So, the missus & I are off to Kent for two weeks over the holidays. We’ve never been to Kent, nor have we been in the UK over the holidays. Will we be locked into our flat, necking bottles in front of the telly from the 24th to the 27th, or do pubs open over the holidays? New Year’s Eve and Day must be big pub days, right?
Our criteria for a location were: proximity to Folkestone (coming by car, don’t want to spend a day driving across England), sandy beaches rather than rocky/pebbly (nicer for the doggy as well as us), decent flat for two weeks. And so...Ramsgate it is.
I’ve got the Micropub Association listing of micropubs to plan our way around, and have looked around whatpub, and will of course have a peek at ratebeer places listings. We’ll venture around quite a bit by foot, bus, train, and bike (weather permitting), certainly down to Sandwich & Deal, over to Canterbury, up to the northern bits of Kent, if not also to London.
We’re not looking for extreme beers, nor necessarily post-post-post-modern imitations of Oregon or San Diego beers, but supping beer. I hope to find some of the fabled Harvey’s, but I realise I may have to venture a bit west.
So, any tips for us non-Kentish folk? Decent places to eat with decent beer? |
Harrisoni is undoubtedly your man for Kent.
As for pub opening, some pubs will be open throughout the period, although choice and hours will be limited on the 25th and 26th, typically lunchtime only say 12.00 - 15.00 if you find one thats open.
As for post-post-post-modern imitations, we no longer imitate and having just come back from PDX and San Diego I can assure you that many of our hoppy beers are an on par or indeed an improvement on the bulk I just sampled.
But stick to the cask stuff whilst you’re in cask country. |
Originally posted by Theydon_Bois
Harrisoni is undoubtedly your man for Kent.
...
As for post-post-post-modern imitations, we no longer imitate and having just come back from PDX and San Diego I can assure you that many of our hoppy beers are an on par or indeed an improvement on the bulk I just sampled.
Point. Had the possibility to sample a number of new (to me) US beers at the Brau-Beviale trade fair down here last week. Blind Pig being the most famous of them, I suppose. Meh.
I have indeed had some contact with Ian of Kent, before we’d settled 100% on Kent. |
Originally posted by Erlangernick
So, the missus & I are off to Kent for two weeks over the holidays. We’ve never been to Kent, nor have we been in the UK over the holidays. Will we be locked into our flat, necking bottles in front of the telly from the 24th to the 27th, or do pubs open over the holidays? New Year’s Eve and Day must be big pub days, right?
Our criteria for a location were: proximity to Folkestone (coming by car, don’t want to spend a day driving across England), sandy beaches rather than rocky/pebbly (nicer for the doggy as well as us), decent flat for two weeks. And so...Ramsgate it is.
I’ve got the Micropub Association listing of micropubs to plan our way around, and have looked around whatpub, and will of course have a peek at ratebeer places listings. We’ll venture around quite a bit by foot, bus, train, and bike (weather permitting), certainly down to Sandwich & Deal, over to Canterbury, up to the northern bits of Kent, if not also to London.
We’re not looking for extreme beers, nor necessarily post-post-post-modern imitations of Oregon or San Diego beers, but supping beer. I hope to find some of the fabled Harvey’s, but I realise I may have to venture a bit west.
So, any tips for us non-Kentish folk? Decent places to eat with decent beer?
Me and Ang did the Kent micropub thing on New Year’s period. Really nice little micropubs. My favourite was the one in Deal. Really nice area. You can cover quite a bit of ground on the bus and it’s also cheap. I had a great time. Look out for Pig & Porter beers. |
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Originally posted by tdtm82
Originally posted by Erlangernick
So, the missus & I are off to Kent for two weeks over the holidays. We’ve never been to Kent, nor have we been in the UK over the holidays. Will we be locked into our flat, necking bottles in front of the telly from the 24th to the 27th, or do pubs open over the holidays? New Year’s Eve and Day must be big pub days, right?
Our criteria for a location were: proximity to Folkestone (coming by car, don’t want to spend a day driving across England), sandy beaches rather than rocky/pebbly (nicer for the doggy as well as us), decent flat for two weeks. And so...Ramsgate it is.
I’ve got the Micropub Association listing of micropubs to plan our way around, and have looked around whatpub, and will of course have a peek at ratebeer places listings. We’ll venture around quite a bit by foot, bus, train, and bike (weather permitting), certainly down to Sandwich & Deal, over to Canterbury, up to the northern bits of Kent, if not also to London.
We’re not looking for extreme beers, nor necessarily post-post-post-modern imitations of Oregon or San Diego beers, but supping beer. I hope to find some of the fabled Harvey’s, but I realise I may have to venture a bit west.
So, any tips for us non-Kentish folk? Decent places to eat with decent beer?
Me and Ang did the Kent micropub thing on New Year’s period. Really nice little micropubs. My favourite was the one in Deal. Really nice area. You can cover quite a bit of ground on the bus and it’s also cheap. I had a great time. Look out for Pig & Porter beers.
I hope to make it to every micropub on the list. But it’s not just *my* holiday, even though Mrs is also keen on the idea of them. And I fantasise about opening one someday. And then a second, and a third...becoming a micropubco magnate fat-cat.
Flats also booked for the drive thither and hither: 2 nights in Ieper on the way, 1 in Poperinge on the way back. |
Be aware that many pubs have admission restrictions on New Years Eve. They might have some sort of "special event" and charge for entry. They may just charge for entry. They may not charge but have ticketed, or otherwise limited, entry. They may restrict entry to "regulars".
So, if there’s a pub where you fancy spending New Years Eve, it may be sensible to check out the lie of the land and, as far as possible, get to know them in advance. It’s often that they just don’t want pissed up strangers putting a damper on their celebrations. |
Originally posted by chriso
Be aware that many pubs have admission restrictions on New Years Eve. They might have some sort of "special event" and charge for entry. They may just charge for entry. They may not charge but have ticketed, or otherwise limited, entry. They may restrict entry to "regulars".
So, if there’s a pub where you fancy spending New Years Eve, it may be sensible to check out the lie of the land and, as far as possible, get to know them in advance. It’s often that they just don’t want pissed up strangers putting a damper on their celebrations.
Most excellent tip, thanks!
I reckon we’ll probably do as we do at home, and stay in after early evening. Are fireworks a British thing on New Year’s?
I suppose I’ll just have to start calling pubs to see about the Christmas holidays. |
If you have not already done so it is worth checking out website www.camra.afrm.org.uk (Ashford Folkestone & Romney Marsh which contains a list of all 10 Kent CAMRA branches & showing websites where applicable. The website for CAMRA Thanet which includes Ramsgate has a list of all pubs selling cask beer.
With regards to Harveys, although they do not have any tied houses in the area where you are staying, their Sussex Best Bitter is (according to the 2015 CAMRA GBG) available as a regular beer at the following 3 pubs, all of which have a dog friendly symbol in the guide.
King’s Head, 204 Wincheap, Canterbury (A28 heading SW from city). Lunches & evening meals Hours 12-2.30 & fm 4.45 Mon-Thurs. All day fm 12 noon Fri-Sun.
Alma, 126 West St, Deal. Open all day. Lunches only.
Berry, 23 Canada Road, Walmer (just south of Deal and has its own railway station). No meals but potentially the best pub for cask beers in the area. All day, but do not open until 2.00 on Tuesday apparently. No meals here it seems.
Whilst in Kent you will doubtless see plenty of Shepherd Neame tied houses. I personally find their "bitters" too sweet, but since they are reckoned to be UK oldest continuous brewer (1698) you might want to try a half, and of course tastes differ!! |
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Originally posted by Erlangernick
I suppose I’ll just have to start calling pubs to see about the Christmas holidays.
Most will be open as usual, or with minor changes to opening hours, apart from on Christmas day itself when, as Mr Bois says, some (but not all) open for a few hours around lunchtime - it was traditional for the chaps to sneak off to the pub for a couple before gut-stuffing time and that tradition persists in some places.
Some pubs might take the opportunity for a day or two break themselves in the Christmas-New Year period - maybe more likely with the micropubs, which tend to be one-man-bands with restricted opening hours anyway. It’s actually more likely for pubs to be closed in the non-shopping business areas of London, and maybe a few other big cities, for the simple reason that there aren’t many people around so it’s not worth their while. |
don’t miss the Butcher’s Arms in Herne |
Originally posted by moleha4
If you have not already done so it is worth checking out website www.camra.afrm.org.uk (Ashford Folkestone & Romney Marsh which contains a list of all 10 Kent CAMRA branches & showing websites where applicable. The website for CAMRA Thanet which includes Ramsgate has a list of all pubs selling cask beer.
With regards to Harveys, although they do not have any tied houses in the area where you are staying, their Sussex Best Bitter is (according to the 2015 CAMRA GBG) available as a regular beer at the following 3 pubs, all of which have a dog friendly symbol in the guide.
King’s Head, 204 Wincheap, Canterbury (A28 heading SW from city). Lunches & evening meals Hours 12-2.30 & fm 4.45 Mon-Thurs. All day fm 12 noon Fri-Sun.
Alma, 126 West St, Deal. Open all day. Lunches only.
Berry, 23 Canada Road, Walmer (just south of Deal and has its own railway station). No meals but potentially the best pub for cask beers in the area. All day, but do not open until 2.00 on Tuesday apparently. No meals here it seems.
Whilst in Kent you will doubtless see plenty of Shepherd Neame tied houses. I personally find their "bitters" too sweet, but since they are reckoned to be UK oldest continuous brewer (1698) you might want to try a half, and of course tastes differ!!
Forgot to note that I’ve already browsed the Thanet CAMRA webbie, and have sent an e-mail asking if there’s anything we fellow members (Germany branch, not a very active one, I guess you might say) should look into whilst there. And I need to order a 2015 GBG...or hell, I’ll just use the android version.
I certainly will try out any and all breweries’ beer I encounter, within reason. Have had Shep’s bottled stout down here, actually, and liked it. Can’t recall what I thought of their IPA.
Thanks for the pointers to Harvey’s. |
