I’ve been in some really fantastic and often totally amazing
pubs, bars and beer halls, over the
course of 44 years drinking; both at home and abroad (and that’s not counting
the few years before I reached the legal age for consuming alcohol on licensed
premises).
Equally I’ve also been in many more mediocre ones which,
whilst meeting a few essential requirements, are pubs I can either take or
leave. Then there are other outlets which having experienced once, I would
never wish to set foot in again.
It’s perhaps easier to define what makes a bad pub, but a
lot harder to come up with what makes a good pub; or even a great pub? The
question is still worth asking even though it is seldom answered to the
satisfaction of everyone. This is almost certainly because there are so many
different possible answers, and for this reason alone, I would be hard pushed
to write out a definitive list of my all time favourites.
So let us look more closely at this and see if we can come
up with things which are essential and things which are desirable. There are
some which most pub lovers would agree on, but equally there are others which
divide opinion.
For beer lovers the quality, range or sometimes rarity of
the brew(s) stocked plays an important and often essential part. Then for
lovers of buildings, and fans of architecture in general, the design, layout,
history and makeup of the pub itself make an equally important contribution.
The people who frequent the pub (customers) are also an important factor; as
who and what they are play a key role in determining the type of pub, its
atmosphere and ambience.
The contribution of the people who run the pub; from the
licensee down to the people either behind the bar or beavering away, out of the
public eye, in the kitchen, or sometimes down the cellar, also play a vital
role in determining what is a great pub, or just a mediocre one.
There are obviously pubs to suit different occasions, moods
or social requirements; be they a place for thirsty and foot sore ramblers to
stop off on a hot summers day, whilst in the middle of a country walk, or the
same pub, on a crisp, but bitingly cold winter’s day, when there’s a welcoming
log fire roaring away in the grate.
Then there are the town pubs, full of cool hip people
offering a range of the latest “craft beers”, or alternatively traditional back
street locals, with just a couple of good locally brewed ales on tap. On top of
this there are the more upmarket pubs offering a fine dining experience, but of
equal value how about somewhere more basic? A pub with tasty, value for money, genuine
home-cooked food pub, rather than something bought in from the local chilled
food distributor, and then re-heated in the microwave.
Other pubs function as real
community locals, holding quiz evenings, barbecues, fancy dress evenings and
often fund-raising activities.
We all have our own ideas as to what makes a good pub, and
ultimately it depends on exactly what people are looking for. It would be good to hear other people's views on this, so if anyone
would like to add to the debate, please feel free to add you comments.