Pubs to avoid ? (Apart from Woodenspoons) Are there any?

[IanD]

18 minutes ago, nickd said:

We went in the Anchor for an evening drink (singular) the year before last; I ordered a glass of white wine for Gill, the old lady serving asked if she wanted it chilled, as the answer was Yes she went into her sitting room behind the bar,opened her (domestic) fridge and got a small bottle of white and passed a glass and the bottle to Gill - Slightly unusual I thought but quite quaint. What wasn't so quaint was the Wadworths, she poured about 2/3rds of a pint with a large head. I thought to myself I'll have to ask her to top that one up a bit, then she topped it up from the drip-tray!

I was too speechless for words.

Mind you on the plus side it was dog-friendly, the locals were friendly (&  amused by the beer sideshow) and we were all of the confirmed opinion that the beer was crap.

Only stopped for the one drink that night.

Pouring not-quite-pints and then topping them up from a jug -- possibly from spillage, very likely old/off -- was why we left. Wadworth 6x isn't my favourite beer when it's in good condition, but the Anchor's certainly wasn't... ?

 

But remember, a choice of one crap draught beer *is* what a lot of pubs were like in the good old days...

[Mac of Cygnet]

Well I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in thinking the Anchor is not quite the Holy Grail.   I avoid it when in the area now, after a couple of tries.

[pearley]

There are so many pubs here in Newark , a quick tot up was 13 in a very compact town centre. I haven't been in all of them yet but tge many I have been are good, even tge Wetherspoons sold locally brewed ale.

 

Worst pub was the one by Tattershall Bridge on the Witham where the barmaid was more interested in talking to the locals than serving us.

 

If you are in Brighouse then mske a point of visting the Wetherspoons. When we first visited the town it was the Market Hall but before that was a chapel. When Wetherspoons bought it they removed the false ceiling to reveal the balcony seating area above.

[Bee]

I was banned from the 'Navigation' in Lapworth in 1975. Pub was ok, it was me that was a bit rough.

[Naughty Cal]

14 hours ago, pearley said:

There are so many pubs here in Newark , a quick tot up was 13 in a very compact town centre. I haven't been in all of them yet but tge many I have been are good, even tge Wetherspoons sold locally brewed ale.

 

Worst pub was the one by Tattershall Bridge on the Witham where the barmaid was more interested in talking to the locals than serving us.

 

If you are in Brighouse then mske a point of visting the Wetherspoons. When we first visited the town it was the Market Hall but before that was a chapel. When Wetherspoons bought it they removed the false ceiling to reveal the balcony seating area above.

The Royal Oak.

 

She is a funny old bird behind the bar. Serves a mean Sunday lunch though.

 

ETA: There are very few pubs that we actively avoid but we will never step foot in the Stump and Candle in Boston again. It was dire. 

Edited February 28, 2019 by Naughty Cal

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

On 27/02/2019 at 13:19, nickd said:

We went in the Anchor for an evening drink (singular) the year before last; I ordered a glass of white wine for Gill, the old lady serving asked if she wanted it chilled, as the answer was Yes she went into her sitting room behind the bar,opened her (domestic) fridge and got a small bottle of white and passed a glass and the bottle to Gill - Slightly unusual I thought but quite quaint. What wasn't so quaint was the Wadworths, she poured about 2/3rds of a pint with a large head. I thought to myself I'll have to ask her to top that one up a bit, then she topped it up from the drip-tray!

I was too speechless for words.

Mind you on the plus side it was dog-friendly, the locals were friendly (&  amused by the beer sideshow) and we were all of the confirmed opinion that the beer was crap.

Only stopped for the one drink that night.

Olive used to get the beer straight from the barrel in the cellar but had a fall. A hand pump was fitted in the bar but she still has the habit of keeping a jug to top up a pint. 

I was in the bar when someone kindly pointed out it’d be a good idea to keep the white wine in the fridge.  

The Anchor is a small home ran pub.

‘Managed’ pubs are available for those who prefer. 

 

I started this thread when I was doing a tour of the pubs in Ashton-under-Lyne.

The more I visit them the more I like them. They seem to be strongly supported by the locals and thriving. First time I’ve seen darts being played for a long time. How many pubs have lost the dartboard to make room for extra eating space? 

The pubs here have no pretences. 

(And are possibly cheaper than Woodenspoons.)

[Quaffer]

22 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

Well I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in thinking the Anchor is not quite the Holy Grail.   I avoid it when in the area now, after a couple of tries.

I've avoided it for years after my pint was jerked out of the malfunctioning handpump and topped up from a plastic jug of slops.There are some decent brewers not far from High Offley,so why does the pub insist on taking 6X from Devizes ? One of the really Boring Brown Beers in IMHO.

 

I've long felt The Anchor to be a case of The Emporor's New Clothes.

Edited February 28, 2019 by Quaffer

[Mac of Cygnet]

1 hour ago, Goliath said:

 

 

I started this thread when I was doing a tour of the pubs in Ashton-under-Lyne.

The more I visit them the more I like them. They seem to be strongly supported by the locals and thriving. First time I’ve seen darts being played for a long time. How many pubs have lost the dartboard to make room for extra eating space? The pubs here have no pretences. 

(And are possibly cheaper than Woodenspoons.)

 

So which are the good pubs in Ashton u/Lyne?  I've stopped there a few times, but all the pubs seem a bit of a trek from any decent moorings.

[mrsmelly]

18 minutes ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

 

So which are the good pubs in Ashton u/Lyne?  I've stopped there a few times, but all the pubs seem a bit of a trek from any decent moorings.

So true. Its a fact I have found that the better pubs are not canalside, not on every occasion but as a general rule.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

12 minutes ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

 

So which are the good pubs in Ashton u/Lyne?  I've stopped there a few times, but all the pubs seem a bit of a trek from any decent moorings.

I don’t think any of the pubs I’m currently using would fall into anyone’s usual good pub guide. 

I’m moored at the Basin, non towpath side, so I walk up and cross the big road, pop into Aldi for my tea, then use the pubs in the immediate area. 

The Star 

Fat Larry’s Western Saloon

The Theatre ?

and the Foresters Arms. 

 

Ashton looks like it’s had it’s better days. Haven’t caught the market. 

Good bus and tram service from here. 

And a few vegetarian Indian restaurants. 

 

There’s a very good hotel pub, the Caledonian. Expensive (comparatively) but could fall into the idea of good. 

 

 

 

[IanD]

22 hours ago, Quaffer said:

I've avoided it for years after my pint was jerked out of the malfunctioning handpump and topped up from a plastic jug of slops.There are some decent brewers not far from High Offley,so why does the pub insist on taking 6X from Devizes ? One of the really Boring Brown Beers in IMHO.

 

I've long felt The Anchor to be a case of The Emporor's New Clothes.

The real problem is that beer standards have moved on since the 1970s, and there are a lot of pubs now -- managed or not -- which supply a selection of excellent beers, increasingly from small local breweries. Not that numbers of beers matter, there's absolutely nothing wrong with having just one or two excellent beers in perfect condition (e.g. Bathams at the Bull & Bladder). But having only one regional-brewery beer which isn't particularly good to start with by today's standards and then serving it in poor condition isn't going to bring beer-loving customers back in droves, even if it is a small home run pub untouched by time -- because others nevertheless sell excellent beer nowadays, and the Anchor doesn't -- or at least not consistently.

[dmr]

23 hours ago, Quaffer said:

I've avoided it for years after my pint was jerked out of the malfunctioning handpump and topped up from a plastic jug of slops.There are some decent brewers not far from High Offley,so why does the pub insist on taking 6X from Devizes ? One of the really Boring Brown Beers in IMHO.

 

I've long felt The Anchor to be a case of The Emporor's New Clothes.

I agree that 6X is not the most exciting beer in the land, but as Goliath said, beer has always been served from a jug in the Anchor, why do you think it was slops???? I doubt that Olive is on this forum, or even on the internet, otherwise you might get into trouble for saying stuff like that.

 

...............Dave

[Victor Vectis]

But it's still 6X, as per post 32, a boring brown beer.

[W+T]

On 24/02/2019 at 20:24, Goliath said:

There’re lots of threads/topics/discussions on best pubs and dog friendly pubs and foody pubs bla bla best ale bla bla. 

I ‘d like to know some of the places close to the canal that you wouldn’t use, or have done a uturn from. What’s your idea of a rough pub?

 

 

Finding it hard to think at moment with the Karaoke singers. But Carling is only£2 and Monster Munch at 50p for me tea. Love it. 

 

 

 

 

Well if its nats pee Carling you drink how can you complain ???

 

 

[mrsmelly]

3 hours ago, Victor Vectis said:

But it's still 6X, as per post 32, a boring brown beer.

I used to sell 6x as I had Wadworth pubs in the main. I have to agree it is a boring beer although I did sell it from " the wood " at one of my pubs which made it a better drink. Wadworths Farmers Glory was my fave of theirs but now its only an occasional brew rather than full time availability as it was when I took my first Waddies pub. Old timer is also a nice beer.

Edited March 1, 2019 by mrsmelly

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

2 hours ago, W+T said:

 

 

Well if its nats pee Carling you drink how can you complain ???

 

 

Am I complaining?

 

give me a £2 carling above an over priced ‘craft ale’ anytime. 

 

Just walked out of a craft ale pub. Ordered a Jennings and it came with flies on top. 

Guiness at the minute at £2.50. 

 

Whilst I’ve a preference for a good pint of bitter, I won’t pay through the nose for it. 

 

Anyway nat has a g, unless you missed the apostrophe and meant Nat’s ?

 

 

“But Carling is only£2 and Monster Munch at 50p for me tea. Love it. “

was my original statement, hardly a complaint. 

 

Edited March 1, 2019 by Goliath

[Quaffer]

5 hours ago, dmr said:

I agree that 6X is not the most exciting beer in the land, but as Goliath said, beer has always been served from a jug in the Anchor, why do you think it was slops???? I doubt that Olive is on this forum, or even on the internet, otherwise you might get into trouble for saying stuff like that.

 

...............Dave

Apologies for the slow response but I've been out drinking.

 

When I went into The Anchor I immediately clocked the plastic jug under the dripping handpump,it was about a quarter filled with beer.On ordering a pint of 6X,the handpump creaked and delivered some beer and a lot of foam into the glass which eventually was allowed to overtop the glass,with  mainly foam but some liquid dripped down the outside of the glass,over the servers hand and into the jug.The pint was then topped up from the jug.

 

 

This is most unhygenic ,and had there been a drip tray the excess beer would have gathered there.In my world any beer in the drip tray is known as slops and I would not expect a pint top up from a drip tray.

I noticed that The Anchor is in the 2019 Good Beer Guide,so maybe the local CAMRA branch members have convinced themselves that the ale here is of the highest order,but I was shocked by the bad practice.

 

Folk often talk about this pub being in the middle of nowhere ,and charmingly rural.However the huge campsite next door impacts that vibe,

We voted with our feet,and that's why I've nominated the pub as one to avoid ,responding to the original poster.

 

That's just a personal view ,I like to quaff a decent amount of ale when I'm in a pub,and if anyone could do a session on that 6X your a better man than me.

 

 

[mrsmelly]

15 minutes ago, Quaffer said:

Apologies for the slow response but I've been out drinking.

 

When I went into The Anchor I immediately clocked the plastic jug under the dripping handpump,it was about a quarter filled with beer.On ordering a pint of 6X,the handpump creaked and delivered some beer and a lot of foam into the glass which eventually was allowed to overtop the glass,with  mainly foam but some liquid dripped down the outside of the glass,over the servers hand and into the jug.The pint was then topped up from the jug.

 

 

This is most unhygenic ,and had there been a drip tray the excess beer would have gathered there.In my world any beer in the drip tray is known as slops and I would not expect a pint top up from a drip tray.

I noticed that The Anchor is in the 2019 Good Beer Guide,so maybe the local CAMRA branch members have convinced themselves that the ale here is of the highest order,but I was shocked by the bad practice.

 

Folk often talk about this pub being in the middle of nowhere ,and charmingly rural.However the huge campsite next door impacts that vibe,

We voted with our feet,and that's why I've nominated the pub as one to avoid ,responding to the original poster.

 

That's just a personal view ,I like to quaff a decent amount of ale when I'm in a pub,and if anyone could do a session on that 6X your a better man than me.

 

 

I dont know how old you are but many many pubs used the " Auto vac " beer system for many years until recently. If you dont know what it is or how it works then it may well be on google. If you are not so young then you will have drunk many a pint using that system probably without knowing? I have run pubs with it though not for a few years now. Edit to add that Ive just googled and Auto vacs are still alive and kicking which does suprise me. Always remember my mate Brian who used to smoke behind the bar and the ash used to drop into the autovac from the end of his fag whilst he was serving ?

Edited March 1, 2019 by mrsmelly

[dmr]

34 minutes ago, Quaffer said:

Apologies for the slow response but I've been out drinking.

 

When I went into The Anchor I immediately clocked the plastic jug under the dripping handpump,it was about a quarter filled with beer.On ordering a pint of 6X,the handpump creaked and delivered some beer and a lot of foam into the glass which eventually was allowed to overtop the glass,with  mainly foam but some liquid dripped down the outside of the glass,over the servers hand and into the jug.The pint was then topped up from the jug.

 

 

This is most unhygenic ,and had there been a drip tray the excess beer would have gathered there.In my world any beer in the drip tray is known as slops and I would not expect a pint top up from a drip tray.

I noticed that The Anchor is in the 2019 Good Beer Guide,so maybe the local CAMRA branch members have convinced themselves that the ale here is of the highest order,but I was shocked by the bad practice.

 

Folk often talk about this pub being in the middle of nowhere ,and charmingly rural.However the huge campsite next door impacts that vibe,

We voted with our feet,and that's why I've nominated the pub as one to avoid ,responding to the original poster.

 

That's just a personal view ,I like to quaff a decent amount of ale when I'm in a pub,and if anyone could do a session on that 6X your a better man than me.

 

 

The Anchor is not my favorite pub, its cold, the seats are uncomfortable and the beer is nothing special, but I still really enjoy visiting once every couple of years, Its unique and eccentric and I would much much rather have that than a modern bland corporate "chain" pub run by a bland manager (such as the 'spoons"). I like the way Olive comes round and sits with the customers towards the end of the evening, and the gents is just wonderful, though some would see it as a health hazard.

 

I like the modern "alcoholic grapefruit" style of hoppy beers so 6X is not my choice. Its a difficult beer but it can be good, and if good then its fine for a session (though "you know you've had a drink" the next morning). I am not sure if its variable from brew to brew, if its gone downhill of late, or if it just needs very good keeping, but its rarer to get a good one these days. It also tends to be much too expensive.

 

I prescribe a visit to the Horse and Jockey in Ellesmere Port (further down the same canal), that'll make you appreciate the Anchor.

 

What were you drinking tonight?

 

...................Dave

[ditchcrawler]

7 hours ago, dmr said:

I agree that 6X is not the most exciting beer in the land, but as Goliath said, beer has always been served from a jug in the Anchor, why do you think it was slops???? I doubt that Olive is on this forum, or even on the internet, otherwise you might get into trouble for saying stuff like that.

 

...............Dave

It comes from the tray that catches the drips etc from the pump

[Dr Bob]

4 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

It comes from the tray that catches the drips etc from the pump

Back in the 70's and 80's , Brains dark, which was a big seller, was always the end point for all the slops, and everyone knew it.. The clue was in the name. Still the best pint for thousands of daft Welshmen. I hated it. I drank SA. 

[dmr]

6 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

It comes from the tray that catches the drips etc from the pump

The Railway in Hebden Bridge....The urinals are made from cut in half aluminum keg, I imagine I am weeing straight into the lager supply!

 

.................Dave

[Quaffer]

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

I dont know how old you are but many many pubs used the " Auto vac " beer system for many years until recently. If you dont know what it is or how it works then it may well be on google. If you are not so young then you will have drunk many a pint using that system probably without knowing? I have run pubs with it though not for a few years now. Edit to add that Ive just googled and Auto vacs are still alive and kicking which does suprise me. Always remember my mate Brian who used to smoke behind the bar and the ash used to drop into the autovac from the end of his fag whilst he was serving ?

I am aware of Autovacs but always considered their use as rather unfortunate,not hygenic and likely to compromise the quality of real ale.Surprisingly not "outlawed" by CAMRA,and not sure about the policy at Cask Marque.

 

BTW first pint of real ale slipped down the gullet in 1973.

[Quaffer]

1 hour ago, dmr said:

 

 

What were you drinking tonight?

 

...................Dave

Siren Craft                 -- Broken Dream Breakfast Stout

Dark Star                   -- American Pale Ale

Abbeydale                -- Serenity

XT                             -- 3 (West Coast IPA)

Beavertown              -- Gamma Ray (keg)

[mrsmelly]

10 hours ago, Quaffer said:

I am aware of Autovacs but always considered their use as rather unfortunate,not hygenic and likely to compromise the quality of real ale.Surprisingly not "outlawed" by CAMRA,and not sure about the policy at Cask Marque.

 

BTW first pint of real ale slipped down the gullet in 1973.

Ahh well 1973 was the year all the best people were 18. I do hope you were not an " Underage " drinker? ? I was suprised to see the autovac system still in use and indeed promoted by at least one brewer in this day and age!!