Partizan at Fuggles

After my “virtuous” start to the weekend, I was itching to get out of the house on Sunday. Fortunately, I’d finished my planned outdoor work the day before, but with the seemingly incessant rain falling outside, chances of escape seemed minimal.

The weather did show slight signs of clearing, shortly after midday, so I finished what I was doing computer-wise, sorted out some suitable outdoor gear, and announced to Mrs PBT’s that I was going for a wander down into Tonbridge.

She knew what I had in mind – how could she not after being married to me for 35 years, so her passing shots were don’t forget your hand gel or your mask! I was, of course, making my way to a house of refreshment, although I also had a few items of shopping to pick up – bottles of Fuller’s London Porter, on offer at Waitrose.

I took an umbrella with me, but there was insufficient rain to warrant putting it up. Instead my raincoat did a good job of keeping me dry. I called in briefly at son Matthew’s shop, just to say hello and check what time he was finishing at. Trade had been slack, hardly surprising given the weather and I reflected on this as I made my way up the High Street.

Fuggles Beer Café was my destination in what would be my first visit since before lock-down. According to their website, Fuggles encourages visitors to book in advance, although they will accept “walk-ins” if there is sufficient space available. At one o’clock on a wet Sunday afternoon, there was ample space available, as I noticed whilst queuing at the designated spot at the side of the bar.

I was shown to a vacant table with a good view of the bar – important for those who like to know what they are drinking. I needn’t have worried though, as there was a printed beer and snacks menu thoughtfully placed on every table, along with a bottle of hand sanitiser.

When the friendly young barman strolled over to take my details, and beer order, I apologised for not having downloaded the pub app, or indeed any track and trace app. “No problem,” the man said, and took a note of my name and contact details manually. As for the beer, I went for something a little different.

Partizan Porter took my fancy, keg, but who cares? Now I am no longer a CAMRA member and constrained by feeling obliged to choose cask over everything else, I can no drink what ever I like, and I have to say that this 5.4% abv porter was a real treat. Smooth and dry with coffee and milk chocolate notes (according to the blurb), this fine example of a traditional London porter slipped down a treat.

In my experience, darker beers are far less affected by the kegging process than the paler ones, and I really enjoyed this one. I’d have scored it at 4.5 NBSS if it had been allowed under CAMRA’s rules, which shows how increasingly blurred the distinction between cask and keg has become.

There was a nice and relaxed atmosphere in Fuggles that afternoon; the pub wasn’t particularly full, and there were still several unoccupied tables, but there was enough social interaction and the resultant hum of voices to generate that familiar background pub sound.  

As I said, this was my first visit to Fuggles since before lockdown. Neither of the company’s two outlets re-opened on 4^th July, as owner Alex Greig wanted to see first how other pubs and bars fared under the new regime. He also wanted to ensure that the correct modifications and procedures were all in place, before opening Fuggles back up to drinkers.

As things turns out, the Tonbridge Fuggles opened before its sister outlet in Tunbridge Wells, and now, having been in and seen for myself exactly what measure have been put in place, I have to say I am impressed. The staff were all very pleasant and seemed well drilled in what was necessary to provide a safe, but still welcoming environment. 

 I witnessed tables being cleared and sanitised as customers departed and I noticed the handrail to the stairs, leading down to the toilets, was also wiped with sanitiser at regular intervals. It is this sort of attention to detail that I found commendable and it is the sort of thing needed to persuade nervous people like Mrs PBT’s, that it is safe to return to the pubs – or some pubs, at least.

So, despite a rather brief visit, it was a very pleasant one, which for me, was the ideal way to spend 40 minutes or so on a wet Sunday afternoon. Despite being tempted to have another, one pint of a 5.4% beer was enough, and switching to an alternative might well have left me with something not quite as enjoyable as that Partizan Porter.  

As the nights start drawing in, and the weather becomes less conducive to outdoor work,  I may well find myself making the odd Sunday afternoon trip in Fuggles direction.