Society for the Preservation of Beers from the Wood

LONDON PUB OF THE YEAR 2008: ROGER’S BLOG It’s that time of year again when we start the quest to find London’s best pub. 15 pubs have been nominated, a longer list than usual, 10 of these are changes from last year’s list (our unwritten rule is that the current winning pub is ineligible so the Pembury Tavern is out of the running this time round). We’ll judge these in 6 sessions between the end of August and mid-October, the winner to be decided on 1 November. This year the judges are John Rooth, Bill English, Mike Hall, Alasdair Boyd and me (Roger). Wednesday, 29th August So here we go with the first stage of the judging process, in the south west. First pub is the Bricklayers Arms, [address] in Putney, in a cul de sac off Lower Richmond Road and very close to famous Thames-side pubs the Duke’s Head and Star & Garter. The pub has been through many changes of ownership in its long history but has been in its present incarnation for barely two years since Becky Newman took it on. It largely comprises an L-shaped room with the bar counter directly in front of the entrance. Wooden floorboards are in evidence along with basic wooden tables. The pub walls are liberally decorated with old photographs of local interest and there’s a table skittles er.. table to keep you amused. If you don’t want to sit inside there’s a small garden alongside the pub. You’ll find there’s usually some background music playing, but unobtrusively, and I’ve no problem listening to the likes of the Grateful Dead and James Carr over a pint or two.
The Bricklayers Arms, although a genuine free house has become renowned for offering a wide range of beers from Timothy Taylor. Unfortunately, delivery and beer quality problems meant that only one Keighley brew was available the evening we visited, this being the Dark Mild; this was agreed by all concerned to be very pleasant. To compensate for the lack of Taylor beers there were 4 brews from the Stonehenge brewery in Wiltshire. Bill dived straight in with the 5% Danish Dynamite (the owner/brewer is a Dane) but the rest of us preferred to try the less formidable options, such as Spire Ale, a very agreeable 3.8% brew. Downton All Rounder (also from Wiltshire) was the other option on draught.
			The Bricklayer's Arms
As ever there was a friendly welcome and efficient service. I’ve been to this pub a good few times in the last year or so, mostly after a long walk along the river, and I rate it very highly. This is definitely one to beat.
Soon after 8 o’clock we drunk up and hustled along Putney High Street to the rail station. We didn’t have long to wait but, a minute or so before the train was due, we were told it was arriving on another platform so we had to hurry over the bridge with Mike uttering moans and curses. Off the train at Vauxhall and a change to the Victoria Line, then one stop south to Stockwell. We hurried through the dodgy housing estate and into Lansdowne Way for the Priory Arms.
			The Priory has been a highlight of the London pub scene for about 15 years and has been a LPotY nominee more often than not in that time. It’s also won numerous local CAMRA awards. In the last few years the pub has changed hands but the format has remained the same, beer-wise. Hopback Summer Lightning, Harveys Best and Adnams 'ordinary' are the staples here, alongside two guests - often from small breweries. Tonight we were offered Bateman’s Virgo (one of a series of monthly 'zodiac' brews) and Marston Pedigree. I started with the Bateman’s which was ok but certainly past its peak. One sign of good cellarmanship is serving Adnam's beers in prime condition, so I tried that next. Better than many I’ve had in London but no more than 70% I’d say; another day or two before being tapped might have helped.
The Priory
Pedigree is an even bigger challenge to the cellarman so I skipped that in favour of the Harvey's, which was excellent, as was the Summer Lightning, a half of which was my one for the road. As alternatives, a hand pumped cider is available along with a selection of German bottled beers. One of the recent changes to the pub is that food is available at most times and John and Alasdair ordered a Thai curry and a cheeseburger respectively, and reported favourably. The pub has just one fairly small, split-level room but has two TV screens. We were able to watch the climax of a rare England one day cricket victory while we supped. Unfortunately the upstairs function room is no longer for hire but downstairs it’s still a pretty good pub. But the Bricklayers shades it for me on the night.
Thursday 6 September Our second session and three pubs to visit. These are the most northerly of the 15 but even so are fairly central. Are there really no decent pubs in north London or don’t we have any members living there?
Anyway, our first pub is the 2002 winner of this competition, the Wenlock Arms in Wenlock Street, Hoxton, a pub with which I’m very familiar, being a regular visitor. This has one of the very best beer selections in London: up to 8 beers are available, including always a mild and often a stronger dark ale. I started with Nelson Master Mate mild from Chatham which was pleasant but possible not the best of its kind I’ve had here. Afterwards I tried Dark Star Hophead and York Yorkshire Terrier, both usually reliable brews and in good form. I also had a quick half for the road of Alcazar Cricketers 1947 from Nottingham, a rare brew apparently.
			The Wenlock Arms
John tried a pint of Naylor’s Ginger Beer which turned out to be the last one in the barrel. He struggled through half of it before giving up an taking it back; happily he was given a half of something else in return. As ever the service was efficient and the pub was reasonably busy (Thursday night is quiz night) and we were entertained by the whole of Bob Dylan’s classic Bringing It All Back Home, at a volume that didn’t discourage conversation. I think it’s fair to say that the Wenlock is a fairly unpretentious pub and Steve and Will have not spent much on refurbishment in their 13 year tenure. But it’s a genuine community pub which inevitably attracts the beer tourists and the beer is invariably of high quality.
			Soon after 8 o’clock we had to gird our loins and set off south west towards Clerkenwell. Our destination was the Jerusalem Tavern in Britton Street, just off Clerkenwell Road. Although this is relatively new as a pub it’s genuinely old, being a former Georgian coffee house, and pretty much unique among London pubs I’d guess. If I’ve had any negative thoughts about the JT on previous visits it’s because the pub is quite small (and divided into even smaller areas) and can get very cramped and crowded; and that the beer range is sometimes very restricted. Happily when we arrived at around 8.30 there was plenty of space for 5 of us at the back of the pub and 5 or 6 beers were available. The JT is one of two pubs owned by St Peters brewery of Suffolk (the other being the brewery tap) and the pub is served by air pressure and dispensed from taps on fake barrel ends, so fitting in with the venerable surroundings.
The Jerusalem Tavern
This evening we were able to sample St Peters mild; the brewery usually offers a fruit beer, the current version being a grapefruit ale which John sampled and enjoyed more than the ginger version in the Wenlock. I also enjoyed the Golden Ale and Alasdair spoke highly of the Organic Ale. Meanwhile Mike was dispensing words of inimitable wisdom to two hapless fellows customers trapped in a corner and unable to escape. Luckily for them we had one more pub on the evening’s agenda.

Pub number 3 was just a few minutes walk away, past Farringdon tube into Charterhouse Street and into the tiny alley way that leads to Ye Olde Mitre. This is another pub with a very long history and is thus on the tourist trail. It can also be accessed from the other end of the alley on Hatton Garden; whichever way you get there you’ll find an unspoilt small pub with two bars and an upstairs room, and possibly the only outside toilets in London. I first visited the Mitre back in the mid 70s when it was an Ind Coope pub with keg beer only. Things have changed somewhat and very much for the better. Adnams bitter and Broadside and Deuchars IPA are regulars and a fourth hand pump dispenses a guest beer; tonight this was a Wickwar brew from Gloucestershire commemorating the Rugby Union World Cup which kicked off a couple of days later. Between us we went through the full range and agreed the quality was top class; the Adnams bitter was certainly better than in the Priory Arms a week earlier. Scotty the landlord and his staff are very friendly and give a good welcome and service.
			Ye Olde Mitre
So that makes 5 pubs done, 10 to go. So far I think I’d have the Bricklayers Arms and the Wenlock at the top of my list, but it’s a very close thing all round. With some very fine pubs still to come I rather suspect that it’ll be very difficult to decide the winner when the time comes.

Thursday 13 September
Our third session took us to the southern outer reaches of the Northern Line. Destination was Merton and two excellent back street locals. The Sultan in Norman Road rose rapidly to fame in 1994 when it was bought by Hop Back brewery; it remains the only one of their small tied estate in London. The name comes from a once famous race horse rather than some exotic ruler. A fairly plain brick 1950s building, the Sultan has a traditional two-bar layout, although one of the rooms is sometimes not open. The room on the right is where the action is and is furnished with large scrubbed wooden tables. Doors lead out to a spacious patio, now ideal for nicotine addicts to wreck their lungs al fresco. Animal lovers can admire the large pub dog and rather smaller cat.

Now the beer: you’ll always find the standard Hopback range – GFB, Entire Stout and the legendary Summer Lightning. Sometimes there’s another Hopback beer on, but this evening we had the choice of Red Hop from Downton brewery, which has close geographical and business links with Hopback. We sampled all the ales on offer of course and all were declared in top condition. Service was friendly and efficient and there was a very pleasant buzz about the place. Part of this emanated from the bunch of Camra people who were also on drinking duty. Alasdair attached himself to this group and promised to be with us “in 15 minutes” when the time came for us to leave.

The Sultan

We retraced her steps to Merton High Street, then a right turn and across the street, looking out for Pincott Road. This led us down to the Trafalgar on the corner with High Path. (This whole area has strong Lord Nelson connections as evinced by several local street names and the Nelson Inn on the main road, which has a superb and well preserved tiled frontage. Look out also for Nelson Wines, a small corner off licence with an extraordinary selection of bottled beers). Back in the Trafalgar, this is another true community pub, one that was heading for oblivion just a few years ago.

The Trafalgar

The Trafalgar

Under new management the pub has established a reputation the choice and quality of its ales. It’s a fairly small, narrow pub with the bar counter at one end. There are 6 handpumps, 5 of which were in action this evening. I sampled Arundel Castle bitter, Dark Star Hophead and Exmoor Gold. Fullers/Gales HSB and Robinsons Flash Harry were the other beers, served by Monika, a charming (and pregnant) Polish young lady. The Trafalgar often offers a mild but sadly not tonight, Josephine. If I had a very minor quibble it was that the beers were a tad on the warm side (or it may be that most pubs just serve beer too cold). But the locals were friendly, even when the errant Alasdair finally staggered in after a very lengthy “15 minutes”.

All in all, a very good evening in two pubs that I would certainly visit regularly if I didn’t live the other side of London, and which are a credit to their management. Both highly recommended and real contenders. Seven pubs done, eight to go. A bit of a break now, 30 September is our next session.

THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER
It’s a warm and pleasant early autumn evening, just right for a stroll around London’s busy West End before getting down to business. Just off Trafalgar Square and on the fringe of Theatre Land we find the Harp in Chandos Place.

This is a former Charrington house called the Welsh Harp but it’s certainly made an impression in its present incarnation. A fairly small and narrow pub, the Harp inevitably gets quite crowded with commuters (Charing Cross station is just a couple of minutes away), culture vultures and those simply wishing to enjoy a few pints. At the far end of the room is a narrow winding staircase leading to the toilets and another small room, formerly the no-smoking area. Despite the crowds the service, by the all female bar staff, is excellent, as friendly as it’s efficient. I arrived just after 6.30 and found John and Bill with their pints. I squeezed my way to the bar and considered my drinking options. Regular beers here are Black Sheep Bitter, Tim Taylor’s Landlord and Harveys Best; this evening they had the pleasure of the company of Greene King Olde Trip, Mordue IPA and Skinner’s Cornish Knocker.

The Harp

I was initially tempted by the IPA until close inspection revealed it was a 5.1% brew, a bit heavy for the time of day, so I plumped for the Knocker instead. My pint was filled to the brim with an extraordinarily large head on top and was most pleasant. We were soon joined by Mike and Alasdair (who had nominated the pub) who persuaded the off-duty barmaid to buy us all a pint (of course we were too polite to refuse). Food here seems to be limited to quality sausages served in long rolls, which John and Bill consumed with relish (and a little mustard). There’s certainly no shortage of pubs in this part of London but the Harp must be by far the best bet.

Time to tear ourselves away; along with Hugh, making a welcome rare appearance, we made our way round the corner to the bus stop on Trafalgar Square and only had a minute or two to wait for the 24 bus which whisked us down Whitehall and into Victoria Street. En route we and the other passengers were entertained by Mike’s fascinating anecdotes of his many years in the former DTI. Having been thrown off the bus we turned into Abbey Orchard Street and Perkins Rents to the Speaker on the corner of Great Peter Street.

Oddly enough there were more people standing outside than were in the pub, which at least meant plenty of room to sit down. The Speaker was once a rather disreputable alehouse called the Elephant & Castle owned by Watneys (remember them?); a few years back it was acquired by a small pub group, refurbished and renamed to denote its proximity to the Houses of Parliament. It’s a small, one-room pub with wood-panelled walls covered with cartoons of politicians of various eras. Staple beers here are Young's bitter and Shepherd Neame Spitfire; two other handpumps dispense the proverbial ever changing selection of beers from small breweries. Tonight these were Grand Union Bitter and an ale from the Cottage brewery, the name of which I didn’t bother to note.

The Speaker

All of us chose the GU which was very good; the brewery’s future is under threat as the owners have put it up for sale. All the GU beers I’ve ever tried have been very fine and it would be a shame to lose it. An oddity here is the packs of playing cards on every table portraying a different drink on each card. Also of interest is that the two pub signs are slightly different, carrying the name of the street onto which they face. The landlord and staff were friendly and welcoming and contributed to a very pleasant atmosphere – no music, TV or other electronic distractions here. The pub tends to be busy lunchtimes and early evening but it was just right for our time there. Note that the Speaker is shut all day Saturday and only opens Sunday lunchtime. Must mention as well that the pub has occasional mini-beer festivals when the guest beers are themed (eg from Scotland, milds in May). Since the Speaker is just a quarter of a mile from where I work (or at least, where I spend my weekdays), I really ought to call in more often. Just like the Harp, it has no serious rivals in its area.

Dragging ourselves away we returned to Victoria Street and leapt on a bus to Victoria Station. Bill now dashed off into the distance while the rest of us pointed ourselves hopefully in the right direction through the leafy thoroughfares of Belgravia.

Our navigation proved accurate as we found ourselves in the cobbled confines of Belgrave Mews West where stands the legendary Star Tavern. The Star is renowned among seasoned ale drinkers in the capital since it used to be one of very few Fullers pubs where handpumped beer was available in the early-mid 70s. It has the distinction of being one of just two London pubs to feature in every edition of the Good Beer Guide and even more important, was SPBW LPotY in 1984. For proof of this, check out the mirror on the left immediately as you come through the front door. We arrived to find Bill (a regular habitue of the Star) smirking at the bar with his pint of London Pride, wondering what kept us.

The Speaker

I went for a pint of Discovery to start with (mainly because I had a voucher for a freebie) but tried the Pride later and found it to be quite superb, showing what a fine beer it still is when properly kept. If brain damage is your thing, ESB is another option. It hardly needs to be added that the Star is a very well run pub in every way; it’s not the easiest place to find but it’s well worth the search.

So that’s three more really good pubs visited and the competition is really hotting up. Several of these pubs would be worthy winners and needless to say, all are highly recommended. Just two more to visit now, way out west on Sunday week.

SUNDAY 30 SEPTEMBER
We resume our judging schedule with the first of two Sunday outings. It’s a noon start at the Royal Oak, Tabard Street, Borough, twice a LPotY winner in recent years. As it’s also the pub I use most (if not actually a geographical ‘local’) it’s somewhat academic to visit for judging purposes. However, it’s very well worth visiting for drinking, eating and enjoying the ambience of a truly superb pub.

It’s a little over 10 years since Harveys reopened this former Courage pub as their first (and only) tied house in London, and it’s built up a deserved reputation in the capital and beyond. Today 5 Lewes brews are on offer: mild, pale, best, Olympia and Star of Eastbourne (a limited edition seasonal beer). The four of us (Alasdair is otherwise engaged) enjoy the mild and pale and also tuck into a substantial roast lunch (excellent value at £7.95). As we’re sitting back digesting our food, Frank (co-licensee and cellarman par excellence) brings us a gratis jug of the 5.5% Star of Eastbourne.

The Royal Oak

We’re far too polite to refuse of course, even though it is a rather more potent brew than we would usually drink so early in the day. Luckily we are joined by Richard, one of the regulars here, who accepts a half pint to help us out. Because we all know and love the pub so well we may as well abandon the judging here and now and give Frank the award. But there’s work to be done and all the pubs so far have been of a very high standard so you never know….

As 3 o’clock approaches we drag ourselves away, up Borough High Street to London Bridge station and a train to sunny downtown Deptford. The High Street is hardly the most salubrious street in London but it leads us on our way to the Dog & Bell, across the main road in Prince Street. The D & B is another former 2-time winner and it’s always a pleasure to visit.

Modern housing development in the area have changed the demographics of the neighbourhood; in other words the place is going slightly upmarket. Since the pub last won the award Charlie and Eileen have retired and a younger couple have taken over the reins. The main change seems to be a greater emphasis on food, but there have been no significant changes to the pub itself and certainly not to the beer policy. Fullers London Pride and ESB are the regulars and are joined by three ever-changing guest ales. This afternoon we had the choice of Surrey Hills Shere Drop, Dark Star Over the Moon (described on the pump clip as ‘dark and bitter’) and a Shepherd Neame beer which none of us bothered with.

The Dog and Bell

We sat in the ‘side room’ where the venerable bar billiards table remains; the walls are covered with original paintings which are for sale (starting at £300 or so!) We noticed that the roast lunches here are of hearty portions at a similar price to the Royal Oak. Most of the clientele (including Charlie and Eileen) were watching Ireland getting knocked out of the Rugby World Cup but the volume on the TV was kept at a non-intrusive volume. This is another pub I like very much; it’s off the beaten track but should not be missed. I first came across it when walking the Thames Path (the river is barely 100 yards to the north) but get there any way you can. If you’re visiting London, this and the Royal Oak are ‘must visits’.

As the afternoon drew to a close we walked across to Greenwich. After some confusion we all pitched up at the bar of the Richard I in Royal Hill. This has been a Youngs pub since 1974 and, like the Royal Oak, is an all too rare example of a two-room pub in London.

It was previously owned by Tolly Cobbold and is still known as ‘Tolly’s. Royal Hill is an old residential street away from the hustle and bustle of tourist Greenwich and the pub seems to have changed very little over the years I’ve known it. Sadly of course, there is a major change in the shape of the demise of Young’s brewery at Wandsworth. Opinion varies of the merits of the replacement Bedford brews but they remain highly drinkable to my mind. As well as the expected ‘ordinary’ and Special, plus Wells Bombardier, the RI also has Waggledance as a regular offering. The ordinary was oddly priced at £2.52 a pint; odd in that prices tend to get rounded up to the nearest 5 if not 10 pence.

So all credit to the management for saving customers a few odd coppers. This is also a pub which doesn’t inflict unnecessary noise on its clientele so that conversation is king. If you’re visiting and want to try something a bit different, right next door is the Greenwich Union, owned by the Meantime Brewery, based elsewhere in Greenwich. It sells continental-style beers at £3+ a pint. On this occasion, after some 8 hours dinking and a hearty lunch, I was happy enough just to drag myself to Greenwich station for the DLR over the river and home.

SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER
And so to the final session of pub judging. We’re in the depths of south west London and just to make life even more interesting, vital chunks of the underground and rail networks are out of commission. So it’s three changes of tube for me to get over to Richmond. As it’s a very pleasant morning and I have time to spare I walk along by the river, enjoying the views over Richmond Hill. There also seems to be some kind of charity fun run along the same course and I’m regularly passed by puffing ladies whose bulk is not flattered by tight lycra (unless you’re into that kind of thing).

Eventually I reach Twickenham and find Church Street, just off the busy main road, and our first pub, the Eel Pie. John and Mike were already in attendance and Bill and a rather subdued Alasdair soon followed (all had been at the Wallington beer festival the day before). The pub takes its name from the nearby island of the same name which was famous in the 1960s for its dance hall at which many notable rock and r & b bands appeared. The pub consists of one long room, the western section being at a slightly lower level (watch the step when heading for the loos!). Inevitably the pub is popular with the rugger crowd and some of the walls are lined with framed shirts.

The Eel Pie

There are several big TV screens around and I guess the joint must have been jumping the night before when England beat France in the World Cup semi-final. This is a Badger house and the featured ales were Badger bitter, Tanglefoot, ‘King & Barnes Sussex’ bitter and Fusty Ferret. Prices were fairly reasonable for the area and service was quite efficient given that the place was very busy. Many of the clientele were in fact the aforementioned fun runners enjoying a well-earned high energy drink. Unfortunately they had also pre-booked all the food, which rather scuppered our plans for Sunday lunch here.

All was not lost since, just a matter of yards down the road is the Fox, which offers good ale as well as food so we relocated there. Three beers from the local Twickenham Brewery – Scrum Down, Sunchaser and Naked Ladies – were on offer along with London Pride. Sunchaser was particularly pleasant if not cheap at £3 and very good for washing down an excellent roast lunch. The landlord and his staff were very keen and conscientious and my only gripe would be the too-loud piped music. We were rather concerned that Alasdair couldn’t finish his lunch and eventually he left us saying he needed to lie down (by all accounts he had imbibed too freely at Wallington).

Soon it was time to move on to the rail station and the train to Kingston. A short and uneventful journey was followed by the 15 minute walk along Canbury Park Road, left down Willoughby Road to the Willoughby Arms.

This is a solid Victorian street corner pub which is home to SPBW Kingston Branch and presided over by the legendary Rick Robinson. Rick happened to be standing at the bar when we arrived and very kindly bought us all a pint. I can’t recall what the full draught range was today but I confined myself to Twickenham Naked Ladies (named after some statues in a local park) and Surrey Hills Shere Drop, both very enjoyable. The Willoughby is very sports-oriented, the larger room boasting two TV screens and a multitude of signed shirts, bats balls and whatever else. Another room contains a pool table but there is one room where you can enjoy a quiet drink without sporting distraction.

The Willoughby Arms

There is also a TV screen built in to the outside wall so that smokers and other al fresco drinkers can watch from the garden (but with the sound turned down so as not to annoy the neighbours). All in all if you enjoy watching sport and live in the Kingston area, the Willoughby’s the place for you; otherwise go there when there aren’t any major events and enjoy a good pint in a traditional local. I did until I finally dragged myself away about 7 pm for the trek back across London.

And so endeth the judging. 15 pubs in 6 sessions, many a worthy pint consumed along the way with some good food at times as well. How do you pick a winner from this lot? I reckon there’s at least 10 pubs here that would be worthy of the award, although I do have two fairly clear favourites. Not telling what they are! The final reckoning will be on 1 November at the Pembury Tavern when the judges have the task of picking the SPBW London Pub of the Year for 2008. Bet you can’t wait!

PAST LPOTY WINNERS

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