The VillaTalk Good Pub Guide

[rjw63]

Trying out a few local pubs now we've moved and are off work.

bad news for The Anchor in Hurley - website says open at 1pm, but it wasn't, so your loss Anchor wank-ers.

Moved on to The Gate at Nether Whitacre, open - and a bonus- it's a Villa pub (with Banks' mild). Nice toasted butties too.

[sidcow]

34 minutes ago, rjw63 said:

Trying out a few local pubs now we've moved and are off work.

bad news for The Anchor in Hurley - website says open at 1pm, but it wasn't, so your loss Anchor wank-ers.

Moved on to The Gate at Nether Whitacre, open - and a bonus- it's a Villa pub (with Banks' mild). Nice toasted butties too.

Blimey, my wife is from Hurley, I was there on Sunday in fact.

I've been to both pubs.  Didn't realise The Gate was a Villa Pub although it's been many years since I've been there, I expect the Landlord has changed.

To be fair most of the time out there I would steam right through to The Griffin Inn in Shustoke, a regular CAMRA pub of the year for the midlands.

[sidcow]

On 23/10/2021 at 05:26, TheAuthority said:

Still can't get over that Rick Mayall was a patron of The Slaughtered Lamb

[bickster]

On 23/10/2021 at 04:00, MNVillan said:

Heading over for the first time next month, and I’m sober. Is it typical for pubs to offer an NA beer option?

The UK has some very decent NAs, I just don't think you'll find them in a chain pub, more likely in an Independent Pub

Peroni NA will most likely be one of the offerings, its very malty (nothing like the real thing). I have one now and again, I never want a second

If you can find a pub selling Big Drop Brewing gear, you've cracked it, they only make NAs and all the one's I've tried are great including the Stout but I doubt you'll find a pub that sells it.

Another favourite of mine is Tiny Rebels Clwb Tropica NA, you may find this in a craft beer Indie pub, possibly

[sidcow]

Just had lunch at The Warwickshire Lad in Earlswood. 

It was OK but the food was VERY Cheesy. 

Pork loin stack absolutely smothered in cheese. 

Lasagne, 9 parts cheese. 

Hunters Chicken swimming in cheese. 

Yes the latter 2 should have cheese but there was just way too much of it. Not sure cheese even really goes with pork. 

And the chips were adequate but wouldn't get through the front door of The Red Lion in Claverdon where I wanted to go. 

It was OK but not brilliant. Beers were Tribute (but sold out) Wye Valley HPA, Purity Gold and another I've forgotten. 

[Xela]

Not strictly a pub, but always love going here:

Purecraft Bar & Kitchen

[sidcow]

The Rose Villa Tavern is closing down damn it. 

I'm worried it will reopen as another identikit craft beer place (or worse) . Always had a decent selection of real ales. 

[Xela]

2 hours ago, sidcow said:

The Rose Villa Tavern is closing down damn it. 

I'm worried it will reopen as another identikit craft beer place (or worse) . Always had a decent selection of real ales. 

A damn shame, as you say. Any reason given? 

It was always rammed when I went (pre-pandemic) so I'm assuming its been financially devastated by Covid and thats the main reason?

The JQ is fairly bohemian and egalitarian so i can't see a chain place being allowed to open. Hopefully someone else takes the pub on and keeps it the same. 

[Lichfield Dean]

Was explaining to my mate today about the Gunmakers Arms. The Two Towers Brewery beers are much better on cask than in bottles, but the thing that struck me about that place is how every time I went in there I always had a brilliant time - the bar staff, the clientele (whether locals or visitors or random construction workers) were always up for a friendly chat and a great time. The kind of place that you always want a pub to be.

Haven't been there since pre-covid though.

[Mark Albrighton]

According to the pub’s Facebook page, the landlords (Star Pubs & Bars, who I assume are the venue landlords) are taking back control of it from those who have been running it for the past ten years (Bitter ‘n Twisted venues - who also cite the Victoria as one of their pubs).

So it’s a bit up in the air from the outside looking in. I always felt that the Rose Villa Tavern had got the blend of the “classic” pub feel with a more contemporary style more or less spot on,  so I would hope they don’t deviate too far away from that.

Edited December 30, 2021 by Mark Albrighton

[Xela]

2 minutes ago, Mark Albrighton said:

According to the pub’s Facebook page, the landlords (Star Pubs & Bars, who I assume are the venue landlords) are taking back control of it from those who have been running it for the past ten years (Bitter ‘n Twisted venues - who also cite the Victoria as one of their pubs).

So it’s a bit up in the air from the outside looking in. I always felt that the Rose Villa Tavern had got the blend of the “classic” pub feel with a more contemporary style more or less spot on,  so I would hope they don’t deviate too far away from that.

I wonder if Bitter 'n Twisted are moving out of the pub market... they used to run the New Inn in Harborne and Jekyll and Hyde in Brum, plus the Island Bar by the Alexandra Theatre. They seem to be more about Bodega now, in multiple locations. 

[Xela]

12 minutes ago, Lichfield Dean said:

Was explaining to my mate today about the Gunmakers Arms. The Two Towers Brewery beers are much better on cask than in bottles, but the thing that struck me about that place is how every time I went in there I always had a brilliant time - the bar staff, the clientele (whether locals or visitors or random construction workers) were always up for a friendly chat and a great time. The kind of place that you always want a pub to be.

Haven't been there since pre-covid though.

I'm not a fan of real ale in bottles or cans... got to be on cask for me. It loses so much going into a bottle/can 

I saw this last month, which was a shame

Quote

Birmingham city centre pub and brewery smashed up by 'sledgehammer-wielding' thugs in burglary bid

Thugs took 'satisfaction' in breaking the huge window at Two Towers Brewery before smashing glass at the Gunmakers Arms

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmingham-city-centre-pub-brewery-22258275

[sidcow]

18 minutes ago, Lichfield Dean said:

Was explaining to my mate today about the Gunmakers Arms. The Two Towers Brewery beers are much better on cask than in bottles, but the thing that struck me about that place is how every time I went in there I always had a brilliant time - the bar staff, the clientele (whether locals or visitors or random construction workers) were always up for a friendly chat and a great time. The kind of place that you always want a pub to be.

Haven't been there since pre-covid though.

All beers are better in casks than any other forms which is why this shift to craft beer drives me mad. 

[Lichfield Dean]

1 minute ago, sidcow said:

All beers are better in casks than any other forms which is why this shift to craft beer drives me mad. 

Could you explain further? If you mean that traditional beers in casks taste great then yes, absolutely, but so do "craft" beers.

[Xela]

3 minutes ago, sidcow said:

All beers are better in casks than any other forms which is why this shift to craft beer drives me mad. 

There is a place for both. I'm a huge fan of cask real ale and also funky adjunct craft beer. 

In pubs, i'll always deviate towards cask, but at home, i'll drink any old weird shit  

[sidcow]

1 minute ago, Lichfield Dean said:

Could you explain further? If you mean that traditional beers in casks taste great then yes, absolutely, but so do "craft" beers.

Craft beer comes in kegs and needs gas to pump it to the tap. 

[Lichfield Dean]

4 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Craft beer comes in kegs and needs gas to pump it to the tap. 

Oh ok, I see what you're getting at. I don't think *all* craft beer necessarily comes in kegs though... Depends what you call "craft" I guess.

Also, I've had plenty of decent beers from a keg. I think technology has improved and what you get on tap is much better than in the past. Not everything these days is a nitrogenated smooth flow horror like Guinness or John Smiths.

[sidcow]

3 minutes ago, Lichfield Dean said:

Oh ok, I see what you're getting at. I don't think *all* craft beer necessarily comes in kegs though... Depends what you call "craft" I guess.

Also, I've had plenty of decent beers from a keg. I think technology has improved and what you get on tap is much better than in the past. Not everything these days is a nitrogenated smooth flow horror like Guinness or John Smiths.

Maybe, but i've never been in a pub and found a craft beer anything like as satisfactory as a real ale from a beer engine.  

Edit - as long as it's been kept properly. I don't think craft beer needs the same kind of careful handling so you can see why publicans love it. 

Edited December 30, 2021 by sidcow

[Xela]

Real ale (term coined by CAMRA) is traditional, just uses 4 ingredients; barley, yeast, hops and water and is still fermenting in the cask when delivered to the pub. The pub needs to be proficient in storing it in the correct temperature and knowing when its ready to serve (Cask Marque accreditation for those that do it well). The pints are hand pulled via the pumps on the bar. 

Craft beer in the truest sense is non traditional beer (by CAMRA's definition) made in small batches from a small brewer. Most of their output is perhaps experimental, with wacky flavourings and extra ingredients. Usually served from gas assisted kegs and from a tap on the bar. You can get craft cask ale although it won't hit the 'real ale' criteria. 

There are blurred lines though... a craft brewer can make real ale, and a traditional real ale brewer can make craft beer although the use of craft is loose there as they will probably be of a size that makes the craft title seem defunct. Also brands that started out as craft like Camden Town Brewery, London Fields and Beavertown are now owned by big beer brands like InBev, Carlsberg and Heineken, so aren't craft anymore. Brewdog, while not owned by big beer, are probably too big to be considered craft as well. 

 

Edited December 30, 2021 by Xela

[sidcow]

2 minutes ago, Xela said:

Brewdog, while not owned by big beer, are probably too big to be considered craft as well. 

I wouldn't say that within earshot of them, they are rather keen on bandying around lawsuits.