Maidstone

Having visited Whitstable, Herne, Sevenoaks and Rochester, I was starting to struggle about where to visit next in Kent. Faversham, Gravesend and Margate just weren't that appealing to me in this chilly weather, and more importantly they didn't have many pubs listed in the Good Beer Guide. Just as all seemed lost and I was resigning myself to visiting Dartford The Lovely Jemma suggested I go to Maidstone as it's "quite nice." A quick look at the guide showed there were at least four pubs there worth visiting, so off to Maidstone it was!

My impression of Maidstone is that it is a rather generic market town, not as big or pleasant as Rochester but a step up in size from Sevenoaks. Like the other Medway shopping towns I'd visited Maidstone mainly consisted of one long street packed full of shops going through the centre of town. From what I saw there didn't appear to be much else to do in town apart from shop or go to the pub, so I imagine being a teenager here must be pretty boring as most don't have a huge amount of money to spend on shopping and they can't have a drink in the pub (legally.) I guess there's always huffing glue or bothering old ladies to keep them amused.

Luckily for those over 18 or with a decent fake ID and a old face the pubs are pretty good. The first pub I visited was The Swan, a Shepherd Neame hostelry near the train station. Walking in on a Tuesday lunchtime there was only one other customer in. I spotted an India Pale Ale from Neame on the bar and as I'd never tried it before I thought I'd give it a go. I was served by a young lad who didn't look old enough to drink the ales he was serving, but he poured a pretty good half. Shepherd Neame beers rarely rise above "average" in my book but the Pale Ale was actually "pretty good." Light and hoppy this went down a treat while I sat outside in the sunny but blustery weather. A good start to the day.

Next up was the Rifle Volunteers. Judging from the reviews on the internet this appeared to be a "love it or hate it" kinda place. Walking in I thought I'd walked through a time portal to the 70's. This small pub was the most old school venue I'd been to in a while. I doubt the decor and furniture had changed since the pub first opened, but it had a quaint charm. I was the only customer in and I struck up a friendly conversation with the landlord, Alan, who filled me in on the history of the place. It was originally a Neame pub until the brewery sold it over his head in the mid nineties. Just as it looked like the place would turn into houses and Alan would be out of the job, the Goachers brewery came along and bought the place. Alan certainly sounded grateful for the opportunity Goachers had provided him.

Three Goachers ales were on offer, and I started with the Fine Light Ale, which lived up to its name. A splendid, easy drinking tipple. I noticed Alan had the Extra Mild on, and I mentioned I had a below par half of this at the Man of Kent in Rochester. "Try mine" he said, and I took him up on the offer. Well it was like drinking a completely different ale to the average sup I'd had at the Man of Kent. The coffee and chocolate notes were coming through splendidly, it's amazing how much of a difference good conditioning and care can make to the taste of a beer. Sadly I didn't get the chance to try the Extra Stout, but I promised Alan that when I'm next back in Maidstone I'll pop in and give it a go. He only serves the same three ales plus one lager, and a couple of cans of cider are on standby in case a non real-ale drinker wanders in by mistake. I'm pretty sure the Stout will be on next time I visit.

My next pub was at the other end of town. The Pilot, a Harveys pub, had a blackboard outside claiming this was a "country pub in town." The traditional exterior and rustic interior went a little way to matching that claim, but the pub being right on a very busy main road destroyed the illusion. A decent selection of Harveys beers were on offer. The Mild was disappointing with not much flavour coming through, but maybe I'd been spoiled by the Goachers. The Old Ale was much better and its malty flavours went down a treat. Finally the Porter was an interesting tipple - very fruity and even a bit sickly at first but once it had settled down it was quite a pleasant pint.

A fifteen minute walk back to the other end of town brought me to The Flower Pot. Voted Pub of the Year and well regarded by CAMRA and seemingly every beer lover on the internet who has visited, I was looking forward to this place. It didn't disappoint. The last three pubs being tied houses meant I was limited in beer selection, even though all the drinks had been great. Walking into the Flower Pot I was delighted to see a Marble Pint was on offer and I immediately had a half. It was spot on, this gloriously hoppy, easy drinking session beer being in fine form. A Sausage and Chips and a pint of Oakham Jesters Ferret with its citrus notes ended the day on a good note. With the friendly, knowledgeable staff and cosy atmosphere alongside the decent beers I could see why this place has won many awards.

Overall I had a good time exploring Maidstone's fine pubs. It was nice to visit such a varied selection of boozers with different beers on offer. The only sad thing was how quiet all these pubs were on a Tuesday afternoon. The Swan, Rifle Volunteers and Pilot weren't serving food, so I could see why maybe these pubs weren't busy during the day. As Alan said to me in the Volunteers, people just don't go out for only a drink at lunchtime these days, and haven't for a long time now. Not even tradesmen or labourers go out for a lunchtime tipple much these days. But even the one pub that did serve food, The Flower Pot, only had two other customers in at 2pm when I popped in.

The restaurants and cafes in town were busy so people do want to go out for a lunchtime meal, but it seems nobody wants to visit the pub at lunch for just a drink these days. I hope the evening trade keeps the excellent traditional boozers such as the Rifle Volunteers going but I do worry they may not be around forever if they don't find a way to adapt to the fact that people are drinking less in pubs. I wouldn't want these places to start serving food as I think it would destroy some of the character - but I'm not sure what the alternatives are.

Rochester

My exploration of the Garden of England continued last weekend with a visit to Rochester. This was the first time I'd visited this quaint town on the banks of the River Medway. I was meeting friends there and we managed to cram in a few tourist attractions including the cathedral for tea, a look around the castle and the Guildhall Museum, a free museum detailing the history of the town which was worthwhile. It was all very pleasant and with the sun shining, the lovely market town scenery and the castles and cathedrals I felt like I was on a actual holiday, even though I was only a half hour train ride away from my house.

I wasn't there just there to look at the tourist sights, pubs were also on the agenda. First up was The Eagle Tavern, located on the high street and near the main attractions. This is a live music venue and the furnishing reflected this - very basic so it won't be too expensive to replace should a old rocker get a bit too excited and start smashing up tables and chairs in wild abandon. The beer selection was basic, no craft ales here, but my pint of St Austell Tribute was in good condition and was very refreshing. There was a simple food menu and a plate of chips soon arrived on our table. Although the atmosphere was a little dead at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, I can imagine this place would be good fun at night when the live music kicks off.

Next up was supposed to be a pub called the Britannia Bar Cafe, but I was warned by my friends that this pub was getting too close to Chatham for comfort, which apparently is a place best avoided by middle class wimps like myself who get nervous and cross the road when they see a young bloke in a hoodie heading towards them. Instead we went off the beaten track to a pub called The Good Intent. From the outside I did not have high hopes for this place - it looked like a generic council estate pub and not particularly appealing. If it wasn't in the Good Beer Guide I would have avoided it entirely. But with my sternest face I made my way in and was pleasantly surprised. A friendly bunch of locals were in and behind the bar were three gravity dropped casks of beer on offer. I went for the Skinners Spriggan Ale, which was a refreshing pale ale if a little light on flavour. I wouldn't make a special journey to this pub but it did exceed my expectations and for that I'm glad.

A pint and a game of pool done, we moved on to the final pub, the Man of Kent. I'd heard good things about this place. Walking in the place was packed, far busier than the previous two pubs we'd visited. A large number of handpumps were on display, all with beers from the Kent area. This is the CAMRA LocAle scheme taken to the extreme. Incidentally I really hate using the word LocAle - it just seems wrong to me and I just want to pronounce it as "Lock Ale."

First beer up from the wide selection on offer was a Goachers Extra Mild which wasn't the best example of a mild I'd had - it was a bit limp and the coffee flavour usually associated with a mild just wasn't coming through strong enough. It was definitely suppable, just not a knockout. The next beer, Golden Braid from Hopdaemon, was a disaster. Flat and lifeless, I had to choke this one down. Hopdaemon are usually very reliable so I don't know if it was supposed to taste like a muddy mess or if it was off. The pub itself was great - friendly service, comfy seating, jovial customers and even a dog. But I didn't particularly enjoy the beer I had there.

With the Man of Kent done and dusted it was back to sunny London for a visit to The Gowlett for a friends birthday. I haven't got much to say about this pub except that it's in the middle of nowhere nestled between East Dulwich and Peckham Rye, and that the beer selection was surprisingly boring considering the trendy area it's in. My pint of Moorhouse Black Cat and Harveys Best Bitter were fine but I was hoping for a bit more rather than the sub-Wetherspoons offering of ales. The pizza being served was magnificent though.

If all goes well I'll be writing about Maidstone pubs next Sunday, if not I'll be warbling on about some nonsense. See you soon.

The Bull's Head and the Queens Head, Chislehurst

If you've never heard of Chislehurst, it's basically the Hampstead of South London. If you've never heard of or been to Hampstead, it's a ludicrously expensive little alcove of North London, filled with "boutique" outlets, antique shops and other assorted nonsense frequented by the rich unemployed who have nothing to do but look at expensive tat all day. There's also a handful of pubs, all of which require you to have a credit check before buying a beer and handing over the deeds to your house before buying a gin and tonic. There was a Wetherspoons in Hampstead once for the more "unwashed" visitor but sadly it shut down.

Chislehurst doesn't feel as rich as Hampstead but it does have the gentle air of a place where money probably isn't an issue for most of its residents. There are a decent number of pubs in the area. I've only managed to visit three pubs so far, after reading on the internet on what would be the best bet for a pint of decent ale. I'm not one for spontaneity. Just ask anybody who has had to visit a theme park with me, as every ride, meal and toilet break is planned to the last detail in what I like to call "regimented fun."

None of the pubs in Chislehurst feature in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, and you'd have to venture to Bromley or Eltham before you would find a pub featured in its hallowed, yellow and slightly curled pages. The Guide can't be treated as a bible though and there are a few good pubs in the Chislehurst area. First up is the Imperial Arms. This pub has been recently refurbished with rather eclectic décor and furnishings. It looks like the landlord has gone on a mad shopping spree in the local antique shops. Upon entering the pub I was greeted by two hand-pumps. After getting over the shock of talking hand-pumps I plumped for a pint of Harveys Best Bitter which was in excellent condition and very drinkable.

The other ale on was Sharps Doom Bar, so the pub may not have had the best ale selection but it's better than no ale, or even worse, John Smiths on keg. The only other customers in the pub were a group of rowdy labourers, their colourful language rather at odds with the attempted classiness of the décor. A tasty dish of ham, egg and chips rounded off a very pleasant stay at this comfortable, reasonably priced pub.

They like their cars ugly in Chislehurst

A not so reasonably priced pub is the The Bulls Head, in the more villagey part of Chislehurst nestled amongst quaint little shops selling wares you'd never want or need but will pay a fortune for anyway. An imposing building, it comprises of two bars, a restaurant, event/conference room and even has seven hotel rooms. The two bars are completely different decor and atmosphere wise - the lounge bar is decked out with traditional wooden walls and red booths and stools, and seemed more popular with the older clientèle who just wanted to enjoy a quiet drink. I was immediately attracted to this slice of old world pubbery, but The Lovely Jemma, with her young and modern ways, wanted to drink in the up to date main pub instead, complete with its sofas and high chairs (for adults.)

A pint of Youngs Bitter went down nicely, although it was close to £4 a pint which is a bit cheeky for this neck of the woods. The clientèle was certainly more moneyed than the Imperial Arms more down to earth lot. Standing at the bar was my favourite pub customer, the moneyed loud American. Not used to the surroundings of a nice country pub he resorted to barking orders at the staff and loudly telling "hillarious" stories to his tipsy British hosts. Despite him getting more rowdy and sweary as the afternoon went on I did what any British pub goer should do and stoically ignored him. Overall this was a decent pub but the high prices put me off making this a regular haunt.

Haven't had a TLJ nails picture in a while.
Here's the Summer Lightning.

My final Chislehurst pub is the Queens Head. Chislehurst seems to like pubs with "Head" in the name, with the aforementioned Bulls Head and there's also a Tigers Head in the vicinity. Let's hope a landlord called Richard doesn't open a pub named after himself here. The Queens Head is a Ember Inn, so basically it's a slightly more upmarket Wetherspoons. There was a good selection of ales and all were in good nick. Hop Back Summer Lightning was a pleasure as always. This was followed by a pint of Butcombe Brewery Great Grey Owl which smelled a bit like old socks but was a rather nice attempt at an American Pale Ale, with all the citrusy goodness that comes with the territory. A massive plate of nachos covered in pulled pork went down a treat and rounded off an enjoyable day out in this pretty little village.

I've got a fair few updates coming along in the next few weeks, including a jaunt around Preston and a trip to Tap East in Stratford, so don't give up on this blog just yet! Cheers.

Brighton Pubs

Hopefully they're all peering curiously at a firing squad.

The Wednesday before last I paid a visit to Brighton. Regular readers of my blog (hello mum!) will understand that I may have been feeling a little bit uncomfortable going down there. This is of course because the place is full of hipsters. I imagine that in the Brighton Pavillion there are hundreds and thousands of pods, steadily spewing out trendy bastards complete with hilariously “ironic” dorky glasses and horrific clothes, usually consisting of a bright suit jacket and trousers too short for their useless legs. They will be a sporting a haircut that looks like the hairdresser suffered a seizure halfway through. Finally they will have an ego so large they are blissfully ignorant to just how twattish they are. You can probably tell I'm not keen on them. However apart from those bastards Brighton is quite a nice little town with some good shops. I hadn't been in a while and never really tried the real ale houses down there so I dragged The Lovely Jemma (TLJ) on a mini ale trail punctuated with trips to the shops to keep her happy.

Some basketmakers.

Things got off to a good start at the Basketmakers Arms, a charming little Fullers house in the North Laines. You know a pub is going to be good when you walk in for the first time and feel like you've been going there for years. The ale selection was standard Fullers fare and I had a fine pint of the Bengal Lancer. The star of the show is the food and everybody in the pub was tucking into the grub. This is not a gastro though, it's very much a pub which just happens to serve excellent home cooked food. The menu was very appealing, and I had a delicious and clearly freshly made burger while TLJ went for the chilli which was “very tasty.”

A walk down the Lanes followed where I ended up buying a vintage suit for a murder mystery evening I was attending in Kent. As I handed over the money I was hit by the crushing realisation that I had somehow become a middle class middle aged man by the age of 30. Luckily I didn't start bawling uncontrollable in front of the jolly member of staff and just carried on my way.

The Bath Arms was the next stop, in a prime location in the Lanes. After dragging TLJ from the shiny jewellery shops outside we ventured inside. This was a lovely Shepeard Neame pub with a cosy, welcoming atmosphere. I went for the WJ King Brighton Best, which is brewed specifically for pubs which are part of the Drink in Brighton scheme. This was a pleasant pint, with a good hoppy aroma and taste followed with a good bitter finish coming through. As I'm a geek I checked the Real Ale Guide on my Android phone (yeah I know) and discovered this pub isn't featured, which honestly surprised me. Despite the somewhat high prices this was a great pub. Maybe it will get a mention next year.

We then moved on to the Evening Star, a Dark Star pub with an excellent reputation with CAMRA members. The pub is basically the ground floor of a house, where the two front rooms have been knocked through. A small bar has been shoehorned into the corner with four hand pumps dedicated to Dark Star brews, and a few extra for guest ales. If I was ever on Grand Designs I would build a house exactly like this one. 

Sadly on this occasion the Dark Star selection was unremarkable, with Hophead, Porter and the Americam Pale Ale available. I opted for a pint of the American Pale Ale which was excellent as ever. This ludicrously hopped pale ale is always a pleasure to drink.

We finished our mini trail off at the Lord Nelson. I had read many good things about this pub but when we walked in I wanted to almost immediately walk out and return to the Evening Star. This place appeared dead compared to the Evening Stars bustling, jovial atmosphere. The tempting selection of Harveys ales convinced me to venture in, ever mindful that TLJ may kill me for bringing her to this quiet, whitewashed den of ale. We found a table in a room at the back of the pub, and I scoped out the exits in case a quick getaway was needed. A table across us was engaging in loud banter which thankfully drowned out whatever the hell I was talking about with TLJ.

The Harveys Dark Mild was on good form and was a tasty, textbook version of a Mild with a very pleasant chocolate/coffee taste coming through. I also tried a pint of the Armada Ale which was a delicious, hoppy treat. As the evening went on the atmosphere started to pick up as more regulars came in and the atmosphere picked up. The regulars were all happy to be there which made the pub a much more pleasant place to be. They also were wearing shirts and weren't spectacularly racist unlike the regulars in my local pub in Edgware (which I never visit.)

I was glad to find out that it is possible to have a pleasant evening in Brighton without having to be surrounded by cloying hipsters, fizzy lager and high prices. I popped my head into the Font, a converted church that used to be a Firkin house but is now a identikit “night spot” complete with booths, funky wallpaper and glass everywhere. I looked at the dolled up girls and boys picking at their food and couldn't see a happy face anywhere. I then thought of the Basketmakers where there was plenty of chatter, plenty of characters and good beer. I wondered why would you spend a night out in a bar spending a lot of money in a place that doesn't really care that you're giving them custom, and where you have to try and be the same as every other customer there. Then I realised the ale must have been kicking in for me to think up this cod philosophy. Good night!