Dales, Ipswichback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Again pleased to report that the pub is steadily improving under the new tenants, both public bar and lounge have been repainted and have benefited from some new furniture. Darts and pool teams seem to be taking off, and some of the old regulars have started to return. Occasional music nights proving popular. Current guest ale is the marvellous St Austell Tinners, almost unheard of in this area. Homemade pies and pasties are available along with the main menu. The old-style 2-room set up of public bar and lounge has been retained, which I like. Still has an atmosphere conducive to a quiet pint and a good conversation, something the other pubs around here don't have. Open all day every day. Looking very promising...
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Pleased to report that the Dales has indeed reopened - and the pool table is back! (Should never have been removed). It's a bit of a shell at the moment but the new owners must be given plenty of time to settle in and build the place's life again. Two ales on at present including Hancock's HB which is rare in this part of the world. They have just started doing food again which includes fish & chips to eat in or take out.
I hear that both pool and darts teams have been formed which is exactly what a local pub needs. There is a small child's picnic table in the lounge which would indicate that children will be welcomed, (although I never had any trouble taking children in there before - even toddlers). Here's hoping the new owners succeed...
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Have just heard on the grapevine that the Dales is re-opening. Great news, and I would urge whoever is running it to look long and hard at why it went downhill last year and think about extending the floorspace- the car park is way too large for the pub, surely it would make sense to stick a conservatory on- and letting in families, perhaps just in one part of the pub-
some kids' play equipment in the beer garden would also be good. This is a community pub and needs to let everyone in if it's to prosper.
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Not an occasion when I take pleasure in saying I told you so, but-
The Dales closed on Saturday, having resolutely excluded familes- ie the bulk of the local community- until the bitter end.
At this stage it's unclear what will happen to the pub site- the application to turn it into a Tesco has been withdrawn, but some other developer has bought the place and I somehow doubt they're planning to give this community its pub back.
Have been disappointed by the lack of reaction by CAMRA to the probable disappearance of this pub. I contacted them to alert them to the threat a couple of months ago and they said they'd mention it in their magazine, but this didn't happen; instead there has been total radio silence despite the fact that the Dales is (was) a Good Beer Guide regular.
As I've said before, the real tragedy is that this pub and others like it could be phenomenally successful if they would just offer a wholehearted welcome to families. Anyone who dounts this should try visiting one of Greene King's Hungry Horse pubs- not everyone's idea of heaven, but these are thriving pubs which are likely to be here for years to come.
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This pub has gone rapidly downhill in recent months, culminating in an application to turn the site into a Tesco Express. The application has now been withdrawn, for reasons unknown, but I still have no confidence the present owners will want to retain it as a pub.
The attraction for developers like Tesco is that the pub has an enormous car park which could potentially turn into shop and warehouse space.
For anyone wanting to run it as a pub the obvious strategy would be to turn some of the car park into extra eating space, extend the conservatory area, knock the whole place into one big eatery, serve food all day, put out some kids play equipment in the beer garden and basically extend a welcome to families. This is an estate pub and families are what's needed to keep it in business. Not everyone would approve of this idea, and I would be the last person to support welcoming families into all pubs, but estate pubs like this one- my local- will only stay in business if they let families in to spend their money with them.
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My local boozer. Yes this does look like a classic estate pub, but once inside the atmosphere is very pleasant. Selection of real ales including Adnams and Greene King along with a variety of guest beers surpasses the choice offered in many similar establishments, and all are very well kept. The food has always been to a high standard, and the regular customers are always friendly. Good local.
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Had an excellent meal and some good beers here. We live locally but have two small children so have only visited once in two years, as this pub doesn't welcome children. After the smoking ban next year, life is going to be really tough for community pubs which don't want families...My message would be, open your doors to kids, let families in and stay in business!
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My favourite Ipswich pub. At first glance this looks like an ordinary estate house but it is notable for the quality of Steve's cooking, the affable crew of regulars at the bar and the frequent social events. Four real ales (Greene King IPA and guests) are all kept excellently.
Theo - 1 Nov 2004 16:26 |
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