

[hondo]

Not been in this pub for a while but it wont have changed since my visit and want to flag it up before it changes hands and hopefully doesn't lose its character

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/n.../article/89839

http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/39399/

Daphne Cutten

[Bucking Fastard]

My POTM was The Red Lion,Preston which is near Hitchin.It claims to be the first community owned pub ,and has been operating for 28 years following the purchase from Whitbread by a group of local villagers.The Board of Directors,which includes the couple who manage the pub, are all from the village which has a population of 300.The pub is certainly the social hub ,with a darts team and it is the base for the village cricket team.
The villagers wanted to retain a traditional pub,there are no signs of musak,fruit machines,free wifi,etc and the opening hours are also a throw back with a lunchtime session ,mid afternoon close ,then a reopening at 5.30pm in order to avoid the all day drinking atmosphere which can sometimes tarnish a smallish local.
The village is well to do,no doubt this made the community ownership more viable,but many people from outside the village visit The Red Lion and being in that category I am grateful that it was saved by community action.
A GBG regular with home cooked food,a terrific pub.

[RogerB]

Found myself in the Chalk Farm/Belsize Park area a couple of times this month and have been mightily impressed with the Sir Richard Steele for beer, ambience, the Thai food and the sheer eccentricity of the place. http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23748/

[Al 10000]

My Pub of the month is the Sun Inn in acomb York,the pub is in a nice location opposite acomb green and seemed unaltered inside with three different rooms and an olde worlde atmosphere to it the pub also did food but this did'nt affect the pubs ambience.

[aleandhearty]

I rather enjoyed The Sheffield Tap, on a recent flying visit to the city. Its restoration was obviously a real labour of love and the re-vitalised Edwardian grandeur just oozes from the main room. Ten hand pumps too.