RugbyRebels

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:

Banquo wrote:

Eugene Wrayburn wrote: They serve them in Hawksmoor steak restaurants, which is fantastic. Do visit the brewery of a saturday if you can. it's mayhem.

Do you like the Hawksmoor chain? I went to the one in Seven Dials- Covent Garden and thought it was an odd mixture of pretension and very average over-priced food and service. Perhaps it was just a bad night.

Hawksmoor is usually reliably very good. I've never heard an average word said about it. I'm a big fan both of the food and the service.

differen' strokes I guess

Banquo wrote:

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:

Banquo wrote: Do you like the Hawksmoor chain? I went to the one in Seven Dials- Covent Garden and thought it was an odd mixture of pretension and very average over-priced food and service. Perhaps it was just a bad night.

Hawksmoor is usually reliably very good. I've never heard an average word said about it. I'm a big fan both of the food and the service.

differen' strokes I guess

You probably just had a bad day. Miss Hexham and I went to the much vaunted and Michelin starred Chez Bruce years ago and had a very mediocre meal despite many friends whose opinions on the matter we respect saying that it was great. Went back couple of weeks ago because people are still telling us that it is wonderful and it was excellent.

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:

Banquo wrote:

Eugene Wrayburn wrote: Hawksmoor is usually reliably very good. I've never heard an average word said about it. I'm a big fan both of the food and the service.

differen' strokes I guess

You probably just had a bad day. Miss Hexham and I went to the much vaunted and Michelin starred Chez Bruce years ago and had a very mediocre meal despite many friends whose opinions on the matter we respect saying that it was great. Went back couple of weeks ago because people are still telling us that it is wonderful and it was excellent.

Probably- I went with high expectations and was underwhelmed with service and the food to bill ratio

Banquo wrote:

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:

Banquo wrote: differen' strokes I guess

You probably just had a bad day. Miss Hexham and I went to the much vaunted and Michelin starred Chez Bruce years ago and had a very mediocre meal despite many friends whose opinions on the matter we respect saying that it was great. Went back couple of weeks ago because people are still telling us that it is wonderful and it was excellent.

Probably- I went with high expectations and was underwhelmed with service and the food to bill ratio

You didn't do anything silly like order not-a-steak did you?!

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:

Banquo wrote:

Eugene Wrayburn wrote: You probably just had a bad day. Miss Hexham and I went to the much vaunted and Michelin starred Chez Bruce years ago and had a very mediocre meal despite many friends whose opinions on the matter we respect saying that it was great. Went back couple of weeks ago because people are still telling us that it is wonderful and it was excellent.

Probably- I went with high expectations and was underwhelmed with service and the food to bill ratio

You didn't do anything silly like order not-a-steak did you?!

no, that would be silly . I've had much better steak though.....it happens.

I'm a bit fucked off.

It's the New Zealand Fresh Hop launch on Saturday (free bus between 4 bars each with a different range of green-hopped beers from local breweries). I love my fresh-hop beers.

Unfortunately ages ago we agreed to host my in-laws at the beach house this weekend so I can't go. I'm going to have to spend the afternoon trying to find out if anyone is doing a pre-launch tonight.

luvverly-jubberly..
The UK green-hopping season is late Sep.-ish. in Kent, few weeks later in Wuss. I know Shep. Neame bring one out each year (Kent) and there was one called 'Conqueror' around for the RWC.
Fuggles,Golding,Challenger,Northdown mainly but plenty more varieties that give their own kick...NZ should be good for hops due to it's wetness.

Yep. We've got quite a number of "native" hop varieties.

I've got some growing in my front yard.

Galfon wrote:luvverly-jubberly..
The UK green-hopping season is late Sep.-ish. in Kent, few weeks later in Wuss. I know Shep. Neame bring one out each year (Kent) and there was one called 'Conqueror' around for the RWC.
Fuggles,Golding,Challenger,Northdown mainly but plenty more varieties that give their own kick...NZ should be good for hops due to it's wetness.

Got my mitts on some from The Old Dairy Brewery in Tenterden last year. Lush.


Tonbridge Copper Knob in the local this week. Most pleasing.

Spent most of Easter in The Peak District. Not been there before. Good pubs and great beer everywhere. Personal favourite was The Cheshire Cheese Pub in Hope. A real gem. Excellent food and at least 4 local ales on draught plus the usual. Not wonderful cider choices, but you wouldn't expect there to be. Quiz night was Tuesday, live music (folk) on Thursday. Great pub. Made to feel very welcome.

Tried some 'White Witch' - from Moorhouse Brewery (Burnley ) - a golden/blond ale so they call it these days.. a refreshing lunchtime quaff in
an old relic of a pub, where children weren't
allowed and the bogs just functional.

Exmoor Gold if it comes your way . Nice light sunkissed ale , easy on the tongue and rare in some parts .

Abbot , a steady reliable ale , Wetherspoons always seem to have it available .

Bathams bitter , simply glorious , unfortunately a rare visitor to the west country .

Yellowhammer best bitter , a nice Scottish ale for some reason found in the Dawlish area .

Discreet Hooker wrote: Bathams bitter , simply glorious , unfortunately a rare visitor to the west country .

Good call Disco, not had this for a while - it was always top drawer on our student Black Country beer forays from Brum (early 80's)..others being
Banks/Hansons/Simpkiss/Ma Pardoes.
Actually went on arranged trip to the Delph Brewery just after then - at The Vine pub aka 'Bull & Bladder' in Broy-er-Lee Hill.Smashing little place - was full of busy locals doing social type things..all seemed shortish, dark haired & skinny and appeared to be singing at each other but it was just the very pronounced dialect.

Galfon wrote:

Discreet Hooker wrote: Bathams bitter , simply glorious , unfortunately a rare visitor to the west country .

Good call Disco, not had this for a while - it was always top drawer on our student Black Country beer forays from Brum (early 80's)..others being
Banks/Hansons/Simpkiss/Ma Pardoes.
Actually went on arranged trip to the Delph Brewery just after then - at The Vine pub aka 'Bull & Bladder' in Broy-er-Lee Hill.Smashing little place - was full of busy locals doing social type things..all seemed shortish, dark haired & skinny and appeared to be singing at each other but it was just the very pronounced dialect.

Yup ! Tried all those beers in my West Mids days !


According to an old mate . Bathams were a very difficult brewery to deal with . Think they had about six tied pubs in the area and were reluctant to supply the odd barrels o/s their area .Apparently , even in the trade , if you wanted a barrel of their glorious produce you had to go . collect it yourself .

Btw, did you ever get in the Wellington pub just off New Street ? Big turnover of real ales and you could take your own food in there . Full of office workers at lunchtime !! Best selection of real ales I've seen anywhere before or since .

We tended to steer clear if the centre - pretty desolate in them days..Duck Inn & Garden House on Hagley Rd.for wider range or any Davenports pub in the centre gave good stuff. ( locally brewed then )..or the good old cellar bar in the Union bldg..

Galfon wrote:We tended to steer clear if the centre - pretty desolate in them days..Duck Inn & Garden House on Hagley Rd.for wider range or any Davenports pub in the centre gave good stuff. ( locally brewed then )..or the good old cellar bar in the Union bldg..

The Dirty Duck , Hagley Road ! We had a company celebration there some years ago , company coughed up some money but best of all we had a mini~bus driver to take us home . My mate knew the licencee who at that time had an influx of assorted Cornish beers .

That , is all I seem to remember

The true 'Dirty Duck' of those environs was/is The White Swan at the bottom end of 'The Harborne Run'..used to be a mile or so of decent pubs..probably few left now.
You could do skittles in the Swan.
More up to date, Marston's brand also includes Wolves & Dud, Jennings (Cockermouth) and Wychwood (Hobgoblin, Oxford), abd is quoted as being the world's biggest cask ale producer.
Some of their pubs in Manchester are doing well.

I may have to stop reading this thread for a month . Intend to have a ' dry ' January .

Did it last Jan and surprised myself !


Seemed to have a bit more money on me too .

This is my local


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Just a thought . . . . . anyone ever heard the expression .. " Ooooh , the Lagers much better in the King Teddy * " ?



* Or, anywhere else ?

I called in to one of my all-time favourite pubs, the Blue Anchor in Helston, Cornwall when I was in the UK last Christmas and sank more than a few Spingo Christmas Specials. When I walked in it was like that scene out of An American Werewolf in London when the Yanks drop in to The Slaughtered Lamb. Utterly sensational beer though - like liquefied Christmas pudding in a pint glass.

Parsifal wrote:I called in to one of my all-time favourite pubs, the Blue Anchor in Helston, Cornwall when I was in the UK last Christmas and sank more than a few Spingo Christmas Specials. When I walked in it was like that scene out of An American Werewolf in London when the Yanks drop in to The Slaughtered Lamb. Utterly sensational beer though - like liquefied Christmas pudding in a pint glass.

Did you then abandon your friend on the moors and bite the chief of police's head off?

Buggaluggs wrote:

Parsifal wrote:I called in to one of my all-time favourite pubs, the Blue Anchor in Helston, Cornwall when I was in the UK last Christmas and sank more than a few Spingo Christmas Specials. When I walked in it was like that scene out of An American Werewolf in London when the Yanks drop in to The Slaughtered Lamb. Utterly sensational beer though - like liquefied Christmas pudding in a pint glass.

Did you then abandon your friend on the moors and bite the chief of police's head off?

Were you speaking Ingerlush ?


Btw :# I fking hate Christmas spice ales ! Shoite in a glass .

Buggaluggs wrote:

Parsifal wrote:I called in to one of my all-time favourite pubs, the Blue Anchor in Helston, Cornwall when I was in the UK last Christmas and sank more than a few Spingo Christmas Specials. When I walked in it was like that scene out of An American Werewolf in London when the Yanks drop in to The Slaughtered Lamb. Utterly sensational beer though - like liquefied Christmas pudding in a pint glass.

Did you then abandon your friend on the moors and bite the chief of police's head off?

I couldn't say for certain although I do recall having a chilli burger post-session at Boo Koos.