Pub Visits, Inspired by the Good Beer Guide
This is my personal record of pubs that I have visited since I finally got around, after many years, to joining CAMRA - the Campaign for Real Ale
This is my personal record of pubs that I have visited since I finally got around, after many years, to joining CAMRA - the Campaign for Real Ale
For the last 30 years or so I have on countless occasions been on trips and holidays with mates that have usually involved enjoying a glass or two of beer at the end of the day. Very often the thing that has heavily influenced where we did this has has been the current version of CAMRA's (Campaign for Real Ale) Good Beer Guide. The CAMRA members in the group made sure we visited some unique hostelries and we had some very enjoyable evenings in everything from the smallest pub in the UK to a pub in Devon with amazing range of small volume, locally produced, ciders.
In early 2023 I decided I’d finally better get around to joining CAMRA. The Good Beer Guide 2026 is the 53rd edition of the book and I've marked the pubs I've visited out of 5. These are personal opinions often based on simply one or two visits. A nice cool drink after a long warm day may see me give a better score than a visit to a pub on a cold, wet, dark and miserable day.If you want to get in touch, please use the link in the footer at the bottom of this page. If you're interested in finding out a bit more about CAMRA, then hit the button.
CAMRA websiteYou'll find a list of pubs I've visited this calendar year listed below, the majority are in the current version of the Good Beer Guide, marked with a GBG '25 logo up to mid-September and with a GBG '26 logo if I’ve visited after then and they’re in the 2026 version of the Guide.
If you want to look at my earlier visits, which I started in March 2023, then you’ll need to look at the earlier pages, see the menu at the top of this page.
Former South Eastern Electricity Board showroom, converted to a pub in 1996, and the upper front of the building has the look of former mid 20th century commercial premises. It almost looks like a Wetherspoons style repurposing of an established property, although these premises are probably not large enough for Wetherspoons taste. Small terrace at the front and very different inside now, slightly sombre, some bright accent lighting, there’s now a pool table, TV screens and another beer terrace at the rear. It was fairly busy, looked like there were some birthday celebrations going on.
Only two hand pumps, so it was a choice between London Pride and Hobgoblin’s Gold Beer. I opted for the latter, a not too strong golden ale. Whilst that was enjoyable, I couldn’t find much else to enjoy.
Presumably the name of the pub has been chosen to reflect the contribution of Michael to the knowledge and understanding of electricity (don’t think he has any particular connection to Epsom).
2 out of 5
This is a Wetherspoons pub, but one which doesn’t heavily feature their trademark dark wood panelling and slightly gloomy interior, this place was quite bright and breezy inside, exposed brickwork on display. The site has had a number of businesses on it over the years as Epsom developed, most recently it was a draper’s shop and a building society.
There was the usual good range of beers and pub grub that you come to expect from Wetherspoons, all at very reasonable prices. So that aspect is similar to the vast majority of Wetherspoons in the country, but the interior does mark it out as being slightly different to the norm for Wetherspoons.
2 out of 5
In the heart of Epsom, the building is somewhat set back from the footway leaving space for a fairly large layout of table, chairs and parasols at the front along with an outdoor bar, although not operating when I called in. It was busy outside with a lot of smartly dressed people outside - not just myself - but not quite so busy in the pub itself. Couldn’t really figure out what the event might have been (no horse racing that day), but a few people in the town centre were certainly looking the worse for wear. Food was being whisked to tables and that certainly smelt and looked good.
However, limited beer choice - Sharp’s Doom Bar and Surrey Nirvana from Hogs Back on hand pump. I had a pint of the Doom Bar on the terrace outside and watched the good people of Epsom come and go. They did have some cask ale, but it’s perhaps not the best place for an enthusiastic beer drinker, that’s probably not their target market.
2 out of 5
West of Epsom town centre, almost on the edge of the Common and in a cluster of houses. Lots of parked cars and people around the outside when I arrived late on a Saturday afternoon, we had to park a couple of hundred yards away. Fairly quiet inside - not too surprising given the throng outside. The name apparently comes from the barrel making business that the pub’s founder had, before his brewing and beer serving days. Not sure why, but when we came to leave after half an hour or so, a lot of the parked cars and external customers had left. Must have been something I said!
Pretty good beer choice and a cider - Everytime, a Gluten Free IPA from the Bristol Beer Company; Citra from Oakham Ales; Surrey Hills Brewery had Ranmore on offer; Fuller’s Wild River (Pacific Pale Ale); and finally Lilley’s Apples and Pears Cider all the way from Somerset. I tried the Wild River, a pale and refreshing golden ale which went down very nicely, especially when sitting outside in a warm and sheltered spot. Great pub, tucked slightly away, but worth searching out.
4 out of 5
By the side of the potentially rather busy A420 dual carriageway, just north of Epsom. The road was reasonably quiet when I visited at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, the pub itself was ticking over, a dozen or so people inside and around a dozen in the beer garden. There’s been a pub at this site for almost 200 years but it now features a fairly plush and comfortable interior, looks like it might have had a recent makeover. Supports live music and also covers sport, so it seems to be doing all it can to serve the local population. There were plenty of available tables inside, so that’s where I sat.
Four hand pumps, serving beer from a variety of brewers - Black Sheep Best, Boddingtons, Timothy Taylor’s Golden Best and London Pride - so a reasonable choice from a range of brewers, three beers traveling some distance to get here. I opted for the Black Sheep and this slid down very smoothly after a lengthy car journey. Pretty good beer choice, comfortable interior, certainly deserves a 3, but squeezes in at 4 because it was a gloriously sunny day when I was there and I spent a most enjoyable half an hour there.
4 out of 5
Called in here for a bowl of soup and a pint on a Sunday lunchtime, another Robinsons pub in the heart of Keswick and not too far from the Pack Horse Inn, see below. The building has a slightly quirky footprint, narrow at the main entrance door but as you walk into it it the room widens and in fact it ends up as an L shape. There’s a beer garden outside if the Lake District weather is being cooperative. The place was fairly busy with families enjoying a drink and a spot of Sunday lunch. All in all, very convivial.
Four hand pumps, all serving beer from Robinsons - Dizzy Blonde, Cumbria Way, Unicorn and Derwent Winter Dip - the first two were also available at the Pack Horse Inn, but the latter two weren’t. This time I tried the Unicorn, a light chestnut colour that went very nicely with a bowl of hearty tomato and basil soup and a hunk of bread. Good choice of beer, nice to see a little variety from their premises 5 minutes away. Overall a nice little pub.
4 out of 5
Visited here for a meal and a pint on a Saturday evening in April - my first “new” pub of the year. It’s a Robinsons pub and, unsurprisingly, was fairly busy, but the place is reasonably large and has some limited space on a couple of extra floors towards the back of the pub. It’s just tucked just off the main street in Keswick, pretty much slap bang in the centre of the town. There were a pretty good choice of pub meals on the menu and prices didn’t seem too steep for what is a bit of a tourist trap.
Four hand pumps, all serving beer from Robinsons - Dizzy Blonde, Cascade IPA, Cumbria Way and Trooper - so a pretty good choice. I opted for the Dizzy Blonde, a pale ale, not too strong and a very pleasant and refreshing drink along with a hearty meal. Just the ticket. This place managed to score just over 3 based on beer choice, but when you add in the location, good food and the reasonable pricing then it’s a 4.
4 out of 5