The Lost Pubs of Edgware

If you walk down the High Street in Edgware today, you’d be hard pressed for find any pubs, indeed the only ‘traditional’ pub operating in the town centre is The Three Wishes, which ironically is one of the newest, first opened in 1993 by Wetherspoons, it was orignally called The Blacking Bottle at the time, it has since gone through several owners before acquiring its present name in 2006, operating today as a free-house. Meanwhile two further pubs have been converted into bars/ restaurants, The Beehive has become Zanzi-Bar, an Indian restaurant/ bar; whilst The Mason’s Arms has turned into Luna Lounge (Clubul Romanesc), following the sale of the pub in 2012. Going out of town, towards the area that once housed the sleepy hamlet of Upper Hale, both The Jolly Badger (Green Man) and The Railway Tavern are still in business and continue to do good trade. Yet if you look around Edgware, you’ll also find a number of remnants of former pubs, which once populated the area. For instance, The Change of Hart lies vacant since it closed in 2020 as does the nearby Railway Hotel on Station Road, which has remained a derelict ruin since closing in 2006; going towards the outskirts of town there are former pubs that have been converted into other uses, The Edge of Town on Station Road has become a Polish supermarket since it closed in 2012, whilst The Sparrow on Broadfields Avenue also closed the same year and was later converted into a Barnardo’s and Tesco Express two years later. Incredibly, over a hundred years ago there were around twelve pubs operating in the area as of 1914; yet in the space of a century, due to the combination of local redevelopment projects, forced closures by PubCo’s or the selling of failing businesses, the number of pubs in this area has gradually dwindled. In order reach an understanding of what we have lost, we need to explore Edgware’s extensive pub heritage in detail.

 

The George

One of the oldest inns in the area, it was built c.1454 for travellers journeying through Watling Street. Many of the oak beams and pillars allegedly came from old ship’s timbers, and the oak door leading to the saloon bar was carved by hand and reputed to date from the 11^th century, it was also used a house of rest for soldiers during the Wars of the Roses, Nell Gwynne reportedly once stayed here and highwayman Dick Turpin used it as a haunt. By the 17^th century, the surrounding high street had expanded and become increasingly commercialised, where it featured a blacksmiths, butchers, tailors, colliers, opticians and a weekly fayre held every Thursday. Henry Hayley, who ran the inn during this time also operated a brewery, and the site had expanded to include four buildings enclosing a courtyard, a long barn stood facing a road, whilst to the back of the site consisted of a pond, outhouses, brewhouses, and an orchard. During the 19^th century, the pub was rebuilt with a new brickwork structure, consisting of an amalgamation of two storey buildings with gabled ends, separated by two bays, and from 1834 onwards it was referred to as a public house, latterly the courtyard was covered in the early 20th century and turned into a dance hall. The pub was run during this period by Cannon Brewery who also owned three other pubs on the high street namely The White Lion, The Boot and The Masons Arms, along with a further two on the village outskirts, The Hall Arms in Church Lane and The Green Man in Hale Lane respectively. In 1930, the brewery was taken over by Taylor Walker, around this time road widening schemes on the High Street and Whitchurch Lane were on the cards and the council planned to demolish the pub along with The Masons Arms and the Chandos Arms respectively. News of its closure came as a shock to local residents, with a reporter at the time stating “for many years, it was the main place, we might saw the only place in Edgware for dinners, dances, whist drives, meetings or other such functions.” [1]  The council offered the licensees the opportunity to transfer of their licence to a new premises in Kingsbury, however the locals were outraged by this decision and a petition signed by 670 people was organised, opposing this transfer. They argued that The George was not merely a public house, but an institution as many functions were held there, and there was nowhere else to hold them. Ultimately their efforts failed, and the pub closed early in 1931, the building was subsequently demolished. The new George Inn was later built in Kingsbury, and continues to operate to this day.

 

The Boot

Situated on the junction between the High Street and Church Lane (Station Road), it was first recorded in 1753; the pub was smaller than other public houses in the area, it was remarked that the bars were extremely small, and the roof was so low that a person wearing a hat could hardly stand upright, it also offered no accommodation for travellers. In an article from Country Life Magazine from 1903, it is described as “a delightful red brick building with a green trellis upon its front, and stands up upon the right side of the street as you look towards St Albans.”[2]  The pub was built near the Edgware lockup, a cage used for confining prisoners prior to their court hearings. Run by Salter & Co then Cannon Brewery, the pub also went by several names including The Boot and Spur, The Jack Boot and The Black Boot. By 1913, three other pubs were sited on the same side of the street. These included The Red Lion, The King’s Arms and The Surrey Arms, the latter which opened the same year. All three pubs were larger in size and were deemed to have better facilities and accommodation than the Boot. The following year, the pub licence was reviewed by the local justices who presented their case to the Middlesex Licencing Committee, as they were keen to close the pub as there were too many pubs operating in the area at the time. They argued “the house was 31 yards from fully-licensed house, 'The Red Lion,' the same side of the road, and about yards from a commodious, well-built, and fairly new beer house called “The Surrey Arms.” also the same side of the road. the oilier direction, 220 yards away, was The King’s Arms,” another fully-licensed house. All of these three houses wore very superior accommodation to The Boot.”[3]  The committee argued that at the side of the house, there were two serving windows where customers were served drinks. They stated this was undesirable, as this often led to obstruction of traffic from the nearby road, coupled with the fact that the pub was relatively small in size compared to its neighbouring public houses. Cecil Whitley, who represented the owners of the pub in the hearing, stated it would be seriously disputed that the accommodation was poor, it was also noted that the pub had a sizeable amount of trade. The magistrate’s decision was overturned due to lack of evidence, they appealed this decision the following year, and this was again overturned, and the committee, upheld their decision to renew the pub’s licence. For the next 50 years, the pub continued to trade, despite the road widening schemes of the 1930’s which saw many of its nearby competitors bite the dust. Unfortunately, by 1965, the game was up and the pub subsequently closed; the building was soon demolished and a shopping parade was built in its place. Fittingly in memory of its former occupant, it was named Boot Parade, a poignant reminder to the past.

The Chandos Arms

The original incarnation of the Chandos Arms was situated on the High Street. An inn had reportedly stood on this site since the 11^th century thus making it one of the oldest in the country; around 1600 it was rebuilt in its final form as a coaching inn, it was described by L. Salmon as “a beautiful old house with panelled passages, crooked windows with small panes, and a huge lamp and swinging sign, painted with the Chandos Arms, hanging out over the street upon a great crossway beam and post of timber.” Formerly known as the Crane, allegedly it was once owned by the Losse family (one time owners of the Cannons estate), and one of its most notable architectural features was its marble fronted fireplace which was donated from the estate when the mansion was demolished in 1747. During the 18th century, its notable regulars included the composer George Fredrich Handel (who worked at nearby Cannons as resident composer between 1717-1719) whom frequently visited the Tavern during this period; Dick Turpin frequented this establishment residing in the back room where he could quickly escape through the courtyard when the authorities came knocking, and it was regularly visited by the Duke of Chandos and his friends, it was even rumoured that there was a secret tunnel linking the inn with the grand house. Due to its close connection with Chandos, the pub was renamed The Chandos Arms, and bared their coat of arms over the pub sign; which was a common feature in pubs at the time in order for travellers to identify the location in reference to the nearby gentry, particularly pertinent since the majority of the population were illiterate. In addition to it hotel facilities the inn was used for other uses, during the 19^th century it was used a location for hustings and polling during elections, members of the Edgware Congregational Church held services in the upper rooms and the building was also used as courthouse for the local magistrates, who would hold proceedings for minor offences every Thursday morning, this lasted until 1913 when Hendon Courthouse was constructed; and in 1896, a firehouse was constructed to the back of the building, with a volunteer force of ten firemen. Later, in February 1927, George Cheshire (then landlord of the pub) applied for the provisional removal of his licence and to transfer it to a new site on Colindale Avenue, due to the congestion of pubs in the Edgware area. The following year the local authorities approved his request, and by 1937, construction of the new pub was completed, it was named The New Chandos in reflection of its status. It quickly became popular with workers from the nearby factories, and following a brief period of closure, it reopened in 2013, under its original name. The pub continues to operate, and remains a popular fixture with locals, holding regular live music events and has even been used as a filming location in TV shows. Meanwhile, the original Chandos Arms was demolished, during the 1930’s it was used as a motor coach station, and today a branch of Lidl resides over the former site.

The Change of Hart

Originally known at the White Hart, a building has stood on this site since the 15^th century. Around c.1600, it was rebuilt as a coaching inn, to serve the passing traffic, which had become increasingly lucrative. It was constructed as a three-storey stuccoed structure, with a hipped tiled roof and wooden eaves cornices.[4] Much of the ground floor was altered during the Victorian era, though traces of its original architecture were maintained, including the timbering around the drive-through, which was formerly utilized as a passage way for horses towards the stables. The pub is unique in the area, for being the only one with architecture dating back pre 20^th century, since nearly all of the other surviving pub buildings in the High Street were rebuilt during the early 1930’s. During much of the 20^th century, it was run by Taylor Walker, and it featured four separate serving areas, it also featured a snug, a club room and a large beer garden. The divides between the separate areas were later taken down, although many its former hallmarks including the multi-sided bar counter were maintained, along with its games room at the rear which featured a pool table; yet despite it appearing large in size, due it’s layout it would often get cramped and crowded during busy times. In 1972, well preserved 15th century timber beams were located in a bedroom and in the kitchen attic, thus proving that the original building was originally a late medieval construction, though the coachyard entrance and hotel structure however were of later construction. This discovery led the site to be listed a year later on 8^th January 1973. For many years the pub was known as The White Hart, yet in 1992 it was renamed The Change of Hart; during this period the pub served several real ales including Greene King IPA (3.6%), Hart Bitter (?) and Tetley Bitter (3.6%), it also offered house beer at promotional prices and home cooked food. By the 2000’s, the pub had become part of the Punch Taverns chain, it was sold off and closed in November 2017 and was converted into Dolce, an Italian restaurant, which too closed in 2020. Today the building remains vacant, and despite it’s listed status, the upper floors are in poor condition after unauthorised works. Last April, enforcement notices were issued, that required a reversal of the unlawful changes to the exterior and interior fixtures of the site.

 

The White Lion

The southernmost pub in the high street, located only a few yards from the bridge that once crossed over the Edgware Brook. It was first licenced in 1751, and it operated as a coaching inn, much like its nearby competitors in the area. For much of its existence it was owned by Trumans, the site was initially modest in size, but in the early 20^th century the site was largely rebuilt and enlarged, which allowed it hold large gatherings for groups like the Edgware Rotarians to the staff at the local Sainsbury’s store. Some of the original features were maintained, included the alleged room where Dick Turpin stayed during his trips to the inn, the pub also featured a number of wall displays dedicated the area’s connection with the highwayman. Moreover, the pub held regular events including a weekly Jazz club, held every Sunday night and it was also popular with fans of the nearby Edgware Town FC, as the grounds incidentally backed onto pub. The club was established in 1939, the grounds was named The White Lion in reference to its nearby public house, even its official badge bared the emblem. The football grounds were also leased by Trumans who ran the nearby pub, in 1987 the club took Trumans to court when the brewery failed to renew their lease, as they intended to sell the land for redevelopment. In 1958, the pub started organising regular live music gigs, when The Two R’s Club established residency at the venue, with performances every Friday evening; a number of bands performed here, including The Who. Later in October 1972, the pub introduced an over 18’s discotheque that took place on Sunday evenings. The pub was later owned by Scottish and Newcastle, yet trade gradually ebbed away from the pub, and in 1996 the pub chain announced that the site will be sold and demolished. The pub’s final landlord Paul Thompson stated at the time “look there’s simply no trade here, barely anyone comes here, because this is a depressing place. People want bright places like the new pubs in Harrow town centre. Pubs like these have had their day.”[5] The pub closed the following year, and in 2000 it was demolished, a Premier Inn was later constructed on the site. In 2008, the White Lion ground at Edgware FC closed following the end of the 2007-8 season, when their main financial backers revoked funding. The freehold was bought out by Barrett Homes and turned into a residential development named Zodiac Close.  

The Leather Bottle

Sited north of the High Street in Stonegrove, it was built in 1860. One of two of pubs in Edgware run by Bennett’s and subsequently Mann, Crossmann & Paulin, during its 142 year existence the pub went through a number of changes, in the early 1920’s it was entirely rebuilt and enlarged into a two storey building. In 1965, then owners Watney’s renovated the pub as part of their Schooner Inns project, the interior was transformed to resemble a Swiss chalet, replete with wood panelled walls and fittings. Retrowow describes the Schooner Inns initiative as “these were a new concept in drinking places that aimed to have a wider appeal beyond the traditional pub drinker. They usually had restaurants and the standard was consistent.”[6] Many of the Schooner inns were refits of older pubs, much of the original architecture was often stripped out and replaced with modern fittings. They were often designed as themed pubs which had become prevalent around time. Themes varied widely from Vikings, Parisian, Naval, Hawaiian, Pirates and even Psychedelia. Following its refit, the pub’s interior featured in a number of films including ‘A Clockwork Orange’ (1971) during the scene where Alex and his Droogs have a drink at the fictional Duke of New York and ‘Assassin’ (1973), where it was used for interiors for the wedding reception scenes, the nearby Railway Hotel, was used for exteriors, to represent the wedding venue. During the 1970’s, the upstairs dining area was converted into a Berni Inn steakhouse, which subsequently turned into a Beefeater by the 1990’s. In May 1991, disaster struck when a major fire ripped through the pub, firefighters managed to prevent the building from being burnt to the ground, though the pub remain closed for several months. By the end of the decade it was called The Bottle and Dragon, yet dwindling customer numbers and an attempt at serving Thai food fell on deaf ears, and in October 2002 the pub closed. Bob Hallett, who worked at the pub in 1971, noted at time, "it's rather sad. It didn't take off as a pub-cum-Thai restaurant and it was hard to justify keeping it open for one or two regulars."[7] Residents were reportedly saddened to see the last pub in Stonegrove close, the building was subsequently sold to developers Pinecal and it was soon demolished and turned into flats.

 

The Corner House

Going further up the road towards Canons Corner, was a pub that was designed for the coming of the motorways. Following the construction of the A5088 (latterly the A41) in 1922, there were calls for a new public house to serve the nearby junction between Edgware Way and Stonegrove. After years fof wrangling, the pub opened it doors in 1937, constructed by Dawe & Carter, it was designed as a roadhouse style pub that were commonplace at the time. It had notably had large curved windows, brown-red/ brown brick-work and Indian red/ brown tiles on the roof. The main entrance was surrounded by a stonework border.  The building was symmetrical in appearance, with rounded edges on either side of the building, that harked back to the turrets of medieval architecture, which commonly featured in pubs during the 19^th century.  Roadhouse pubs were designed for comfort in mind, David W. Gutzke noted “Roadhouse promoters wanted to project an image of luxury as much as comfort in a recreational centre replete with the most modern technology and expensive conveniences, especially in the accommodation rooms.”[8] Indeed it was reported by Hendon & Finchley Times at the time of the pub’s opening that had a sweeping drive that could accommodate up to 60 cars, and the interior was last word in comfort, with green leather furnishings in the lounge and saloon bars, along with a wide open-air terrace for drinking on warmer days.[9] Basil Oliver once stated in his book 'The Renaissance of the British Public House', “the Corner House, is a most ably planned house with large curbed window ends to the public and saloon bars. These must be very attractive from the inside. Carried up for bedrooms above with rounded roofs over, they certainly add to the attractiveness of the cleverly contrived main elevation.”[10] This pub epitomised the roadhouse pub both in look and concept. Over the years it became a popular venue with local community, it was also used as a reception venue for weddings, christenings and funerals. In the 1980’s, the pub’s interior was extensively renovated and modernised, the following decade the pub came under the ownership of Allied Domecq, as a result of a merger between Allied Lyons and Pedro Domecq S.A. in 1994. Two years later, they announced that they would be selling the site and converting the building into a McDonald's drive-in restaurant, a similar fate had already befallen the Red Lion in nearby Borehamwood. The regulars were up in arms about this decision, and initiated a campaign to save the pub. The owners bluntly stated at the time “we are constantly reviewing our estate, at the end of the day we are a commercial organisation and have to ensure our company is profitable.” Despite the locals efforts to save the pub, the campaign failed to have an effect, and the pub was closed and sold off to McDonald's early in 1998.  The loss of this pub was due to corporate restructuring rather that diminishing customer returns, which is a factor that has affected a vast number of pubs around the country. Roger Protz notes that by this time a quarter of all pubs in the UK were owned by PubCo’s[11]. This included several in Edgware, and over the next fifteen years all of these pubs would be closed, sold off or demolished by their respective PubCo owners.

The Sparrow Hawk

Situated on the outskirts of Edgware, it was opened in 1957 by Whitbread & Co, to serve the relatively new Broadfields estate, which was initiated in 1923 following the sale of 1,110 acres of land by Sergeant Cox; construction began in 1927 with Broadfields Avenue, further development came in earnest in 1936, when John Laing’s commenced construction of their Edgware estate, they built a substantial number of houses and roads before the Green Belt halted their plans in 1948. The pub’s name commemorated Ella, Countess of Salisbury, whom during the 12^th century gifted her son Nicholas and new wife the manor of Edgware, in return for an annual gift of one sparrowhawk. From the outset, modernism was on the cards, the interior had tiled flooring with a distinct diamond pattern design, this surrounded a long-curved L-shaped bar counter, pulldown pedant lights lined the vicinity of the building, and Bauhaus armchairs help gave place a continental and contemporary feel, this was in stark departure to the many of the older prewar pubs in the area. The venue quickly became a popular haunt for local groups who held regular meetings there, organisations such as the Rotary Club, the Edgware Round Table, The First London Toastmasters Club, the North London Breakers Club and the Young Conservatives held meetings there, furthermore until 1964, the local Catholic community held services at the pub, until their new church, St Matthias Roman Catholic Church, opened in June 1964. By the 1960’s, the pub started organising regular Jazz gigs, this proved popular with the punters and they branched out into holding Rockabilly evenings, Blues, Prog Rock and friends of the earth benefit concerts, the pub gradually became a well-known venue for live music, at one time it was even dubbed the centre of the Rockabilly scene in North London. The pub also organised events, including the annual Miss Sparrowhawk beauty competition and Whitbread’s Search for a Star, a talent contest with heats taking place in several Whitbread pubs across London. The pub was additionally notable for promoting up and coming talent, The Meteors played their first gig here on 25^th July 1980. In later years, the pub was subsequently renamed as the Glengall Park and the Sparrow finally. In 2010 it was announced that the pub will be closed and sold, it was put on sale for £1.3 million pounds through AC&G, it quickly attracted a range of buyers including community groups, residential developers and convenience stores. The pub closed in April 2012, and the site was eventually split three ways, with Baranardo’s and Tesco occupying the ground floor, and residential flats inhabiting the upper floors. The original building remains in-tact, yet none of the original interiors from it’s 55-year existence as a pub remain, following it’s closure.

The Edge of Town

One of two pub’s to open on Station Road during the 20^th century, it opened in 1992 on the site of a former shop unit. Operating as a free-house from the start, the pub offered several real ale options. In the December 1992 issue of London Drinker, it was reported that they were serving Tetley Bitter (3.7%) and Worthington’s Best Bitter (3.6%) on cask, they also held a monthly beer festival with up to 10 cask beers.[12] By 1995, the pub was reportedly serving up to as many as 6 cask ales. Latterly, the pub was taken over by Greene King, it ran weekly karaoke and disco events every Saturday, along with regular live football during the weekends, it also became popular with the local Irish community. Ultimately, the pub closed in October 2012, and subsequently returned back to its former usage as a shop, ironically as a Polish supermarket.

 

The Railway Hotel

One of the most well known and much missed of Edgware’s pubs. In 1929, with road widening schemes taking place around the town centre, A-roads opening up which improving links to towns across Middlesex, and new roads being built around the emerging residential suburbs. The opportunity was rife for a new roadhouse style pub to cash in on the boom in motor transport. In October that year, Truman’s submitted plans for their new pub in Edgware and these were quickly approved the following month. A hotel had already resided on Church Lane since 1874, built near Edgware railway station, the terminus of the branch line between Edgware – Finsbury Park. The brewery brought out the site and employed their in-house architects A.E. Sewell to construct a new building in its place, which was completed in 1931, the same year Church Lane was renamed to Station Road. Designed in the Tudorbethan style (or Mock Tudor for shot) which was inherently popular at the time. An imposing three-storey structure, the building featured a number of design features that were synonymous with this style, which included half timbered elevations to the upper floors, a steeply pitched tiled roof, a set of six tall chimney stacks in the centre with ornate brick-work with a three lined chimney stack to its adjacent right and two smaller chimney stacks to the rear, carved wooden under the eaves, an asymmetrical façade with six casement windows of varying size on the first floor, and further a three casement windows on the 2^nd, with two projecting from the roof and notably the off-sales building on the right was linked by a tiled archway with timber uprights, that bared the name of the building, whilst the interior was similarly ornate with wooden panelling and four centred arched fireplaces. Basil Oliver wrote in 1934, "it a technically perfect example of revived quasi-timber-fronted construction, well to the high standard Messrs. Liberty and Co.'s building of a similar Great Marlborough Street, but far too mannered for A.D. 1932. when it was completed.”[13] The pub was a notable example of the improved public house, as Dermot Kennedy notes an “initiative to build bigger, better and fewer, and although quite a few were built in city centres most found their way into the new suburbs where there was space to create dramatic, streamlined public houses for the modern world.”[14] This was part of a concerted effort at the time to improve the range of facilities that a pub could offer to the customer, and in the case of the Railway Hotel, this also included on the 1^st floor, an luncheon room that included a carvery and a masonic lodge. Through the years, it became a popular venue for parties, wedding receptions and various clubs including The Lotus Car Club, Hendon Darts League and the London Toastmasters Club who held their first dinner there in January 1960. It also became utilized as a filming location, appearing extensively in the film ‘Assassin’ (1973) where it was used for exterior shots in the wedding reception scenes, it also featured in the background during the sequence where Matthew (Mike Pratt) and Luke (Frank Duncan) have a meal at the T-Bone restaurant situated opposite the Railway Hotel. Later, Trumans sold the pub to Grand Metropolitan, whom later sold it onto Scottish and Newcastle. In the early 1990’s it was run as a carvery restaurant called County Carvery, which was allegedly indifferent in quality. Following a failed health and safety inspection, the pub unexpectedly closed in May 2006, and has remained vacant ever since. The building was Grade II listed in 2003 which ensured its continued survival, however due to successive owners the place has been allowed to fall into a derelict condition. In 2013 the building was added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register, following repeated incidents of vandalism and fires. Notably, on the 11th July 2016, a fire swept through the building, destroying much of the original interior fittings in the ground floor area. A further fire in 2018 caused more damage. In January 2019, more than 2000 people signed a petition calling on Barnet Council and Historic England to preserve the 1930’s mock tudor building; campaigner Mark Amies stated “the Railway is a part of the Edgware landscape that people love dearly, but it is being allowed to fall to pieces.” [15] For several years Amies has continued to campaign for the preservation of the building and has frequently been vocal about its ongoing issues. In May 2023, Barnet Council agreed to buy the landmark building and preserve it as part of the town centre’s redevelopment. A compulsory purchase order was placed, after Historic England cited fears that the building could potentially suffer from irreparable damage.

The range of pubs around Edgware paint an illustrious picture and provides a window into its distant past. From the days when the area was little more than a village, a cluster of coaching inns including The George, The White Hart, The Barn and Hay Wain (The Beehive), The Chandos Arms and The White Lion for instance, opened up in order to cash on the growing coaching trade, indeed by 1791 three coaches passed daily through the area, which rose up to nine (on weekdays) by 1839, these inns were essential in bringing trade into the area. The coming of the railways with the opening of the station in 1867 failed to have a dent on the area’s pub trade, by this time many of the former coaching inns had increasingly converted over to becoming public houses, and new sites appeared on the scene with the likes of The Crystal Palace, The King's Arms, The Red Lion, The Jolly Dealers and The Surrey Arms for instance. By 1914, the number of public houses had plateaued which coerced the local authorities into action and close down some of the properties, although their efforts to revoke the licence of the Boot had been overturned twice, yet by 1929 with road widening schemes taking place their efforts prevailed, pubs including The Chandos Arms and The George were offered new premises in other areas, whilst The Beehive and the Masons Arms were rebuilt and re-sited. Around this time roadhouse and improved pubs were coming on the scene with the increase in motorised transport, and during the 1930’s places like The Railway Hotel and the Corner House emerged, whilst The Green Man was renovated and extensively rebuilt for the new age of the roadhouse pub. After the war, with new residential developments (such as the Broadfields estate) developing, there was a need to build pubs to serve these areas, and the likes of The Sparrow Hawk was constructed. Redevelopment projects also saw the likes of The Crystal Palace closing in 1939, and the Boot in 1965 respectively. Alas the rot set in following the Beer Orders Act of 1989 which restricted the Big Six brewers from owning more than 2000 pubs apiece, they circumnavigated this by merging with other companies, often with non-brewing connections. The majority of pubs across Edgware were owned by these emerging PubCo’s, and from the mid 1990’s onwards they were gradually closed down, The White Lion closed in 1997 and subsequently demolished, and the following year The Corner House was sold off to McDonald’s. In 2002, it’s neighbouring pub The Leather Bottle was also sold, demolished and turned into flats, meanwhile The Railway Hotel bit the dust in 2006, whilst the Mason’s Arms continued to linger on until 2012 when it was sold to a new operator, whilst both the Beehive and the Change of Hart were converted into restaurants, even newer pubs haven’t fare much better, with both The Sparrow and The Edge of Town closing in 2012, then subsequently turned into commercial properties. Edgware is a veritable graveyard of pubs, there are decaying ruins like The Railway Hotel and The Change of Hart that appear in a sorry state after years of dereliction, whilst others like The Masons Arms, The Beehive, The Corner House, The Edge of Town and The Sparrow still exist as structures, but have been converted to other uses. Then there are public houses that have been demolished and buried under new developments like the Premier Inn that looms over the buried remains of The White Lion, or Boot Parade which once resided The Boot. All of these pubs are part of the area’s extensive heritage, and each loss knocks another chunk out of of the area's past. Due to the perilous situation, there have been concerted efforts over recent years to preserve and revive some of Edgware’s former pubs, hopefully this campaigning will ensue and ultimately prevail, and once again restore the area’s long forgotten reputation as a town of many interesting pubs.

List of References 

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[1] 'Changes in Edgware: Hotel which was visited by Nell Gwynne', Hendon & Finchley Times, 14^th March 1930.

[2] ‘Edgware and Handel’, L. Salmon, Country Life Magazine, 23^rd May 1903.

[3] ‘Middlesex Licencing Committee Second Attempt to Close the Boot’ Hendon & Finchley Times, 2^nd July 1915.

[4] ‘FormerWhite Hart Hotel, High Street, Edgware HA8 – Harrow’, Historic England.

[5] ‘Is This Last Orders for the Traditional Boozer?’,  David Brown, Harrow Observer, 1^st August 1996.

[6] ‘WatneysPubs in the 50s, 60s and 70s’, Retrowow.

[7] ‘Clockwork' pub to be converted’, Barnet Borough Times, 23^rd October 2002.

[8] ‘ImprovedPubs and Road Houses: Rivals for Public Affection in Interwar England’ by DavidW. Gutzke, Brewery History Society, Issue 119, Summer 2005.

[9] ‘New Licenced House’, Hendon & Finchley Times, 30^th July 1937.

[10] ‘The Renaissance of the British Public House’ by Basil Oliver, Faber & Faber, 1947.

[11] ‘Tied hand and foot: the sad and sorry saga of the rise of Britain's giant 'pubcos' by Roger Protz, Protz on Beer, 27^th December 2014.

[12] London Drinker, Vol 14, No.11, December 1992, pg.35.

[13] ‘Model Public Houses’ Hendon & Finchley Times, 11^th May 1934.

[14] ‘Art Deco Pubs in the UK, Part 1: Beside the Sea’, Dermot Kennedy, Pub Gallery, 18^th April 2024.

[15] ‘Fears for future of fire-damaged former Barnet pub’, by Simon Allin, Barnet Borough Times, 26^th January 2019. 

Beer Review: Harvey's Lewes Castle Brown

 Name: Lewes Castle Brown 

Brewery: Harvey's

ABV: 4.5%

Style: Brown Ale

Location: Lewes, East Sussex

Aroma: A malty leathery aroma, some hints of toasty roasted malt and chocolate detected in the background.

Colour: Deep brown with a two finger buff head.

Taste: Chocolaty and profoundly malty, a whisp of coffee followed by some roasted bitterness in the background. A touch of liquoriche gives it an unsual counterpoint. Medium bodied, mouthfeel is smooty. Distinctly sweet, which is typical for this style of beer, although it does overtake most of the over flavours.

Verdict: A medicore take on the Brown Ale style, there is sweetness definately present but not much else. The malty backbone seems rather muted, some roasted bitterness in the background is present which gives some depth along with fruity liquoriche. Yet it lacks much character, and the promising flavours seem somewhat undermined. Not one of Harvey's best efforts. Its best leave to Brown Ales in the North East where they belong. 

Rating: 6/10

Crisps and Beer Pairings

Brewers always lark on about what foods go best with their beers, whether a curry would be a suitable match for an IPA or a hearty stew provide the perfect accompaniment to a Best Bitter. Yet they seldom mention about crisps, which through thick and thin has been a constant companion to the humble pint, since the first flavoured crisps were introduced by Smiths back in the 1920's. Over the past 70 years as manufacturers developed new flavours for crisps, from cheese and onion in 1954 to salt and vinegar in 1967 and so on; the variety of crisps available to punters have vastly increased to hundreds of flavours and styles whether it is made out of potato, corn or wheat. So the idea about crisp and beer pairings should really be a particuarly pertient one at this moment in time as beers increasingly diversify. The old adage goes that crisps were intially introduced to pubs, since their fatiness and saltiness encourages drinkers to buy more pints, and in turn rake in more profits for the landlords, it is little wonder pubs like The Swan in Bushey has a mountain of snacks to choose from, as it has become a good source of encouraging profit. Yet it would be shallow just to dismiss crisps as a salty snack used to drive up drinking rates. There have been ongoing efforts from independent brewers to improve the quality of their beers, crisp manufacturers like Burts, Pipers and Mackies have striven over the years to improve the quality of their product, so aside from encouraging customers to drink more, their products also provide an ideal pairing to beers. But like cheese and wine pairings, different flavours suit different wines, the same should be said about crisps and beers. 

Indeed flavours like salt and vinegar particuarly go well with golden ales, as the acidity from the vinegar helps dovetail with the potent hopiness that is commonly found with this style. For instance I once tried a packet of salt and vinegar Squares with Bure Gold (4.3%) - Woodfordes and I found that the vinegar actually enhanced the flavour profile of the beer, and brought the hop forward flavours out. The same could be said for Smith's Scampi Fries, which I also find a good match with any blonde or Golden Ale; although in reality it's actually lemon flavoured, the flavour profile makes for a good pairing with this particular style of beer as it helps blend with the refreshing hoppy flavours from the beer rather than overtake it, which is little wonder why the British public voted it the 6th most popular crisp variety. Moreover, when it comes to the likes of Best Bitter which often known for its maltiness, dry mouthfeel and pronounced bitter backtaste, gamier/ meaty flavours should be considered. The smokiness from bacon flavoured crisps like Frazzles would make an ideal pairing for any pint of best, as the smokey tang helps undercut the bitter excesses from the beer, making it easier to drink. The same could be said for beef flavour crisps, when recently sampling some Pipers Longhorn Beef flavoured crisps with Orkney Best (3.6%) - Swannay, the gamey flavours from the crisps help exentuate the malty properties from the beer, thus improving its flavour, rather than detract from it. Now when it comes to darker beers like Stout, Porters and Dark Mild, careful consideration should be put into pairing crisps with this beer style, as quite often this style is known for its pronouced roasted malt flavour profile with notes of coffee, chocolate, caramel and even charcoal are often are detected. This can make it particuarly difficult to match up with any crisp flavour, especially when there are many substyles of stout for instance to choose from, such as Oyster, Milk, Dry Irish, Imperial, Oatmeal and Fruit to take in consideration, which further mudies the waters. Yet most stouts and porters are known for their medium to heavy bodies, especially when lactose and oats are thrown into the mix. Incidentally enough cheese has always been seen as a good flavour pairing with darker beers, as the creaminess from the cheese helps dovetail with the mouthfeel from the beer, and also help counteract the bitterness without overtaking it. Certain types of cheeses like red leicester and cheddar are especially common in crisps, as their relative mildness makes fir a suitable pairing with darker ales. Indeed a packet of Mini Cheddars would be an ideal pairing to the likes of Mena Dhu (4.5%) - St. Austell, as it helps exentuate the complex malt profile of the beer, which features up to six different malts (Pale, Crystal, Chocolate, Smoked, Malted Oats and Roasted Barley) in the mix. The flavourings from the cheddar flavoured crisps actually improve the overall drinking experience. Moreover the marmite style flavourings from crisps like Twiglets would also make a good pairing with darker coloured beers, which staringly obvious since these crisps were originally made from excess brewers yeast, as the strong, salty, earthy and unami rich flavours make an ideal pairing with the astrigent excesses of any Stout, Porter or Dark Mild. Moreover, on the other end of the ABV scale, beer styles like IPA and Strong Ale tend to have deeper and more pronounced flavours, for instance a traditional English IPA is known for their dinstinctly hoppy and aromatic flavour profile, with notes of citrus, spice, caramel and herbs thrown into the mix, along with a bready and biscuity malty mouthfeel to contend with. Indeed other styles like East Coast IPA's and NEIPA have even more hop forward flavours, particuarly when hops like Citra are utilized. Brewers often suggest spicy flavours are the ideal way to temper the beast, and none come more better than a curry, as the spiciness helps counteract the strong flavours that come through with IPA. Most crisps manufacturers usually go for milder types of curries when utilzing them for inspiration, as something like Vindaloo would be perhaps a step to far, unless you happen to be Dave Lister. I have frequently come across flavours like Chicken Tikka, Madras, Katsu Curry and even Currywurst on my travels, not only do curry flavoured crisps have aromatic qualities, they sometimes have a trace of lactose to help cut through the excesses of the spices, much like a real curry made with yoghurt would. So whether you sample a strong IPA like Green Devil IPA (6%) - Oakham, or Star of Eastbourne (6.5%) - Harvey's, the flavours from something like Chip Shop Curry flavoured McCoys is an ideal pairing with this beer style, as it helps pacify the strong flavours coming through from the IPA, yet at the same time it helps bring out the rich and varied flavour profile that is commonly associtated with this beer style. 

At the end of the day when it comes to crisp and beer pairings it really comes down to personal taste. Indeed it would be a pretty obvious choice just go for ready salted as drinkers have done for over a century, but this particular flavour adds nothing to the beer. Today, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to the wide array of flavours out there to choose from, and this allows for more oppertunity to expand our horizons and try out different flavours of crisps with various beer styles.  After all, it is well known that the fatiness from crisps coats your tongue, making you drink more, so choosing the appropriate flavour pairing is imperitive for improving the overall drinking experience whether it would be a sessionable and malty Best Bitter or a dry hopped and citrussy Double IPA. Indeed, there may be plenty of trial and error involved, but hopefully this brief exploration into flavour town will help educate your tastebuds and encourage you to open up a pack of crisps when you next have a pint down the pub or at home. 

Beer Review: Thornbridge Lord Marples

Name: Lord Marples

Brewery: Thornbridge

ABV: 4%

Style: Bitter

Location: Bakewell, Derbyshire

Aroma: Malty, fruity, hints of grassy hops and a dash of maramalade. 

Colour: Deep red with a fluffy one finger off white head.

Taste: Bitter, fruity, malt is clearly apparent in the foreground, giving it fruity and tart elements. The hops give it a bitter undercurrent that helps ground the flavours together. The mouthfeel is dry to cloying, overallit is medium bodied, not too heavy on the carbonation. 

Verdict: A decent session bitter with malt forward flavours, with a fruity overtones and a undercurrent of biterness that helps makes this a classic take on the time honoured style. The range of flavours help make up for its lack of strength and make it rather quabable. The use of bottle  conditioning adds to the development of the taste profile.

Rating: 8/10

TV Themed Beers

There are countless beers out there named bird species, fighter planes, famous historical persons, iconic films and popular songs. Yet more elusive is the connection between the brewing industry and television, which tends to be harder to find. For several decades, there have been a slew of beers released that have been inspired by notable TV shows, characters and catchphrases. Some shows are more commonly used than others like 'Dad’s Army', 'Only Fools & Horses' and 'Peaky Blinders' for instance. Occasionally a release has featured an iconic catchphrase from a character in a TV show like Cupid Stunt (in 'The Kenny Everett Television Show') best remembered for the line “it’s all done in the best possible taste”. Moreover, memorable episode titles and scenes have also been the subject of attention such as the legendary Goodies episode 'Kitten Kong' for instance.  The inspiration is not just limited to British TV shows, a number of US TV shows have frequented in beer titles as well, the likes of 'Star Trek' has particularly been a regular source of attention, appearing in several releases. And yet whilst most of these beers tend to be limited one-off releases and are seldom known outside their locality, some breweries have gone even further and have released entire ranges of beers dedicated to the television shows, such as Falstaff Brewery’s series of beers released under the Catchphrase banner, or the more recent slew of monthly releases from Hydes Brewery during the 2024 season. The range of beers named after or influenced by TV shows is vast.

When it comes to beer names, a sizeable number of TV shows have been utilized for inspiration. Yet some are more borrowed from than others. Rather surprisingly, 'Dad’s Army' comes out at the top of the list with the most examples linked to show, some of these are named after characters from the show like Mainwaring’s Mild (4.3%) – Firehouse, and a good deal more take after many of the show’s iconic catchphrases like Don’t Panic! (4.6%) – Hydes, uttered on a number of occasions by Lance Corporal Jones, or Don’t Tell Him Pike (4.2%) – Vale, which comes from the memorable line uttered by Captain Mainwaring in the episode ‘The Deadly Attachment’ when he accidentally reveals Pike's name to the U-Boat captain. Uniquely for a British TV show, one brewery has gone to even the lengths of producing a range of beers inspired by the show. In 2018, Drenchfoot Brewery was launched by Paul Foot in Thetford, the town is notable as most of the exteriors for 'Dad’s Army' were filmed there. Sensing a potential marketing opportunity, he went onto produce a range of beers inspired by the town’s most famous claim to fame, including the likes of Don’t Panic (4%), Stupid Boy (4.4%), Home Guard Bitter (3.7%) and Captain Stout (4.1%) for instance, markedly since their release, beers like Stupid Boy (4.4%) have even been sold at the town’s Dad’s Army Museum. Another TV show that has frequently fallen under the brewer’s radar is 'Only Fools and Horses', frequently rated highly in a number of polls, it is easy to see why it is so popular among the general public. There are a host of well-known catchphrases commonly spoken by Del Boy that have featured in beers including This Time Next Year Rodney (4.1%) – VOG, You Plonker (4.2%) – Morgan’s Ales, and Lovely Jubbly (3.8%) – Bowman Ales, the latter example being a collaboration with Mr Whitehead’s Cider Company, sold on limited edition at 60,000 bottles. As well as memorable scenes like One More Turn (3.9%) – Hydes, as uttered by Del in the episode 'A Touch of Glass' prior to dropping the wrong chandelier, to Trigger’s Broom (4.4%) when Trigger announces in the episode 'Heroes and Villains' that’s he’s been given an award for using the same broom for 20 years, despite it having 17 new heads and 14 replacement handles. Whilst many of these examples tend to be one-off releases, Diamond Geezer (4.9%) – By the Horns Brewing Co., bucks this trend, since the Wimbledon based brewery launched operations in 2011, this hoppy red ale with flavours as bold as Del Boy’s fruity character has become one of their most popular semi-regular releases. In more recent times, the likes of 'Peaky Blinders' have become a popular subject for brewers, in 2019 Dancing Duck Brewery produced Beaky Blinder (4.5%) a wry take on the show’s name that also plays reference to the brewery’s range of Duck themed beers. The former Saldler’s Brewery developed a range of ales dedicated to the show including Peaky Blinder Pale Ale (4.3%), Peaky Blinder Black IPA (4.4%) and Peaky Blinder Christmas Pudding (6%) for instance. Such was the popularity of the show, the show’s producers even approached Thornbridge Brewery and commissioned them to create a beer. After a period of development, in February 2020 they released Shelby (5%), a traditional English style IPA, it was produced in a style that would have been drunk in the 1920’s, (where the series is set) and would have likely being supped by the infamous Shelby brothers which the beer is named after. At the time of its release, the show’s creator Steve Knight proclaimed it as “the first and only legitimate Peaky endorsed beer,” perhaps to put it more clearly, it is the only British beer (as of 2025) with direct involvement from the makers of a television show.

 

Another area of interest for brewers is catchphrase, those memorable lines that stream into the nation’s subconsciousness like flypaper. The sitcom 'Gavin & Stacey' has a number of iconic catchphrases including “oh” and “what’s occurring?” as commonly stated by Nessa for instance, both of these phrases have featured in beers like Oh! What’s Occurring (4.1%) – VOG Brewery, which is incidentally based in Barry where much of the show was set and filmed, along with Wat’s Occurring? (3.9%) – Great Oakley, the latter is a session level golden ale that is regularly produced by the brewery, notably since it release, it has become one of their flagship products, winning a slew of awards including Silver in 2013 from the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA), 2010, 2012 CAMRA champion beer of Britain finalists and a Gold in 2011 at the Derby City Charter Festival. Well known quotes from other TV shows have also made appearances in beers like Survey Says (4.2%) – Hydes, which comes from the quiz show 'Family Fortunes', Beam Me Up (4.2%) – Bristol Beer Factory, derived from a frequent phrase uttered in the original 'Star Trek' series, Rock On Tommy (3.8%) – Morgan’s Ales, a line frequently uttered by Bobby Ball in 'Cannon and Ball', Boom! Boom! (4.3%) – Vale, a phrase commonly used by Basil Brush and Best Possible Taste (3.9%) – Vale, derived from a quote commonly spoken by the character Cupid Stunt in 'The Kenny Everett Television Show'. Falstaff Brewery went a step further and launched a series of beers under their catchphrase brand, featuring notable characters from television shows who are known for their catchphrases, including the likes of Meldrew (4.3%) derived from the central character of ‘One Foot in the Grave’ known for his frequent outburst “I don’t believe it”, Peggy (4%), based on the former landlord of the Queen Vic in 'Eastenders' who frequently uttered the line “get out my pub”, Blakey (4%) derived from the bus inspector from 'On the Buses' whom commonly shouts “I’ll get you Butler!” and even examples from US shows like Sheldon (4%) from 'The Big Bang Theory', a character well known for his tagline “Bazinga!” The brewery has even featured real life personalities like Cooper (4.3%) that pays tribute to Tommy Cooper with his trademark phrase “Just Like That”, to Bowen (4.3%) based on the common line uttered by Jim Bowen, presenter of the darts based quiz show 'Bullseye' who would often state “let’s see what you could have won.” 

 

Various breweries have reguarly got into the act and named beers after well known television characters and real life personalities, such as Greengrass Old Rogue Ale (4.5%) – Daleside, based on the Claude Greengrass, the roguish farmer from 'Heartbeat'. This notable golden ale is made from four different hops and has gone onto become one of the brewery’s flagship core-brand products. Moreover, Mighty Oak Brewery have a habit on pun-filled names for their beers, when it came to the Christmas season, they named one of their seasonal offerings Elf Garnett (4.1%) based on Alf Garnett, the irascible protagonist of 'Till Death Us Do Part' and 'In Sickness and in Health'. Likewise, Muswell Hill based brewery Muswell Hillbilly Brewers whose name is based on a song by The Kinks, have produced a number of beers with connections to Kinks songs and hillbilly culture. On one of their releases, they unveiled was called Uncle Jed’s Best Bitter (3.8%), its name is based on the family patriarch Jed Clampitt from the US sitcom 'The Beverly Hillbillies'. Likewise, Salamander Brewery once used the likeliness of former TV fitness instructor Diane Morgan, whom used to grace our screens on 'BBC Breakfast' between 1983-7, she featured in the pump clip design for Green Goddess (4%) which features a salamander dressed in her trademark green leotard costume. Manchester based brewer, Robinsons have also got into the act, with Magnum IPA (4.1%) a golden ale based on the titular protagonist in 'Magnum P.I.', even the pump clip featured the likeness of the character, replete with bushy moustache. Titles from TV shows seem to a popular draw among brewers, such as The Man From D.U.N.K.E.L (5%) by Nine Elms based brewery Mondo Brewing; a traditional dunkelweizen made authentically with Hallertau & Saaz hops and a Bavarian yeast strain for added flavour, its name is a reference to the 60’s spy series 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'. This name has proved so popular, several other breweries have also utilized its namesake, including Battersea Brewery, Ayr Brewing and Bowland Brewery to name a few. Likewise, VOG Brewery produced Barrywatch (4.5%) a wry take on 'Baywatch', quite appropriate given the brewery’s seaside location. A number of other TV show titles have also featured in beer names including 'Black Mirror' an anthology series set in a dystopian future, in October 2018, Kent Brewery released a beer under the name, Black Mirror (4.5%) a stout dry hopped with US and NZ hops. More recently, Siren Craft Brew marked their 11^th anniversary with a series of celebratory releasees. These included another beer featuring the name-sake Black Mirror (8%), an imperial pastry stout flavoured with cocoanut, cocoa and Belgian chocolate, based on their early release Candour (7.8%). Moreover, in 2010, J.W. Lees (one of Manchester’s largest brewers) developed Coronation Street (4.2%) in order to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the soap set in nearby Salford, sticking to the local theme likewise earlier in 2003, Black Sheep Brewery released Emmerdale (4.2%), notably when its ABV was reduced in 2006, the brewery invited Chris Chittel (who played Eric Pollard in the progam) to pull the first pint. Indeed, the brewery have produced a number of beers with names derived from TV shows including All Creatures (4%) and their long running series based on the Monty Python franchise which began in 1999, when the brewery was approached by Python to produce a beer to mark their 30^th anniversary, where they subsequently developed Monty Python’s Holy Grail (4.7%), subsequently they have produced a mixture of titles based on their films and TV show including Flying Circus (4.5%) which was initially released in Easter 2018 and brought back the following year due to popular demand, and  Monty Python’s Dead Parrot (4.1%) that debuted in October 2021 and is based on the iconic sketch, involving a recently deceased Norwegian blue parrot A number of other episode titles have appeared on beer names, including Kitten Kong (4.1%) – Vale, which was based on the award-winning Goodies episode involving a gigantic kitten rampaging across London, and more obliquely May Day May (4.3%) – Burton Bridge, it was sold as part of their Gold Medal Series featuring historic persons, this release celebrated the career of Tony Hancock, and recreates the scene from the 'Hancock's Half Hour' episode 'The Radio Ham' (1961), when the lad acquires a ham radio set.

From looking at this selection, there are enough TV themed beer names out there to fill nearly a week’s worth of networked programs. Whilst many borrow from iconic catchphrases, a vast number of fictional characters and real-life television personalities have also been under the radar of the brewery’s marketing division such as Falstaff’s extensive range of limited-edition cask ales under their catchphrase brand. And although the worlds of television and brewing are normally separate, occasionally there have been spillovers such as Shelby (5%) when the makers of 'Peaky Blinder’s' directly commissioned Thornbridge to produce an official beer for the show, and most notably the ongoing collaboration between Monty Python and Black Sheep Brewery that has been going strong since they first collaborated in 1999. A number of TV titles have also featured in beer names although some brewers like VOG Brewery have bended the boundaries and gone for the likes of the pun-filled titles like Barrywatch (4.5%). Although breweries across the UK tend to concentrate on British made TV shows, occasionally US produced shows have also frequented attention. Common examples include the likes of 'Star Trek', and more curiously Fonzie from 'Happy Days' who has featured in several releases including Fonzie (4.5%) – The Goodness Brewing Co. and Three Little Fonzie’s (7.2%) – Siren Craft Brew, respectively. Relating to the subject of TV show that frequently influence breweries, the likes of 'Only Fools and Horses' and 'Dad’s Army' rule the roost on this matter, indeed likes of Thetford based brewer Dredgefoot have devoted part of their range towards celebrating the town’s famous claim to fame. Yet the most of these TV themed beers were predominately limited-edition one-offs, and in the words of John Cleese, they have ceased to be. However, there are few regularly produced examples still avaialble out there like Greengrass Old Rogue Ale (4.5%) - Daleside and Wat’s Occuring (3.9%) – Great Oakley that have been appeared in both cask and bottle. The roll sheet of TV themed beers developed by breweries over the years has been an intriguing and fascinating one full of illustrious and imaginative titles that honour their erstwhile influences, hopefully in the years to come there will be more exciting beer names that will take influence from our extensive television landscape.

Beer Review: Morland Old Midnight Hen

Name: Midnight Hen

Brewery: Morland (Greene King)

ABV: 4.2%

Style: Stout

Location: Bury St. Edmunds, Norfolk

Aroma: Bags of roasted malt, along with a chorus of coffee, liquoriche and chocolate, accompanied by hints of caramel and a dash of maramlade thrown into the mix. 

Colour: Deep black with a one finger tan coloured head, that takes a while to dissipate after pouring.

Taste: A sharp bitterness assaults the senses, followed by background of roasted coffee beans, dark chocolate, vine fruits and a dash of caramel, perhaps a hint of pipe tabacco. The mouthfeel is creamy yet close to biscutty, though the medium bodied depth of the beer helps maintain the head, which keeps the beer smoother for longer, even in bottle form. It is best to sample this beer cool not cold in order to appreciate the complexities of the flavours.

Verdict: A recent addition to the growing range of releases under the Old Speckled Hen banner, there is a lot going for this beer, despite its low ABV, the use of malt undercut with the bitterness from the hops helps create a deep and complex flavour profile that helps give it character. Although it may lack the complexities that stronger beers allow, it is far from being a push over, and its kaleidoscope of aromas and flavours help make it memorable. The beer is profoundly on the bitter side which may dissuade some from trying, and at times it seems a little overbearing. This beer is the ideal drink to have by the fireside, on a cold winter's night and it sessionable enough that it won't leave you worse for wear afterwards.

Rating: 8/10