tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52800443791244557062024-03-13T03:47:51.958+00:00Ben ViveurThe Epicurean musings of Benjamin NunnBenjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.comBlogger355125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-78202092018856966322024-01-10T17:51:00.004+00:002024-01-10T17:54:35.679+00:003.4 Children<p>It's now been a fair few months since changes to UK Duty legislation made it advantageous for breweries to produce beers at a strength of 3.4% or weaker, and we should be starting to see the effects of this at the bar counter as breweries seek to offer beers meeting this criteria.<br /></p><p>Speculation at the time suggested that this could be the death knell for cask ales in the 3.5 to 3.7% range, with a host of new beer launches and reformulations of existing recipes hitting the market in order to comply. But to what extent has this actually happened?</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2-5m2-rNzecvDluiTde_lb8GjrOWEgB5bl0t16BwCOXSe7cTV0xo_RatUedSCxtkm709libCR5YraX5O_5t2GgKjxUZXrUl9Vh00cRKW_rK0o6wCd70uP1_HuWbfN8-5a7fOWRccfCIdlBQDIbCsK_XCuJjqk3z5eytJIx5ABJzE-Hs3JwUaA4UFA6E/s450/ABVs.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2-5m2-rNzecvDluiTde_lb8GjrOWEgB5bl0t16BwCOXSe7cTV0xo_RatUedSCxtkm709libCR5YraX5O_5t2GgKjxUZXrUl9Vh00cRKW_rK0o6wCd70uP1_HuWbfN8-5a7fOWRccfCIdlBQDIbCsK_XCuJjqk3z5eytJIx5ABJzE-Hs3JwUaA4UFA6E/s320/ABVs.png" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taste the difference?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Of course, it should be remembered that brewers do get some leeway with regards to deviation from the advertised strength. Cask ale, in particular, is a living, evolving, maturing product that can easily get stronger as it sits in a pub cellar. However, if breweries were to leave, say, a 3.8% beer unchanged and just write 3.4% on the pumpclip, they'd be cutting it very fine indeed, so by and large I'd expect them to be playing with a straight bat and brewing their revised beers 'down the middle' rather than trying taking unnecessary risks trying to get away with something that lurks in the margins. And, theoretically, a weaker beer <i>should</i> be cheaper for them to produce too, though this isn't always the case.<br /></p><p>3.4% is something of an iconic ABV in certain quarters, mainly because of Brakspear's Bitter. Back when I was a youngster, before the brewery closed, this was considered an absolute classic session beer, and proof that great things can be done at this sort of strength.</p><p><br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p>This isn't the first time we've been in a situation like this. A few years ago, cut-off points at 2.8% and 7.4% became a thing and affected the beer market at its fringes. Almost all beers that were just below 8% were weakened to 7.4%, and while I'm not sure a single beer was reduced to 2.8%, some new ones were introduced to the market at this strength - <b>Adnam's <i>Sole Star</i></b>, <b>Harveys <i>R</i></b>, <b>Marble <i>Petite</i></b> amongst others. But for 'normal people' who like to drink the same beers at 4.2% it didn't much matter. What kind of geek cares about Alcohol by Volume, really? (Answer: me, obviously.)<br /></p><p>But even among those of us who take an active (or obsessive) interest in such things, the changes didn't drastically shake things up, apart from making 2.9% and 7.6% beers almost extinct. This time it turns out I've actually got through 21 different 3.4% cask beers since the change in the law last Summer, so let's review a few of the new generation of 3.4%ers and see what they're like, starting with the new releases before moving onto the existing beers that have been weakened...</p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">In with a bullet <br /></h2><p><b>Anspach & Hobday <i>Citra</i></b> - a single-hopped pale ale. There's a lot of this sort of stuff around these days, and it's not an unreasonable tactic to put one out at 3.4%. Very sessionable, if a little unremarkable with little to distinguish it from the glut of similar beers out there. 6/9.</p><p><b>Arkell's <i>Tradition</i></b> - a light mild, which is a style that would seem to fit the 3.4% bill perfectly, only very few people seem to want to drink it, which is perhaps a shame. I thought it was perfectly decent. 6/9.</p><p><b>Brew York <i>Calmer Chameleon</i></b> - I think this may actually have been brewed at a higher strength previously, but didn't drink it until 2023 and so have only sampled the 3.4% version. It's also gluten-free and is pale and hoppy. Again, easy drinking but doesn't particularly stand out. 6/9.</p><p><b>Theakston's <i>Quencher</i></b> - specifically launched as the legislation came in, it's pale and citrussy, and, yes, it's another 6/9.</p><p><b>Five Points <i>Gold</i></b> - maybe it's because I got to try this at the brewery when they launched it, but this seemed to have just a little more going for it, with a bittersweet fruitiness providing great refreshment. 7/9.</p><p><b>Lune Brew <i>101</i></b> - apparently the first in a series of 10x dry-hopped Northern Bitters from this new brewery. This version used Admiral and Goldings. I found it a bit average. 5/9.</p><p><b>Brentwood <i>Santa's Paradise</i></b> - a Christmas-themed beer with Australian hops. I didn't really get it. 5/9.</p><p><b>Buxton <i>Hatchet</i></b> - quite cleverly, this is a half-strength version of their 6.8% Axe Edge IPA. Packs reasonable flavour, but like so many of these session pales, struggles to stand out from the crowd. 6/9.</p><p><b>Westerham <i>Apricity</i></b> - another one that fits the template perfectly for the 'nu-gen' 3.4% beers. It's light and relatively hoppy and easy to drink. 6/9.<br /></p><p><b>Titsey <i>Vanguard</i></b> - very much in 'ordinary bitter' territory, but not in the same league as the Brakspear's of old. 5/9.<br /></p><p><b>Torrside <i>Pace Setter</i></b> - an attempt to bring some of the dank, resinous flavours of a strong IPA into a session strength, which mostly succeeds. 6/9.<br /></p><p></p><p><b>Marble <i>1847</i></b> - pale, pleasant and ultimately forgettable. Standard. Or 'Based'. Are we supposed to say 'Based' these days? I can't keep up. 6/9.<br /></p><p><b>Atom <i>Elemental</i></b> - also pale, but cryo-hopped and had a strange, slightly uriney flavour that I couldn't entirely get along with. 5/9.<br /></p><p><b>Church End <i>Spiders have feelings too</i></b> - for a beer with a lot of Mosaic going on, I didn't actually mind this. Nicely dry and easy to drink, but swiftly forgotten. 6/9.<br /></p><p><b>Pig & Porter <i>My Father was a Nun</i></b> - green-hopped, so a bit twiggy, and generally unspectacular. 5/9.<br /></p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Walking wounded</h2><p>Perhaps surprisingly, there are far fewer beers that have been brought down 3.4%. Maybe we'll see more of this happening throughout the year, but let's start with the most ubiquitous of all:</p><p><b>Greene King <i>IPA</i></b> (previously 3.6%) - a controversial beer in so many ways (not really an IPA, shouldn't have won CBoB medal, and so on) and not one I'd choose to drink with any regularity. The weaker version is no worse, I'll give it that. 4/9.</p><p></p><p><b>By The Horns <i>Stiff Upper Lip</i></b> (previously 3.8%) - as well as being weaker, it's also now Vegan-friendly and, as a consequence, fairly hazy. But don't let it be confused with super-hoppy hazy beers; this is a malt-led, fairly bland beer that isn't as good as it used to bee. 5/9.</p><p><b>Anspach & Hobday <i>The Ordinary Bitter</i></b> (previously 3.7%) - another beer that scores a point less in its new form. It's fairly well-made, but just doesn't do a lot for me and is a bit thin at the new strength. 5/9.<br /></p><b>Moor Beer <i>Revival</i></b> (previously 3.8%) - Hoppy enough that it doesn't lose anything much when the strength is brought down. I quite like it. 6/9.<br /><p><b>Burning Sky <i>Plateau</i></b> (previously 3.5%) - given that this has only decreased by a single .1 it's easy to make a case that it hasn't really changed at all. Same New World hops, same easy drinkability. It was, is, and will remain a solid everyday drinking beer. 6/9.</p><p><b>Purity <i>Bunny Hop</i> </b>(previously 3.5%) - another one that's come down by the smallest of margins, but I've actually uprated it compared to the earlier version. The new recipe feels a tad crisper and hoppier with a little creaminess from the oats and wheat. It's more complex than a lot of these beers and all the better for it. 7/9.</p><p><br /></p><p>And there you have it - conclusive proof that 3.4% beer is quite possibly the biggest non-story of modern times!<br /></p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-15658099945829789432024-01-04T15:25:00.007+00:002024-01-06T19:34:13.534+00:00Golden Pints: BV's best beers of 2023<p style="text-align: left;">Compliments of the festive season, everyone!</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">(Yes, whatever anybody tells you, it's still Christmas. My decorations are staying up at least until Twelfth Night, and quite possibly until Candlemas.)</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">It is, however, a 'new year' which means people like me can definitively announce our favourite beverages from the previous one. Which is exactly what I'm about to do, so strap yourselves in<br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Happy new beer <br /></h2><p style="text-align: left;">I ticked 612 new cask beers during the year, taking my overall total to 11,598 since recrds began. Four of these scored the effective maximum score of 8/9, making them the 'Golden Pints' of 2023 and I'll come to them in a bit. But firstly, a couple of honourable mentions that were 'high 7s': </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Twickenham</b>'s <i><b>Small Batch Stout: Cherry and Tonka Bean</b> </i>was undoubtly the best beer I had in a Wetherspoons in 2023, with both the cherry and tonka flavours shining in a dry, drinkable and unexpectedly moreish pint at just 4.7%. Probably the best beer yet from that brewery too, and they've been going a fair while now.</p><p><b>Mr. Winter's <i>Peach Tea Pale</i></b> (4.0%) likewise deserves a mention as my favourite beer from <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2023/08/gbbf-2023-call-to-volunteer-arms.html" target="_blank">my time volunteering at the GBBF</a> and it's sad that the event won't be taking place this year.</p><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96ZmucB0-ZoPhKf1AlTSVb4WGf4gF8TORCUZZwJsAHiyTiGkctTcVJnO7rMI_msLtlSmAdjgvljp7Eldg5r4n37JIBidKzr0-cU_I_L0g3eVbRq6SsbKFQeFWTSiLMyksOGnPAle6-sgMgqKfGeynVg4wN8DmVBsGHNMlFBzyUhL90FnpKuvnlt2ESaw/s1024/2023.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="918" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96ZmucB0-ZoPhKf1AlTSVb4WGf4gF8TORCUZZwJsAHiyTiGkctTcVJnO7rMI_msLtlSmAdjgvljp7Eldg5r4n37JIBidKzr0-cU_I_L0g3eVbRq6SsbKFQeFWTSiLMyksOGnPAle6-sgMgqKfGeynVg4wN8DmVBsGHNMlFBzyUhL90FnpKuvnlt2ESaw/s320/2023.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my beloved pints!</td></tr></tbody></table>My favourite cask beer that wasn't new was <b>Drop Project <i>Lip Smack</i></b> which I will keep going back to every time they do it in cask form because it's so damn tasty. Properly sour with generous amounts of real raspberry and blackberry, it's a 5% slab of fruity genius.<p></p><p>And while we're on the subject of fruity sours, my favourite keg beers of the year were <b><i>MANA - Wild Berry </i></b>from <b>Azvex</b> which, although apparently 6% was more of a smoothie than a beer, along with the remarkable <b><i>Holy Mountain</i></b> from <b>Holy Goat</b> brewing which somehow tastes like a Belgian Kriek that has been aged for years, thanks to some clever blending hacks.</p><p>If we extend the remit to non-cask, non-British beer, <b>Mortalis</b> brewing company's <b><i>Hydra / Slushmallow </i></b>was arguably even better. This was a 7% mixed berry sour from Upstate New York, with marshmallow and banana that absolutely blew my mind and my tastebuds with its sweetshoppy goodness. Oh, man.<br /></p><p>But there's an argument that this isn't really 'proper beer', so here's the important stuff...</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Big Four</h2><p style="text-align: left;">The first new cask beer of the year to score a big 8 was <b>Hammerton <i>Crunch</i></b> (5.4%) enjoyed at my local the Radius Arms back in March. I'd enjoyed this several times before, but only ever from a keg or a can. It's a lovely beer with plenty of peanut butter and chocolate biscuit notes and - crucially for a milk stout - never becomes cloyingly sweet. In 2023 I finally got to try a cask version which afforded it a creamier mouthfeel and brought out the nuttiness. And that took an already superb drop to the next level.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Thornbridge</b> marked 'International Women's Day' by giving us <b>Vivienne</b>, named after designer Westwood. A hazy 5% pale with the addition of ginger, this was hugely refreshing and delicious. At the time I described it thusly <i>'Massive hit of ginger. Like shotgunning a tin of Idris but without all the sugar. Nice.' </i>Enjoyed at the Kentish Belle in Bexleyheath in April, and I hope it makes a comeback at some point.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Fast-forward the Betamax to November, and the Radius is serving <b>White Horse <i>Luna Space Hopper</i></b>. This time you can forget the adjuncts. No ginger, no peanut butter, just hops and plenty of them. A beer-drinker's beer, despite the sllightly convoluted name. Deliciously juicy and pale at 4.5%, it's the sort of beer you could drink nine pints of without even realising. Excellent stuff.</p><p style="text-align: left;">And the final 8/9 beer of 2023 showed up just a few weeks ago, at the Dog House micropub in Beddington right after I'd been singing for an Advent Carol Service and needed refreshement rather urgently. Once I'd downed a couple of pints of something pale and hoppy to take the edge off my thirst, it was an absolute delight to get stuck into <i><b>Door of the Cosmos</b></i> (4%) from <b>Castle Rock</b> - one of those breweries it's easy to forget still exist these days. Salted Caramel session stout. A proper dessert in a glass and next-level awesome. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I couldn't pick a favourite out of these four, and on some days I might just pick one of the fruited keg sours over any of them, but overall it was, as Tori Amos might've said 30 years ago, a pretty good year for beer. <br /></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Happy drinking in 2024, everyone!<br /></h1>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-29918502566181982032023-11-29T17:52:00.004+00:002023-12-12T02:11:38.373+00:00The Heart and Soul of England<p>Some time ago my father posited the concept of the relationship between pub and church as embodying '<i>the Heart and Soul of England</i>' (I forget exactly how long ago, but given the rate at which time now passes it might be as long as 30 years!) with the pub being the 'heart' of this country, and the church its 'soul'.<br /><br />We would occasionally revisit the topic and sometimes even consider the 'expanded universe', so a butchers shop would perhaps be 'the Loin of England' and the great universities the Brain, but the core of the idea - and indeed the core of any traditional English village - was very much Heart and Soul; Pub and Church. Perhaps located tangentally across the road from one another, inextricably linked through generations of the worshipful and the thirsty.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><br /><p></p><p>Both instutitions are of course in long-term decline and indeed <i>seen to be</i> in long-term decline, though perhaps latterly through a lens that magnifies the actual crisis level.</p><p>To be clear, what we're talking about here is specifically 'traditional' or 'proper' pubs and Anglican churches, rather than the loose-blanket categories of 'somewhere you can get a drink' and 'places of worship'. So while the micropub and the megachurch may buck the overall trend of decline in beer consumption and belief in God and could even be hailed as minor success stories, they have not arrested the overall slide, and even if they did so, it would never be a like-for-like comparison.<br /><br />Thus, the taproom of a modern urban craft brewery that only opens a couple of days a week might be a great place to drink the latest Cryo-hopped Thiolized Imperial Saison, but the opening of such an outlet is of scant consequence to the residents of a small village that just lost its last pub. And, equally, if St Barnabus is now only used for occasional worship because the parish has been merged with St Crispin's three miles away, the fact that an African Pentecostal church now uses their hall for services isn't going to compensate much. 'Tings dain't same!</p><p>But it's not just pubs and churches that have been in a seemingly irreversible downward spiral - it's also the relationship between the two, and I'd argue that this bond gave both institutions an additional strength and sense of relevance that is now lacking.<br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Empty Pews; Empty Selves</h2><p>So what are the actual (OK, approximate) numbers and how serious is the consequent decline? </p><p>Well, if we start with the good ol' Church of England, <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/consultation" target="_blank">formal church redundancies</a> are in the region of 20 a year or thereabouts, which isn't a huge deal when there are still 15,000 or so churches still in use. Individual losses may be felt in the parishes and communities they serve, but generally only happen when congregations have dwindled down to close to single figures. And even then outright closure and sale or demolition is never a given. The number of 'alternative' options springing up - both other Christian sects and indeed places of worship for other faiths entirely - may even be greater than the number of CofE churches that are lost. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QTboc1gDG-ZkOfCkI6ijj0FwzInOvR_GrKIr-hPXnY-2DFuaOzvX6cgaklFMiY66qLB_zEXRNkbPGDbKzglrbP5_HYS8sdIw5hta4TPsDMHmfz2OGPQ0d1TMDAsB0y5i_wEFVLxSL1-kdE2p3eZ4UGO1YYLR7g84sM-K-QxeUIjOkHXWrpS2Kt9Ps_0/s1024/heartandsoul_2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QTboc1gDG-ZkOfCkI6ijj0FwzInOvR_GrKIr-hPXnY-2DFuaOzvX6cgaklFMiY66qLB_zEXRNkbPGDbKzglrbP5_HYS8sdIw5hta4TPsDMHmfz2OGPQ0d1TMDAsB0y5i_wEFVLxSL1-kdE2p3eZ4UGO1YYLR7g84sM-K-QxeUIjOkHXWrpS2Kt9Ps_0/w200-h150/heartandsoul_2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disused Heart<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>But if you care more about the Heart than the Soul, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/dec/24/more-than-32-pubs-in-england-and-wales-closed-each-month-in-2022-data-reveals" target="_blank">the news is less encouraging</a>. Something like 500 pubs in England are closing every year, the vast majority of them of the kind we'd consider to be 'traditional boozers', and there definitely aren't enough alternative drinking options opening up to compensate for this. Rural areas are particularly hard hit: a village without a single pub would once have been an oddity but is now entirely normal.<br /><br />I'm not in the business of picking sides - I like my communities to have both pub and church, preferably sterling examples of both - but pubs would seem to have it particularly rough. Even struggling churches tend to get a reasonable amount of help and support from neighbouring parishes and at a Diocesan level. By sharing resources they can sustain smaller congregations than in the past, whereas pubs really need customers coming through the doors at a certain level to survive. <p></p><p>A lot of anti-Church criticism focuses on the fact that they own a lot of property and valuable land, and this is true - but they're not known for avariciously cashing in on it at every opportunity. Hoarders they may be, but breweries and PubCos are very much not, and they are rarely charitable when a pub is losing them money. And if a private owner is facing personal losses the decision to shup up shop is even more understandable.</p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Strike up, O Harp<br /></h2><p>But I think there is something deeper to consider - that the relationship between church and pub is probably weaker than it has been since the Reformation, and this particularly hurts the pub trade. It's very easy to succumb to nostalgic longing for a time and place that no longer exists and whose memory may have been tinted with concentrated rose. But that doesn't mean that the 'better times' didn't happen at all. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8aBrjTvfG6A-FEZnq6v7ipIQNkQPm-Be4cBfuZ4HdwCd-gcyJUNicxWMGq4PKIVfbfPRksB83XJjd6NQfaAn-99OwA9ilqwrZ1Ui_FIC3_61EKtXDAnchrxMiz0rKvQgIAPRTClYb3mOTbfQi0FUitwxzaWCOCZYZWCGDwHQCbuFTtN-F9l1VhiH8I_U/s1050/heartandsoul_1.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1050" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8aBrjTvfG6A-FEZnq6v7ipIQNkQPm-Be4cBfuZ4HdwCd-gcyJUNicxWMGq4PKIVfbfPRksB83XJjd6NQfaAn-99OwA9ilqwrZ1Ui_FIC3_61EKtXDAnchrxMiz0rKvQgIAPRTClYb3mOTbfQi0FUitwxzaWCOCZYZWCGDwHQCbuFTtN-F9l1VhiH8I_U/w200-h171/heartandsoul_1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disused Soul<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>When I was a child, 35-40 years ago, it was more 'normal' to attend church, and even if not doing so religiously, to be loosely associated with the surrounding community, through being a chorister or bellringer or simply a friend or relative of someone who was. And it was just as normal for this expanded community of people to be known to one another because the other thing they all had in common was that they went to the pub. <p></p><p>Singers would adjourn to the local after choir practice where they might see someone they knew vaguely as the brother of one of the sidespeople. Someone would pop in on their way home from work on a Tuesday because they knew that was the bellringers practice night and they needed to have a word with Rob about something or other. And so on.<br /><br />That was just real life - and this wasn't some tiny village somewhere. It was South London. An area that doesn't really have that sort of Pub/Church-based sense of localised belonging any more, because people have stopped doing both. And this behavioural shift has happened within my lifetime.<br /><br />You can't force a 'lifestyle' onto someone. If somebody likes to drink at home, or go to Homebase on Sunday morning, or be teetotal, or worship at a mosque, that's their business. And I know there are plenty of Militant Atheist types who will celebrate the decline of the established church while mourning the loss of pubs, essentially rejecting the necessity of any connection between the two. (And indeed those of a persuasion entirely opposite to this whose preferred flavour of religiosity actively rejects 'the demon drink'.)<br /><br />But for me there will always be a special relationship between pub and church. That will always be 'my' England. And the thought of it fading into a distant memory is one that fills me with sorrow.<br /></p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-80125341189268016252023-08-31T16:09:00.002+01:002023-08-31T16:11:53.460+01:00BV London Pub of the Year 2022-23 - the results <p>What combines the anticipatory excitement of a gender-reveal party with the hoppy aroma of a cool, fresh pint, and the excited anticipation of a different gender-reveal party?</p><p>That's right - the BV London Pub of the Year contest. And the hour is hand for the winner to be revealed, so let's crack on with our top five for 2022-23.</p><p>So, here we go...</p><p>(Oh yeah, read the actual content of parts <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2023/07/bv-london-pub-of-year-2022-23-part-one.html" target="_blank">one</a> and <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2023/07/bv-london-pub-of-year-2022-23-part-two.html">two</a> first, otherwise none of this will make any sense.)</p><p>So, here we go. For real this time...</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <br /><p></p><p>Our <b>5th</b> placed pub this year is one of the debutants, the <b>Star & Garter</b> in Bromley. Great cask and keg beers, quirky decor that blends ancient and modern, it's a welcome addition to the competition and does well to go straight into the top five with a bullet.</p><p>In <b>4th</b> we welcome back a West End girl that has been around the block and actually first appeared in the very first ever competition 11 years. Yes, it's the <b>Harp</b> in Covent Garden. Well, Charing Cross really, but people tend to call it the Harp in Covent Garden and it's such a great little pub I'm not going to argue.</p><p><b>3rd</b> place has come as something of a surprise. It's another pub that's been around for yonks but only makes it's debut in the contest this time. Really well-kept Hopback beers? Board games? The best pork scratchings? It's the <b>Sultan</b> in South Wimbledon.</p><p>And so, we're into the final two. Or look, it's the same final two as last year. And indeed it's the same final two in the last contest prior to lockdown, so there's some serious staying power going on. But in what order? For the love of all that is good about pubs and beer, what is the order?!?</p><p>Well...</p><p>This year's <b>Runner-up</b> is the <b>Kentish Belle</b> in Bexleyheath. The gold standard for a South-East London micropub and a blueprint for anyone wanting to create excellence from a standing start..</p><p>But there can only be one <b>Winner</b>. And it is, in case you haven't worked it out, the <b>Hope</b> in Carshalton. The community pub that just keeps on giving back, with the best beer festivals around and a place in all our hearts.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYIbjsPHY2zZazW_E7yl_pbvsqMPlfVMGSXKKxJ0qqAFTamh45bIbuWeHttrKpSIzY19cQGX9m82yWprNcfJr-N-LWeYYTOmhsrtm5_pIaE74o1zfo4dMMa1n7hR9md7jyYfoRh2x-ZUzSTqBGYLrTeO8c29LcDQ9ByMthXrjW4E6bbH3PWzSlruiYJ0/s2044/poty_23_winner.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="2044" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYIbjsPHY2zZazW_E7yl_pbvsqMPlfVMGSXKKxJ0qqAFTamh45bIbuWeHttrKpSIzY19cQGX9m82yWprNcfJr-N-LWeYYTOmhsrtm5_pIaE74o1zfo4dMMa1n7hR9md7jyYfoRh2x-ZUzSTqBGYLrTeO8c29LcDQ9ByMthXrjW4E6bbH3PWzSlruiYJ0/w400-h90/poty_23_winner.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not short of awards!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It's not like they need another gong down at 48 West Street - the pub has just been named CAMRA Greater London Pub of the Year (again) and has a history of picking up award after award, but they've won them all for a very good reason, and that's why they deservedly take top spot here. <p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">So major congrats to the team at The Hope, you are officially the BV London Pub of the Year 2022-23!</span><br /></p><br /><div><div><p><br /></p></div></div>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-47177695717600875032023-08-11T21:05:00.002+01:002023-08-11T21:05:29.207+01:00GBBF 2023: A Call to (Volunteer) Arms<p>I've been attending the Great British Beer Festival for 29 years now, and have long been a staunch supporter of the event. </p><p>Typically I'd get a Season Ticket, attend most or even all of the sessions, and drink lots of beers during the week, which would be one of the highlights of my year. I've seen it grow in size from the mid-90s onwards; the evolution as it moved from Olympia to Earl's Court and then back again. And I sorely missed it in 2020 and 2021, when it didn't take place. <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2022/08/gbbf-2022-hello-old-friend.html" target="_blank">Its return in 2022</a> brought a sense of purpose back to my life. Well, back to my first week in August, at any rate.<br /></p><p>But despite being a GBBF Superfan, I'd never volunteered - until this year - and it's only right that I now give you my honest assessment of how I got on last week.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><div style="text-align: left;">I've always said that I have a lot of time and admiration for the unpaid GBBF staff and everything they do. That view has now gone up a notch - it really is hard work, even things you might think would be 'easy', so kudos to everyone who has ever volunteered there. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;">Game for anything?</h2></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bA5CcypkTqOvVX5CyWxsrrjrdYkk5uAS6cGSN81o5x17UOWeXuREwDrfEJhRrP3nmOL8gXwp5iMWkw4YxkzMF674jdqmOeaAu4tCCk2_YbHVDDhoqfPGBDoCieLL3r9y3ZGmprJ768D_kEGwwTV1FPjzGpAbebqfGvw4oc73B6IDqD24txKWjlYu9mQ/s960/gbbf_23_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bA5CcypkTqOvVX5CyWxsrrjrdYkk5uAS6cGSN81o5x17UOWeXuREwDrfEJhRrP3nmOL8gXwp5iMWkw4YxkzMF674jdqmOeaAu4tCCk2_YbHVDDhoqfPGBDoCieLL3r9y3ZGmprJ768D_kEGwwTV1FPjzGpAbebqfGvw4oc73B6IDqD24txKWjlYu9mQ/s320/gbbf_23_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Come and play!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I approached with some trepidation on the first day as I entered Olympia by a different entrance to the one I'm used to and reported for duty. Excited, yes, but also a little worried that my new status as 'Staff' would mean that I didn't get to experience the event I know and love in the way that I know and love it, if that makes sense.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'd sort of vaguely thought I'd work on the USA cask bar, if given a choice, because that's often where I hang out the most, particularly over the first couple of days. Or maybe I could work on several different bars, so I could get my pick of the beers - and of course to draw upon my knowledge as a beer writer and experienced drinker when customers wanted recommendations.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's fair to say that I hadn't considered for one minute that I'd be working on 'Traditional Pub Games' on my first day - or that I'd agree to stick with the games team for the rest of the week. But life can take you by surprise.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">About an hour into my first shift - I'd barely learned the rules to the games and how to take customers' money - the Prime Minister turned up to play Shuffleboard, so the surprises continued. But I began to enjoy myself. Cheese-throwing, Table skittles, Beer pong, Shut the Box. It was all good fun.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1CwqYLTaBOOePlKu_vxQE4-m7YC2vmOeIbNGxzSqMaQoxu5GaW5rZ3MI-fIUpoS0ynG2aCJzPkZObDnaL_cD4AtfB5OWIOwSsuvJST3muGprizfN7xI-9o4wGdMybe9a0OrS6eebIBGvmI1cdmI0MeqC2qiLUmfxQ_wRHbPOPL51O4__OsfYzIWQQbQE/s1957/gbbf_23_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1957" data-original-width="1810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1CwqYLTaBOOePlKu_vxQE4-m7YC2vmOeIbNGxzSqMaQoxu5GaW5rZ3MI-fIUpoS0ynG2aCJzPkZObDnaL_cD4AtfB5OWIOwSsuvJST3muGprizfN7xI-9o4wGdMybe9a0OrS6eebIBGvmI1cdmI0MeqC2qiLUmfxQ_wRHbPOPL51O4__OsfYzIWQQbQE/s320/gbbf_23_1.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just some ordinary customer<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I like to think my customer banter was pretty good, and I started 'upselling' extra games to losing punters and pushing the 'six games for six quid' tickets. Processing card payments, putting coins into the cash box, handing out prize tokens to the winners and telling them where to go to collect their prize. I almost felt like a natural from the get-go.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Maybe I didn't get to advise customers on which of the IPAs had more stone-fruit character and which was more tropical, as I had envisaged, but I did give tips on the probability of rolling an eight and the best tactics for throwing a ring over a handpull!<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But time spent hosting games - exciting though that is - isn't time spent drinking beer. Well, it sort of is. We were allowed to drink while working, which made things a whole lot more enjoyable. And that brings me on to the fantastic team. The reason I had no hesitation in coming back to the games area on every subsequent day was largely because it was such a great, easy-going bunch of people to work with.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">It's hard work. I'm not exactly used to standing for hours, and what with the various ailments I won't bang on about now, I was frequently dead on my feet. But it was undeniably a blast. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Would I do it again? Yeah, of course.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;">Insider Info<br /></h2></div><div style="text-align: left;">One thing I'd been intrigued about for years was the 'Volunteer Arms' - the staff bar, completely separate from the public ones, where the beer is free. The legend turned out to be true. There is a long bar with 20-odd cask beers and a similar number of ciders.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">There's no way of knowing what's going to be on (they don't show up in the Festival app) <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimq6Vmugn9jB9w4N1gpgvlG_0DBVnlTof92J7xXv8MVCetzXhQzDUe-76P9NeB-5T7epgSd5r9OOV_qWhIOaMDVbXKKHXwZAG-Mgg8dsv08X_D1uUu3HbByhlIms_hy3fWBmjP-BjTaoUsXd6g6BpOPjUw8AHbdq2V-9b-4XMGp50Gdz8cN-egkyOuODY/s1800/gbbf_23_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimq6Vmugn9jB9w4N1gpgvlG_0DBVnlTof92J7xXv8MVCetzXhQzDUe-76P9NeB-5T7epgSd5r9OOV_qWhIOaMDVbXKKHXwZAG-Mgg8dsv08X_D1uUu3HbByhlIms_hy3fWBmjP-BjTaoUsXd6g6BpOPjUw8AHbdq2V-9b-4XMGp50Gdz8cN-egkyOuODY/s320/gbbf_23_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, I needed a rest<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>And when 'the volley' isn't open, you can get yourself beers from the 'CBoB Fridge' - a self-service walk-in cooler where the actual casks of the Champion Beer of Britain finalists are kept. Which is a major perk.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I even tried a taster of Greene King Abbot, after it controversially won Silver overall. Yeah, it still wasn't to my taste, and probably the joint worst of the ten different ales I sampled that day. But that's what you get for not having me on the judging panel.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I managed to tick 31 new beers over the week, which isn't bad, though I didn't necessarily get all the ones I specifically wanted, and I did have a couple of beers I didn't 'need' - when working on the games, various beers would be brought down for us from the Volley.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So I had to compromise my ticking habit a bit, but perhaps not quite as much as I feared, and I made damn fucking sure on the first day that I got the two I really, really wanted from the USA bar (because they were 11.1% and 13.9% respectively - two new ABVs for me, saddo collector that I am!)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Olympia is a big site, and the GBBF takes up a lot of space, but when you're Staff, it's even bigger. Christ, it's big. The 'backstage' areas (and the canteen and volunteer arms staff bar) add significantly to the overall size of the thing, and it was a bit annoying that the games were located just about as far away as it was possible to be from the staff area. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'd have liked a printed 'full site' map, but this isn't just a staff issue. Every customer I spoke to was unhappy about the lack of a printed programme this year. I hope this feedback reaches the organisers.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The downside of being staff is that you don't get to experience it as a punter, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss that. This is one of the things I worried about, and to some extent I was right to be worried. Yes, I hung around after my shift finished and had a couple of beers in the main halls, met up with friends, and desperately searched for somewhere to sit the fuck down! But it wasn't quite the same as usual. You get a modest discount on beers from the public bars via a voucher
system, and sometimes you can get a 'staff half' for free, but there's
no real consistency to this.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;">Bad food </h2></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">One thing that really isn't good is the staff canteen. Indeed it's so horrendously bad that plenty of the volunteers don't use it at all. I picked at a couple of meals from there (which are free for staff only if you're commuting in and not staying in subsidised accomodation) and the less said about them the better. A lasagne and salad was fairly OK, but most of it - fish cakes, pasta, burgers - was bland and underseasoned.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6ryavp-gd_m7k8BXxBGZBoL_GXlORASAW_G9fr7lYaNjf9eh-SwjIQFs0gb15qA-ayq71Oc_12FAOqFM-kjgMlVRDfDoO54RCAVHgBUk6knmqj0DEljQxfm9u0ignkbuS64wULgGD4wcCAnw-447k3E7ZlOT7HIUYhHAistyYf1Krb_iLo342_NjC4g/s1800/gbbf_23_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6ryavp-gd_m7k8BXxBGZBoL_GXlORASAW_G9fr7lYaNjf9eh-SwjIQFs0gb15qA-ayq71Oc_12FAOqFM-kjgMlVRDfDoO54RCAVHgBUk6knmqj0DEljQxfm9u0ignkbuS64wULgGD4wcCAnw-447k3E7ZlOT7HIUYhHAistyYf1Krb_iLo342_NjC4g/s320/gbbf_23_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This potato should not have been inflicted on anybody<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The only thing I actually enjoyed was a mustardy potato salad, while the worst offender was a 'potato with cheese' that had been cremated then reheated and really should not have been served to anyone, staff or otherwise.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">When there are so many rather good food vendors throughout the festival, I'd ask if it's even necessary. Why not just give staff vouchers they can use 'downstairs' to get a sausage or a curry or a delicious hog roast?</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">There is a staff party on the Saturday night too, though frustratingly (to me; others are used to the way things are done) it doesn't kick off immediately after the festival closes to the public. I had kinda hoped that we'd get to go round all the bars polishing off all the remaining beer, but instead there's a clean-up operation (which tends to suck in even the staff whose shift is officially over) and a long wait until the Volley opens.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Personally this was the low point of the week for me as I was tired, struggling with an arthritic knee and just wanted to chill with a few pints. But it's not my place to tell them how to run the show.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I cheered up after the Volunteer Arms opened and served me a delicious, fruity pint of <i>Mr. Winter's 'Peach Tea Pale'</i> (4.0%) which was my favourite beer of the festival, though <i>Church End 'Stout Coffin'</i> and <i>Castle Rock 'Bold as Love'</i> deserved honourable mentions.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A couple of people on the games team told me that the staff benefits aren't as good as they were a few years ago, and there are concerns that the festival won't attract that many new volunteers. As a newbie I didn't know any better, but apparently I've missed the real golden age for staffing. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">That said, it's still worth doing, and I'd particularly recommend it to anyone a bit fitter than me who doesn't share my preciousness around beer-ticking. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Next year I might elect to dedicate a full day to being a regular customer again, but I'll defintely be back on the team.</div>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-75767023264929249862023-07-31T14:31:00.004+01:002023-08-15T19:14:10.006+01:00BV London Pub of the Year 2022-23 - part two<p>Whenever there's a <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2023/07/bv-london-pub-of-year-2022-23-part-one.html" target="_blank">part one</a>, there's always a part two. The second course. The revenge of the killer sequel, if you will.</p><p>And this is it - the second half of the 2022-23 London Pub of the Year contest, where five new contenders join the competition and go up against last year's Top Five.</p><p>This year sees a mix of complete newcomers and pubs that have been absent from the contest for a few years, so let's crack on...</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Harp, Charing Cross</h2><div style="text-align: left;">We start with a returning hero. The Harp took second place in <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2012/08/bv-london-pub-of-year-results.html" target="_blank">the very first BV PotY</a>, eleven years ago, but has been absent for a while now. How much have things changed since the days of the late and legendary Binnie Walsh? Well, it looks very similar to how it did in Binnie's day - if anything there are even more pumpclips adorning the walls and celiing - but the Harp is now a Fuller's pub. Albeit not your typical example thereof...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDKWYBesSJ7-LojhzYArWNiniSxTvYvFrHo4it-pIL21U5MhUKBK7qtD2vPKUm7psxMw6mCIDN2Nhfhu9atsxphhCHYito9HUxcup1iuW0ZmZZAMTa_1LuY0Vpup6Eo2I4s0wCO7_eOgDez2LXG_3lily6EQatl_vBYLt9AqPQeb63dWv9ie97v8jO08/s1024/poty_23_harp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaDKWYBesSJ7-LojhzYArWNiniSxTvYvFrHo4it-pIL21U5MhUKBK7qtD2vPKUm7psxMw6mCIDN2Nhfhu9atsxphhCHYito9HUxcup1iuW0ZmZZAMTa_1LuY0Vpup6Eo2I4s0wCO7_eOgDez2LXG_3lily6EQatl_vBYLt9AqPQeb63dWv9ie97v8jO08/s320/poty_23_harp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They've had a few different beers over the years...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Range of draught beers</b>: These days <i>Fuller's</i> means effectively 'part of the International Asahi Brewing empire', and while that's definitely noticeable, it's not overbearing. So there will be beers from that stable, with Dark Star APA and Hophead and Fuller's London Pride on cask, and Asahi lager and Meantime pale on keg. But with half the handpumps dedicated to guest ales, you'll always find four of five more interesting cask beers from microbreweries. Expect the likes of <i>Rooster's</i>, <i>Redwillow</i> and <i>Bristol Beer Factory</i>. Seasonals from the Fuller's/Dark Star brand will also generally appear here. Most of the keg selection is macro/mainstream, but there are a couple of craft-oriented lines, usually dispensing stronger IPA-style beers. Sometimes the stylistic choice isn't as diverse as it could be, given the number of beers on (and the sheer size of the central London customer base) and for that reason it scores a <b>2</b>.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Quality of real ale:</b> The Harp gained a reputation for quality cask under Binnie's watch, and to be fair to Fuller's, this is something they take seriously as a company too. (Well, they do now - who knows if this is something their bosses as Asahi HQ are commited to in the long-term!) Cask turnover is still quite vigourous, which helps, and while I can't give them the highest score for absolutely blowing my little casken socks off, they earn a solid <b>2</b>.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Bonus points:</b> There is something intangibly 'special' about this kind of West End boozer where crowds spill out onto the street and it feels like nothing has changed in years, so they get a point for the in/exterior character. The toilet facilities are shonky, but not quite bad enough to warrant a deduction, and the 10% CAMRA discount means that prices are actually not unreasonable for the area, so they pick up a point for that. <b>2</b> bonus points then. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;">Craft Beer Co. Clerkenwell</h2><div style="text-align: left;">It's back - the pub that pipped the Harp to win the inaugural contest, and a four-time winner of the trophy. Good to see you again, old friend, your past credentials are beerily impressive for sure, but how do you compare with London's finest pubs in 2023?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9Uyo1G3jqAQARZj4xd5DLUhUt5bSUsEtNjrB0bcL57Iq0gIwMpMT1GLTkiqRlGz1RDMtun3MOM3pEAkLI527qHF2peetRNFsb1L-n80seCtJWIWf2caCAqQ0b3WLyIFn6S8cCEmB2G6X_UeJKOgHBWKgVap3L7lBHNgVoxCVfrektt8Bv9y0FZ2Ob7g/s1024/poty_23_craft.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9Uyo1G3jqAQARZj4xd5DLUhUt5bSUsEtNjrB0bcL57Iq0gIwMpMT1GLTkiqRlGz1RDMtun3MOM3pEAkLI527qHF2peetRNFsb1L-n80seCtJWIWf2caCAqQ0b3WLyIFn6S8cCEmB2G6X_UeJKOgHBWKgVap3L7lBHNgVoxCVfrektt8Bv9y0FZ2Ob7g/s320/poty_23_craft.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crafty</td></tr></tbody></table><b>Range of draught beers</b>: A few years ago, pubs in the Craft Beer Co. chain were absolutely unrivalled for choice on tap. This branch regularly had 16 different casks and as many kegs on at the same time - without any detriment to quality. Sadly, the chain has been significantly affected by lockdown, and while the keg range is as strong as ever, or somewhere close to it, the number of cask beers is nothing like how it used to be, and I do wonder if it ever will be. The house pale ale from Kent is a staple and Siren's excellent Broken Dream breakfast stout is regularly on; otherwise the cask range changes, but there might only be a choice of two or three. On keg you can find all styles and strengths from London, the rest of the country and indeed the rest of the world. Because of this I still have to award <b>2.5</b> points, even though cask drinkers might be disappointed in the choice these days.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Quality of real ale:</b> The reduction in cask choice might have an upside, in that it enables the chain to ensure quality is maintained. If customers are drinking less cask, then it makes sense not to try and sell too many different beers at the same time. The theory fits like a glove, on paper. In reality - and this is just my own experience - I've actually found that the real ale here isn't as good as it used to be. In other words, when 15 handpumps were active, the beer that they dispensed was in better condition than it is now that several of them lie unused. This could be a change in management, less stringent training policies or - most worryingly - an indicator that local demand for cask has dropped off even more than the reduction in beer choice would indicate. That said, it's still very good, just not as special as it once was. <b>1.5</b> points. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Bonus points: </b>Something that hasn't changed here is the excellent range of bottled beers in the fridge, available at a discount to take away. That's worth a bonus point, and there's also a spirits selection that you'd be hard-pressed to beat, which is worth another. Rationalisation of the bar snacks in the past year means they can no longer pick up a point for those, so it's a total of <b>2</b> this time.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;">Sutton Arms, Clerkenwell</h2><div style="text-align: left;">Sticking in the Clerkenwell/Farringdon/Finsbury area - call it what you like - and this is probably the most-requested pub for inclusion in this competition, so I had to check it out. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyNF1mVNX2fQ6neYKdu4qXfg1bIHUol-b3gyeRM_50TPzmk9fL_4iK60Y10ALb7U5mfHL5ATWA8tUYh6NTQPHT9rnEIFwZqLDv-dmSf6q1nTKKTF2LrmEOqzew3e3nuHk79QMUvuy8Pcl7N99OD7xK-rK4-e-ljJO5QtPoDR8de5LtNLziyTU1lFiUDw/s1024/poty_23_sutton.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1024" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyNF1mVNX2fQ6neYKdu4qXfg1bIHUol-b3gyeRM_50TPzmk9fL_4iK60Y10ALb7U5mfHL5ATWA8tUYh6NTQPHT9rnEIFwZqLDv-dmSf6q1nTKKTF2LrmEOqzew3e3nuHk79QMUvuy8Pcl7N99OD7xK-rK4-e-ljJO5QtPoDR8de5LtNLziyTU1lFiUDw/s320/poty_23_sutton.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Generic pub exterior shot<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Range of draught beers</b>: It might be a coincidence, but like the Craft Beer Co. down the road, the range here is definitely more keg-oriented. Hazy/East Coast style IPA is particularly popular, but you'll also usually find something fruity and/or sour, and there are tap-takeovers from time to time. About eight keg lines in total. The cask selection is more conservative, with three ales usually available, including a house beer from <i>Anspach & Hobday</i>. It's also been a notable outlet for rare casks from <i>Kernel</i>, which is a good reason to visit. It's mainly craft stuff, with very little macro in sight (possibly only Guinness), and adds up to <b>2</b> points.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Quality of real ale:</b> I make no secret of the fact that I'm primarily a cask drinker, and this is weighted fairly heavily into my pub reviews; probably more so than with most other people who write about beer and pubs these days. I'm scoring this place a <b>1</b>, which sounds negative, but it literally isn't (zero would be neutral, so this is above average). I've found my cask pints here perfectly good, but just not wonderfully smashable, and some pale beers weren't served as cool as I'd like for the style. I know, I know, I'm some sort of decrepit CAMRA dinosaur and I should just drink keg...<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Bonus points:</b> I know this pub has some dedicated supporters, and I'm probably missing something, but I find it hard to see too many extra little things to get excited about here. It's a rare example of a place where you can watch live sport without having to drink shit beer, so that's worth a point. Sausage rolls are available from the heated cabinet, but I was fairly ambivalent about them, compared to those you get in some places these days.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div> </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;">Sultan, Colliers Wood</h2><div style="text-align: left;">A proper locals pub in South London, the Sultan is something of a favourite with the local CAMRA branch, and has been so since the 1990s when the <i>Hopback</i> brewery first took the place over to gain a London outpost. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFRDOrJm2IWWvfqxjyKY8sjyKGEeEEwfVd6rOpkyNCDc63ATOqhNpHY2B3lViuTFhLZi-ZXPetK-f3o8v-n_NJxjqDYivAl9ayXxVxlvQNC_Wlp-IvgadkIodMdF2SSH6wuqkUsMHY5KOW71d0QAi9GY4fWBgWTJ1li_mtCwjUaCGmbXoPlAXzUeRFwk/s1024/poty_23_sultan.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWFRDOrJm2IWWvfqxjyKY8sjyKGEeEEwfVd6rOpkyNCDc63ATOqhNpHY2B3lViuTFhLZi-ZXPetK-f3o8v-n_NJxjqDYivAl9ayXxVxlvQNC_Wlp-IvgadkIodMdF2SSH6wuqkUsMHY5KOW71d0QAi9GY4fWBgWTJ1li_mtCwjUaCGmbXoPlAXzUeRFwk/s320/poty_23_sultan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh the games people play now<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Range of draught beers</b>: When the pub first opened, Hopback beers were something of a novelty outside Wiltshire. They are more widely available now, but it's still slightly strange to find oneself in one of their few tied houses, especially given the location. The cask range consists of all the standard Hopback Beers like GFB, Entire Stout and their flagship Summer Lightning, plus whatever seasonals the brewery is currently doing and one or two beers from <i>Downton</i>, usuallly another seasonal special. The keg range is in 'standard macro' territory, but apart from a few lager drinkers, most customers here seem to be happy with the cask. If you don't like Hopback you may struggle, but overall the range is worth a <b>1.5.</b> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Quality of real ale:</b> I was always really impressed with the beer quality here back in the 1990s, but there was a period of inexplicable slumpage that lasted quite a while. I'm happy to report that the condition of cask here now really is excellent. Indeed, I had a couple of pints of (Hopback) Garden Party recently that were possibly the best conditioned beer I've had all year. It's not always quite that good, but the CAMRA credentials here are actually meaningful, which isn't always the case. <b>2.5</b> points.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Bonus points:</b> Beer festivals out the back are always a highlight and offer a chance to drink beers from other breweries in the pub. And I'll give them a second bonus point for the selection of board games which is, well, substantial. They also host live music nights, with a focus on the folky, and that's another winner in my book. A little library/book exchange adds to the community feel of the place, and I should mention that their pork scratchings (JTS brand) are excellent. <b>3</b> points. <br /></div><p></p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Star & Garter, Bromley</h2><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">We round off this years contest with a trip to Bromley, and given how South East London has become dominated by micropubs, it's perhaps unusual to find a full-size boozer lurking in the midst of a busy high street. A surprise contender? Well...<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZF2yS2tvy06u6YoFFuHlmLaqWRRJrNIc7Eu79N-8GamFrx6WUFuDEgenQ1X9NLHEzPh-fbY2K6HIjsMMmZ0mzqDGqeybeYVq9oPPh9AdjAesvACdX0N8Ih0OiInwU7_rqDhbrBAtCCrJJ4OyX9vodDGQFwWPRoKxCXM8YsmNSjv14qGiXgqsy6o06BUw/s1612/poty_23_star.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1612" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZF2yS2tvy06u6YoFFuHlmLaqWRRJrNIc7Eu79N-8GamFrx6WUFuDEgenQ1X9NLHEzPh-fbY2K6HIjsMMmZ0mzqDGqeybeYVq9oPPh9AdjAesvACdX0N8Ih0OiInwU7_rqDhbrBAtCCrJJ4OyX9vodDGQFwWPRoKxCXM8YsmNSjv14qGiXgqsy6o06BUw/s320/poty_23_star.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Garters of the Show...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Range of draught beers</b>: This is one of those pubs that surprises you with its beer range. They've gone all out to make a statement and be <i>the</i> place to drink in the local area, and they've pretty much succeeded. You'll find 10-12 kegs plus somewhere around half a dozen casks as well as proper cider. Multinational brands are eschewed in favour of interesting craft offerings, and they're not afraid of some pretty extreme beers - Imperial Sours, Pastry Stouts, whatever you go for, they've likely got you covered. <i>Thornbridge</i>, <i>Kernel</i>, <i>Verdant</i> and other top-drawer brewers figure prominently, and you might even see some interesting European imports on tap. A solid <b>2</b>.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Quality of real ale:</b> Something of a mixed bag. I had a pint here that was borderline undrinkable (and from <i>Howling Hops</i> who aren't exactly known for making bad beer) but some perfectly palatable beers and one that was really pretty good <i>in the same visit! </i>When this sort of thing happens, I tend to assume that either extreme is most likely the result of sheer accidentalism. If that's a word. Does it all average out to a 0? No, because it wasn't quite that bad altogether. <b>1</b> point. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><b>Bonus points:</b> The modernised interior lends itself to some quirky decor - particularly en route to the facilities - you'll have to go and check that out. While they have no kitchen, diners are allowed to bring in food from outside, and the range of crisps and snacks is pretty good here, which is worth another point. And as a verified <a href="https://untappd.com/" target="_blank">Untappd</a> venue, it's easy to find out exactly what beers are on at any given time, which is something I wish more pubs would do. I can't think of anything to deduct points for here, so they earn a maximum <b>3</b>. </div><p> </p><p>So... those are the pubs - and in just a couple of weeks time we'll have a final verdict on who is the 2022-23 BV London Pub of the Year! <br /></p><br /><br /><h2>
Where to find it... </h2> <br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<b>Harp</b><br />47 Chandos Place, <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Charing Cross<br />
WC2N 4HS (<a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=WC2N+4HS" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="https://www.harpcoventgarden.com/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/WLD/15925/harp-london" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">******</span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #f4cccc;">***</span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #f4cccc;"> </span></b></span></span><b> <br /></b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /><br />
<b>Craft Beer Co. Clerkenwell </b><br />
82 Leather Lane,<br />Clerkenwell</div><div style="text-align: left;">EC1N 7TR (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps?q=EC1N+7TR" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="https://www.thecraftbeerco.com/clerkenwell" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/ELC/14671/craft-beer-co-hatton-garden" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">******</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">*** <br /></span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<b>Sutton Arms </b><br />
16 Great Sutton Street,<br />Clerkenwell <br /></div>EC1V 0DH (<a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=EC1V+0DH" target="_blank">map</a>)<br /><i>no website</i> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/ELC/14705/sutton-arms-london" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">****</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">*****</span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Sultan </b><br />
78 Norman Road,<br />Colliers Wood <br /></div>SW19 1BT (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps?q=SW19+1BT" target="_blank">map</a>)<i><br /></i><a href="https://www.hopback.co.uk/pubs/the-sultan/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/SWL/2952/sultan-south-wimbledon" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">*******</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">** <br /></span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Star & Garter</b> </div><div style="text-align: left;">227 High Street,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Bromley <br /></div>BR1 1NZ (<a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=BR1+1NZ" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="https://starandgarterbromley.com/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/BRO/12483/star-garter-bromley" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">******</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">*** </span></b></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #f4cccc;"> </span></b></span></span></div></div></div>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-1687460525126935282023-07-25T18:17:00.005+01:002023-07-27T16:48:14.283+01:00BV London Pub of the Year 2022-23 - part one<p>It's that time of year again when I think about whether I should give up doing a London Pub of the Year award, and then go ahead and do it anyway. </p><p>With another full year of no lockdowns and freedom-of-drinking under our belt, this year's contest should be a cracker. God only knows I've made enough visits to 'That London', as I'm now obligated to call it, in search of the capitals best pub. </p><p>So here we go. This post will cover last years top five and part two will reveal five brand new challengers. Well, 'new' in the sense that they weren't in the 2021-22 contest.</p><p>Enjoy. Or don't.<br /><br /><br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Last year's Winner: Kentish Belle, Bexleyheath</h2><div style="text-align: left;">South-East London's favourite Art Deco micropub, the Kentish Belle has had a lot of success in this competition, winning a special award for the 2019-21 lockdown years when everything went a bit strange, before going on to win 'properly' last Summer.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOssrf04vUkEa19GWg_qlVrqZqPNbGiLA_Nk8hzlfZ5TKvOV_K4FU6J4uhXcUnUqu_r5T1LKJIftkb_X7q4yBy31CvL9yxEfvXwkV_c_Qd4-2m1TLT3nBjS2-3We7YR_WlvkmsGdRTKyQ1Qw6KLxsZucnopuEo7nJkoPDIxrr_y2S73IH7RVACH6t5EBQ/s1024/poty_23_kentish.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOssrf04vUkEa19GWg_qlVrqZqPNbGiLA_Nk8hzlfZ5TKvOV_K4FU6J4uhXcUnUqu_r5T1LKJIftkb_X7q4yBy31CvL9yxEfvXwkV_c_Qd4-2m1TLT3nBjS2-3We7YR_WlvkmsGdRTKyQ1Qw6KLxsZucnopuEo7nJkoPDIxrr_y2S73IH7RVACH6t5EBQ/s320/poty_23_kentish.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The perfect pint?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Range of draught beers</b>: The selection is impressive; Whether you're a fan of session bitter, fruit sour or imperial pastry stouts, you'll always find something interesting on both cask and keg here, and there's a complete absence of anything 'Macro'. During 'special events' like Tap Takeovers and mini-fests the number of casks on offer will skyrocket, sometimes into double figures, which is obviously excellent. At less busy times (or immediately after very busy times) the number of casks might be down to three or four. While I applaud the common sense approach, it does appear that the frequency of the special events has decreased in the past year or so. For that reason, the Belle picks up <b>2</b> points this year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Quality of real ale:</b> I've never yet been served a pint here that wasn't really top-notch. And, crucially, when I've had the same beer here as elsewhere, it's almost always been better here, sometimes by some distance, and even when competing against other pubs in this contest! CAMRA members who claim to care about cask beer, but boycott the place due to petty squabbles are missing out! A maximum <b>3</b> points.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Bonus points: </b>These points can be added or deducted, but there's really nothing 'bad' for which this pub can be penalised. The toilet facilities are an upgrade from most places that identify as micropubs and that's worth a point - piece of mind, I'm sure you'll agree, especially if you have elderly relatives. They also get a point for an extensive range of cask ciders as well as a decent craft can selection. The availability of the best commercial brand of dry roasted peanutes (Tavern Snacks) can be hit and miss lately, but they've still already done enough for the full <b>3</b> bonus points.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">All in all, it's a unique little boozer that continues to perform very strongly indeed.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Last year's Runner-up: Hope, Carshalton</h2><div style="text-align: left;">Another former winner, the community-owned Hope regularly racks up an embarassment of awards. It's become something of a destination pub for visitors from afar, and understandably so. A long-term programme of expansion means that the pub now has extensive indoor and outdoor drinking spaces, plus a permanent marquee that is home to the monthly beer festivals.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMxQo_nKQ7o8ZVvpgALG-9ZnOSzeeC01RmAxtsvXVCa0GwRncH-yOxD4tF5C9IqhrFJ2Ab5W7vRwCfNaZ8zEqfeXGNeHMLnrh9mUdVd-T1JQmSZ28rNXh_Gt8F3qakI_NgqA5Xh-UDYNLh7bH8ArMuCWgmDt4zmd-Cl_6pjKgekJ7RY8I682SeKocysw/s800/poty_23_hope.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="515" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMxQo_nKQ7o8ZVvpgALG-9ZnOSzeeC01RmAxtsvXVCa0GwRncH-yOxD4tF5C9IqhrFJ2Ab5W7vRwCfNaZ8zEqfeXGNeHMLnrh9mUdVd-T1JQmSZ28rNXh_Gt8F3qakI_NgqA5Xh-UDYNLh7bH8ArMuCWgmDt4zmd-Cl_6pjKgekJ7RY8I682SeKocysw/s320/poty_23_hope.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A change from the usual?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Range of draught beers:</b> Two regular casks and two regular keg lagers, plus five guest casks and at least as many guest kegs, usually more. The selection runs the gamut from light and pale through to Imperial Hopmonsters and the strong dark stuff. Brewers that appear commonly include <i>Kent</i>, <i>Downton</i>, <i>Drop Project</i>, <i>Siren</i>, and our old friend <i>Thornbridge</i>. The keg selection in particular is excellent - fans of sours will normally find a choice of two different ones on tap, sometimes even more, and in all conceivable flavours and even colours! But as in last year's contest, the thing that prevents the Hope getting maximum points is that the cask range is sometimes a bit safe and samey. <b>2</b> points.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Quality of real ale:</b> If you want a quick lesson in how important cellarship is, do a pub crawl around Carshalton and try the cask beer in each pub. Most will score somewhere between -1 and 1. Some might be as bad as a -2. Hell, I've had pints in the local area that were -3. But when you compare that to the perfectly served fresh cool pint of cask you invariably get in the Hope you'll notice the difference. A full <b>3</b> points here.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Bonus points: </b>The food offering here is exactly what it should be: Specials at lunchtime, pot meals served all day, and little tubs of cheese, meat, wasabi nuts etc. on the bar, alongside rolls and chunks of pork pie. Definitely worth a point. They also pick up a bonus for their monthly beer festivals, which have become the stuff of local legend - everything in the main bar is as normal, but there's another 20-30 beers out back! Another plus point is the availablity of musical instruments and board games for customer use. There's nothing I'd take points off for, so it's a maximum <b>3</b>. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Last year's #3: Southampton Arms, Gospel Oak</h2><div style="text-align: left;">Following an absence of a few years, North London's Southampton Arms made a strong return to the competition last year, but can it really compete with the likes of the KB and the Hope?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJuDKEBVGqfByrEx2cNeT5A7E7RnKaA8X8LddGq8iBxzdbZ7jP-omupLe4rJORo-6w2AkSwQidPJbJZycqjoJygy47AmAY8sqx-5VAxDqz9q5H_hqwIqSiNGUdspl_xAPK5KuROIJ6bbk6Q6FzfSga5UT7My6WTQzOjV_zIBv_gpIRq12I-WEXyBoSAA/s1024/poty_23_soton.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJuDKEBVGqfByrEx2cNeT5A7E7RnKaA8X8LddGq8iBxzdbZ7jP-omupLe4rJORo-6w2AkSwQidPJbJZycqjoJygy47AmAY8sqx-5VAxDqz9q5H_hqwIqSiNGUdspl_xAPK5KuROIJ6bbk6Q6FzfSga5UT7My6WTQzOjV_zIBv_gpIRq12I-WEXyBoSAA/s320/poty_23_soton.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the realisation...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Range of draught beers: </b>You'll typically find at least half a dozen beers apiece on keg and cask. There has been a gradual shift towards the former, and it's all from crafty/smaller producers which is good. They do their best to have local-ish beers, so expect to see some of London's finest on the bar - <i>Kernel</i>, <i>Five Points</i>, <i>Howling Hops</i> etc. If I had a criticism it would be the same as the last couple of entries - that the keg range sometimes makes the cask look a bit boring and uninspiring. But they can only sell what the breweries put out, I guess. <b>2</b> points. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Quality of real ale: </b>I wonder sometimes if the expansion of the keg range here has meant that they sell less cask, and that has had a knock-on effect on quality. A few years ago when it was very cask-centric with just a couple of kegs on, the beer here was undeniably superb. Sadly that hasn't been my experience lately and I've had a few pints here that were lacklustre and one that was outright bad. And that's why they only score <b>1</b> point these days <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Bonus points: </b>Unfortunately I have to relate another incident that will cost this place a point - they didn't have any of their famous pork pies available, and instead offered me a Scotch Egg, which was fine. Except that it turned out to be a meat-free Scotch Egg, pretty horrible at that, and they hadn't mentioned that fact up front. It might've been an innocent mistake, but for a pub that proudly advertised 'MEAT!' on the outside wall to have only a vegetarian disgrace as its food offering... On the plus side, when they do have the meaty snacks, they are excellent, and the proper pub interior with jazz records and an old piano is worth a bonus point too. Having taken feedback from readers, I feel their card-only payment policy should now mean a point deducted. They'll pull another one back for their range of cask cider - dry; sweet; adjunct; one of the best in London - and overall they score a net bonus tally of <b>1</b>.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I won't lie - a couple of things have disappointed me with the Southampton Arms this year and this is going to be reflected in their scores. I hope they can raise their game again in the future. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Last year's #4: Rake, Southwark</h2><div style="text-align: left;">London's original micropub? Maybe so, but the Rake has long extended its reach out into the decking area and beyond, out into Borough Market where thirsty drinkers can sup al fresco. A converted greasy spoon rose through the ranks to become the best pub in what is still quite a pubby area, but how does it fare against the best in all of London?</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgWEd5ylZxfjOYFJ072P-CUe_UWotg0M-d1bKQE2E9T6E16BsZloGWqMjeSYTNm4gIDNebsrTBHfY9hLzfPn4sYwIohNi_-cHVXi4x_WITku8nIUOw3-f9k8aujSuQ6F9efjZN_P5OA-Or-YbCPU8eN0JzXb9AiXpnKDqVteesPi0XTz-haEwTrJMP-M/s1024/poty_23_rake.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgWEd5ylZxfjOYFJ072P-CUe_UWotg0M-d1bKQE2E9T6E16BsZloGWqMjeSYTNm4gIDNebsrTBHfY9hLzfPn4sYwIohNi_-cHVXi4x_WITku8nIUOw3-f9k8aujSuQ6F9efjZN_P5OA-Or-YbCPU8eN0JzXb9AiXpnKDqVteesPi0XTz-haEwTrJMP-M/s320/poty_23_rake.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The writing is on the wall for this pub<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Range of draught beers:</b> More keg-oriented than most pubs in the competition, the Rake uses technology to show the extensive range of beers currently on offer live via the UnTappd app and on-screen in the pub, allowing users to make a selection without cluttering up the rather limited bar space. A typical day will offer three or four casks, plus maybe 12 on keg, and a couple of lines devoted to cider. The Rake has always sourced its beer from a wide area, so you might find genuine Czech or Belgian imports on draught, and maybe even something from the USA. Another quirk is that a low-alcohol or radler-type beer is often available on tap, resulting in a really eclectic range. Like so many other pubs it scores <b>2</b>, but for quite different reasons.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Quality of real ale: </b>Cask isn't really the main focus at the Rake, but they do keep it pretty well. Indeed, I wonder if a lot of the customers are missing out here by overlooking the real stuff. Always decent condition and it really ought not to be an afterthought. <b>2</b> points.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Bonus points:</b> The big bonus here is the bottled and canned selection from all over the world. If you honestly can't find anything you want to drink on tap, you definitely will if you look in the fridge. A sensible dining policy is to allow drinkers to pick up street food or farm produce from the market and enjoy it on the premises, so that's worth another point. The pub is small and functional and primarily a vehicle for beer-delivery (not literally) but it's earned it's <b>2</b> bonus points.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Last year's #5: Golden Ark, Selsdon</h2><div style="text-align: left;">Rounding out last year's final, we have the quirky micropub in the forgotten corner of the London Borough of Croydon that surprised us all. It put Selsdon on the map, but it's up against some serious competition this year, before we even get to the five new challengers...<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkR2bS8N9-wTg2UZil6oBpkG62HivguzIR8utRCKiTrGO5Q1Any5pziVddKFPnZHmGwNmc_xjRKhaONk3OsfO6T3Y8pEp5Y-W0tOBdf87gFOmYPzs5qr8gYI3yKED5qAQEqJ0-j4JNS7OaqEHOZ0KbRdhL7AgmduScz85Zpxub6Gk9KD2XGPSy27tdA8/s1024/poty_23_ark.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkR2bS8N9-wTg2UZil6oBpkG62HivguzIR8utRCKiTrGO5Q1Any5pziVddKFPnZHmGwNmc_xjRKhaONk3OsfO6T3Y8pEp5Y-W0tOBdf87gFOmYPzs5qr8gYI3yKED5qAQEqJ0-j4JNS7OaqEHOZ0KbRdhL7AgmduScz85Zpxub6Gk9KD2XGPSy27tdA8/s320/poty_23_ark.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raiders of the Golden Ark<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Range of draught beers: </b>You'll usually find three or four cask beers plus half a dozen on keg. Everything comes from smaller breweries and they try to have something dark and something light, something weak and something stronger, something hoppy and something - you get the idea. The policy works well, though it can be hit'n'miss if you're a ticker like me always looking for something new. <b>1.5</b> points. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Quality of real ale:</b> It pains me to say it, but over this past year some beer here has been average and some has been a little better than average. Nothing terrible per se, but I have to score in the context of the competition here and while I can't quite bring myself to say zero, on a scale from -3 to 3, it has to be a <b>0.5</b>. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Bonus points:</b> The snack selection is tremendous and eccentric - Biltong, salami sticks and various ethnic carbohydrates from the four corners of the cash & carry. It really is a veritable tuck shop. Another bonus point for the community presence - quiz nights, darts tournaments and live music all serve to make the smallish space into a venue and it can get pretty packed when there's something on. An interesting fridge selection and indeed the 'top shelf' gives the place a third bonus point, and if I could give another one for the interesting characters one regularly meets in here I'd do that too. <b>3</b> points.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And there we have it - last year's top five, freshly reviewed and rated for the 2022-23 contest! Come back in a few days when we'll do the same for the five new contenders...</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> <h2>
Where to find it... </h2> <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<b>Kentish Belle</b><br />
8 Pickford Lane,<br />
Bexleyheath<br />
DA7 4QW (<a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=DA7+4QW" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="https://www.thekentishbelle.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/BEX/154/kentish-belle-bexleyheath" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">********</span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #f4cccc;">*</span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #f4cccc;"> </span></b></span></span><b> <br /></b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b></b></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /><br />
<b>The Hope </b><br />
48 West Street,<br />
Carshalton<br />
SM5 2PR (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps?q=SM5+2PR" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="https://hopecarshalton.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/CRO/11436/hope-carshalton" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">********</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">* </span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Southampton Arms </b><br />
139 Highgate Road,<br />Gospel Oak </div>NW5 1LE (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps?q=NW5+1LE" target="_blank">map</a>)<i><br />
no website</i> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/NLD/6089/southampton-arms-london" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">****</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">***** </span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Rake</b><br />14A Winchester Walk,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Southwark </div>SE1 9AG (<a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=SE1+9AG" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="https://www.utobeer.co.uk/the-rake" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/SEL/10561/rake-london" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">******</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">*** </span></b></span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<b>Golden Ark </b><br />
186 Addington Road,<br />Selsdon </div><div style="text-align: left;">CR2 8LB (<a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=CR2+8LB" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="https://thegoldenark.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/CRO/11770/golden-ark-selsdon" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">*****</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">****</span></b></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #f4cccc;"> </span></b></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h2>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-57670931493574515502023-07-04T16:17:00.001+01:002023-07-25T18:19:27.595+01:00Waiter, there's chips in my kebab!<p>I first tried a genuine 'Gyros' kebab when I was 13, on the first of many family holidays to Greece. Like the pornographic playing cards on sale in every souvenir shop, it blew my young and impressionable mind. <br /><br /> Of course, I was already very familiar with the sort of doner kebabs we had in London, lurking at the seedy and disreputable end of the food chain. Dodgy meat of unknown origin, with the same 'elephant leg' sometimes going around and around for days; tired salads; bland and slightly stale pitta breads; often run by Turkish Cypriots or their descendents, reliant on an undiscerning late-night customer base.<br /><br /> I should say that I actually didn't mind them as an occasional dubious treat, even as a non-inebriated 13 year old. But this was a whole world apart from the kebabs I knew. It looked similar - the meat came from a vertical spit, there was bread and salad - and yet it was so very different. And I can still remember that day.<br /><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Chips with everything </h2><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrwP6kv7E8lPKPVcKFxmJakWilb6ZkX3OjzPtgBThvKYoAI7ERyqNvillAgdzaHqTS1Ustyu_AzgICxLZzdactCkzIMf7A-R--mDqgtL6D1-2MK8yRJrLqhJXuo5VzCJcSVB4T4mupASbxETnL6hxfPiUAVxs0lvlAnj7gxNXWffJlhLBvAgzryi6pPI/s1200/santorini_1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrwP6kv7E8lPKPVcKFxmJakWilb6ZkX3OjzPtgBThvKYoAI7ERyqNvillAgdzaHqTS1Ustyu_AzgICxLZzdactCkzIMf7A-R--mDqgtL6D1-2MK8yRJrLqhJXuo5VzCJcSVB4T4mupASbxETnL6hxfPiUAVxs0lvlAnj7gxNXWffJlhLBvAgzryi6pPI/s320/santorini_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hellenic goodness in every bite<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The bread was round and puffy, delicate and soft, yet crispy from the press and it tasted oh so fresh. The meat was way tastier than any doner I'd ever had and mixed up with finely chopped salad and yoghurt and garlic. Oh, and there were chips in it! A few random fries poking out of my meat wrap. It was truly a handheld delight. <br /><br /> If recollection serves, there was a little hut on the beach in Aegina that served them. We discovered it a couple of days in to the holiday - the perfect lunchtime snack. <br /><br /> And it turned out not to be a one-off. On a day trip to Athens we found a really dingy place in a side street behind a metro station selling them - the shop front didn't look much, but the gyros was probably even better than the ones on the beach. <br /><br /> That was 33 years ago. But for one reason or another, Gyros has never really become a widespread thing over here. We get the standard UK kebab takeaways where the elephant legs haven't improved much since 1990. More recently we've had more opportunities to eat <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2015/06/londons-best-shawarma-is-back.html" target="_blank">Lebanese shawarma</a>, which is generally much better, and a treat in its own right. Then <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2017/06/croydon-boxes-clever.htm">Boxpark Croydon</a> gave us a 'Greek on the Street' outlet that actually served gyros. Happy days.<br /><br />And now, just a few miles down the road from me, is <b>Santorini Gyro</b>, in Purley. I've been going there for post-pub gyros quite a bit. It's very good.<p></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">As it happens</h2><p style="text-align: left;">Santorini is one of the Greek islands I haven't actually visited (well, there are so many of them!) but if it's anything like the ones I have been to, you won't struggle to find good food. I've no idea if it's specifically known for its gyros, but even if it isn't, I'm willing to buy into the fantasy when I'm in Purley!</p><p style="text-align: left;">It's located right opposite the 'town centre' entrance to Purley rail station, making it easy to find and convenient. It's independent and family run, open every evening except Monday. Everything is prepared fresh to order, and you can see it before your eyes. What's not to like?<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">There are a couple of tables outside, which I suppose you could use for on-site dining, but it's essentially takeaway only. And that's fine. That's exactly how gyros places in Greece worked and it feeds into the nostalgia for me. (Though Purley isn't exactly a secluded bay on Lefkas, I'm sure it's picturesque in its own way...)</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO69SkCyE-VQG8qg1SXRBwajeckjL0Kd1WxOokogN0xCWYfN1j0Vy7na2OFM9DlLCRT_HK52uDpbdiVpmW_nXz4yc0M15YpNNEfy1Nll3Z2xg4em3EJAFA1b0v-Q_4MKBxHgIXibFaqFf0MF6Muv3nh75Fo6iqiGx1xXWfbrA_2te52WzP-FZxQNsMVng/s1400/santorini_2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO69SkCyE-VQG8qg1SXRBwajeckjL0Kd1WxOokogN0xCWYfN1j0Vy7na2OFM9DlLCRT_HK52uDpbdiVpmW_nXz4yc0M15YpNNEfy1Nll3Z2xg4em3EJAFA1b0v-Q_4MKBxHgIXibFaqFf0MF6Muv3nh75Fo6iqiGx1xXWfbrA_2te52WzP-FZxQNsMVng/s320/santorini_2.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You spin me right round<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The menu is pretty straightforward, and I'd really recommend choosing the chicken or lamb gyros, and have it the way Greeks do with the toppings that come as standard.<br /><br />Don't expect fiery heat. Chilli sauce is not the norm on a gyros. Instead prepare yourself for the garlicky yoghurt tang of homemade tzatiki, which melds beautifully into the meat, the bread, the salad and even the crunchy fries. It's a combination that just works so well.<p></p><p style="text-align: left;">It's good value too. At 6 quid a pop for a decent-sized lamb or chicken gyros, loaded with
everything (including fries) you really can't argue with it. If you
require extra, a box of fries (with oregano, Greek style) is only £2. </p><p style="text-align: left;">We've also tried one of their mixed grill boxes, with different kinds of souvlaki, and the salad, sauces and bread all separate. It's tasty enough, but just lacks the wow factor of the gyros where the flavours all merge together, and it's not as good value.</p><p style="text-align: left;">They also do a cheesy thing, with two flatbreads sandwiched together, full of cheese and gyros meat. This didn't quite hit the mark for me, but would be great if you like melty cheese, I suppose. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Talking of cheese, if you're of the meat-free persuasion they do Haloumi and Falafel wraps, which, presumably, come with all the rest of the gubbins that makes the gyros so special. And if you're thirsty you can get a little bottle of a strange sour cherry drink that's really quite pleasant. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Overall it's a great addition to the area and really quite different from most of the takeaway kebab options you'll be used to. For about 20 English pounds (or whatever the equivalent is in Drachma) a couple can have a gyros each, extra chips and some pop. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I wouldn't argue with that.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><h2>
Where to find it...</h2>
<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://santorinigyro.co.uk/menu" target="_blank">Santorini Gyro</a></b><br />3 Whytecliffe Road South,<br />Purley<br />
CR8 2AA (<a href="https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=London+CR8+2AA" target="_blank">map</a>)<p style="text-align: left;"> </p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-44444036423511316422023-03-26T19:34:00.006+01:002023-03-26T20:42:14.485+01:00Happy Orval Day!<p>Today, 26 March, is apparently 'Orval Day', which is a happy coincidence as I'd been meaning to write a few words on the subject for a while.</p><p>Actually I've been meaning to drink some Orval for a while. It's been too long. <br /></p><p>Now I've been a fan of Orval since I first sampled it on my 17th birthday, which was a worryingly long time ago. But here's the thing...</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBt9thDQ98P20d_10EMwK334v8-Of7UtEgrr8BhDAaywWbKW-X562YyVO7YqG5A9Jy9KZBFaOolF6bfE7IB3ngcfgc8R-jJk4Pn0n5eATf7dLQJj25co0w4ypcnjDlYtkqFcE8Q3_ZZeDN69ZsAaEM3ZDH61WtvhY-mfmWwHhrExXlvLZvxGz_nWt/s1280/orval.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1100" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBt9thDQ98P20d_10EMwK334v8-Of7UtEgrr8BhDAaywWbKW-X562YyVO7YqG5A9Jy9KZBFaOolF6bfE7IB3ngcfgc8R-jJk4Pn0n5eATf7dLQJj25co0w4ypcnjDlYtkqFcE8Q3_ZZeDN69ZsAaEM3ZDH61WtvhY-mfmWwHhrExXlvLZvxGz_nWt/s320/orval.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The greatest of all Trappist beers?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Beer aficionados tend to divide into two distinct camps. There are those who, like me, think Orval is the greatest of all the Belgian Trappist ales, but there are many who consider it second-rate in comparison to Chimay, Westmalle, Westvleteren; pretty much all the others. I've even heard it said that it's 'not really a proper Trappist beer'. And it's true that it's quite stylistically different to the others and a bit of an outlier.</p><p>I suspect that - amongst those informed enough to take a view - those of us who express a preference for Orval are in the minority, but there are a fair few of us. <br /></p><p>And I think what it comes down to is whether one actually really likes the 'proper' Trappist ales or not. I have to admit that I don't, particularly. I've never enjoyed the spicy, herby, clovey, bananary sweetness of Dubbels, Tripels and Quads. I could happily get through life without ever having another bottle of <i>Rochefort 8</i> or <i>Chimay Gold</i>. I can appreciate these beers being well made, while just not personally liking the features imparted by the yeast that helped make them.<br /></p><p>But I like Orval because it has less of the characteristics of Trappst and Abbey beers that put me off. It's hoppier, livelier, more sessionable, more quenching and sports aromatics more in line with what you'd expect from the New World than an old monastery. </p><p>I like that it's 'only' 6.2% ABV (though it's bottled-conditioned and may consequently strengthen over time). I like the freshness on the nose, like a subtle waft of incense. I like the dry hoppiness that comes through in the finish. <br /></p><p>So that's an explanation of sorts - Orval is the Trappist beer for those who don't especially enjoy Trappist beers. Which sounds like damnage with faint praise, though that's really not my intention.<br /></p><p>If you've never tried Orval, give it a go - particularly if you think you don't like Belgian strong ales. It's lighter and weaker and drier and less classically Belgian.<br /></p>And it has possibly the coolest glass of any beer ever!<br />Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-28739937355923910992023-03-24T23:02:00.006+00:002023-03-24T23:02:52.250+00:00Half a dozen things that should definitely be a thing<p>A few ideas that have corrupted my thought processes of late: </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhig4gyotiKnR492kT2ocVqB-JeKYpRaOnKsi0MYm2wVCm5nHUk9HWX-F0V4m2SCrCUQueuPmH-jTREh43o4t2qaYvKhfDgQoQR0oQFyAiEvHaukE_PRV-gkBJJLQtIpXuOn-7_9_Hx7eH3TWSj4NfgfpP8FfNDyTcBqcnUdKLoX22RlAlpcEyJN2T5/s1200/am1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhig4gyotiKnR492kT2ocVqB-JeKYpRaOnKsi0MYm2wVCm5nHUk9HWX-F0V4m2SCrCUQueuPmH-jTREh43o4t2qaYvKhfDgQoQR0oQFyAiEvHaukE_PRV-gkBJJLQtIpXuOn-7_9_Hx7eH3TWSj4NfgfpP8FfNDyTcBqcnUdKLoX22RlAlpcEyJN2T5/s320/am1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So good for you<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b> Late night samosa shops</b>. Wouldn't that be just the best thing? After a few pints to be able to have a couple of hot samosas, served 'open' in paper and ready to eat, maybe with some spicy chips and mint sauce or chutney to go with. Yeah, I know you could technically go to an Indian restaurant and order a takeaway consisting solely of samosas, but you'd have to wait at least 15 minutes and it's not really the same thing as what I'm suggesting. </li><li><b>Bring back smoking indoors</b>. I was watching the 1984 film version of <i>1984</i> the other day, and in the most oppressive, Authoritarian society ever conceived John Hurt's Winston is routinely allowed to smoke, pretty much wherever he goes. There should not be any measures whereby we are less free than the occupants of Oceania. But clearly there are. <br /></li><li><b>Real brands on TV</b>. Come on, it's just not true to life that nobody in the world of televisual fiction ever asks for a product by name. The world isn't going to explode if somebody goes into the Queen Vic and asks for 'two pints of Landlord, a bottle of Peroni and a Blackcurrent J20', are they? They could even mention their plans to get a Colonel's Variety Bucket on the way home. A regular could remark that 'the Harvey's was drinking well that evening'. Yeah, I know it's 'Product Placement'. So fucking what? That's about the <i>least</i> intrusive form of advertising there is - compare it to trying to play a free game on your phone! The TV producers could recoup a little money from those who make the products and it would add to the realism. Win win win all round. 'Oh, and a packet of Scampi Fries please'. </li><li><b>Cask <a href="https://www.orval.be/fr/page/485-comment-la-biere-est-fabriquee" target="_blank">Orval</a></b>. That is all.</li><li>Talking of Scampi Fries, bring back <b>Cheese Moments</b> to complete the Holy Trinity, along with Bacon Fries. And Brannigans Beer Nuts while we're at it. And the original Phileas Fogg line. I get that regular crisps are probably a bit better than they were when I was a child, but so many good snacks from the 80s and 90s are gone. I'm sure I've banged on about this before, but they still haven't brought the fuckers back, have they?<br /></li><li><b>Deep fried cucumber sandwiches</b>. Battered, obviously. Only the 'cucumber' is thin slices of gherkin. That would be amazing.</li></ol>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-80329758028104712082023-01-03T16:27:00.001+00:002023-01-03T16:27:23.418+00:00Golden Pints: BV's best beers of 2022<p>Are 'Golden Pints' still a thing? Is beer blogging still a thing? Are things being a thing still a thing? <br /><br /> In my case, the answer to all these questions is 'just barely'. If that.<br /></p><p>Indeed, it's probably not unreasonable to suggest that I fell somewhat out of love with beer during 2022 - a combination of beers being indifferent and me being clinically depressed. <br /><br /> I haven't blogged a whole lot either and even coming up with a handful of words to describe a beer for an Untappd check-in sometimes feels like too much effort. Again, it's probably the depression for the most part. Mopey old Ben, fishing for pity as usual.<br /><br />But it's a new year and so I'll try to squeeze something out about my favourite brews of 2022. After all, with all the breweries that have shut up shop lately a positive word about beer might go a long way. Or it might not.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">And the winner is...<br /></h2><p></p><p>Let's not beat furiously about the Siamese bush. My favourite beer of 2022 was <b>Tiny Rebel <i>Thai PA</i></b> - an easy-drinking 4.5% Pale with lemongrass and coconut that somehow manages to be so much more than the sum of its parts.</p><p>It's very rare that a beer actually has a carnal sensuality about it, but this one does. It literally 'tastes like sex'. Disconcertingly good and very strange. I'm still not sure quite how they did it, because I'm not generally a huge fan of either lemongrass or coconut. </p><p></p><p>Where did that arousing hit of umami come from? Did the Kentish Belle add some sort of MSG-Viagra-Crack to the cask?</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbecaZNmC1tZsOWn47iY__pi9bWIkGOo6wZRtKZyxh9VVAOyYoGL2_1FOfVSO-HFrxiIXJVG3fm_cDkoRP-FwfE5tI-BllPcdr41j0kLXhAa-WxyThUV9DzbJUcPJnO7RFy3b9su2jbPw4HfOIpJx_me1W6Ub2Qagciw-SSMTftUl-NMK8r_FleZIY/s1200/pints2022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbecaZNmC1tZsOWn47iY__pi9bWIkGOo6wZRtKZyxh9VVAOyYoGL2_1FOfVSO-HFrxiIXJVG3fm_cDkoRP-FwfE5tI-BllPcdr41j0kLXhAa-WxyThUV9DzbJUcPJnO7RFy3b9su2jbPw4HfOIpJx_me1W6Ub2Qagciw-SSMTftUl-NMK8r_FleZIY/s320/pints2022.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A couple of pints<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I shall probably never fully understand why this beer tasted so good, and how it managed to make almost all the other beers in the world appear pathetic in comparison.</p><p>Anyway...</p><p>Perhaps surprisingly, I had 564 other new cask beers in 2022 which brought me precariously close to the 11,000 mark since I started keeping records. <br /> <br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Bestest of the restest</h2><p style="text-align: left;">Four of these scored 8/9 and, in chronological order they were: </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Tiny Rebel <i>Press Start: Level 3</i></b>, at the Radius Arms in June. I've enjoyed this experimental series and this was another hit from the Newport massive. Mosaic hops with Mandarin Merengue. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Creamy, fruity and generally delicious but only 4.3%, and fantastically sessionable on cask. So many brewers don't put beers of this nature into the cask format and that's desperately sad because it can, and does, work really well.</p><p style="text-align: left;">(Incidentally, I drank comparatively little non-cask beer in 2022 and literally nothing worthy of troubling this list, which is perhaps strange, but quite encouraging from a pro-cask perspective!)<br /></p><p>One of the more traditional beers I scored highly, again at the Radius, was <b>Craven <i>Black Angus Porter</i></b> which I described as the 'best porter I've had in years'. And I drink a fair amount of porter. </p><p>Dry and quaffable with roasty espresso and praline notes. Lovely stuff. And again, only 4.5%. Beer doesn't need to be Imperial strength to deliver a huge flavour hit. Sometimes less is more. Usually, in fact.<br /> </p><p>A beer that I've had several times in keg is the excellent <b>Drop Project <i>Lip Smack</i></b>. But at the Hope's October beer festival, the local lads were persuaded to put a very limited quantity of it into cask. Which took it to another level.</p><p>It's a 5% contemporary-style sour with a lot of raspberry and blackberry added. And it's properly gorgeous and refreshing. There's just a tinge of sadness that this isn't a regular thing in cask. Is it only me that feels this way?!?</p><p></p><p>Completing the year we have <b>Kent <i>Chocolate Orange</i></b> which found its way to the Radius shortly before Christmas. A lot of breweries have done chocolate orange beers in recent years, and, being partial to that particular variety of confectionary, I generally like them.</p><p>But this was particularly good. 5.6%, but almost sessionable given the underlying dryness, it delivers a big segment of dark chocolate orange that leaves you wanting more. A festive stocking-filler of a beer that warms the heart of the most Scroogesome Humbugger. </p><p>You'll possibly be cheered to learn that recounting my favourite beers of 2022 has actually made this depressed chap feel a teensy twinge of happiness. Things weren't <i>all</i> bad, and maybe I didn't actually fall out of love with beer as much as I had thought!</p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Happy New Beer, everyone!</h2><p><br /><br /></p><br />Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-51602917919549326252022-10-06T15:05:00.001+01:002023-01-03T15:41:17.724+00:00Bass is just another beer<p>The sad loss of our Queen last month will have affected different people in different ways.</p><p></p><p>For me, it brought about a rather shameful realisation. Specifically, about the Corgis.</p><p>You see, I had assumed, for my entire life, that having Corgis as pets was just what the monarch did - a bit like sitting on a throne or owning the Crown Jewels. Corgis went with the job. <br /></p><p>Queen. Throne. Jewels. Corgis. <br /></p><p>This I learned from an early age, probably about four or five, but it was never explained to me that liking a certain breed of dog just happened to be a personal preference of the individual who was currently the Queen, and given that the reigning monarch never actually changed, I carried on with this assumption until, quite literally, just the other day.</p><p>I genuinely didn't realise that they were unique to Elizabeth II.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">And so is Landlord<br /></h2><p>Thinking about it logically, the idea seems fairly preposterous, but I'd had no reason to question or challenge the belief, so there it sat, at the back of my mind, until fate intervened and I read somewhere that the new King isn't actually that keen on Corgis at all. I mean, why should he be? <br /></p><p>(It was a lot like the occasion when I realised that I had always been pronouncing the word 'facsimile' incorrectly, at the age of 32.) <br /></p><p>So, yes, a bit of a face-palm moment for me there. But then people do have very strong preferences for things. Irrationally strong at times. Her majesty had her Corgis and Dorgis. Strongman Geoff Capes keeps budgerigars. Former Steeleye Span bass player Rick Kemp always drives Saab cars. I buy Corsair components for my computer so they match up with the other Corsair kit I already have. And so on.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKSTufuEe8QYlQyP1v7AotRNwfeHWFye3hPGFZe_6cK7Rf9EjUjxFhdnulJ_OtV-M2Bzfdq02LtZwUSiZzNW_QcV537jfseQMdfXim7tYP1b21haVQvO3YFdDI9ayVkBMn87emJNqOKVjJx0bD8H2p24cLOssS0zPrwyRgnt793GGP-UKq5V7hlw1/s1024/ben2022.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKSTufuEe8QYlQyP1v7AotRNwfeHWFye3hPGFZe_6cK7Rf9EjUjxFhdnulJ_OtV-M2Bzfdq02LtZwUSiZzNW_QcV537jfseQMdfXim7tYP1b21haVQvO3YFdDI9ayVkBMn87emJNqOKVjJx0bD8H2p24cLOssS0zPrwyRgnt793GGP-UKq5V7hlw1/s320/ben2022.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just another twat drinking just another beer<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The phenomenon of irrational preference extends to beers too. The fanclubdom and fierce loyalty to certain specific ales is quite baffling to me.<br /><p></p><p><i>Draught Bass</i>. Timothy Taylor <i>Landlord</i>. <i>Harvey's Best</i>.</p><p>All perfectly decent beers. But all far from unique. All nothing particularly special. Am I missing something? There are numerous equivalent beers out there that I suspect the aficionados wouldn't be able to differentiate in a blind taste test. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">And Citra <br /></h2><p>Oakham <i>Citra</i> too, in more recent years. I mean, yes, it's great. Smashably hoppy and refreshing at a modest ABV. But just about every fucking brewery does a Citra-hopped beer these days. A lot of them are also very good and, yes, very similar. So why single out one example for all the adulation? Why?<br /></p><p>I just don't get it.</p><p>(Oakham are one of my favourite breweries, but the standard Citra is far from the best beer they've ever put out - that would be <i>Akhenaten</i>, <i>Cryptic </i>or possibly <i>Enough Rope</i>!) <br /></p><p>Strangely a lot of those who (rightly) decry the absolute rubbish that is Sharp's <i>Doom Bar</i>, turn out to be the fan boys of these other beers that aren't a million miles away from Doom, in both popularity and bland genericness.<br /></p><p>The thing is, there are genuinely special, unique and interesting beers out there. There are a few beers that can legitimately be considered exceptional and that have no comparable peers. But these tend to go under the radar of most people precisely because of their scarcity.</p><p>I'll give a few examples:</p><p>Brentwood <i>BBC1</i> - it's a hoppy table beer style, with a similar flavour profile to certain other beers, but is almost completely unique at being 1.5% ABV. There's nothing else like that on the market as far as I can ascertain.</p><p>Arbor <i>Faked Alaska</i> is a hoppy, sweet, Vanilla milkshake IPA. It's extremely tasty, but there isn't a whole lot of other stuff out there like it. In my view that's far more worthy of cult fandom than, say, Harvey's Best, with its legions of fans.<br /></p><p></p><p>Tiny Rebel <i>ThaIPA</i>, the best beer I've had this year, with its almost sexual combination of lemongrass and coconut, stands out on a bar where everything else tastes like everything else.</p><p>And indeed just about any 10%+ Imperial dessert stout with bread and butter pudding, or gingerbread and marshmallow, or whatever other unique flavours they choose to introduce. Yes, these beers might be gimmicky. Yes, they might not be to your taste. But they have a genuine stand-out factor that so many beers do not.</p><p>The same goes for strongly-fruited sours and indeed fruit ciders. Schezuan pepper saison, Absinthe porter, whisky cask-aged Barley Wine with added loganberries. There is so much possibility out there. Fuck the purists - let's have some genuine choice in what we drink rather than a range of stuff that is all very similar to itself.<br /><br />I get that there will always be some people who 'just want beer to taste like beer', and who seek out the best examples of that. Fine. But you can't have it both ways and claim that one 4.2% 'traditional' best bitter with Fuggles and EKG hops is somehow massively distinct from, and far better than, another 4.2% 'traditional' best bitter with Fuggles and EKGs. </p><p>Personally I think that a beer should be memorable because of what it is (and indeed what it isn't) not just because you've drunk it so many times you've been seconded into some sort of emotional loyalty scheme!<br /></p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-92066657641138259722022-08-31T16:23:00.002+01:002022-08-31T16:24:56.461+01:00BV London Pub of the Year 2021-22 - the results <p></p><p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal">As the returning officer for the constituency of <i>London Pub of the Year 2021-22</i> I hereby declare the top five pubs in this years competition are as follows:</p><p class="MsoNormal">(If you haven't yet familiarised yourselves with the eight contenders - the 'ballot paper', if you will, you may possibly want read parts <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2022/07/bv-london-pub-of-year-2021-22-part-one.html" target="_blank">one</a> and <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2022/07/bv-london-pub-of-year-2021-22-part-two.html" target="_blank">two</a> where I review the pubs. And avert your eyes because the results are coming up.) <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">After an enforced three-year break, this years competition has been a fascinating one. It's Truss vs Sunak all over again, only this time Badenoch wins. Or something.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Anyhow, let's crack the fuck on...</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Ready? Good.<br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In <b>5th</b> place, and putting Selsdon on the beer
atlas for quite possibly the first time in history, we have the <b>Golden Ark</b>, a
quirky community micropub that brings interesting beer to an area that was once,
putting it politely, somewhat lacking. (Putting it less politely, it was fucking shite.)<br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Continuing the ‘small is beautiful’ theme, <b>4th</b>
place goes to the <b>Rake</b>, arguably London’s original micropub, and still the most exciting place to drink in the Borough area.<br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On to <b>No. 3</b> and storming back into the competition after a fair few years is
the <b>Southampton Arms</b> in Gospel Oak, where the oldest of old skool décor somehow feels a
perfectly normal home for the latest and greatest craft beers.</p><p class="MsoNormal">And now we come to the really exciting stuff... <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IdHkapTQGJoqhZ8-BpibAXBfr1krL46wYgvwzIVCcQ5Pa33JlUbJBRy0Ff33c-d-yzkRK4xF2pwW9nEkwzXnGbb31ldgtenUWHogbU3iEWTguUCRLU1fZ7bknJ7v9wjhH5lMzNsNeaFl__SV1S8JzDDiUPPO1TbU3n-lUB8kvYhcMTn47wEiLn2D/s1024/poty2022_0.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-IdHkapTQGJoqhZ8-BpibAXBfr1krL46wYgvwzIVCcQ5Pa33JlUbJBRy0Ff33c-d-yzkRK4xF2pwW9nEkwzXnGbb31ldgtenUWHogbU3iEWTguUCRLU1fZ7bknJ7v9wjhH5lMzNsNeaFl__SV1S8JzDDiUPPO1TbU3n-lUB8kvYhcMTn47wEiLn2D/s320/poty2022_0.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Have a POTY award to go with your cake!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Our <b>runner-up</b> is the excellent <b>Hope</b> in Carshalton, a pub
that has won more awards than . Last year the Hope even won a BAFTA for ‘best
supporting pub that floor managers dream of visiting after getting off set’. <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But there can be only one winner. During lockdown we gave a
special award to a pub that went above and beyond the call of beer duty – and now
that same pub has won the award outright.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I give you, the BV <b>2021-22 London Pub of the Year</b>… the
<b>Kentish Belle</b> in Bexleyheath.</p><p class="MsoNormal">A truly wonderous establishment in which to enjoy not only the best that cask beer has to offer, but so much more as well. Nick, his team and even his family have built the ultimate destination micropub out of nothing, and, if we're honest, in the face of some ludicrous opposition and prejudice.</p><p class="MsoNormal">But it's a fantastic pub, and that's what this lark is all about. I mean, it takes me two whole hours to get there. Each way. But it's always worth the journey.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We have a winner. Congrats! </span><br /></p> <br /><p></p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-72679996998683560192022-08-08T17:25:00.003+01:002022-08-08T17:26:53.218+01:00GBBF 2022: Hello, old friend!<p>Three years is a long time in beer. </p><p>With the 2020 and 2021 Great British Beer Festivals successively cancelled due to some sort of 'pandemic' or other, it's been a long time to wait, but last week the agony of waiting was finally over. GBBF came back!<br /></p><p>I first attended the GBBF in 1994 and have been back every year since, so it's pretty much a part of my DNA now, and I've seen it change and evolve gradually over the years.</p><p>I particularly enjoyed myself <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2018/08/gbbf-is-officially-great-again.html" target="_blank">in 2018</a>, and 2019 wasn't bad either, but following two years of missing out, even a terrible GBBF would've been good, if that makes sense. </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">So, come on then, how was GBBF 2022? <br /></h2><p>In a word: Good.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi181mcYDhO26MNcdnYCX8KnMOGoj7x72JW7oPDY4CVEe5SPuCAyNuQJoUIsFXaqgG6PQene9mdhecYa2kClb24GOms18xYn50wr1eUSjxqdePOY4MZaxAqlGhi1Bsc6IjIdGZb30Xu_zYjssZ8RY73xHwxn-L9jpXRBUg2j3_DubAl-zDpcqosHEDc/s1024/gbbf2022_1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi181mcYDhO26MNcdnYCX8KnMOGoj7x72JW7oPDY4CVEe5SPuCAyNuQJoUIsFXaqgG6PQene9mdhecYa2kClb24GOms18xYn50wr1eUSjxqdePOY4MZaxAqlGhi1Bsc6IjIdGZb30Xu_zYjssZ8RY73xHwxn-L9jpXRBUg2j3_DubAl-zDpcqosHEDc/w240-h320/gbbf2022_1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OMG, what have they done to you?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>There were a few issues to contend with, like ongoing building works on the Olympia site that reduced the overall space available - this was the 'smallest' GBBF for some years - coupled with the general rustiness of not having staged the thing for three years. Things have changed in the beer scene during that time and expectations may not be the same.<br /><p></p><p>But the army of volunteer staff did amazingly well to make the resumption of the greatest beer festival in the world feel as 'seamless' as possible. A couple of pints into Tuesday's trade session and I was already feeling like I was home.</p><p>As always, the US cask bar was a particular highlight and not just because many of these are literally the only casks in existence. <i>Aeronaut 'Blueberry Key Lime Sour Planet' </i>was properly sour with a zesty zing of fresh lime juice, even if, at 5.7% ABV, it was one of the weaker beers on the bar.<br /></p><p><i>Windowmaker 'Blue Comet'</i> (7.1%) was a hazy DIPA in the New England style, with sherbet notes that caused two separate people to enquire what I was drinking because it looked so fucking good. And then <i>Alesmith 'Nobel Empire'</i>, a 10.2% Imperial Porter and the 8.8% <i>'Hoptron'</i> from the <i>Medusa</i> brewery in Massachusetts... and they weren't even the strongest beers I enjoyed.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMEtAJ1w124meKOE3bkngRHr1bvdOM0aMNgA_gPyR8QRxW3U6tPb1ujtm8v9-tKGFyZCUAqmKoDbbgo_34KfTsaNn2kt0yEiTB86JREPaOd6P3tjRNbzUivGIkbewPJSgwoCpwJsftWJL1gz_f8vCC5bBsPTtoGZaxegM2-OBOYY2HD8Bvw_XuYRP/s1024/gbbf2022_2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMEtAJ1w124meKOE3bkngRHr1bvdOM0aMNgA_gPyR8QRxW3U6tPb1ujtm8v9-tKGFyZCUAqmKoDbbgo_34KfTsaNn2kt0yEiTB86JREPaOd6P3tjRNbzUivGIkbewPJSgwoCpwJsftWJL1gz_f8vCC5bBsPTtoGZaxegM2-OBOYY2HD8Bvw_XuYRP/s320/gbbf2022_2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But inside it's reassuringly familiar!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>American cask beer is a rare treat, but there were brilliant British beers too, many of which could and would be quaffed comfortably by the pintful: <p></p><p><i>Marble 'Petite'</i>, a delightfully hopsome table beer at just 2.8% was a favourite, as was <i>New Bristol 'Cinder Toffee Stout'</i> (4.0%) and the <i>Jolly Sailor 'Selby Kolsch'</i>, straight from Cologne in, umm, Yorkshire. Elusive 'Inertia' was also very good, an easy-drinking 3.6% with plenty of Citra hops.<br /></p><p>But my favourite beer of the festival - albeit quite narrowly, and in the face of some seriously tasty competition - was <i>Bedlam 'Wilde'</i>, which surprised me somewhat as I've had several Bedlam beers in the past few years and they've been OK but unspectacular.</p><p>However, this was superb. 4.8%, pale and fruity with tropical flavours bursting out all over. The sort of pale ale one could drink all day long and still feel like another pint of it.</p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Any downsides? <br /></h2><p>With the geographic restrictions, there were a few compromises necessary - fewer bars, fewer stalls, fewer food vendors, less musical entertainment and the lack of a private members area, but these are fairly minor concerns in the bigger scheme.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8Wv_MGklxFkV-Y4ob9LqJiBINilbw37y1ylH4qEZ828WQPjtp7Sb8e1gGwz1uMhxjObxUC8R8vkQ2zdiaD1ILss3CiEdqCW07jjR6ZM1miwSsKH-IZk-bRaJbZ4u7tTzFXzluPFP4Hy7LF5TfqBvNdzGLO34y9y-abJXPVSI9uJr9b98oyau8Ow5/s1024/gbbf2022_3.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8Wv_MGklxFkV-Y4ob9LqJiBINilbw37y1ylH4qEZ828WQPjtp7Sb8e1gGwz1uMhxjObxUC8R8vkQ2zdiaD1ILss3CiEdqCW07jjR6ZM1miwSsKH-IZk-bRaJbZ4u7tTzFXzluPFP4Hy7LF5TfqBvNdzGLO34y9y-abJXPVSI9uJr9b98oyau8Ow5/s320/gbbf2022_3.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handpulled Kolsch from Selby, in London!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was a pleasure to scoff down the Crusty Pie Company's wares - some things never change - and the food offering overall was as good as you could hope for.<br /><p></p><p></p><p>Sadly, this year's festival experience wasn't universally enjoyable. There have been some concerning reports about the inappropriate behaviour of customers (and possibly even staff), particularly from the Friday evening session. </p><p>This really shouldn't need to be said, now or ever, but, seriously: <i>Don't be a fucking dick</i>. Everyone who attends the GBBF should be able to enjoy themselves and feel safe there. Don't threaten that. And, no, ten pints is not an excuse.</p><p></p><p>And I know there will be some that criticise CAMRA's policies, their pricing, their ticketing structure and everything else. Complainers gonna complain.</p><p>But I had a great time, was delighted to have the GBBF back in my life, and can't wait until 2023!<br /></p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-28380756783869060682022-07-18T15:40:00.003+01:002022-07-19T12:51:15.566+01:00BV London Pub of the Year 2021-22 - part two<p>What's hotter than the current ambient temperature and more competitive than the race to be Prime Minister?<br /></p><p>Why, yes, it's the second part of the long-overdue Return of the Revenge of the Pub of the Year!</p><p>If you haven't already read <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2022/07/bv-london-pub-of-year-2021-22-part-one.html" target="_blank">part one</a>, you might want to so so first. Otherwise, here we go with the remainder of this year's contest. Let's find the best pub in London, shall we?<br /></p><p>And, not unexcitingly, we happen to begin with two former winners!</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Hope, Carshalton</h2><p>In truth there is very little left to say about the Hope that hasn't already been said, both in my writings and elsewhere. I struggle to remember a time when this wasn't one of the destination pubs in South London. It's won the CAMRA Greater London Pub of the Year award, as well as this one and it would be insane to exclude it.</p><p>Sadly the famous pub cat, Pubcat, is no longer resident, though still alive and well. <br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujJmK7eeAC41LdNlb3DnglNPrbwU4OO4PYyuMJItaTQdO50tG11Hj06fysPTQOsYSZLOKrYyrbI5u7TKLtxEQRq_iOTVnA6w9EYJq3gCOZbVJugov0KkyLbBBTbKdiq71UVEIF1j3IVmx8wokXehL6qRcGvbuYvriP3wIH2XQ92jpvGgAQLu0IpF1/s1200/poty17_winnerhope.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujJmK7eeAC41LdNlb3DnglNPrbwU4OO4PYyuMJItaTQdO50tG11Hj06fysPTQOsYSZLOKrYyrbI5u7TKLtxEQRq_iOTVnA6w9EYJq3gCOZbVJugov0KkyLbBBTbKdiq71UVEIF1j3IVmx8wokXehL6qRcGvbuYvriP3wIH2XQ92jpvGgAQLu0IpF1/s320/poty17_winnerhope.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High hopes for this pub<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Range of draught beers:</b> I have noted that the Hope has to strike a delicate balance. On one hand it's a well-known and highly-regarded pub that craft beer enthusiasts will come from afar to visit, but it also has a role as a traditional community local and a core customer base with perhaps more conservative tastes. There are therefore a few house beers that don't change - Windsor & Eton <i>Knight of the Garter</i> and Downton <i>New Forest </i>on cask, and Bavo Pils and Hacker Pschorr Hells on keg. These are solid, if unexciting offerings, but are complemented by five changing casks and about seven (usually crafty) keg options, typically including dark, strong, sour, hazy, fruity (this is starting to sound like the Seven Dwarves...) and otherwise 'notable' beers as well as more standard pales.<p></p><p>Nothing is off the table (except possibly mass-produced/macro stuff) and top breweries that appear frequently include Marble, Siren, Arbor and the Bristol Beer factory. There is also often beer from local-ish craft breweries like Anspach & Hobday, Brew By Numbers and Brick. You might find an imported Belgian Kriek or genuine American IPA too. The only thing that prevents the Hope from picking up full marks is that the actual cask choice can be hit and miss. If you're a ticker like me you might turn up and be absolutely wowed (especially if you do so during a beer festival - see below) but at other times it can sometimes be underwhelming. I get it. Tickers probably make up a fraction of their custom, and I understand bringing back locals 'favourites' is more important overall. <b>2</b> points.<br /></p><p><b>Quality of real ale:</b> There's really no argument here. <b>3</b> points. Carshalton is a bit of a destination for a pub crawl, and if you attempt it (the real challenge is going anywhere other than the Hope) you'll see (taste?) quickly just how sub-standard the cask condition is in other pubs in the area. This is the gold standard.<br /></p><p><b>Bonus points</b>: My favourite thing about the Hope is the monthly beer festivals, where the range of beers available increases massively, as the marquee out the back offers about 20 casks plus a few extra kegs. These frequently include genuinely rare and one-off beers and the cider selection also increases. They also get it right on the food front, with a wide range of stuff ranging from little tubs of cheese and salami to chunks of cold pies up to full hot meals. Something for everyone, without trying to be 'gastro' in any way. And the basic choice of crisps and nuts (and chocolate bars) is pretty damn good too and worth another bonus point. There's no legitimate reason to deduct anything, so the Hope picks up the maximum bonus points.<br /></p><p>The Hope proves that it is possible to be both a local for locals <i>and</i> a destination pub for ale enthusiasts. If you've never been, you've missed out.</p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Antelope, Surbiton<br /></h2><p>The 'Lope entered the competition for the first time in 2017-2018 and immediately stormed into first place. But has the champion of four years ago been able to make any sort of lasting impact this side of lockdown?!?</p><p>The in-house brewery, Big Smoke moved out to Esher, freeing up space for an eating area that can also be used to host beer festivals (yes, please!) and other pubs have joined their little mini chain, like former finalist the Albion in Kingston (which, to my shame, I couldn't include this time as I haven't visited at all within the past year).<br /></p><p><b></b></p><p><b>Range of draught beers:</b> Up to ten casks and a similar amount of keg, with a strong focus on the local. A few beers from Big Smoke will usually be on, plus offerings from the likes of Southwark, Park and Ascot. There is perhaps a slight bias towards lower-strength, pale, and moderately hoppy, which is probably no more than an accurate reflection of what most people do actually want to drink.</p><p>I'd suggest that stylistically the overall range is perhaps a bit more conservative than it was a few years back, but it's still very good, and you'd have to be very fussy to come here and not find anything you want. It's a <b>2</b>.<br /></p><p><b>Quality of real ale:</b> Occasionally I'll have a conversation with a pub manager about how I scored their cask beer - sometimes from a review going back several years - and if I've given them a score like <b>1</b>, which I'm giving here, they feel a bit affronted about it. Don't be. 0 is average and 1 is above average. The truth is that cask beer - even the same beer - can vary so much, depending on how it is kept and conditioned and how quickly it is turned over. Most pubs in London would be routinely scoring -1 or worse. The truth is that in the last couple of years I haven't had pints here that have made me think 'Wow, that is absolutely sublime!'. Maybe they're trying to sell too many casks of too-similar beers at once? (Sorry in advance for causing any affrontation! Or is it affrontedness? Maybe just affront as a noun?) Anyway, onwards...<br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRwMh3EgldBnFeyO4LlI1Q0WeqnbvsUbGraq-CRBISBYRVErXw_8w04zpvQ8g6ZKQp7ri93aQ8eWfY3J8V0oWxhKuTPerMRgmX8GTPIEBH2k_MYEb_vv-OfUoeEBERK1gcP50hWf-7u8Zdaa_fWbaoStNA2rx5nlTNk4XFEv38xCPGE2G_SwWPX8M/s1024/poty2022_6.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBRwMh3EgldBnFeyO4LlI1Q0WeqnbvsUbGraq-CRBISBYRVErXw_8w04zpvQ8g6ZKQp7ri93aQ8eWfY3J8V0oWxhKuTPerMRgmX8GTPIEBH2k_MYEb_vv-OfUoeEBERK1gcP50hWf-7u8Zdaa_fWbaoStNA2rx5nlTNk4XFEv38xCPGE2G_SwWPX8M/s320/poty2022_6.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't mind if I do!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Bonus points</b>: This place is more 'gastro' than most on the list, but it's not at the expense of the beer. Well, not much. The burgers are decent and filling, the sharing and snacking plates (whitebait, haloumi fries etc.) are nicely executed and the Oreo doughnut balls an inspired dessert. Definitely worth a point. The food here isn't cheap, but there are various special 'meal and a pint' deals on different days of the week - Steak and Blowjob Thursday is particularly good, even without the blowjob. I'm told that the Vegan/plant-based options are good (or did she say 'enlightened'?) not that I'm ever going to care about that sort of thing!<br /><p></p><p>The pub also picks up a point for its range of ciders which is almost certainly the widest in this part of London, and of course any pub that can put on a decent beer festival will take home a bonus point for doing so. And it shouldn't be the focus of a pub in my view, but the wine list is a cut above anything you'd usually find in a pub like this, so that gets another point.</p><p>I am going to take off a point simply for high pricing. I get that this is an affluent and expensive part of London, but it's not the centre, and £6/pint for an ordinary strength cask pale ale, which I have paid here, is going to put off some customers when they can get a similar beer for a third of the price in the nearby Wetherspoons. But, having done the maths they still get the maximum <b>3</b> bonus points.</p><p>Personally I think the Antelope has lost its beer focus just a little since the brewery moved out. It's still a great pub, but it just feels like these days it's more concerned with selling jackfruit burgers and prosecco to middle-class Mumsnet Admins. But that's me being cynical - I still have a lot of love for the place!<br /></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Southampton Arms, Gospel Oak</h2><p>A warm welcome back to one of our favourite pubs in North London - and one that appeared ten years ago in <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2012/08/bv-london-pub-of-year-results.html" target="_blank">the very first BV London Pub of the Year</a>, finishing a very creditable fourth.</p><p>The vibe here is very much 'old school'. Jug glasses, jazz on vinyl and a battered old upright piano, upon which the resident cats sometimes eat their dinner.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLJuvplhRzS9-alj4fw5iWXE3t7VmqgTYMkolI4akvI3Hgj_pNlOmkmjEN0qIQiHUuDeqOpRxo7gNGhaQWIzfpoIXb3DCt6ACm52dfpSEVafMrwZFtc5yJ-N-7NNyVznj4imakVgAPIwfKUM5HbQlRrjld50qD1COIxn78lB5kr46Ym8YZW0k5q2-/s1024/poty2022_5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLJuvplhRzS9-alj4fw5iWXE3t7VmqgTYMkolI4akvI3Hgj_pNlOmkmjEN0qIQiHUuDeqOpRxo7gNGhaQWIzfpoIXb3DCt6ACm52dfpSEVafMrwZFtc5yJ-N-7NNyVznj4imakVgAPIwfKUM5HbQlRrjld50qD1COIxn78lB5kr46Ym8YZW0k5q2-/s320/poty2022_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not sure a better pie exists anywhere<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Range of draught beers:</b> Since I first surveyed the Southampton Arms all those years ago, the keg range has increased from just two to about eight, with a slight reduction in the number of cask beers and ciders typically on sale. On balance, this probably means a broader choice overall than a decade ago when you probably wouldn't have found a sour or a saison here. It feels like the sort of place where one should be drinking a malty brown bitter, but there is so much more usually. The selection changes all the time and is another solid <b>2</b>.<br /><p></p><p><b>Quality of real ale:</b> Really nicely conditioned beer here, particularly when one opts for a mild, stout or porter. My only complaint is that paler, hoppier beers could sometimes do with being cooler, but overall you get a very good pint in a pub that really should be all about the cask. Just short of outstanding, but not by all that much. <b>2</b> points. <br /></p><b>Bonus points</b>: It's another very good pub for cider drinkers, with six different ones typically on offer - I recently tried a raspberry mojito cider here that was absolutely batshit insane but entirely delicious! Definitely a bonus point for the cider. They'll pick up another for the pork pies which are among the best you'll ever eat - meaty and delicious with crunchy pastry and, best of all, very little jelly! (If you time your visit right you might get a hot snack, provided you like roast pork and crackling!) The overall atmosphere is worth a point too. I love all that woodiness and a working piano in regular use is a delight. One day I shall ask to have a go and belt out some Chas'n'Dave standards! So, three bonus points then.<br /><p></p><p>One thing to be aware of - this is now a card-only establishment. Not that unusual these days, but just a few years ago the Southampton Arms was cash-only with no cards accepted, so don't get caught out by the reverse switcheroo!</p><p> <br /></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Golden Ark, Selsdon</h2><p>And so we come to the final entrant in this year's competition and it's a fresh new face - the Kemi Badenoch of the competition, if you will. If you've never been to Selsdon, you're probably in good company. It's a villagey outpost in the East of the London Borough of Croydon with poor transport connections and an indifferent Wetherspoons.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcfVcjUowNzcLQNcR9sZ7ZQ5k-h8Qydd-LRHuFr3cQ18ir-fZXIROumtDXM4t_Fhyj6jv89lX37MimN88ONz11hGx8vvnlbJCWojtVkJkRHCGuO1qqN8ZTKKLwoqQaqv6aoMjpAGpcuS9wQvX8JlU-c7TCfu6vZQAhnSn_bvijN-wuuUZ7V8ur6Oz/s1024/poty2022_1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcfVcjUowNzcLQNcR9sZ7ZQ5k-h8Qydd-LRHuFr3cQ18ir-fZXIROumtDXM4t_Fhyj6jv89lX37MimN88ONz11hGx8vvnlbJCWojtVkJkRHCGuO1qqN8ZTKKLwoqQaqv6aoMjpAGpcuS9wQvX8JlU-c7TCfu6vZQAhnSn_bvijN-wuuUZ7V8ur6Oz/s320/poty2022_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snacktastic selection at the Golden Ark<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It is, however, home these days to a quirky and rather good little micropub, the Golden Ark. Opened in early 2019, it fills an important void in an area with few pubs and unashamedly seeks to replicate the features that made the micropubs of Kent and South East London so successful. This it does very well indeed.<br /><p></p><p><b>Range of draught beers:</b> It's uncommon for a micropub to have more keg than cask on, but it might be a more sensible approach, especially if that's what the regulars want. There's usually three or four cask and about six keg available at any one time, with a couple of non-standard lagers, light and dark casks and something more offbeat, often involving fruit. The beers change pretty rapidly so come in with an open mind. Of course it's not a vast palace with an endless array of taps, but for a local micropub of its size, a decent and varied selection is always guaranteed. Score <b>1.5</b>.<br /></p><p><b>Quality of real ale:</b> By keeping the cask range relatively limited, the ale here turns over quickly which ensures good quality. The Spoons down the road might have access to a massive national cellarmanship training programme, but their beer is not as fresh and tasty as it is here. I did have one sub-standard pint here once, but it was the very end of the cask, I was allowed to have it for free, and I only forced it down for the tick. Another score of <b>1.5</b>.<br /></p><p><b>Bonus points</b>: The Golden Ark has probably the best selection of 'over the counter' snacks you'll find anywhere. Not just crisps and nuts but biltong and salami-type meat things and some spicy Asian bits and bobs that don't even have a name. Well they do, but I haven't learnt it yet. It's like a tuckshop within a pub and it's worth a bonus point. </p><p>Another interesting feature is the opening hours - pretty much all day, every day, which is not typical of most micropubs. I've no idea if it's actually sustainable, and it's none of my fucking business, but fair play to the Golden Ark for taking this approach and offering solace to the thirsty, whatever time of day it may be. Slightly irregular to give out a point for opening times, I know, but it's genuinely unusual in the micropub world. I'll also score them highly for the community presence built up over such a short period of time - despite the disruptive pandemical nonsense of the last couple of years. They do quiz nights, live music, and you can hire out the space for meetings in the mornings prior to opening time. It's very swiftly become the central activity hub in an otherwise sleepy area.</p><p>And so, there we have four very different pubs to complete the entries for this year's Pub of the Year... Give me a week or two and I'll be revealing the overall top five, and, of course, the winner!<br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <h2>
Where to find it... </h2>
<br />
<b>The Hope </b><br />
48 West street,<br />
Carshalton<br />
SM5 2PR (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps?q=SM5+2PR" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="https://hopecarshalton.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/CRO/11436/hope-carshalton" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">********</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">* </span></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<b>Antelope </b><br />
87 Maple road,<br />
Surbiton<br />
KT6 4AW (<a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=KT6+4AW" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="http://www.theantelope.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://www.whatpub.com/pubs/KIN/6896/antelope-surbiton" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">******</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">*** </span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Southampton Arms </b><br />
139 Highgate road,<br />Gospel Oak </div><div style="text-align: left;">NW5 1LE (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps?q=NW5+1LE" target="_blank">map</a>)<i><br />
no website</i> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/NLD/6089/southampton-arms-london" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">*******</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">** </span></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<b>Golden Ark </b><br />
186 Addington road,<br />Selsdon </div><div style="text-align: left;">CR2 8LB (<a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=CR2+8LB" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="https://thegoldenark.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/CRO/11770/golden-ark-selsdon" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">******</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">***</span></b></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #f4cccc;"> </span></b></span></span></div></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"></h2>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-75944381580409113532022-07-13T15:55:00.003+01:002022-07-13T16:38:09.477+01:00BV London Pub of the Year 2021-22 - part one<p>It might not feel like it, but it was fully ten years ago that I launched my London Pub of the Year award. </p><p>And now, at last, it's back! <br /></p><p></p><p>Yep, after a long wait it's time to once again pick my favourite pub in the Greater London area from the past 12 months. God I've missed doing this.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMSN23BidLQbBypZaFc4fBDtQ9UEdje5MYOCErlmMBQehnWGDO6HIUw5GEvyU5nePDZ-33orD21DbMktmGyqN3bRs7OBSiwRGbmJTPAm5wcpZnD4q2QkJwcjupo99U9YFhgQJkrJkOeW6SDEVJuIpCdeOiIiPddV8eizy_WQukne3tjl_pqcJwpeK/s1280/kentishbelle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMSN23BidLQbBypZaFc4fBDtQ9UEdje5MYOCErlmMBQehnWGDO6HIUw5GEvyU5nePDZ-33orD21DbMktmGyqN3bRs7OBSiwRGbmJTPAm5wcpZnD4q2QkJwcjupo99U9YFhgQJkrJkOeW6SDEVJuIpCdeOiIiPddV8eizy_WQukne3tjl_pqcJwpeK/s320/kentishbelle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Counting down to the end of lockdown!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The last couple of years have been a bit, well, disrupted, and you'll probably know that for the 2019-21 period I decided upon <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2020/08/bv-london-pub-of-year-2019-20-special.html">a 'special award' for the Kentish Belle in Bexleyheath</a> who went above and beyond the call of duty during the first lockdown as well as being a damn good pub the rest of the time. (Well, it was originally only going to be for 2019-20, but further lockdowns meant that this effectively held true for an additional year!)<br /></p><p>Anyway, because I wasn't able to run the contest and do full pub surveys for the past two years, we're going to have a completely fresh start, and then - fingers crossed, no more fucking lockdowns please! - return to normal this time next year.</p><p>So, this year's competition will consist of eight pubs, including previous winners, returning old favourites and a couple of new entries, and the top five will automatically come back next year, alongside five new ones to keep things fresh.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p>I've also tweaked the scoring system every so slightly as it was pointed out that having a point specifically for food would prevent wet-led (well, wetxclusive) pubs from ever achieving a maximum score.</p><p>So the new scoring system will be: </p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>0 to 3 points available for the range of draught beers.</li><li>-3 to 3 points available for the quality of the cask. Yes, cask is that important. And that variable.<br /></li><li>-3 to 3 'bonus' points for anything else, good or bad, about the place. Which can include food, obviously.<br /></li></ul><p>And with that, let's crack on with our first four 2021-22 contenders!</p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Kentish Belle, Bexleyheath <br /></h2><p>The Belle was one of the later additions to the glut of micropubs in South-East London, having opened less than five years ago, but it didn't take long to put itself on the map and, let's be honest, make the other micropubs in the local area appear decidedly ordinary.<br /></p><p></p><b>Range of draught beers: </b>For its first couple of years, the Kentish Belle was cask-only, which isn't something I had a problem with, given the wide availability of good keg beer all over London these days. Cask still predominates here, but is now typically supplemented by 3-4 keg offerings, with Lagers, Sours, Impy Stouts and other styles not commonly found in cask making the overall range even more impressive.<p></p><p>The number of cask beers fluctuates according to customer numbers, which is eminently sensible; On a good day you might find a choice of eight or more, all generally from the better, craftier micros. There's also a high chance of finding rare, one-off or otherwise highly desirable beers, particularly when a tap takeover is taking place. (You don't want to miss those - they typically highlight the top breweries in the land such as Thornbridge, Siren and Tiny Rebel.) I recently enjoyed Tiny Rebel's ThaIPA at a takeover here and I think it might just be my favourite beer of all time.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsxJNTePAZxyDgENuQgdEPFaq-xNG0nlLkK04nWGykpWoH_FpDGm5eDGpCndFT9QKbmdd7SRV8cA8NLDLtWP7ltzDGSeRiiSRaHVmOHkMMDojmWrRkDLWcCVLJXprFnj5rj-LSCBnhlgR4MFdtdszORql6AW-mUK08TFmqhTlR-MaVBRtjDHLM--8/s1024/poty2022_9.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsxJNTePAZxyDgENuQgdEPFaq-xNG0nlLkK04nWGykpWoH_FpDGm5eDGpCndFT9QKbmdd7SRV8cA8NLDLtWP7ltzDGSeRiiSRaHVmOHkMMDojmWrRkDLWcCVLJXprFnj5rj-LSCBnhlgR4MFdtdszORql6AW-mUK08TFmqhTlR-MaVBRtjDHLM--8/w320-h240/poty2022_9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look carefully; you might see evidence of tap takeovers!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>A balanced, interesting selection is pretty much guaranteed - and while that is true of a lot of keg-centric pubs these days - it is achieved while maintaining the focus on cask. For that reason, it scores a maximum <b>3</b> points.<p></p><p><b>Quality of real ale:</b> Really, really good. The thing is, even when I have a beer here that isn't to my taste, such as a malty brown bitter, I cannot fault the condition. It's always, consistently superb. Cask as it should be (as opposed to how it all too frequently is in London, sadly).<br /></p><p>It never ceases to amaze how many pubs fail to get basic cellaring right. Putting beers on that aren't ready, trying to sell the dregs of a cask that has gone off, not wanting the hassle of sending a cask back that doesn't look or taste right... A lot of publicans could learn a whole lot just by talking to Nick from the Belle for a few minutes.</p><p>Nothing else to be said. It's been consistently outstanding over the past year and merits full marks. <b>3</b> points.<br /></p><p><b>Bonus points:</b> In the unlikely even that you can't find any beer you want on cask or keg, check the fridge for a rocking selection of craft cans which is definitely worth a bonus point. And if you prefer cider, there's a wide choice of the real stuff - strong ones, fruited ones, whiskey cask - and that's clearly another bonus point in the bag. </p><p>Whatever you're drinking here you might want a snack at some point, and the range at the Kentish Belle happily includes Tavern Snacks dry roasted peanuts. These are, I believe, the best currently available, and I've tried a hell of a lot of different brands. And there's a loyalty card scheme - buy nine pints and get the next one free. Oh, and there's board games if you want to play.</p><p>Even if I deducted a point for all the spats with local CAMRA groups, or for the guvnor standing as a Labour party candidate - which I'm not going to; that would be petty even by my standards - there's still enough positives to counterbalance this and ensure the Belle picks up all three bonus points.<br /></p><p> (If planning a trip you'll need to watch out for the opening hours - usually closed Monday and Tuesday and with limited hours on Wednesday and Sunday - so check their social media or website.) <br /></p><p>I know that not everybody agrees with me about the all-round greatness of the Kentish Belle. The <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2021/12/fot-pit-nor-furpose.html" target="_blank">omission from the 2022 Good Beer Guide</a> was highly controversial. But I'm a big, big fan and it's an incredibly strong contender to kick things off!</p><p><br /></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Pineapple, Kentish Town <br /></h2><p>So, from the Kentish Belle we head up to Kentish Town - and an attempt to prove that not all the pubs in this contest are South of the River. The Pineapple has a marvellously 'proper old London Boozer' interior but a pretty contemporary attitude towards beer that has drawn admirers in recent years. Let's take a closer look.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HvpJjzmEPwBc-GmaV7oJjlqfH5gcbKVMpXLP8qkv5L-SCBLR6mnea0iUY_uB6z7Uv5jhFg8CLvFpb8QooJxxoWP_9nbcJOLQF7OTeC3ekV5HWInY_Yrfg_04Yohehi-fvFTB1ibCLBFKADcEkCHCzeinnEJIHdKK0znvUz7T1fJPau7qKdyvb1ea/s1024/poty2022_3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HvpJjzmEPwBc-GmaV7oJjlqfH5gcbKVMpXLP8qkv5L-SCBLR6mnea0iUY_uB6z7Uv5jhFg8CLvFpb8QooJxxoWP_9nbcJOLQF7OTeC3ekV5HWInY_Yrfg_04Yohehi-fvFTB1ibCLBFKADcEkCHCzeinnEJIHdKK0znvUz7T1fJPau7qKdyvb1ea/s320/poty2022_3.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A proper pub interior<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Range of draught beers: </b>While it might not compare to some of the other pubs to grace the competition it's certainly not bad. Typically you'll find between three and five cask beers on, plus a further eight on keg. <p></p><p>Unlike many of the pubs in the contest, the Pineapple does have some 'macro' products, so you might encounter people drinking Doom Bar or Guinness or Camden Hells (a guilty pleasure of mine, it has to be said). But there's more to it than that. On a recent visit I found a 6% Milkshake IPA from the Hophurst brewery on cask - there's nothing mainstream about that!<br /></p><p>The Pineapple has also embraced the art of the tap takeover and is looking to do more of these in the future. They also try to vary the range with dark beers and a mix of strengths. It's not the broadest range of beer you'll find anywhere, but it is decent. <b>1.5</b> points.<br /></p><p></p><p><b>Quality of real ale: </b>I have to be honest and score a <b>1</b> here. That's not actually terrible, on the scale from -3 to 3 it means its slightly above average. I just haven't been properly wowed by pints here. My preference would be for a little bit cooler and a tad more condition. Just saying.<br /></p><p></p><p><b>Bonus points: </b>Something you wouldn't expect to find on an old street corner - the kitchen here is authentically Thai, and while that wouldn't be my first point of call when thinking about what to snack on while drinking craft beers, it works fairly well and is worth a point. Especially if you like Lemongrass. And the tasteful preservation of the interior is worth another - the combination of wood, wallpaper and classic brewery mirrors is something to behold. I'm told there is a pub cat here, which is a great feature, only I've never actually seen it in person (and it hasn't seen me in feline) so I can only give half a point for that.<br /></p><p>There's nothing I'd actually deduct points for here, so it's a perfectly respectable showing for a quirky little 150-year-old backstreet boozer. <br /></p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Cask, Pimlico <br /></h2><p>The Cask Pub & Kitchen has never won the BV Pub of the Year, though one of its stablemates in the Craft Beer Company is a four-time winner. However, none of the CBCs make the cut this time, but the Cask does. Let's look a little closer at why I've done this, shall we?<br /></p><p><b>Range of draught beers:</b> I think it's fair to say that the Cask/Craft chain has suffered a bit in recent years and probably hasn't recovered from a bout of long COVID. In particular the cask ranges have been heavily rationalised with none at all in some of the pubs and the flagship Clerkenwell branch that once boasted 16 or more real ales reduced to just a couple.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLlBrOQ3LOkOWTiGipxMPyvOL3YlhZwkJzUtCB5Zc2CNaFOAKU4LxCpE-fM0U7OZiZbQaZU24H86gczujJQertIQ5qW1WcnT_UT89edBSXqZob03SqKOUuSOj4y_IV91e3XxEJdJUGE9fD3tNkjbDatu2gvEuD7HBCLiKqeswTQTw-lFi92JhRHmy9/s1024/poty2022_2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLlBrOQ3LOkOWTiGipxMPyvOL3YlhZwkJzUtCB5Zc2CNaFOAKU4LxCpE-fM0U7OZiZbQaZU24H86gczujJQertIQ5qW1WcnT_UT89edBSXqZob03SqKOUuSOj4y_IV91e3XxEJdJUGE9fD3tNkjbDatu2gvEuD7HBCLiKqeswTQTw-lFi92JhRHmy9/w320-h240/poty2022_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parmesan and Truffle Oil chips. And beer, obviously.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The range at the Cask has been reduced too, but nowhere near as drastically. You'll still find between five and seven cask offerings here most of the time, plus a further ten or more on keg, including a high proportion of rare imported stuff that is generally hard to find.</p><p>They don't shy away from stronger or more unusual beers (albeit sometimes at eye-watering prices) and whether you want a quaffable Saison, a barrel-aged Sour or a strong Dessert Stout, there's literally something for everyone. Full marks. <br /></p><p></p><p><b>Quality of real ale: </b>The cask here is consistently good (given the name of the place it would be a bit of an own goal if it wasn't!) and it only scores a <b>2</b> because there are other places where the condition is truly outstanding and it's not quite as sublime in comparison.</p><p><b>Bonus points:</b> I'm not going to give a point for the hot food here because it's a mixed bag. I love the big plates of fries with the Stokes sauces to mop up the beer, but some of the full meals - burgers and Sunday roasts - have been a bit disappointing. It'll get a point for the extensive range of bottles and cans in the fridge (which can be purchased to take home at a discounted price) though they aren't really necessary given the consistently varied range of options on draught. </p><p>I don't have a problem with an unashamed focus on beer, though I probably ought to remark that some of the areas which would've given the Cask bonus points in the past have suffered a little - the ranges of bar snacks and spirits appear to been rationalised somewhat and are now no longer exceptional.</p><p>All of this appears to add up to a 'mixed' review, and if you're not a beer person, it might very well not be the pub for you. But I can't stress enough just how exciting the range is here.<br /></p><p></p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Rake, Southwark</h2><p>The Rake is also no stranger to this competition, having appeared in the inaugural contest and several times since. It's very small footprint means that it could arguably be considered 'the original micropub', though the outside decking area and cuboid layout gives it quite a different vibe. The Borough Market area has had its ups and downs as a drinking destination, but the Rake has arguably gone from strength to strength and been the most consistent drinking hole in the area over the past decade or so.<br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxGOKiFmbRlxeH2L6Q0aswpIpps8q1XspeDLbAPkHzLTpCX2kX3A0SHeerVqLsGrUMww7SPmL5n-X9wEDY44MMUnwogF-bwlyu8zOT5eg_UlOMVsy5McXCX7QOAoAh302pq2QCN52GeEnMb6V0UJX-FNA-ARYRz5i6wT9wDgDTf4RMCkY__89YGkA/s1024/poty2022_4.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxGOKiFmbRlxeH2L6Q0aswpIpps8q1XspeDLbAPkHzLTpCX2kX3A0SHeerVqLsGrUMww7SPmL5n-X9wEDY44MMUnwogF-bwlyu8zOT5eg_UlOMVsy5McXCX7QOAoAh302pq2QCN52GeEnMb6V0UJX-FNA-ARYRz5i6wT9wDgDTf4RMCkY__89YGkA/w200-h150/poty2022_4.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...but perfectly formed<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Range of draught beers:</b> When the Rake first opened, converted from a market traders greasy spoon, the beer range was fairly modest - after all, it was a tiny pub which couldn't hold many customers and wouldn't be able to turn over much beer. Well, that might be what we thought at the time, but following the latest refurb the range is more extensive than ever. Up to four cask and around 15 keg beers are available, changing constantly and featuring the best craft and micro brews from the UK and further afield.<p></p><p>Sometimes you'll see the same beers doing the rounds in different craft beer places and possibly even get a bit fed up of it, but the Rake manages to be just a little bit different, whether that's a mild from a really small micro on cask, or an imported low-alcohol Raddler on keg. I'll give it <b>2</b> points, and that's probably only because it's more keg-oriented and I have an admitted pro-cask bias. <br /></p><p><b>Quality of real ale:</b> There are pubs in this area that would score 0 or -1, and possibly even lower. It is to the Rake's credit that it maintains a high bar for the cask quality with fresh, elegantly conditioned pints. <b>2</b> points.<br /></p><p></p><p><b>Bonus points:</b> Having started life as the sister of a bottle shop in the market, the range of Continental bottles is hugely impressive, particularly given the small size of the venue, and this is worth a point. And indeed a punt. And quite possibly a pint. An eccentric selection of bar snacks is worth another point - I really need to conduct an experiment in beer and Monster Munch pairing at some juncture!<br /></p><p></p><p>In the age of the micropub the Rake is still diminutively unique and does it's own thing in a very special way. Good luck ever getting a table, mind - but that's testimony to the achievements of the place. </p><p> </p><p>And there we go - but don't forget that this is just half the story. In a few days time we shall have part two where another four pubs enter the fray. I can't wait, and neither can you. And neither can I.<br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2>
Where to find it... </h2>
<br />
<b>Kentish Belle</b><br />
8 Pickford Lane<br />
Bexleyheath<br />
DA7 4QW (<a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=DA7+4QW" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="https://www.thekentishbelle.co.uk/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/BEX/154/kentish-belle-bexleyheath" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">*********</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;"> </span></b></span></span><b> <br /></b></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #f4cccc;"></span></b></span></span><div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<b>Pineapple</b><br />
51 Leverton Street<br />Kentish Town </div><div style="text-align: left;">NW5 2NX(<a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=NW5+2NX" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="https://www.thepineapplepubnw5.com/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/NLD/6101/pineapple-london" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">*****</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">**** </span></b></span></span><br />
<br /><b>Cask Pub & Kitchen</b><br />
6 Charlwood Street<br />
Pimlico<br />
SW1V 2EE (<a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=SW1V+2EE" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="http://www.caskpubandkitchen.com/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/KIN/6889/albion-kingston" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">******</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">*** </span></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<b>Rake</b><br />14A Winchester Walk</div><div style="text-align: left;">Southwark </div><div style="text-align: left;">SE1 9AG (<a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=SE1+9AG" target="_blank">map</a>)<br />
<a href="https://www.utobeer.co.uk/the-rake" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://whatpub.com/pubs/SEL/10561/rake-london" target="_blank">whatpub</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">******</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">*** </span></b></span></span><br /></div>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-5109588871361194312022-06-29T15:27:00.004+01:002022-06-29T15:47:44.249+01:001000 new beers at the Radius!<p>Picture the scene:</p><p>It's a little over six years ago. Mrs B-V and I have decided we're going to move out of London and are house-hunting in the East Surrey area.</p><p>One of the important factors in our search is having a good pub nearby. A pub where we can get to know the locals and make it a key component of our day-to-day lives and, crucially, a pub where there will be ever-changing cask beer that will allow me to easily indulge my hobby - nay, my <i>lifestyle</i> - as a ticker.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><h2 style="text-align: left;">A Call to (Radius) Arms </h2><p>On 28 May, 2016, having looked at a couple of properties in Whyteleafe, I visited the Radius Arms for the first time. This micropub had been open for about a year and had already built a very favourable reputation in the local area. It was the sort of destination pub that got talked about. 'You're going to Whyteleafe? Then you simply <i>must</i> visit the Radius'; No, seriously, if you don't go the Radius you will physically weep because you didn't go the Radius; Just do it!', that sort of thing.</p><p>And so I did.<br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76ekCe6x1HZYSKyxpQ9dCm2OkovjOq6c4t4cquu_FNgYYM3MZgUBbiJZ3hImNU2GMa1S6qY145ZojBmja_yzIDtFwm6jgwmbgJtMzKB6ZWo15kNyS6xvG9X5mrBkGI3uHMSldo33dP9Tr5pdv90XghyIiTLZt8Hj7O7RT6e7O0o_pswJa17Ksfxfm/s1024/radius1000.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh76ekCe6x1HZYSKyxpQ9dCm2OkovjOq6c4t4cquu_FNgYYM3MZgUBbiJZ3hImNU2GMa1S6qY145ZojBmja_yzIDtFwm6jgwmbgJtMzKB6ZWo15kNyS6xvG9X5mrBkGI3uHMSldo33dP9Tr5pdv90XghyIiTLZt8Hj7O7RT6e7O0o_pswJa17Ksfxfm/s320/radius1000.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulling my own, last night<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>My first pint in there was <i>Mallinson's 'Serious Blendin' v1'</i>, followed by <i>Milk Street 'Gulp IPA'</i>. Decent beers, nice little pub, friendly people. The Radius ticked a fair few boxes for me.<p></p><p>I was back there a few days later, this time with the wife in tow. <i>Cloudwater 'Spring + Summer Session IPA - Mosaic and Amarillo' </i>turned out to be one of <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2017/01/bvs-best-beers-of-2016.html" target="_blank">my favourite beers of 2016</a>. Just as importantly, all the casks had changed from my earlier visit. Get the fuck in!<br /></p><p>And that's how the story began, but I had no idea at the time how things would turn out. In the event we ended up moving to Caterham, a couple of miles down the road from the Radius, but still within easy reach of it. (Praise the Lord for his omnipresent route 407 bus!)<br /></p><p>Flash forward to the present, and last night I had my 1000th new cask beer at the Radius. One thousand. In the same place.</p><p>Let's put that into context: I've never even got 500 ticks elsewhere. The closest contender is the GBBF, where my tally stands at 436, and that over a period of almost 30 years and in two different locations. The Radius has delivered 1000 beers in just six years.</p><p>And of course that is just the cask beers, and just the ones I hadn't already had elsewhere. Guvnor Vince also does a fine line in keykeg beers - you'll usually find some sort of super-strong Imperial stout and a fruited sour - not to mention the range of ciders (frequently winning the local CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year award). <br /></p><p>As a fairly hardcore real ale ticker I'm mainly about the cask - it was here that <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2020/09/10000-pints-later.html" target="_blank">I hit the 10,000 mark</a> in 2020 - but the Radius is really so much more than that. I have to admit that sometimes on a hot Summers day, I'll go in there and have a pint of lager! (Good lager, obviously - you won't find any multi-national pisswater in here.) </p><p>A few years ago <a href="https://londondrinker.camra.org.uk/LD/2018/LDvol40_6.pdf" target="_blank">I interviewed Vince for the London Drinker magazine</a> about how the Radius came to be and what he was hoping to achieve with it. Since then it's clear that many others have taken inspiration from his ideology when starting up micropubs of their own.<br /></p><p>If it wasn't outside the Greater London border, it would've won my <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/p/london-pub-of-year.html" target="_blank">London Pub of the Year award</a>. Probably on multiple occasions, I shouldn't wonder. </p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">A few Rad K highlights:</h2><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Best beer: </b>So many to choose from, but possibly <i>Dark Star 'Tropical K.O.'</i> <b></b></li><li><b>Worst beer: </b><i>Bad Seed 'Punch Bowl' </i>which had the unnerving flavour of rotting celery.<br /></li><li><b>Weakest beer:</b> <i>Wantsum 'Little Ship Citra'</i> at 2.4%</li><li><b>Strongest beer:</b> <i>Old Dairy 'Dark Side of the Moo'</i> and <i>Thornbridge 'Carlota'</i>, both at 7% (though there have been many 10%+ beers on keykeg)</li><li><b>Most prolific brewery</b>: <i>Pig & Porter</i> who brewed 45 of the 1000 beers. (In second place are <i>Oakham</i>, way behind on 24).</li><li><b>Most prolific ABV:</b> 4.0% which accounted for 123 of the 1000 beers. (4.5% not far behind on 109).</li><li><b>The beer that was my 9,999th tick:</b> <i>Twisted Wheel 'Hoodoo Voodoo' </i>(at
the time it was believed to be no. 10,000 but then I spotted a pesky
duplicate from 2003 or something that fucked-up the numbers...)</li><li><b>The beer that was my 1000th tick at the Radius (at least as we currently understand it): </b><i>Park 'Goodnight Pete' </i></li></ul><p>And on that note, I shall start on my next thousand pints. Cheers Vince and everyone at the Radius! <br /></p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-64486645650592875382022-06-14T20:32:00.001+01:002022-06-16T17:14:18.667+01:00Preparing to fight the Imperial War<p><i>"I'm no 44.5 kilogram weakling but I always go the extra 1609 metres. I'll continue to drink the occasional 568 millilitres and eat 113-grammers until I'm 183 centimetres under..." </i><br /><br /> It's been in the what-passes-for-news-these-days recently that retailers might, at some point, be given the option to use Imperial measurements when selling us apples and dried pulses and pork scratchings or whatever we want to buy.</p><p>You know, pounds, ounces, maybe even hundredweights if you're buying something absolutely fucking massive.<br /></p><p>We won't know exactly what these measures will look like, if indeed anything changes at all, until we see the result of <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1081018/choice-on-units-of-measurement-markings-and-sales-consultation.pdf" target="_blank">the consultation</a>, but the gist of it is that nobody is going to be compelled to do anything differently - this would, in all likelihood, actually represent a relaxation of the current legislation (with its
origins, predictably, in the EU) which forces retailers to use metric,
whatever the context.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Give them an centimetre...<br /></h2><p>As far as I'm concerned, this is the sort of actually vaguely good news that is all too uncommon these days. If you've been reading this blog for a while (and if you haven't - why
the fuck not? I've been doing it for well over a decade!) you'll know
that I typically use Imperial units of measurement - in recipes for example. I know I'm probably in the minority of food bloggers in doing so and the number of fucks I give about that is equal to about three microlitres.<br /></p><p>But not everyone is happy with the prospect of choice, and some spectacularly fail to understand either the point or, well, basic reality: </p><p><span style="color: #4c1130;"> <br /></span></p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en"><span style="color: #4c1130;">People who want imperial measurements back. Young people stayed indoors for two years to keep you alive, don’t punish them with this shit that’s not relevant to anyone under 60 (you already have Brexit)</span></p><span style="color: #4c1130;">— Richard K Herring (@Herring1967) <a href="https://twitter.com/Herring1967/status/1535939528799793154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2022</a></span></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <p>...somehow managing to conflate Imperial Measurements with both Brexit and COVID in a single Tweet as if the issues are somehow intrinsically connected and entirely without nuance, with nobody capable of forming an individual view. <br /></p><p>I'm ten years younger than Richard Herring, who is far closer to 60 than I am and, in my case at least, it simply isn't true. But then Mr. Herring is already popular enough to get away with being both wrong and highly insulting. I probably have to justify myself a bit more.<br /></p><p>So: I'm not some old person from a bygone age who doesn't like change and prefers what they know because that's what they know (well, OK, to some extent I probably am, but that's not the point on this occasion). <br /></p><p>I was born in 1977 and at primary school in the early 1980s I was taught metric. Litres. Metres. Even Hectares at one point. </p><p>But it didn't really stick. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8KZcMdm9vD76JaJqe241dSop6aBymiqVdz59xZt3dpOZgCoMzuHm00kBKpqArO1HvBb2zh2lAfHrY2MVf98Bw0KkPxVMAuWqjoI1AZuxdOVGKENgEutomIHCIVSq_4kSI-9J9qJ0aIjPgONDrPqFesJ8RxnEJ9jiJjpZxi8CP47c2EWhWwAg0G24/s1280/coldbeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1114" data-original-width="1280" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8KZcMdm9vD76JaJqe241dSop6aBymiqVdz59xZt3dpOZgCoMzuHm00kBKpqArO1HvBb2zh2lAfHrY2MVf98Bw0KkPxVMAuWqjoI1AZuxdOVGKENgEutomIHCIVSq_4kSI-9J9qJ0aIjPgONDrPqFesJ8RxnEJ9jiJjpZxi8CP47c2EWhWwAg0G24/s320/coldbeer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some sort of ghastly metric quantity, I'll warrant<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Outside of the classroom, we bought 'a quarter' of sweets, people were weighed in stones and their penises measured in inches. <br /></p><p></p><p>You could say I was in a strong position to make a genuinely informed choice, having both Metric and Imperial around me. And, for the most part, I chose - and continue to choose - Imperial. <br /></p><p>I'm fine with Metric where it makes more sense - at Athletics tracks and in the laboratory, for example - but for food and drink and everyday 'life' Imperial measurements just instinctively seem right to me. </p><p>Yes, I can sort of visualise bags of crisps (25 to 50) and chocolate bars (50, 100, 200) in grams because we've been confronted with these on the packaging for my entire life, but I still 'think' in ounces and inches. And, just as importantly, I 'feel' in those units too, if that makes sense. I know that a pint of beer is supposed to be 568ml - and I have no
problem with using the precision of metric to ensure that remains the
case - but I'd feel pretty damn cheated if we moved to half-litres. </p><p>I know that I'm a fraction of an inch under six foot tall, and that works out at 182 cm - but don't ask me to mentally picture a person who is 205 or 143 cm. 6'6" or 5'3" wouldn't be a problem though.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p>And the one I really cannot ever get head around is Centigrade weather! God knows I've tried so hard to understand it, but I just really, really love it when it's about 63 degrees, and have no idea what that would be under any other system or how other, more distant measurements would relate to it. </p><p>All of which is perhaps a roundabout way of telling Richard Herring to fuck the shit off and stop presupposing he can accurately speak for my generation!<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p>The thing is, why can't we have more than one system and let consumers and suppliers pick and choose what they're comfortable with? And, importantly, to ignore the bits about which they do not care. We have more than one official language in this country after all, and few give a ffyc about it! </p><p>It doesn't have to be enforced in law - just a bit of fucking common sense will do. In fact, when you start using the law as a weapon of force you get the sort of nonsense you see in Wales where all the road signs and all official documentation has to have both English and Welsh language.<br /></p><p></p><p>I'd bet a great many Guineas that there are far more people who natively use Imperial measurements than who natively read in Welsh! </p><p>I just want freedom of choice. I'm not demanding the right to enforce my preferred system on you - just that I get to continue to use it and a hope to cling to that a greengrocer or confectioner who wants to join me is permitted the agency to do so.</p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-56761506051219796162022-06-01T19:44:00.005+01:002022-06-14T22:27:31.534+01:00Jubilee-free lines<p>Tomorrow marks the beginning of the double Bank Holiday and some sort of 'Jubilee' celebration, apparently one of such Platinumness that the likes of it will ne'er be seen again in our lifetimest.</p><p>Anyway, it is perhaps more notable because I have yet to drink a single Jubilee-themed ale this time. Not a single one. And, believe me, if I'd found some available I'd have purchased and consumed them.<br /></p><p>Was it really ten of the Queen's Whole Years ago that <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2012/06/thirsty-work.html" target="_blank">I blogged about the Diamond Jubilee</a> and imparted fairly disparaging reviews of the beers brewed to mark the occasion? </p><p>Why, yes. Yes, it was. I've been around longer than a decade. Who'd have thought it?<br /></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">70 years; 0 beers <br /></h2><p>As discussed ten years - or one Jubilee - ago, I'm no royalist, but I do wonder: Why are there so few Jubilee beers around this time? Or, if there are, why are they not surfacing on bar counters near me?</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a class="noborder" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SuGSX1DqFWxvwIuwOq02k1XZSxrkiQ5EjZuLCjbkZ3htGPi2kwIYGJI8633e9E_ey36GzsHIMAcocesALKCH02Eaj-IsJtJq2Ey4ss1iRI522xYW_KhVnQnoLtVgSNbELGyOO1ZFnPfBvf33wzKBmMTj8wIjq-_gda7EfKXX-fYVnFYXFvL62bPF/s300/JubilationAle300.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SuGSX1DqFWxvwIuwOq02k1XZSxrkiQ5EjZuLCjbkZ3htGPi2kwIYGJI8633e9E_ey36GzsHIMAcocesALKCH02Eaj-IsJtJq2Ey4ss1iRI522xYW_KhVnQnoLtVgSNbELGyOO1ZFnPfBvf33wzKBmMTj8wIjq-_gda7EfKXX-fYVnFYXFvL62bPF/s1600/JubilationAle300.jpg" class="noborder width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not this one<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Last time out there seemed to ales brewed especially to mark the occasion absolutely fucking everywhere. <i>Westerham 'Jubilation Ale'</i> was narrowly my favourite but there were plenty of others. Even the Greene King offering wasn't altogether terrible.<br /><p></p><p>And it wasn't just 2012. In 2002 I enjoyed - or at least drank - <i>Smile's "Golden Jubilee Ale"</i>, <i>Tom Wood's 'Goldings Jubilee'</i>, and <i>Titanic 'Rule Britannia'</i>, amongst others.</p><p>Did breweries not realise there was a Jubilee happening again? Is the beer industry now so 'woke' that brewing something in honour of a reigning monarch is beyond the pale?</p><p>Am I mostly drinking in the kind of pubs that feel slightly embarrassed about this sort of thing?</p><p>Do they think it's not worth it because it's only 30 years until her Majesty celebrates the big Centenary Jubilee? <br /></p><p>Answers on a bunting-bedecked postcard, please.<br /></p><p><i>(Having now written this, I fully expect to go out tomorrow and be confronted by a full and healthy range of Jubilee-themed beers, obviously...</i><br /></p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-42138188883003995612022-05-25T00:59:00.000+01:002022-05-25T00:59:12.283+01:00Crystal report<p>If you're a Croydon-based fan of Wetherspoons, you might be feeling a bit sorry for yourself lately.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6nhLBmWAXyqzuond1kHTBzL6-b6YeuhANqGA3z58Tmb2giqkBtIVWvlk5OVOsU94m4fNfrWmKdAIA7yzKpApyrZR-YrU7i7Hl-SejhM8IOOw8UG3O81qmAJZBFGAACLCc2OZfzdgSKze5yl3qxK8wpIaoOzyFSczhO20ypIY1H4f40MjUhOA6-nO/s1024/crystal0.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="748" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6nhLBmWAXyqzuond1kHTBzL6-b6YeuhANqGA3z58Tmb2giqkBtIVWvlk5OVOsU94m4fNfrWmKdAIA7yzKpApyrZR-YrU7i7Hl-SejhM8IOOw8UG3O81qmAJZBFGAACLCc2OZfzdgSKze5yl3qxK8wpIaoOzyFSczhO20ypIY1H4f40MjUhOA6-nO/w146-h200/crystal0.jpg" width="146" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming soon... fuck all<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>In February this year, the town-centre Milan Bar closed its doors for the last time, and the following month saw the loss - despite <a href="https://www.change.org/p/j-d-wetherspoon-save-the-skylark-from-closure" target="_blank">a petition to save it</a> reaching over 1,000 signatories in less than a week - of the Skylark, a few hundred yards to the South. </p><p>Having lost the Ship of Fools a few years ago, there is now just one Spoons in an area that once had four. Even with <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2019/10/wetherspoons-life-just-beginning.html" target="_blank">my mixed feelings generally about Spoons</a>, I think that's a right shame. </p><p>Anyway, I tried to visit these pubs a few times before they bit the Wetherdust, which gave me the opportunity to check out eateries in the area. </p><p>One of which is the 'traditional Persian' menu at Crystal.<br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><h2 style="text-align: left;">Middle Eats<br /></h2><p>So, what is 'traditional Persian' when it's at home? Or indeed when it's in Croydon? Person is modern-day Iran, right? <br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7YLdnggFkXZRMbKjXhFJfRFOdcOXjfH-5xZsGfNF4cnMzUlMw3tT2uh7hKqc_OsirPFMRcotSX_b-hAd7AiBwlMi9Xstmx1h5TnG_pL8ZJyGWdtGu9e-t0s7eraslpp1tmta4BymRuUA_ElHiOvPnZ1IW_FYheHj2LodPM3bLvVTRZykcJYSEbNL/s1024/crystal1.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="1024" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7YLdnggFkXZRMbKjXhFJfRFOdcOXjfH-5xZsGfNF4cnMzUlMw3tT2uh7hKqc_OsirPFMRcotSX_b-hAd7AiBwlMi9Xstmx1h5TnG_pL8ZJyGWdtGu9e-t0s7eraslpp1tmta4BymRuUA_ElHiOvPnZ1IW_FYheHj2LodPM3bLvVTRZykcJYSEbNL/w200-h157/crystal1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mixed Mezzes for starters<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Well, the TL;DR version would read something like 'dips, grills and currylike things'. But we'll go into a tad more detail, shall we?<br /></p><p>Countries in the Middle East have always seemed to inhabit a bit of a vague area when it comes to food. It's not really their fault, just that they are caught geographically in between two culinary heavyweights - the curries of the Indian subcontinent and the mezzes of the Mediterranean. <br /></p><p>I know that this is a huge generalisation, devoid of nuance and subtlety. I know that there is a big difference between the food of North and South India and that Bangladesh is a world apart from Sri Lanka. Lebanese, Turkish and Greek dishes aren't all exactly the same.<br /></p><p>But there are broad clumps into which things can be, well, clumped, and the starters you'll encounter at Crystal aren't a million food miles from what you'd get in a Turkish or Lebanese place. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBaeUdXnLe-bB5gdZkdGJhhkOPox3lyTxwdecTUx3Fu3AMbD37mSMHxAJBQpDeWXtpwpua4FtGTa-kKGTV15ME8ubB7ahOXO6hiogegZ6Gn8ehZ2k-3wqiAvf9k5XoRAZW82wg317CzMSOy7bbxH45ItpTXyjtaGCjwf-FU4w0rSeRtDidqqydgKX/s1024/crystal2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBaeUdXnLe-bB5gdZkdGJhhkOPox3lyTxwdecTUx3Fu3AMbD37mSMHxAJBQpDeWXtpwpua4FtGTa-kKGTV15ME8ubB7ahOXO6hiogegZ6Gn8ehZ2k-3wqiAvf9k5XoRAZW82wg317CzMSOy7bbxH45ItpTXyjtaGCjwf-FU4w0rSeRtDidqqydgKX/w200-h150/crystal2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meat me in Persia?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The mixed mezze platter (£19.90) is a solid option for a hungry couple or a small group (depending on how many orders of flatbread you go for to accompany it) and consists of <i>Hummus</i> (obviously), <i>Mast o Khiah</i> - a cucumber yoghurt not unlike Tzatziki - and a cooling, smushed aubergine dip called <i><span class="title">Kashk o Bademjan </span></i><span class="title">which is particularly good with the slightly flaky bread and tastes almost cheesy.<br /></span></p><p><span class="title">The only non-veggie dish in the mix is <i>Oliveh</i>, a slightly unsettling cold dish of chopped chicken pieces and hard-boiled egg in a tangy mayo, and the only hot dish is another aubergine concoction that is less creamy and more like a baba ganoush. I wasn't as bothered with these two, but the beauty of mezze-type starters is that you can share and dip-in and people can take what they like. </span></p><p><span class="title">Pomegranate seeds add texture and sweet-sharpness, and while it's definitely closer to the Med than the Ganges there are enough flavour twists to make the experience feel a little different. <br /></span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span class="title">The Mains Event<br /></span></h2><h2><i><span class="title"></span></i></h2><p>The main courses on the menu seem to be divided into two distinct areas. One is the kebabs and grills that would seem to follow on naturally from a starter that involved dipping bread into various dips, at least in my prejudiced mind.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig24ajGZr1If8UjZMh4YPcytD_wkEwlwcdCKaXPC7hGegzqZdRSfYF6Ase8exywnhT-rpJQfktz92tTmmBkEjSwvYl08KTaJUUH0NvLbJ3S1EgL7qVw5Ky6nuqy96JhDo8YVPwPmUC2eZ_xZxbYUudvn9V_ZhfYUGv19r3n7nwrpq6dGqhe9ix-lPW/s1024/crystal3.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="864" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig24ajGZr1If8UjZMh4YPcytD_wkEwlwcdCKaXPC7hGegzqZdRSfYF6Ase8exywnhT-rpJQfktz92tTmmBkEjSwvYl08KTaJUUH0NvLbJ3S1EgL7qVw5Ky6nuqy96JhDo8YVPwPmUC2eZ_xZxbYUudvn9V_ZhfYUGv19r3n7nwrpq6dGqhe9ix-lPW/w169-h200/crystal3.jpg" width="169" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curry-esque</td></tr></tbody></table>The other options - the 'stews' section on the menu - are far closer to North Indian or Pakistani curries in appearance and flavour profile, and are particularly delicious. Typically consisting of lamb or chicken in a thick sauce with plenty of spice but with the heat dialled back to moderate levels, though this is definitely not bland food. <br /></p><p>There is a moreish tanginess to these dishes, and in an ideal world I'd want a plateful of this <i>and</i> something from the grill, but - as the Roy 'Chubby' Brown joke goes - I've only got one arse!</p><p>If you want a kebab-type meal there are a few options, again consisting of chicken or lamb as you might expect. </p><p>These are big platefuls and very tasty. The <i>Momtaz</i>, also known as 'Special Chicken' is particularly good as the special thing about the chicken is that it also includes a skewer of a minced lamb kofte-type kebab. </p><p>Both lamb and chicken are juicy, and while the lamb is slightly bland, there is chilli and/or garlic sauce on hand to sort that for you.</p><p>What is strange is seeing these kebabs on the same table as the curry-type dishes, but you get used to it.</p><p>Another treat from the grill is the Salmon, with crispy skin and a spicy marinade it's perfectly cooked and properly fresh. And, weirdly, it's hotter, by some margin, than the things that look like curries. Maybe just slightly too spicy to complement the fish, but it's a close call and on another day I'd argue that it stays the right side of the line. <br /></p><p></p><p>Main course portions are universally generous and being generally in the £12-16 range are pretty decent value. Almost everything comes with a buttery saffron rice and don't be surprised if you get another Pomegranate Sprinkle (which I do realise sounds like some sort of sex act almost certainly not legal in Iran).<br /></p><p></p><p>The drinks menu is nothing to get excited about: standard international beers and wines, soft drinks and fresh juices and smoothies that aren't particularly exciting and about which I might question the definition of 'fresh'.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5BtmNYRNndFJO5E10UJJHNIgIxfFF3K6SQ8bbcfNPu5uOhiKw-uEYhAFk2t2jscjAWR7hkH0gjNrK_TSbrttitl9Y9esNSaYKJj4zEqIiZeI8HYqA4aZhhnNVbZufGjY20fD9H1ssMtebV8nYVPkE8O1jn6ABOkBlbIrzAIDeLoNdxUGt4r613Xa/s1024/crystal4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1024" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5BtmNYRNndFJO5E10UJJHNIgIxfFF3K6SQ8bbcfNPu5uOhiKw-uEYhAFk2t2jscjAWR7hkH0gjNrK_TSbrttitl9Y9esNSaYKJj4zEqIiZeI8HYqA4aZhhnNVbZufGjY20fD9H1ssMtebV8nYVPkE8O1jn6ABOkBlbIrzAIDeLoNdxUGt4r613Xa/w200-h130/crystal4.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just desserts<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>However you can follow your meal (or even accompany it) with a pot of Persian Black Tea. With Cardamom and rosebuds, this feels properly authentic. I haven't been to Iran admittedly, but people drink stuff like all day long in the bits of the Middle East I have visited.</p><p>Accompanied with a couple of little pieces of Baklava (served with turds of chestnut puree and completely unnecessary cream) the tea is spicy and strong and generally feels like it'll strip the enamel from your teeth, given half a chance. <br /></p><p>A meal for two is about par for the South Croydon area - £50-70ish - and while 'traditional Persion' isn't going to redefine food culture with surprise after surprise it's tasty, filling stuff and a positive experience on the whole.</p><p>It's just a shame that there's no longer a Wetherspoons nearby to have a few pints in first.<br /></p><p>
<br />
</p><h2>
Where to find it...</h2>
<a href="https://crystalcuisine.co.uk/" target="_blank"><b>Crystal</b></a><br />
49a South End,<br />
Croydon,<br />
CR0 1BF (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps?q=CR0+1BF" target="_blank">map</a>) <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #eeeeee;"><b><span style="color: #660000;">******</span><span style="color: #f4cccc;">*** </span></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<p><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /></p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-13721343608903120892022-03-22T23:55:00.004+00:002022-05-11T16:55:06.764+01:00Lost Breweries: L is for Little Beer<p>About five years ago, I was talking to a mate who was looking to get into craft brewing professionally and was struggling to come up with a name that wasn't either completely fucking shit or already in use.<br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksbjEVHVrF3ZjoiFy8OsRtCMqlYaHSwQjkCUu7YjusAaP0l7LUNM1vXh-mJNwZOc-urSHuESrH9EuHYeBuBjTCcx64h8aabT79rdv6N76QeRX0QoldebVYQy7UNcqmIKqokHaRVfFsQP4RwSRMFK0V5YPkXg7GNU27wFdNKSsAC7hcVHxM1MQXshQ/s2000/assassin.gif" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1740" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksbjEVHVrF3ZjoiFy8OsRtCMqlYaHSwQjkCUu7YjusAaP0l7LUNM1vXh-mJNwZOc-urSHuESrH9EuHYeBuBjTCcx64h8aabT79rdv6N76QeRX0QoldebVYQy7UNcqmIKqokHaRVfFsQP4RwSRMFK0V5YPkXg7GNU27wFdNKSsAC7hcVHxM1MQXshQ/w174-h200/assassin.gif" width="174" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beers that never were<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I suggested 'Assassin', with the strapline 'beers to kill for' and, the concept meeting with vague approval, went away and came up with a few ideas for the brand. The beers would be named Blonde Assassin, Red Assassin, Strong Assassin, West Coast Assassin, Christmas Assassin and so on... it seemed like a solid enough idea at the time. <p></p><p>Matt decided against a career in the beer business, possibly after learning that it mostly involved cleaning equipment, and Assassin Brewing was, alas, never to be.</p><p></p><p>To be honest, it's not something that particularly keeps me awake at night.</p><p>Well, not often. <br /></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">It's the little things</h2><p>In retrospect, it might be just as well that the Assassin brewery never became a thing because we'd quickly have run out of names for the beers. There are, after all, only so many words that can describe a style of beer and also precede 'Assassin'. </p><p>And this brings me neatly on to today's lost brewery, <b>The Little Beer Corporation</b> - not to be confused with <a href="https://theoriginalsmallbeer.com/" target="_blank">Small Beer</a> - a brewery that might well have fallen into the same trap as the Assassin that never assassinated. Little Beer were based down here in Surrey, assuming brewing some time in 2012, but biting the dust of the brewery floor in 2019.</p><p>And for the most part their beers took the form <i>Little [something]</i> - at least until they began to run out of ideas, though, to their credit, there was no shortage of somethings to belittle. More importantly, they brewed some good beers.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-PrhcrZFxsNQebuCR1z3idVI_2W2iaCXmdjVrkwOvaZ4Rn-WgQk5GTrlcZfw_lZV01W7zaX2YzThoar0TuhRAzA3iiMJyJWDzp38xAzYSthuPxBtfCxn-UJBSWp1DZXtpQJc4gRY1YKMEmYZOYgkZF_NzBwWUjHaQ617CQIxqDy4BgPW3VqsCkv3/s1240/littlebeer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1240" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-PrhcrZFxsNQebuCR1z3idVI_2W2iaCXmdjVrkwOvaZ4Rn-WgQk5GTrlcZfw_lZV01W7zaX2YzThoar0TuhRAzA3iiMJyJWDzp38xAzYSthuPxBtfCxn-UJBSWp1DZXtpQJc4gRY1YKMEmYZOYgkZF_NzBwWUjHaQ617CQIxqDy4BgPW3VqsCkv3/s320/littlebeer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks, Google Maps. Thooglemaps.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I first enjoyed their <i>Little Rosy</i> in 2014 and was very impressed - a Raspberry Wheat on cask from a new brewery is the sort of thing that piques my interest.<p></p><p></p><p>This was a brewery that wasn't afraid to experiment stylistically with their cask offerings: <i>Little Snug</i> was a strongish ESB style beer, brewed with chestnuts; <i>Little & Often</i> a 3% table beer that probably should've been their flagship product; and <i>Little Geyser</i> a steam beer - another style of which we don't see enough.</p><p>I didn't rate their <i>Little Haka</i>, but then I very rarely get on with Rugby-themed ale for some reason.<br /></p><p>The 'Corporation' was always stretching it somewhat as Little Beer never really became a household name, even among craft aficionados. I gather that they eventually began to ditch the naming conventions and concentrated more on bottling. </p><p>My final cask encounter was the milk stout <i>Little Smooth</i>, shortly before Christmas 2017, which had found its way onto the bar at a Wetherspoons, though sometimes it's the deals with the bigger boys that can ultimately lead to operational issues and land smaller breweries into financial difficulties. To be clear - I've no idea what, if anything, went wrong at Little Beer and why they are no longer with us.</p><p>While I'm obviously a ticker with a thirst for anything new, I do get that brewers typically need to have a 'core range' in order to succeed in the mainstream marketplace. Unusually, I have not a clue which Little beers were 'the regulars', or indeed if I ever got to try them. Their range may have consisted entirely of one-offs as far as I know, and that might've had consequences of its own, but this is all speculation of the most speculative kind.<br /></p><p>I'd like to have tried more Little beers, given the chance, and I take it slightly personally that a Surrey brewery stopped brewing after I moved to the county.<br /></p><p><b>Little Beer 2012-2019</b><br /></p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-33521828790571305452022-03-08T16:30:00.000+00:002022-03-08T16:30:14.104+00:00Enjoy it while you can!<p>In a few weeks time I shall be 45, and, unless there are some big developments in the health and fitness sector, this probably means that I am more than half way through my life. </p><p>That's a sobering thought in and of itself, but getting older pushes me more and more down the comfortable pipe of nostalgia where slightly melancholic memories hold more sway than the contemporary world.<br /></p><p></p><p>Don't get me wrong, I'm all about trying new things. Drinking new beers, eating new foods, visiting new places - I largely measure my life by 'ticks' - but that doesn't mean I'm remotely comfortable when the old things disappear from the world. </p><p>And they don't even have to be that old.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">RIP<br /></h2><p></p><p>I was saddened to learn recently of the death of former brewer <a href="http://hardknott.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dave Bailey</a> of Hardknott. Taken far too young, Dave was someone I probably only met half a dozen times, and with whom I always seemed get into a robust argument, usually on the subject of cask vs keg. In all honesty, I'm not sure we ever had a meeting where we didn't come away thinking each other a bit of a wrongheaded cunt. </p><p>Sorry about that, Dave.<br /></p><p>Dave was a decade or so older than me, but, crucially, this isn't some dusty old brewer from the past - this was a guy who was probably more modern in outlook than myself and whose brewing and attitude in general was forward-thinking; futuristic even. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwfx9TSACOkdGkYmIGIH8autJo09AcAEUlxvJZmJt8J6zeJcDJCVpz1iEaPgbu5T8E0MP1a2S3sen1yXzkD3zmrQe8qhAOH68RfduBvIDI5gU5cqCBCaW4qWsamupaZEZMTiF0VyVAQR7ehA2JMshjj4-IrpJQVL21VodXglvsuWkpoSLvXtx7t0Oq=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwfx9TSACOkdGkYmIGIH8autJo09AcAEUlxvJZmJt8J6zeJcDJCVpz1iEaPgbu5T8E0MP1a2S3sen1yXzkD3zmrQe8qhAOH68RfduBvIDI5gU5cqCBCaW4qWsamupaZEZMTiF0VyVAQR7ehA2JMshjj4-IrpJQVL21VodXglvsuWkpoSLvXtx7t0Oq=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The past<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Which makes me think that if even the present and future can die, what hope is there for the past? Is any of that ever going to come back?</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Last orders? <br /></h2><p>To put it another way, and to try to avoid tying myself into a hideous philosophic knot:<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p>At some point in my life I ate my last Brannigan's Beer Nut. Another time was my final visit to a Happy Eater; my last meal at a Berni Inn; my last King Cone; my last ever pint of Hardknott beer.<br /></p><p></p><p>All of which happened without me realising the significance of the occasion at the time. (And why would I? We take simple things for granted until we can't do them any more.)<br /></p><p>The things I miss make me sad. Particularly the things I can't eat and drink any more.<br /></p><p>There is an inequality here. We can indulge our longing for the past by listening to our favourite tracks or watching old films - recordings are essentially eternal unless you're 1960s episodes of Doctor Who - but this isn't true of capturing live experiences, and it isn't true of perishable food and drink either.</p><p>I find myself pining for long-departed products, both those from my childhood and those that disappeared more recently (Cheese Moment, anyone?)<br /></p><p>Does there come a point in life where so many of the things one likes are discontinued, dead, or changed beyond all recognition that life itself ceases to be worthwhile? A time when however good new experiences are, they just aren't enough?</p><p>I know that a lot of things are better now than they were. Technology is better, mostly. TV screens look better. Beer is more varied and exciting. I get that.<br /></p><p>And I know that it's a first world problem to be whinging that I can't eat the crisps I liked 20 years ago when countries are being invaded and folks are literally being killed.<br /></p><p>I just don't see why we can't enjoy all the benefits of living in the present and keep alive our favourite things from the past.</p><p>Without wanting to set off any alarm bells, I do sometimes wonder if it's worth it? And when people who are far more forward-thinking, far more optimistic and far more 'full of life' than me die while I'm still alive, it doesn't really seem fair.</p><p>Yeah yeah, I know. Self-indulgent, self-pitying mid-life crisis wankery. </p><p>I'll cheer myself up with a Terry's Pyramint...<br /></p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-88788302991739931172022-01-02T17:45:00.001+00:002022-01-03T01:33:05.576+00:00Golden Pints: BV's best beers of 2021<p>Well, it's now 2022, which means it's time to look back on my favourite beers of the past year. </p><p>It's been another year disrupted by lockdowns, restrictions and - in my view - unnecessarily draconian - legislation, but, hey, we're all still here. Apart from the Duke of Edinburgh, obviously. And Alan Bradley. Well, the actor who once played him.<br /></p><p></p><p>Now as you'll almost certainly know, my drinking preference - the default position if you like - is to drink cask beer in a pub, and, putting it politely, that habit isn't altogether compatible with the COVID situation. I didn't even get to drink a pint at a pub until April 11, when the <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2021/04/caskisback.html" target="_blank">grand midnight re-opening</a> at PotY The Kentish Belle marked perhaps the most memorable quenching of thirst in history! </p><p>But let's not let such happy occasions distract us from the sad fact that<i> the hospitality industry is still suffering, and the biggest threat of all is to places that rely on selling cask beer! </i><br /></p><p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">A beer a day - almost <br /></h2><p>I only managed to tick 354 new cask beers last year, less than one per day, but still something of a step up from 2020 when <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2020/12/will-it-be-covid-that-finally-kills-off.html" target="_blank">I didn't even bother to pick out my highlights</a>. </p><p></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA1cLSLAxK2R3MoV5724cIOU980ioFURdzHZIYSZHhZ7IKzfEwesrtB2WjYnvDEx44YTE_OjuZIBeFiuhss0Q9MUeRB6OzbyarOsO_opMwtV7sFyU4hYhlzjnStFLSfnTehuVyK3f6TC3gEHJbziaPwMGDOhH1C7MzgIsBUyYCzWiMgZ0OorVE2q01=s446" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA1cLSLAxK2R3MoV5724cIOU980ioFURdzHZIYSZHhZ7IKzfEwesrtB2WjYnvDEx44YTE_OjuZIBeFiuhss0Q9MUeRB6OzbyarOsO_opMwtV7sFyU4hYhlzjnStFLSfnTehuVyK3f6TC3gEHJbziaPwMGDOhH1C7MzgIsBUyYCzWiMgZ0OorVE2q01=s320" width="258" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rest In Peace, Sweet Prince<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Five of these beers got an 8/9 rating from me, which is about as close to full marks as I ever give, and all five of these were pale, hoppy, and ultimately pretty mainstream type beers which is a bit unusual, but, I strongly suspect, an indicator of breweries being very conservative with their cask output in an era of uncertainty. </p><p></p><p></p>My favourite new cask beer in 2021 was the <b>Thornbridge/Bundobust</b> collaboration<i> <b>Impromptu Ladder Convention</b></i>, sampled at the Kentish Belle in December. Only 4%, but beautifully dry and refreshing with a bit of New England haze. One of the finest session pales I've ever had.<p></p><p>Others that made the top five were <b>Oakham <i>Cryptic</i></b> (5.0%) - a new classic from a brewery that has been right up there with the best of them for as long as I've been drinking. Australian hops dominate here, which is rarely a bad thing!</p><p>Completing a hat-trick of very fine beers first sampled 'at the Belle' is <b>Brew York <i>Minstermen Pride</i></b> which packed a lot of hoppy flavour into a 3.9% package.</p><p>The other two beers to make the top five are <b>Siren <i>Suspended in Centennial</i></b> (4%) - the greatest installment yet in this excellent series of single-hop NEPAs, and <b>Cwrw Lâl <i>Crank Knucklebuster</i></b> (4.5%) which was very good, but, it has to be said, very much in the same style as the other winners of the year.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Honourable mentions<br /></h2><p>While I absolutely love hoppy, sessionable pale ales, I really do hope that 2022 sees breweries start to re-diversify their cask output a bit. </p><p>Looking beyond the cask, there were some belting dessert beers during the year. One particular highlight on keg was <b>Tiny Rebel's Imperial Stay Puft: <i>Waffle and Candied bacon edition </i></b>(9%), enjoyed while watching England beating Germany in the Euros - another great session at a certain Pub of the Year in Bexleyheath...<br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIHZTuXoViRgLcG87bpjS7T3zOxhM5LBo-WKaDx2DgEgPb04i2zCbr9ow-RPbMiJ7VX7s0FOd47UttcKWO5vSo9VjTdQSBGqnWlmh2LQNQi7S2TCH-lkhXvfCBm6P4A6t-ujr_00e3BNmBuI_YJrbuhghN6DFGl-jXyXReZ8g47Numzkq7ZdRh4EZw=s1280" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIHZTuXoViRgLcG87bpjS7T3zOxhM5LBo-WKaDx2DgEgPb04i2zCbr9ow-RPbMiJ7VX7s0FOd47UttcKWO5vSo9VjTdQSBGqnWlmh2LQNQi7S2TCH-lkhXvfCBm6P4A6t-ujr_00e3BNmBuI_YJrbuhghN6DFGl-jXyXReZ8g47Numzkq7ZdRh4EZw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">History in the making<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Phantom <i>Reaper</i></b>, a sticky toffee pudding Impy Stout at 10% was my favourite canned beer of the year - delightfully dark and roasty with the burnt-caramel notes allowed to shine without the overly-sweet lactose that so often makes these beers barely drinkable. <br /><br />And in a year when new and exciting cask beers were relatively thin on the ground there were ample opportunities to revisit old favourites. <i>Otters Tears</i> and <i>Cocoa Wonderland</i>, both from Thornbridge, were as reliably tasty as ever, albeit very different from one another.</p><p>If we're looking to draw conclusions it's that - even in very difficult times for the industry - breweries like Thornbridge, Siren, Oakham and Tiny Rebel are still doing sterling work, and we should be grateful to all the pubs that keep and serve their fabulous beers. <br /> <br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Happy New Year, everybody - now get out there and support pubs!</h2><p style="text-align: left;"> <br /></p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-64470347803607778612021-12-20T11:52:00.000+00:002021-12-20T11:52:02.596+00:00Have a very cheesy Christmas!<p>You know it, I know it. </p><p>It's been another year consisting primarily of bitter disappointment. </p><p>A year when freedoms were routinely steamrolled by authority. A year when the goalposts were constantly being moved, and the ball of wool dangled constantly just out of reach. <br /></p><p>A year when whatever you did was never going to be enough, and the only thing you had to look forward to was getting jabbed in the arm again. And again. <br /></p><p></p><p>Anyway, here's my rubbishcunt Christmas present to you readers. A recipe for quite possibly the cheesiest pasta ever, not to mention the unhealthiest. Enjoy.</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <br /><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Five Cheese Carbonara<br /></h2><p>An extra-cheesy variation on a classic that can be prepared from scratch very quickly, and is so calorific that it will likely herald an even swifter death!</p><p>It might also be a useful way of disposing of any Christmas cheese that is getting past its best - the cheeses I used are just a guideline.</p><p><br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjB5UjP9IzaloBa8R74-dL1il4sHk2X3SCgo6s9XEEp20JbS9RQqKHFuQk5zKTtJ74Gnsdd1Gwgei7hF-ZCoJtuKbjkeEl0RdBrIqVZtYKm0SFjgRApzgJYlaQEj5P1epBX6Xu1DRbuyK7jNb1fYeI7l_i7YbaWIS3lotyx1q3H4StzjfU9mYyOHBBs=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjB5UjP9IzaloBa8R74-dL1il4sHk2X3SCgo6s9XEEp20JbS9RQqKHFuQk5zKTtJ74Gnsdd1Gwgei7hF-ZCoJtuKbjkeEl0RdBrIqVZtYKm0SFjgRApzgJYlaQEj5P1epBX6Xu1DRbuyK7jNb1fYeI7l_i7YbaWIS3lotyx1q3H4StzjfU9mYyOHBBs=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artery-clogging goodness<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><i>Ingredients - makes 3-4 portions:</i></p><p><i></i><b>Marscarpone</b>, one standard tub<br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Soft Blue Cheese</b> e.g. Saint Agur or possibly a runny Gorgonzola, the equivalent of a tub of Marscarpone<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Parmesan</b>, <b>Red Leicester</b> and <b>Mature Cheddar</b> cheeses - all roughly grated, a good handful of each.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Onion</b>, one large or two small, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Pancetta</b> (or, ideally, Guanicale), 6-8oz</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>White wine</b>, a little</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Egg yolks</b>, two <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Garlic</b>, a few cloves, smushed <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Black pepper</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Tabasco <br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Olive oil</b> and/or <b>butter</b>, for cooking</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">To serve:</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Fresh pasta of your choice</b> - Penne (or the ubiquitous macaroni) is ideal here <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><i>Method:</i></p><p>Fry your onion and garlic in a little oil until softened, then add the pancetta. (I like to use an oil/butter mix for a little extra creaminess). Once this is sufficiently cooked, turn the heat down low, and add the egg yolks, being sure to stir everything in fairly quickly so you don't end up with fried eggs or some sort of eccentric omelette!</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5A9JJ50lLLxsjaTfEUSK9t2ptIZ0rX-GDvJgUOaP296xJbj7uKKtjan-9u6_cE022CkARCDpmEnnmvMQRAbNvy5FfdBf1FvKx4F5t9iCfZfN1d8hqbvidsXVWZix4NuWO0qcYUnbc_Cx5CFbAMFhAveaZgClJNxotj965mzBpUvPCS_cZfPW5TcCu=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5A9JJ50lLLxsjaTfEUSK9t2ptIZ0rX-GDvJgUOaP296xJbj7uKKtjan-9u6_cE022CkARCDpmEnnmvMQRAbNvy5FfdBf1FvKx4F5t9iCfZfN1d8hqbvidsXVWZix4NuWO0qcYUnbc_Cx5CFbAMFhAveaZgClJNxotj965mzBpUvPCS_cZfPW5TcCu=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's going to get cheesy around here!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Straight away add in all the cheeses, stirring it up and adding a little white wine to soften, as well as a generous grind of black pepper.</p><p></p><p>While this is simmering away boil a saucepan of water and cook your pasta - periodically transferring a spoonful of the starch-water into your other pan to keep the cheese sauce moist and glossy. You can also add a dash of tabasco at this point to cut through the relentlessness of the cheese if you are so inclined.<br /></p><p>When the pasta is almost-but-not-quite cooked, drain it and add it into your main pan with the sauce (or indeed the other way around, it doesn't matter one fuck to me which pan your meal ends up in!) and stir it all up, ensuring the pasta shapes are nicely coated.</p><p>None of this should take very long - this really is a dish that requires no slow-cooking of any kind and which can be rustled up in just a few special festive moments.<br /></p><p>Serve it up and enjoy it as soon as possible, perhaps with a chilled fruity white or something else that'll stand up to the cheesiness. Enjoy!</p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5280044379124455706.post-43109422422691839412021-12-08T21:45:00.002+00:002021-12-10T10:09:16.429+00:00Fot pit nor furpose!<p>What is the point of the Good Beer Guide?</p><p>No, really, what is the point of it now? </p><p></p><p>It's not as though folks haven't been asking that question for some years, given that a thick paper volume that might be 18 months or more out of date is a bit of an anachronism in an age when we can all whip out our phones and search for up-to-date pub and beer gen in an instant.</p><p>But I myself didn't go out of my way to ask that particular question, partly because it would be labouring an obvious point, but mainly because I've long held the official CAMRA Guide in some esteem, largely based, probably, on the affection of nostalgia.</p><p>So I held off. Until now.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Back in the day <br /></h2><p><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M0pVYWqBsb4/YbEYmUb7LAI/AAAAAAAAFyg/d9a7W4nPlLcIaGBgNOotzYPaBd_K5bDaACNcBGAsYHQ/s400/gbg2022.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="243" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M0pVYWqBsb4/YbEYmUb7LAI/AAAAAAAAFyg/d9a7W4nPlLcIaGBgNOotzYPaBd_K5bDaACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/gbg2022.jpg" width="194" /></a>When I was a child (which was pre-Netscape, let alone pre-smartphone) my family would plan days out and trips away based on the pubs in the guide and what beer they served. And it seemed a fairly reliable resource for so doing - although I guess
if there were better pubs in these places that weren't in the guide, we'd likely never have found out.</p><p>And when I began my long and distinguished drinking career, I'd continue to get myself a new GBG if not every year then at least every two or three years to have an idea of what different parts of the country had to offer. <br /></p><p>Even as technology rendered it less useful, I maintained an interest for old times sake. However, this required a bit of willful blindness on my part. As long ago as the late 1990s I was looking at the entries for the area where I lived and wondering aloud <i>'Why the fuck is Pub X in there?!?' </i>and indeed <i>'How the cunt is Pub Y not?!?'</i></p><p>The reasons behind this aren't exactly a secret either. GBG entries are chosen on a local basis, by local CAMRA branches and ultimately whether a pub is long-listed, short-listed, included or not included will be determined by a relatively small number of individuals. Individuals with their own preferences, prejudices and petty, pigheaded pet peeves.</p><p></p><p>How 'in favour' a pub can be with their local CAMRA lot will depend on a number of factors, of which how good a pub it is, and how good the beer they serve - themselves subjective criteria - are only a part.</p><p>For example, if there are two roughly equal pubs in the region, one of which is on the doorstep of several active branch members, with the other a bit of a trek away and a bit more of an unknown quantity, it's quite likely that the familiar, accessible (to locals) pub will be the one that makes the grade, albeit fairly arbitrarily in the context of a national guidebook.</p><p>And where branch members favour certain breweries because they, oh I don't know, own shares in them, say, it can lead to disproportionate numbers of their pubs finding themselves in the guide which is presumably what happened with Young's pubs, long after the brewery sold out and the beer went to shit</p><p>But while you'd expect this to happen with some of the edge cases, the GBG always used to be reliable in terms of the <i>very best pubs</i> in any given area. So, maybe my fourth favourite pub in the SM postcode area would be left out while my sixth favourite appeared in the guide, you'd always find The Hope in there because it's almost unanimously considered the best pub in the area, and even for those who dissent, it'll still be in their personal top two or three.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Taking the piss <br /></h2><p>As lockdowns have meant that I haven't been able to do the research for a proper London Pub of the Year, for the past couple of years, I gave out a special award. </p><p>And it went to the <a href="https://benviveur.blogspot.com/2020/08/bv-london-pub-of-year-2019-20-special.html" target="_blank">Kentish Belle in Bexleyheath</a>. That means that in my view - and with all the COVID-related caveats that apply - it's currently the best pub in London.</p><p>Not just the best pub in the Bexley area, but the best in all of Greater London. And yet...<br /></p><p><b>A pub that is not in the 2022 GBG.</b> <br /></p><p>That's right. According to the official CAMRA guide it's not one of the top 4,500 pubs in the country. <br /></p><p>Now I fully expect people to disagree about whether it's the best pub in London or even the best pub in South East London, as there are a lot of strong contenders around and plenty of healthy debate to be had. But it is entirely indefensible that this pub didn't make the guide at all. </p><p>Especially when there was - as if in an act of deliberate spite - a place in the Bexley section awarded to a Greene King pub that usually stocks just one cask beer. No amount of mental gymnastics can justify that position.</p><p>If every other pub in the area was absolutely banging, there might possibly be case that there just wasn't enough space and some pubs had to miss out, but there is clear evidence that this is not the case.<br /></p><p>There is no 'accessibility' argument here. It's on a high street, one minute walk from a mainline station. It's probably better connected than just about every other pub in the area that did make the GBG so we can rule that out as the reason behind the Belle's non-inclusion. <br /></p><p>And, yes, some older members have reservations about micropubs, complaining that they're not 'proper', but other micropubs made the guide, including those fairly close to the Belle, so that's not the explanation either.<br /></p><p>No, the reason the Kentish Belle didn't make the Good Beer Guide is entirely obvious: Petty prejudices, squabbling, side-taking and point-scoring. If you're reading this and you're one of those responsible for this glaring and deliberate omission, you are, sir, a prize cunt. </p><p>Nobody's forcing you to drink in there if you don't want to. That's not what this is about. Nor should it be what the GBG is about.<br /></p><p>I'm a CAMRA Life Member. It's not as though I'm pissing into the tent from outside. But sometimes things need to be said.</p><p>The Kentish Belle focuses strongly on cask beer, serving a changing range that is always varied and interesting and - which should be of prime import to the campaign - always in superb condition, with beers being taken off sale before they get past their best (how many pubs can say that?)<br /></p><p>So fuck off with your provincial grievances; the GBG is there to let outsiders know where to get a good pint, wherever they go in the country. </p><p>In this one fundamental respect, it has failed.<br /></p><p>Not. Fit. For. Purpose.<br /></p>Benjamin Nunnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735110277517005667noreply@blogger.com1