Brewery Inn, Seendback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Found this place after getting lost. And what a find. Good range of beers, I plumped for Doombar in the end. Friendly locals and staff. Marked on the map now!!!
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Visited out of natural curiosity having moored up in Seend Cleeve for the night, and also because we'd found the Barge on the canal lovely but simply too overcrowded to enjoy. What we found at this pub was a stark contrast - not crowded (in fact worryingly empty for a Saturday night), and not as charming. But still oozing with character all of its own, and a proper boozer rather than eaterie, which clearly was a bit of a respite after the brisk restauranteuring that dominated its nearby competitor.
I say competitor - actually I can't imagine many folk who like the Barge bothering with the Brewery, or vice-versa, as the audiences to which they both pitch are quite distinct. For whilst things are decidedly proper and homely safe middle-class at the former, here one finds a grittier, more honest and rough n' ready kind of atmosphere, which frankly on a Saturday night looking for some bachanalian boozy bantering, one isn't averse to.
We settled in one by one (there was 14 of us so probably the biggest night they'd had for a while?!), and made our way t hrough the beers - such as they were. There were a couple of cask options on; the Bath Gem didn't last long but in fairness the landlady put a replacement (Ringwood Best) on ASAP and so there was no signnificant gap in proceedings. Quality was variable, but I suppose the jollity of the place and generally welcoming atmos which gradually developed overtook any concerns on that front. Some moved on to keg cider, while others took on some Scotch (Highland Park went down well late-doors - and I mean late!).
One of our number is something of a character in her own right and something of a one-woman show - she seemed to capture the attention of some young locals to great effect, and after an hour had them eating from the palm of her hand with the funnies! Never before have I witnessed someone become a local institution in 1 night but that's what happened here - and it takes a certain kind of pub and pub-user to allow that to occur. At the Brewery, there was no pretense, no ceremony, just good old raucous merry-making, and as our first night aboard our boats it was just the tonic we needed. The landlady, staff and locals were all conducive to the fun and were very accommodating.
So, not a perfect example of a pub and certainly not one that suits everybody in every occasion. But in the right context, with the right company, this place can really be a hoot - thanks folks for providing such good cheer. Whilst my overall score I've attributed seems low, it is largely based on beer range etc as that's my personal primary concern - but if ranked as a pub or on atmos this could be an 8.
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Great little local pub. Good pint of beer and cider. Food is good and not too expensive. A regular stop on my country ramblings. Never been to their cider festival but I hear it's one hell of a day!
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Superb! One of the dying breeds of a traditional local. Good ales and cider and always a welcoming smile. Fine honest food!
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Lovely honest pub with real people. Good Cider Good Pub Grub
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Excellent and relatively unspolit village local. Friendly bar staff and customers and excellent Sharp's and Butcome ales, not to mention rocket-fuel rough cider!
One simple bar, with garden and outdoor smoking area.
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Great ;itt;e ;ocal's local. Small bar with two cask ales (Butcombe Bitter and Doombar) plus several great ciders. Drink the Wackee with a touch of lemonade (per locals); it's great either way. Landlord friendly as were the locals. Small seperate dining room that serves a great Sunday roast with a wide variety of vegetables. Went there several times on 2-3 days, always friendly. Even got a message from my B and B abut a phone call I needed to answer! Made me feel at home.
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