Brockenhurst, New Forest, Hampshire:
Traditional village pub, nearest to our holiday property and close to the station. We were staying very nearby, and dropped in for tea with a friend. The bar was noisy and crowded, but the lounge was quiet and relaxed, though it did busy up later. I’d guess that at peak times this could get very busy.
Really helpful, friendly barman, decent beer on offer including an AF on draught, decent food, and a nice atmosphere.
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire:
Historic pub in a medieval building sympathetically converted in 1996. Originally gifted to Anne of Cleves by Henry VIII as part of her divorce settlement, apparently.
Traditional inside and out- beams, tapestries, low doorways, stone floor.
Pleasant staff, cask ale and alcohol free on offer, good food, nice outdoor space. Very busy on a bank holiday Sunday lunchtime, but we got served in a reasonable time.
Enderby, Leicestershire:
Our nearest pub while on a short break. Near as in “opposite our rental property”.
This place impressed from the start. We walked in at 13:55, and were still able to order food (the kitchen closed at 14:00), the landlady was friendly and pleasant, there was decent beer and an alcohol-free choice.
Inside is multi-room and traditional, and there’s outside and semi-outside space (a roofed-over area at the back). Outside is traditional and thatched!
Fantastic pub with great food: they only usually do food at lunchtime at the moment but are trialling evening food. Opening hours aren’t all-day every-day, being more like traditional hours, so check before visiting.
We had been in The Drill once or twice since the last blog entry nine years ago, but it had been a while again: the bus route no longer goes nearby, but not to worry, we were in the car.
A small celebration saw us eating out in the week again.
The Drill really feels like a country pub, tucked down a lane. Plenty of parking, a kids area, outside space. Inside is fairly traditional but with some modern shabby-chic decor. There’s a strong food bias with a pretty decent menu- the food is great and reasonably priced, and the staff friendly
My last post about The Shire Oak was almost a decade ago, just after the refurb, and I visited maybe once or twice after that, but it’s been some time since I visited.
We drove up, as it’s too far for us to walk these days. We’d no plans for tea and with one thing and another, hadn’t been out in the evening for some time, and we’d not eaten here this millennium (!)
Now the refurb is 10 years old, it’s looking a bit dated: very red, and reminiscent of a slightly tired Highlands pub with the tartan-ish carpet.
However, things were actually pretty good. Alcohol-free lager on draught, pleasant young chap serving, and decent, reasonably-priced food. Would have preferred the 90s dance music to be quieter or absent, but it wasn’t too bad.
Cannock, Staffs, on the edge of the Chase:
Food-biased traditional pub with views over Staffordshire- you can easily see The Wrekin in neighbouring Shropshire.
There’s extensive menus- bar food and restaurant, real ale, and outside space. Plenty of parking, lots of different spaces, inside and out. Food was decent, staff were pleasant, service was great.
Real ale on offer, but didn’t try it.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne:
Well, it’s nothing unexpected, is it? Upmarket from a ‘spoons, one of the national chains – a standard Marston’s chain pub right on the waterfront opposite the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art (where we’d been), just a short walk over the Millenium Bridge.
However, it delivered what we needed, quite well. We needed a sit, a drink, and some lunch. The place was quiet, the food wasn’t at all bad, and the staff were pleasant. I’d probably find it a bit lively on a Friday night, but on a Wednesday lunchtime it was a decent fit for us.
Whitley Bay:
Part of a chain I hadn’t heard of before- Sir John Fitzgerald, who operate in the North East.
This didn’t hit the spot with us: there wasn’t much outdoor seating, and the one bench was being used as a workbench by the gardeners. Inside was pleasant enough- clean and tidy- but very generic modern food pub. The food was mixed: my fish finger sandwich was very good, the prawn mayonnaise sandwich my other half had was a bit drippy.
The music was at a sane volume, but was that eye-wateringly bland shite that someone in marketing must think creates a classy, relaxed “vibe” but actually makes you want to kill someone.
Staff were pleasant, and if you ignored the blandness, it wasn’t a bad place, but I wouldn’t rush back.
Chorley, Burntwood, Staffordshire:
We wanted to take our neighbours out for food and drinks, and The Nelson fitted the bill nicely: above average pub food, decent parking, a country pub atmosphere. It’s just outside Burntwood, but the suburban sprawl drops away quickly and it feels like a proper country pub.
It’s quite food-biased, though there are places to just drink. Food was very good, beer was apparently good, and there was a decent choice of alcohol-free too. Pleasant staff, and decent prices- it’s not bargain basement pub food, but it’s good value.
Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire:
Traditional, sizeable village pub. There’s decent-looking food, but we’d already been to The Two Pigs nearby. Busy in the bar, a little quieter in the lounge, but pleasant enough. Real ale on offer.