Had one of my rare mid week nights out in Tonbridge last night when an old work colleague came over to see me. We had a lot of catching up to do so we needed somewhere we could talk, get a nice pint and, since neither of us had eaten by the time he arrived, somewhere that did half decent food quickly at a moderate price. I can count the number of times that I've been in the Humphrey Bean Wetherspoons on one hand and I don't really like these souless places but, I have to admit, on this occasion it ticked all the boxes. It turned out to be Thursday Curry Night so I could feel a Chicken Tika Massala coming on as soon as we walked in. A bit predictable I know and, in truth, it was at best average but it filled the gap so to speak and served a purpose and you can't argue with six quid for a ruby murray and a pint now can you! Because we were having curry I plumped for a lager as my meal deal pint which was pretty much as I expected for a Carling Black Label. It washed down the tika nicely buts that's about all. For my next pint in The Spoons (as I think the youngsters are calling the HB these days) I wanted to be a bit more adventurous so walked the length of the bar in search of something new. To my delight they did have a couple of interesting local beers which the barman/assistant manager let me sample first before I committed to a full pint. Unfortunately he would only let me try two out of the four or five I wouldn't have minded a finger or two of. Maybe he thought that I was a hobo just asking to sample everything and then, half cut, saying I won't bother before going outside to scrape up yet more tab ends to smoke in the shop doorway I'd chosen to doss down in for the night! In the end I went for a Westerham Brewery's bitter which was very acceptable and I will be back for more even though, as my friend said, they are really a McPub. That is to say, like McDonalds, predictable and consistant but, for me anyway, that also goes along with souless and distinctly average.
So after that experience I had to take my friend to a place where I know you can get a good pint: The Punch and Judy next to the Police Station. I wanted to try the Tonbridge Brewery's Coppernob which I knew they had in. If it was anything approaching as good as their Auburn Myth then I knew we were in for a treat. We weren't disappointed. It was quite simply splendid. Tasty, zesty, slightly malty possibly, a tiny bit fruity and nectar in a glass. My friend decided to wup me at the bar billiards table while we chatted about old times. He was doing a good job of it until in both the second and the third leg of our three game epic encounter his impatience and greed for those bonus 200 points got the better of him and he managed to bowl over the black skittle. Nice to have a night out in Tonbridge in two very different pubs. No prizes for guessing though which one Tonbridge Blog prefers....
4 comments:
I know which one I prefer too. Spoons is fine if you want a cheap pint, or want to sample a range of beers you can't normally get around here. (You were trying your luck somewhat TB asking to sample all five!). It's also good for a cheap breakfast or a mid-morning coffee.
However, unless you time your visit right there never seems to be enough staff on duty, and having to queue for ages in order to get served isn't my idea of fun!
Given the choice I much prefer a traditional pub, preferably a quiet one where I can have a conversation without having to shout to make myself heard.
Btw in my experience you can normally get a pint of something decent with the meal deal in Spoons, rather than having to put up with something as bland as Carling, providing you ask the staff.
Welcome back Mr. B. Actually the Carling was my choice because I do like a lager with my curry. Much more refreshing I find. Curiously they wouldn't let me have the Fosters, which I prefer, with it for some bizare reason. I will be back to "Spoons" to try out some more of their local beers at some point but, for me, the range of beers and the cheapish prices don't really make up for the terrible soulessness of it all. Maybe I'm the one who's out of step but give me the Coppernob at the P&J ay day of the week. The kebab shop's close by as well!...
Yes welcome back Paul. Are you going to restart your blog?
Thank-you for your kind "welcome back" comments TB & Mr Greengrass. I ceased writing my Blog just under a year ago as I have had to stop drinking beer for health reasons.
This is hopefully a temporary state of affairs, (it certainly is not due to over-indulgence or anything like that!). For someone who enjoys a decent drop of beer as much as I do though, this has been a very frustrating experience; indeed it has probably been the worst aspect of the condition I am currently suffering from.
Rest assured though, I am determined to make a full recovery and to get back to reporting on developments, both locally and nationally, in the world of beer as soon as possible!
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