Drink Moor Beer

"Drink Moor Beer". If you owned a brewery company called Moor, then you couldn't possibly wish for a better advertising slogan, nor indeed a better name for your beer. And if your beer had won numerous awards and umpteen accolades, then you'd be even prouder of your name and to encourage people to drink more of the stuff.

Moor Beer is named after the Moors and Levels area of Somerset, which is where the original company started brewing in 1996.  Things did not work out, and Moor Beer closed in 2005. Two years later Californian, Justin Hawke, bought the company and started it afresh; ditching some of the original brands, adding new ones, and reworking the rest.

Hawkes’s bold new approach was to combine the German tradition of naturally hazy beers with that of the American, "flavour-forward" philosophy. He then mixed this in with uniquely British practice of secondary fermentation. In doing so, Justin created what Moor Beer call Modern Real Ale. The company are now regarded as one of the top-rated breweries in the world.

In 2014 the brewery moved to central Bristol, in the area behind Temple Meads Station. The new site also includes a taproom and brewery shop and, as I discovered the other Friday, they have now opened a taproom in London. I heard the news from journalist and fellow beer-writer BryanB, whilst attending the Budvar Imperial Lager tasting event at the Trading Post.

Bryan mentioned he would be going along to the Moor Beer taproom opening, later in the afternoon, and asked if I was going? I wasn't aware of the event, especially as I hadn't received an invitation, but Bryan thought that as a fellow beer-writer, admission wouldn't be a problem. He told me the location of the taproom - in yet another railway arch a short walk from Bermondsey Underground station, shortly before he departed from the Budvar event.

Having just refilled my glass with the 7.5% Imperial Lager, I wasn't in a terrific hurry to leave, so I told Bryan that I might see him there. Seeing as I was in town for the afternoon, I decided to throw caution to the wind, despite starting to feel the effects of my lunchtime indulgence. The Budvar event was drawing to a close, so I made my way along to Bank Underground station and took the tube to Bermondsey.

The Moor Taproom wasn't hard to find, and after showing my card to the person on the door, I was allowed inside and given five beer tokens; each worth a half pint. There were quite a few people inside the arch, some milling around by the open entrance, others hanging out at the bar, but most were seated on wooden benches inside the arch.

Owner and brewer, Justin Hawke was present on what was obviously a big day for Moor Beer Co, mingling and chatting with the guests as well as helping out behind the bar, where necessary. I  noticed Bryan sitting at one of the tables, tapping away on his laptop like a true professional, putting me and my pile of hand-scribbled notes to shame! After saying hello I wandered over to the bar to grab myself a beer. There were six cask and twelve keg beers on offer. The four beers I sampled were all excellent, showing just what can be achieved with the right approach coupled with correct formulation. 

On cask I enjoyed Nor' Hop, a 4.1% "Ultra Pale Ale"  and Dark Alliance, a 4.5% Coffee Stout, with a nice hoppy aftertaste. On the keg front, the 3.5% All Dayer Session IPA and the 5.0% Smokey Horizon, Smoked Rye Pale Ale completed the line-up as far as I was concerned.

It is worth noting that all the company's beers are un-fined, and are designed to be served with a slight natural haze. Their cask beers do not contain isinglass finings, and are described by the brewery as "natural".  Moor Beer Co now supply all their beers as un-fined and naturally hazy, claiming this is best for the beer and for the consumer. Even their cans are un-fined, and because they still contain "live yeast" CAMRA has given them its seal of approval, designating them as "real ale in a can". 

I used four out of my five tokens, wisely deciding not to make use of the fifth. Bryan had already departed, and dusk was starting to fall as I made my way back to Bermondsey station. I left thinking that the presence of a taproom belonging to a brewery with the standing of Moor Beer, was a definite positive addition to the London beer scene; even if  it is rather crowded in the Bermondsey area.

It was a good way to end what had already been an excellent day in the capital, and I was really pleased to have had the opportunity to enjoy some of the excellent beers which Moor produce. My only comment would be that, like virtually all the other establishments along the famous Bermondsey Beer-Mile, the taproom could do with some more enhanced toilet facilities!

Footnote: I have just received news that on 3rd May, Moor Beer will be holding a Tap Takeover & Meet the Brewer session, at Fuggles Beer Cafe, just down the road from me in Tonbridge. The date is firmly in my diary!

The Jolly Boy's Outing

There can be few people, in this country at least, who haven’t seen the classic, Christmas special episode of “Only Fools & Horses”, which sees Del, Rodney and the rest of the regulars from the Nag’s Head setting off on a coach trip to Margate. Set during an Easter Bank Holiday Weekend, the episode was titled “The Jolly Boy’s Outing”, and is based on the type of beery coach trips to the coast which many London pubs used to organise up until a decade or so ago.

Sometimes described as  “Beano's”, these trips were meant for an almost exclusively male clientele, and were basically an organised “piss-up.” There would be several, pre-arranged pub stops on the way to the seaside, and plenty of opportunity to visits a few pubs at the final destination as well. For good measure, there would normally be a few crates of bottled beer (nearly always brown ale), stowed away at the back of the coach.

Whilst not quite in the same vein as these legendary “Beano’s”, for the past 12 years, West Kent CAMRA have run an annual trip to Margate in order to visit the town’s long-standing beer festival, “Planet Thanet”. Train is the preferred means of travel, rather than coach, and there are no crates of brown ale hidden away in the guard’s van either, but apart from that these trips are similar, in spirit at least, to the Jolly Boy’s Outings of yester-year.

This now annual pilgrimage to the seaside always takes place on Good Friday, which is the opening day of the festival. This is unfortunate for me as the Planet Thanet trip invariably clashes with Maidstone CAMRA’s annual ramble, and for me, walking through the Kent countryside, during early spring, to a nice country pub, in the company of old friends, always wins out over being stuck in a hall sampling half after half of too many similar-tasting beers.

That was until the rains came, for as I wrote in the previous post, deluge after deluge have left our fields totally sodden and many footpaths virtually impassable. There was nothing else to do, but bite the bullet and join my CAMRA friends on their trip “Down to Margate”. I enjoyed the train ride down to the coast and had a rather smug feeling as I surveyed the water-logged fields from the comfort of our nice dry carriage. We had to change trains at both Ashford and Ramsgate, and it was at the latter that we noticed plenty of other fellow travellers were heading for the same destination as us. (CAMRA members can usually be spotted a mile off!).

It is several years since I last set foot in Margate, but the town doesn’t seem to have changed much. Given the weather the place looked particularly windswept and desolate, and from behind the protective glass of a seafront café, where we stopped for a late breakfast the beach looked far from inviting. The Planet Thanet festival takes place at Margate Winter Gardens, described as Thanet’s leading conference, entertainment and banqueting venue. Located on the cliff-top, looking out to sea in an artificial hollow at Fort Green, the Winter Gardens can accommodate events ranging from a 1,400 theatre style conference to a 750 banquet with several other smaller syndicate rooms.

The complex opened in August 1911, and today is owned by Thanet District Council and managed by Your Leisure Kent Limited. There are winter gardens in other seaside resorts, such as Blackpool, Bournemouth, Eastbourne, Morecombe and Weston-super-Mare, but this visit to the Margate Gardens was to be my first to any of them. It was a bit of a climb up to Fort Green, the strong winds and driving rain seeming to impede our progress, and once inside the shelter of the entrance hall, there was still a queue to gain entry to the festival. Admission was free to card-carrying CAMRA members, otherwise a fee of £5 was payable.

The event followed the pattern of many other CAMRA festivals, with a refundable, souvenir glass to drink from and tokens to be used in exchange for beer at the bars. After providing ourselves with both we grabbed a table in the quieter of the two halls. I must add here that I was just following my companions who seem to have turned their attendance at Planet Thanet into a finely-tuned, well-oiled art.

There were around 170 cask beers on offer, plus a number of ciders, perries and bottled beers. The beers were all racked behind the bar in the main hall, which for obvious reasons was by far the busiest of the two halls. Live music was also provided in the main hall, with a particularly good band playing cover versions of classics from the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and Santana. As well as an excellent selection of ales, special mention should be made of the prices, as most beers were on sale at just £3.00 a pint, with some of the stronger ones priced at £3.50. Over half of the beers were from Kent, and it was good to see so many Kentish ales on sale under the same roof.

Now comes the confession; I have really gone off beer festivals, so after splashing out on my train fare and spending the best art of two hours travelling, you’d be entitles to ask, what the hell was I doing there? I asked that question myself, but if truth be known I had gone along to Planet Thanet primarily for the company of friends and the experience of visiting a corner of Kent I don’t often get to.

It would have been rude not to have indulged in a few beers though, so I got stuck in, starting off on some of the weaker pale beers, before switching to some of the darker and stronger porters. The beers which really stood out for me were on the pale side: Five Points Pale 4.4% from Five Points Brewing of Hackney and Hurricane Jack 4.4% from Fyne Ales, plus Clwydian Black Porter 4.7% from Hafod Brewery, Rabbie’s Porter 4.3% from Ayr Brewery and 1872 Porter 6.5% from Elland Brewery. The latter three were all dark ales, in case you hadn’t guessed.

We departed at 6pm, heading down to the seafront in search of something to eat before catching the train home. On the way up to the Winter Gardens we’d noticed a rather small chippy called Peter’s Fish Factory. Several of my companions had been here on previous trips to Margate, and although its advertised offer of Haddock and Chips for just £3.95 seemed almost too good to be true, the queue outside when we arrived, was testament to both the quality and value for money offered by this tiny little take-away.

We huddled together in the shelter of a shop doorway, enjoying our excellent fish supper, before calling in for one last beer at what is probably the town’s best known micro-pub. The Fez opened in December 2015 in a former shop, and is furnished with a mixture of high and low tables and some raised bench seating. Virtually every inch of wall and indeed ceiling space is covered with various brewery and fairground memorabilia.

The place was absolutely heaving, but fortunately we managed to grab a table by the door, just as the occupants were leaving. I believe I had a glass of Gadd’s Dog Bolter Porter, but it was getting late in the day, so I can’t really be sure. The journey back to Tonbridge was uneventful, and I even managed to avoid falling asleep, but next year, unless we have repeat performance of this year’s deluge, I shall be off rambling again.

Before finishing, I would like to thank my companions for their company and good humour. No need to name names, they all know who they are.

A break with tradition

For as long as I have been writing this blog, and probably an equal length of time before that, it has been my habit to kick-start Easter by taking part in a ramble. Not just any old ramble, mind-you, but the annual Good Friday Ramble, organised by Maidstone & Mid-Kent CAMRA.

This event is now in its 42^nd year, and it can be safely said to be an established tradition. It was therefore  with a tinge of sadness, coupled with more than a few streaks of regret, that this year I decided to give the event a miss. My reason was the good old British weather which this spring has been unseasonably cold and extremely wet.

Now before anyone calls me a “fair weather walker”, let me say I can put up with the cold, and I can also cope with a drop of rain, but I had seen with my own eyes, just how saturated the ground was underfoot, and Maundy Thursday’s incessant rain provided the last straw. The area the group were planning to walk through is low-lying, and almost certainly damp at the best of times, so as someone who prefers walking to wading, I reluctantly gave the ramble a miss.

I left it until first thing on Good Friday morning though, to make my final decision, but with increasingly heavy rain forecast, I called my friend John, who almost always goes on these walks, to inform him I was bailing out (if you’ll pardon the pun).

There was however, another option in which to enjoy a few beers at the start of the Easter weekend, and that was to join friends from my own West Kent CAMRA branch on their annual trip to Margate, in order to enjoy the day at the “Planet Thanet Beer Festival”.

A select bunch of members have been attending the event, this past 13 years, but this would be my first time. This is due to the clash of these two events, as given the choice I would rather be out in the fresh air, enjoying seeing the Kent countryside slowly bursting into spring. Being up to my ankles in mud, or possibly even my knees though, swung the pendulum firmly in favour of a trip to the seaside.

I will be writing later about how I joined “The Jolly Boy’s Outing”, on their trip "Down to Margate", but in the meantime, the photos above should provide a nostalgic look back at some previous Good Friday Rambles, undertaken in much more clement weather.

West Kent CAMRA Pub and Club Awards 2018

Well the news has been a long time coming, but now that the official announcement has been made, I am pleased to confirm that the West Kent Pub of the Year is the George, in Tunbridge Wells.

The runners up are the the Windmill in Sevenoaks Weald and Fuggles Beer Café in Tunbridge Wells, both themselves previous winners. The award for Club of the Year 2018 goes once again to the Tunbridge Wells Constitutional Club, where members and CAMRA guests can enjoy a range of four hand pumped ales, along with a friendly welcome.

Cider Pub of the Year 2018 goes to the Pantiles Tap, in the Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells for the third year running, thanks to its mighty “Great Wall of Cider” offering cider and perry from a wide range of producers.

The managers and owners of the establishments concerned have all been informed of their award wins and official presentation events will be arranged at each venue over the coming weeks. This will enable staff and customers to celebrate their successes alongside local CAMRA members, by raising a glass together.

This year's contest was extremely close, and there was very little separating the top three pubs. In the run-up to the contest local CAMRA members were encouraged to visit the six chosen finalists and then score each pub according to a number of different criteria.

As might be expected, the quality of the beer and cider served was  at the forefront, but other factors to be considered were style, décor, furnishing & cleanliness; service, welcome and offering; community focus and atmosphere; and alignment with CAMRA principles/overall impression.

The votes were then collected and analysed to establish the winner.  Much of the assessing took place when a group of branch members toured the nominated pubs, by mini-bus, over a one day to give their final assessment, but members were also able to visit the six finalists  over  a longer period, should they have wished.

Winning Pub of the Year 2018, is a particularly fitting moment for the George,  after the indignation of being turned into a rather tacky night-spot (Liquid Lounge, TN4), earlier this century. Fortunately this attractive old coaching inn, which can trace its history back to the Georgian era, has been lovingly restored to something approaching its former glory, and reverted, thankfully, to its original name.

The George is now a smart, friendly free house, which provides an exciting new venue at the "top end" of Tunbridge Wells. The pub has eight hand pumps, two of which are dedicated to real cider, whilst the other six offer a changing range of ales from far and wide. There are several distinct areas inside, with wooden floors and panelling, and plenty of comfortable seating. A couple of open fires provide a welcoming warmth in winter, and for the summer months there is a patio area in front of the pub, plus a hidden, “secret garden” down some steps at the rear of the building.

Manager Paul Fillis was delighted to receive the news from West Kent CAMRA Branch chairman, Craig Beeson. Paul recently made the news thanks to the opening of a microbrewery in a downstairs room of the pub. Here he doubles up as head brewer, producing small batch quantities of real ale to sell in the bar upstairs under the name Fonthill Brewing Company. At the moment the brewery is trying out a range of recipes and they seem to be receiving very favourable comments from customers.

Budweiser Budvar Fresh Hopped Imperial Lager 7.5%

“You are invited to attend a tasting of Budweiser Budvar Fresh Hopped Imperial Lager 7.5%  2017 Vintage. The location The Trading House, Gresham Street, London, EC2V; the date Friday 23^rd March. 7.5% Czech Lager, food and Budvar Tank beer included”

Well with an invitation like that I couldn’t really refuse, especially after missing out on sampling this special beer last year. I duly made my way to The Trading House, a former bank, close to the Bank of England, in London’s Gresham Street, in order to taste this legendary beer.

Fresh Hopped Imperial Lager is a very special beer, brewed once a year using freshly harvested Saaz hops on the day of picking. The beer is then matured for 200 days, with a limited number of kegs making their way to the UK each year! 

Along with a number of other beer writers and journalists, I’d been invited to this event by Budweiser Budvar UK. We were looked after by Josh Nesfield, the company’s UK marketing manager. Josh explained that the beer had been racked into kegs at the brewery in České Budějovice on Tuesday, and then driven across Europe to London, ready to be tapped for us to drink that Friday.

Fresh Hopped  Imperial Lager is brewed to celebrate the harvesting of the  hops, which takes place harvested in the Czech Republic each August. Fresh Saaz hops, picked by hand, are used to create this special strong beer which is brewed on the same day as the harvest.

Hop-picking festivals have been held in the Žatec area, which is the  home of the Saaz hop, since the 18^th Century. Originally they were held in the surrounding villages, but after WWII moved to the town. The festival celebrates the moment at the beginning of September when the hop harvest is finished – earlier than in the UK.

Budweiser Budvar is owned by the Czech state, and the company still use whole cone hops; one of the very few large breweries to do so. The hops come from  the village of Strkovice, just outside Žatec, and after picking, are taken to the brewery straight away, so that this special beer can be brewed on the same day. Normally only one brew is produced, but occasionally two are made. Fresh Hopped Imperial Lager is a difficult beer to produce because the volatile hop compounds can soon disappear after harvesting. The timing required to bringing them to the brewery while still “live” is therefore crucial. 

The fresh hops add aromatic compounds which would normally be lost  during the drying process, and the uncertainty surrounding their use can mean a change in taste from year to year. Climatic conditions, together with the soil the hops are grown in, provides a unique link to the locality. Budvar know exactly where all their hops come from, and use the same farms and the same fields much like Harvey’s in the UK.

The “Imperial” part of the name comes from its strength, weighing in at around 7.5% ABV, and dates from a time when beers like this were brewed to last  right through the cold winters. To achieve the higher alcohol content and ensure the aromatic compounds are at their best, requires longer in the maturation tanks.

Budvar’s underground cellars usually play host to its beer for around 90 days. Fresh Hopped Imperial Lager gets an incredible 200 day stay in the maturation vessels. Over that time the beer has a chance to really develop in complexity. Few other beers in the world are matured for as long.

Because this brew is a one-off it also changes year-on-year to reflect conditions, climate or, to borrow a term from the wine world, “terroir” of the exact fields the hops were grown in. Where consistency and tradition is rightly everything to the taste of Budweiser Budvar’s other beers, with Fresh Hopped Imperial Lager there is a bit of room for change. That change continues in the brewery’s maturation cellars.

From the vantage point of small galleried private bar at The Trading House, high above the lunchtime diners below, I was given a glass of this excellent beer. For a moment I was tempted to use that awful American term “awesome”, to describe the beer, but sticking with typical British understatement  instead, I would say it was “a mighty fine drop”.

Burnished gold in colour and  with a full hit of aromatic hops on the nose, it had me drooling before I’d so much as tasted a drop.  The heavy malt profile, associated with a beer of this strength, offers a great counterpoint to the hops, and there’s a wonderful, almost honeyed sweetness on the tongue and palate. There’s none of “spirit-like” taste associated with many high alcohol beers, and the only downside, if it can be called that, is it’s dangerously drinkable.

Fresh Hopped Imperial Lager is a truly special beer made even more so by its individuality and changeability from year to year. Every discerning beer drinker and hophead should look out for it in spring when it’s released in limited quantities in the UK.

Disclaimer: Whilst at this event, I also enjoyed a tankard of Tankové Pivo; Budvar’s legendary lager in “tank” form. The Trading House is one of a small number of UK outlets which take the beer in this un-pasteurised form. The beer remains fresh because it is delivered in temperature controlled tanks, and has a smooth mouth feel  because the tanks are airtight and no air touches the beer.

In addition, I enjoyed some fine “finger food”, courtesy of Budvar UK. As well as Josh, I also had a chat with Martin Macourek, UK Director of the Czech Trade Promotion Agency, who are attached to the Czech Embassy. The Czechs take their beer very seriously, and rightly so!

The Red Lion & White Horse - Kenninghall

It has been nearly five months since I last made the journey to Norfolk, in order to see dad, and quite a lot has happened since then. For a start my wife Eileen was hospitalised for five weeks at the beginning of the year, following a bout of pneumonia. Then there's the news that my sister and her husband have departed for pastures new in the East Midlands, leaving dad with no family members close by.

So for several weeks I have been struggling with mixed loyalties; wanting to go and visit dad, but mindful that my wife was still convalescing. Finally, at the end of last weekend, I felt able to make the journey up to Norfolk, safe in the knowledge that Eileen would be okay left on her own.

I have written before about finding a place to stay overnight on my trips to see dad,  so whilst looking for somewhere to lay my head, I came across the Red Lion at Kenninghall; a large village roughly halfway between Bury St Edmunds and Norwich.

The Red Lion is a CAMRA National Inventory pub, which has been on my list of pubs to visit for some time, so when the pub came up on Bookings.com at a very good price, I jumped at the chance of an overnight stay.

I drove up early on Sunday afternoon, surprised that the traffic, particularly on the M25, was so heavy. Once past Stansted I made good time, and with the aid of my sat-nav, arrived in Kenninghall shortly before 5pm. I  made a brief stop at the well-stocked village store, and post office, before parking up at the Red Lion, which lies in the shadow of the imposing St Mary's church.

I was shown to a cosy little room at the front of the building, with a door opening straight out onto the street. I was aware that the Red Lion wouldn't be serving food on Sunday evening, so had carried out some prior research to see what the alternatives were. Kenninghall is large enough to support two pubs, and right in the centre of the village, opposite the post office, is the White Horse.

I'd noticed the pub on my drive through, and although indications from the website were that it was more of a gastro-pub, it still fitted the bill. I took a slow wander down to the centre of the village, shortly before 6pm, pausing en route to take some photos and also for a look at the church. After studying the menu options, displayed outside the White Horse, I opened the door and stepped inside.

The White Horse is a 16th century coaching inn which has undergone a substantial renovation and the pub, whilst retaining its character and charm, now has a colourful and contemporary feel to it. There is a long counter, running the entire length of the rear of the spacious single bar. The bar itself is divided into two unequal parts by a large central fireplace and chimney.

Being early evening, the pub wasn't very busy, and as I approached the bar I noticed there were two beers from Woodforde's making up the cask line-up; Norfolk Nog, plus the ubiquitous Wherry. I opted for the former and it was pulled up by the pleasant and friendly girl behind the bar. Dark, sweet and luscious against a background of roasted malt, is how I'd describe the Nog, and I scored it a worthy 3.5 NBSS. Priced at £3.60 a pint, it was worth every penny as well.

I grabbed a couple of menus and sat myself down at one of the tables, resisting the barmaid's suggestion that I try one of the comfy, low sofas. Low, comfortable sofas and me are not a good combination, as once comfortably ensconced I find it very difficult to get back up again.

Once seated I perused the menus as well as a couple of local CAMRA branch magazines which were gracing the bar. "Norfolk Nips", which now covers the whole of the county, needs little in the way of introduction, whilst the other magazine, a publication called "Last Orders", is a joint venture between the Suffolk and  North Essex branches of CAMRA.

Food-wise, I opted for the "Battered catch of the day". This just happened to be cod (I wonder how often that happens?), and it arrived on a plate with some deep fried potato slices, which were described as "hand cut"  chips. I enjoyed my meal along with the Norfolk Nog, treating myself to a further half before leaving.

So why didn't I stay longer? Well if you're running an attractive old pub, offering good food and excellent beer, why on earth would you think it a good idea to have what can best be described as "lounge music", blasting out of  the speakers?  (By this I mean slightly off tone, jazz-oriented muzak of  the sort used to annoy people placed on hold when phoning a call-centre).

I was tempted to say something, safe in the knowledge I am unlikely to be returning to the White Horse,  but I thought better of it. Instead, as reporters on a certain, now defunct Sunday paper used to say, I made my excuses and left!

I wandered back up to the Red Lion, through the steadily gathering dusk, stopping off at my room to make a phone call home. I also bashed out part of this article on my lap-top, before popping back  next door for a couple of end of evening beers. There was no-one in the bar and the barmaid was thinking of shutting up for the night. It was only just after 9pm, but apparently Sunday evening was normally a quiet time.

Not wishing to deprive a thirsty man of his beer, the friendly barmaid pulled me a pint, It was Rockabilly from Shortts Farm Brewery, who are based just outside the Suffolk town of Eye . It deserved its 4.0 NBSS score, being refreshingly bitter, with citrus flavours from the use of North American hops.

As I got stuck into my beer the conversation turned to food. The barmaid had shown me to my room when I first arrived and knowing that the Red Lion's kitchen was closed on Sunday evenings, we'd already spoken about somewhere else to eat in Kenninghall.

I described my impressions of the White Horse, and added that I thought it more of an eating place than anything else. She said it had had a succession of owners in recent years; each one keen to stamp their own personality on the pub. According to Whatpub, the current owners are a family-owned "hospitality company", called. Foodsie 100Ltd.  

The conversation then turned to other matters, and I learned that Kenninghall was both a thriving village and a very pleasant place to live. I had sort of gathered that from what I'd observed from my walk down to the White Horse and also from the parish magazine I'd thumbed through earlier. I also learned quite a bit about the Red Lion, particularly that it was known for the quality of its beer and that it was much more of a locals' pub than its more contemporary counterpart.

As mentioned earlier the pub is on CAMRA's heritage pub list and has been beautifully restored after being closed for approximately seven years. It re-opened in February 1997, following extensive refurbishment. The building dates from the early 16th Century, and as well as a traditional public bar, has a pine panelled snug, which is one of only two of its kind in East Anglia.

At the other end of the pub is a 50 seater restaurant. laid out in the style of old stables. I enjoyed a satisfying full English breakfast there the following morning. In addition to the good, wholesome home-cooked food, the Red Lion has four guest rooms, and hosts regular live music sessions and other community events.

I was getting close to finishing my pint when another customer entered the bar. It turned out he was another guest. Seeing how quiet the pub was, the newcomer enquired if they were still serving. I could see the barmaid's face drop slightly, as she saw her desire for an early night vanish, but seeing as the new arrival was quite chatty, I too ordered another pint.

Motorbike racing was what had brought the other guest to Kenninghall. His son had spent the weekend racing at the nearby Snetterton Circuit, just down the road, and dad had travelled up from Somerset to act as support. Like me, he'd come across the Red Lion on Bookings.com.

Whilst tucking  into my breakfast the following morning, I heard the landlady telling the cleaner that since registering recently with the booking site, she'd had plenty of reservations, so it was obviously paying off for the pub.

I would also recommend the Red Lion as a good place to base yourself in this less frequented south-east corner of  Norfolk. If like me, you are a lover of unspoilt "heritage pubs", then you can't really go wrong by booking yourself a short stay there.

Swiss Cottage Re-Visited

I made a trip up to London on Friday; my first visit since the summer. I'm not sure why I left it so long, but with Christmas and then the calamitous start to the year, it's perhaps not surprising. The attraction which drew me to the capital, was an invitation to taste Budvar's Fresh Hop Imperial Lager.

This is a very special beer, brewed once a year using freshly harvested hops, and then matured for a period of 200 days. I will be writing about this special tasting event later on, but as it wasn't scheduled to start until 1.30pm, I had a few hours free time on my hands.

I decided to use the spare time by making a nostalgic visit back to an area of London which I knew well from my childhood days. The area known as Swiss Cottage, is named after a famous landmark pub. My maternal grandparents lived just up the road; their house being situated in a small side street, off the Finchley Road. I have fond memories of visiting them and of staying with them during the school holidays.

My grandparents were regular pub-goers, and their local was an imposing Victorian pub called the North Star, situated opposite Finchley Road Underground Station. I imagine they would also have visited the Swiss Cottage pub as well, from time to time but, of course have no proof of this. Reading up on the Swiss Cottage I discovered it is now owned by Yorkshire brewers, Samuel Smiths, so this seemed a good enough reason to make a return visit.

I had been in the Swiss Cottage on a couple of occasions as a teenager. This was when a school friend and I had stayed at my Nan's place during one of the summer holidays. Neither of were legally old enough to drink, but that wasn't too much of a problem back in the early 1970's. Even so, we'd been refused service at a small pub just up the road from my grandmother's, so with only our pride to lose we decided to give the Swiss Cottage a go.

I remembered from earlier visits to my grandparents that the pub had been re-built just a few years previously, so when we stepped inside we were impressed with what we found. The Swiss Cottage was a free-house and, given its modernity, stocked all the latest keg brands. We were served without any trouble, and whilst I obviously can't remember which of these beers we drank, I have a gut feeling it may have been Worthington E.

We returned to the pub a few days later, this time with my Nan and her friend Kit in tow. It was a good evening, and my Nan really let her hair down, especially after she'd had a few G&T's. Pub visits would have been a rare occurrence for her, following the death of my grandfather who had passed away a few years previously, so it was good to see her enjoying herself. There was some good old fashioned singing on the way back to Nan's, including a couple of rather amusing and slightly risqué ditties.

That visit would have been in the summer of 1972, and until Friday, it was the last time I'd set foot in the Swiss Cottage. It was therefore with a mixture of excitement and nostalgia that I entered the pub. Before describing my visit, it's worth taking a look back at the Swiss Cottage, and its impact on the area named after it.

 

The Swiss Cottage was built sometime between 1830 and 1840; depending on which history you read. There was an earlier pub on the site known as the Swiss Tavern. This functioned as a coaching inn, and seeing as the Swiss chalet look was popular in the first half of the nineteenth century, it would have been no surprise for the  new pub to have been built in this style and given its current name.

During the latter half of the 19th Century the area grew up around the pub. In 1850 it was the terminus of the General Omnibus Company for their route to London Bridge, and in 1868 the underground railway arrived; the station being named after the pub. The current station, which today serves the Jubilee line between Finchley Road and St John's Wood, opened in 1939.

In the 1960s, the Swiss Cottage was redeveloped and extended as part of a local road widening scheme — a far cry from its roots in the fields surrounding London, but still maintaining its alpine charm. Today the pub is a chalet-style building, with wooden pillars and balconies. Shutters surround the windows and hanging baskets complete the alpine look.

This wasn't really how I remembered the pub, but then the surrounding area also seemed much altered and certainly much smaller than it did when I was a child. I arrived just after 11.30am to find the doors well and truly locked and no signs of life inside. I guessed that the pub would be opening at midday, so to kill time, I crossed the road and took a walk along Finchley Road.

Across the road I could see the aforementioned North Star, where my grandparents used to drink. The pub looked tacky and unloved; the Sky Sports posters plastered over the outside not helping its image. I then walked past the former John Barnes department store, where my mother had worked prior to starting a family. John Barnes was part of the John Lewis group, so it is not surprising that it is now a large Waitrose store. The upstairs floors, which were once part of the store, appear to have been converted into apartments.

It was time to turn round when I reached Finchley Road Underground station. Before doing so, I noticed the flower stall was still there. Back in the day, it had been run by my Nan's friend Kit, and then by her son Michael. My grandfather also operated a flower stall, up on Hampstead Heath.

The Swiss Cottage was open when I arrived back and there were already a couple of customers sitting inside. This was a good sign, as I hate being the first customer of the day/session. Any seasoned pub-goer will know the trepidation which comes from the thought of, has the beer been pulled through properly, or even at all! Will I be served a pint of dull-looking ditch water, or will that pint be the one I am looking for to quench my thirst and set me up for the day. It was then that I noticed the other customers all drinking lager, which wasn't such a good sign.

Being a Sam Smith's pub there was just the one cask ale on offer; the legendary Old Brewery Bitter. My pint took a fair bit of pulling through, but I don't know whether this was because the beer was overly lively, or it was the effect of pulling it through that tight sparkler which Yorkshiremen seem to love. When the beer finally settled in the glass it was slightly cloudy, but it tasted fine. I scored it at 3.0 NBSS. It was priced at £3.20 a pint, which although slightlymore than I remember for Sam's Smiths, was still good value.

I was spoilt for the choice of a table to sit at; choosing one within sight of the bar. It was quite dark inside the pub, and I had trouble reading in the dim light, but I sat there enjoying my pint along with the packet of Sam Smith's "own brand", ready-salted crisps. The lattice windows with an imitation oil-lamp on each window sill, added to the effect of a Swiss Chalet. I only stayed for the one pint, as I needed to get back into central London for the Imperial Lager tasting, so I left the pub and headed back down to the Underground.

I'm pleased to have made a return visit to the Swiss Cottage after four and a half decades, but having done so my curiosity has been satisfied and somehow I don't think I'll be going back for a second time.