skip nav  
 


Blue Anchor, Reigate

back to pub details

user reviews of The Blue Anchor, Reigate

please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.

Closed.
tradervic - 19 Mar 2020 16:15
Reopening next week, Thursday I hear.

Best beer garden, in Surrey - overlooking magnificent cricket grounds

Polish management will bring a different dimension to this West Street venue.


randolf7 - 9 Apr 2019 22:28
Local paper says the reopening is to take place soon - probably in March.
randolf7 - 13 Mar 2019 13:38
Closed.
randolf7 - 13 Jan 2019 18:03
A new governor here, who has had a highly successful personality bypass.

Stands out like a sore thumb, and a fish out of water - with all the charisma of a deaf hedgehog, with piles.

If this bloke smiled, his face would crack. Welcome to Reigate mate!
wealdman - 16 Oct 2018 22:56
Most pleasant beer garden which gets very busy! Same management as the Red Cross, nearby which concentrates on music and TV sport. Excellent food at the Blue Anchor, good beer, quiz nights and friendly staff.
tradervic - 28 Apr 2018 15:01
Decent big beer garden overlooking a cricket pitch. Very pleasant place to sit. To be commended.
terenced - 13 Feb 2018 08:43
Big paved garden which is ok when the weather allows. Comfortable seating near the front. Beer ok. Staff vary variable and often very young. Best feature: nicer than the Red Cross!
JBanana - 31 Aug 2017 15:53
One of the finest beer gardens in Surrey, and excellent food.

Efficient staff and well kept beers.

Same management as the nearly Red Cross - which doesn't do food and concentrates on music and TV sport.
randolf7 - 5 Jul 2016 12:40
I need to add my girlfriend doesn't have drive, lol.
therealdeal28 - 4 Jul 2016 22:09
Hi all just thought i'd post this, been looking round the villages for a decent pub to frequent, but why did i bother when this is on my doorstep, a proper pub, great ! Also don't have to drive, double good, cheers.
therealdeal28 - 4 Jul 2016 21:44
Good food, beer taste ok most the time... Bit cold for my liking.

As everyone probably says.. Beautiful garden.


pmusty - 18 Sep 2014 16:45
Pub of choice for ending up after walking the dog at weekends. Food is now a good reason to come here which sometimes means that it gets quite busy. I have no problem with families attending (been there and done that in times when pubs were less tolerant) and so long as dogs are kept on leads and children always ask before stroking dogs we will continue to use the pub. The Sharp's Cornish Bitter is always excellent.
addlened - 28 Mar 2014 13:56
Popped in after work last week on a sunny late afternoon. Garden was very busy as no-one has seen the sun for about 6 months! Had a nice pint of Surrey - beer seems to be kept pretty well. Used to be full of students but now good mix of all ages and nice atmosphere. Even well-behaved kids seem to be welcome. Didn't see any nappies on the bar! No TV showing sport either which is a pleasant change
CaptainSticky - 27 Mar 2014 11:12
croydonpeer, Diaper envy! Ask nicely she might change yours!
slerpy - 14 Dec 2013 12:18
This pub has turned itself around - and has one of the finest beer gardens in Surrey, overlooking Priory Park cricket ground. Beautiful in the summer - and the food is great too.

About 400 yards west ot the old Town Hall, on the A25. Top class beer and friendly service.

But everytime we call in, after work in the area - a woman (with her posse) virtually changes her baby's nappy on the bar. When all we need is a quiet pint, and go back to do these chores at home.

This lady also tries to utilise the staff and customers as proxy child-minders, on her arrival with a few male mates about 5pm; well timed!

Maybe we should go to the Red Cross up the road, although the sad/uncouth episode has often been repeated there by the same individuals................


croydonpeer - 21 Nov 2013 21:40
Things have improved since I last wrote my comments. Beer is good, long live Cornish Coaster and the food is very good. They have worked hard and it is good to see that they are now getting a lot of people through the doors. Cheers.
addlened - 18 Feb 2013 15:41
Went in for Lunch the other day with a couple of friends and have to say had one of the nicest burgers I've had in a pub in England chips apparently tripled cooked! Small menu but everything cooked to order from fresh which makes a difference from most pubs. Can't wait for the summer keep the standards up and I'll be back for sure.
duncandisorderly78 - 15 Feb 2012 22:22
This pub gets through more Managers than Chelsea which is a great shame because the last guy was very good. On my second visit he remembered my name and my favourite Doom Bar which was perfectly kept . Time will tell if his high standards will be maintained, Ihope so. Visited Jun=Sept 2011
inowhatilike - 25 Sep 2011 23:41
Oh dear since Ali left things don't seem to be quite as they should be. The ales are still well kept and the bar staff are very good but twice this week I have noticed that staff are expected to work on their own on shifts of 8hrs or more without a break. This contravenes working time regulations which says that a minimum break of 20mins must be given on shifts over 6hrs. It also means that when a large group of customers come in one person cannot cope. This smacks of going back to running the pub on a shoestring budget just like the old days. This pub deserves better so, management, please take note and make this a happy busy place again with proper staffing.
addlened - 16 Sep 2011 10:21
brilliant pub, great garden, friendly staff.
Alix - 4 Aug 2011 11:57
Having returned to the pub a couple of months ago I am pleased to say that the beer is consistently good and the staff, especially the girls are very good. Let's hope it keeps on the up and up.
addlened - 28 Feb 2011 17:23
it's seems you had no idea what i did.daily pubcrawl it certainly was not.did more work in this pub then anyone else had ever done.try supporting your pubs.talk to the landlord see what his plans are.tell them what you would like to see going on.you give the chat on this site give the chat to the landlord.they do want to know.there not mind readers. by they way the only reason i left the BA was because it changed companies not for any other reason.like i said you knew nothing of what i did...I wish the new people good luck

abingerlionel - 13 Sep 2010 07:31
Fox is entitled to his opinion; in fact, he is quite correct. If Lionel had stayed in the pub - and not do a daily town pub crawl - he would still be in the BA!
wolfdog - 6 Sep 2010 10:47
it seems sussexfox objectivity has been lost somewhere.you know what they say stick to what you know.
abingerlionel - 6 Sep 2010 08:02
Mediocre...at best.
East Surrey's finest beer garden - but nobody seems to be able capitalise on its potential.
But, this and the Red Cross are owned by banks/administrators/receivers...mabe all three.
Another temporary chap in charge; we Regatians are taking bets about how long he'll last. Very good odds that - it'll be before Christmas; best odds are for early November.
sussexfox - 12 Aug 2010 18:26
Well it's open again. I met a very fun and friendly manager called Alex who introduced himself as we ordered our first drinks. I went in on Saturday night (31st) to quiz staff about their World Cup plans. He tells me the his 2 x 42" screens for indoors and 60" weatherproof screen for outdoors are arriving this week. This is very exciting as that large outdoor patio would be ideal for a 100-150 footy fans. Everything will be shown in HD too. I bought a large glass of wine and a JD & coke which came to �7 which seems fair enough to me. I will go in again this weekend to make sure that the TVs have arrived on time and that the drink prices aren't going to shoot up but if everything is as I hope then this could easily be my new favourite place to watch sports in Reigate.
LouMaria - 31 May 2010 19:39
Yes, though supposedly due to re-open on Thursday 27th.... I went a-roving for a decent pint in Reigate yesterday evening and found both this and the Anchor shut. I feared the worst - another change of hands - and this fear would seem to be well-founded. When are they ever going to get these two pubs right?
TWG - 25 May 2010 09:58
Currently closed.
sussexfox - 25 May 2010 09:44
Here we go again, it looks as though the Blue Anchor (and Red Cross) are to be sold and the present incumbents thrown out. Stacey and Danny have worked hard to get this pub back on its feet and the quality of the beer has steadily improved . This all smacks of someone's greed in trying to get a pub or two just in time to make a killing on the World Cup football only to sell it on in the winter. The pub and Danny and Stacey deserve better than this so let's hope the deal falls through.
addlened - 7 May 2010 09:43
Well,when visited the place was full,but the beer ..urgh. It took them three attempts to provide a pint ,as the first two (different local ales) were ends of the barrel and cloudy and third was poor due to pipes not clean. I was in the company of a beer brewer and he was not complimentary about this.
jeffdaff - 5 Feb 2010 12:48
This pub has certainly improved since I last visited, good pint
nicnocs1 - 23 Dec 2009 11:12
I went to the blue anchor earlier this week and whilst quite in there found the place to be very comfortable and relaxed with a lovely young chap behind the bar. The day time telly aspect is a bug bear of mine and one of the reasons i avoid the bulls head, but as long as the garden is open at the BA i can always enjoy a good ale. Keep it up. ( but maybe not the day time rubbish)
Gideon69 - 2 Oct 2009 12:09
Hi - Clueless Kent Management Company here!! Lucky I am not too sensitive!

1. This pub IS under a temporary management contract. We were brought in by the bank that has finished up owning it. However, do not believe for one minute that I would do this if I neither liked nor believed in the site. That would be a waste of effort. I would like to acquire the site but clearly that is subject to some financial and property issues. Until that point, no white knights are going to throw huge amounts of capital into a temporary rental situation. Any limited investment made already has been done by me at my risk.
2. I cannot comment on what went before 1st June. However, I assume that I was not approached on thee sites because the previous people were so successful.
3. I will look at the prices on food. We have not made a central pronouncement but our Operations managers do have discretion.
4. Regarding TV's, I do not want pubs showing Jerry Springer in the day. Our normal procedures are to show sport and (silent) news or sports news day time. I will reinforce this with the managers. Jury is out on X Factor Saturdays!!
5. I will pass your comments on to the managers to ensure that we are clear on standards.
6. You will understand that life is not easy in this sector. Volumes across the UK are falling at a rate of 8-10% per annum. Retail generally is difficult - take a look at Reigate High St. Everyday have-a-drink pubs are struggling and the only gains are being made by the gastro sector. Still, it would be a crime for this lovely old pub to get converted to residence and I think it extremely unlikely that will happen.

I appreciate your feedback. Thanks
wiggymupp - 1 Oct 2009 13:24
Sorry to disappoint the other reviewers but I am neither a staff member or a mate of the new management at the Blue Anchor. I called in there again last saturday,it was packed in the evening with a great atmosphere with nobody watching the small screen tv's discreetly installed in two corners so a distraction they are not,the background music was loud enough to hear but not overpowering,if you want loud music try the red cross with its live bands!!the garden with its subtle lighting was being enjoyed by many even in the rain! Yes the pub does look out onto a wonderful cricket pitch but the season has finished!Looking forward to enjoying a drink next summer in the garden with a match being played.If true Reigatians enjoy their cricket then this is the place to be. If you don't like this pub thats your perogative but other people do so lets have a bit of respect for your obvious competition.
bottletop - 27 Sep 2009 16:02
If what Thirst4beer say's is true that the new landlady at BA says that she wants to make it a popular attraction for Ale & good food then she won't last long with this company as that is what the last couple were trying to do and succeeding but the company disagreed with that line of business and wanted the social club atmosphere of TV's and loud music, you can't have both..... I agree with with Blackgander, the BA will very soon be just 27, West St, Reigate!!!!!
Sandyman - 25 Sep 2009 16:42
In less than a week, thirst4beer is the third 'new poster' to comment favourably on the Blue Anchor; obviously the same person using an old/tired method to drum up business for this awful outlet.

Run by a holding company after numerous failures, the Blue Anchor is well on the way to becoming a West Street residence. The people of Reigate are wise enough to avoid it.
blackgander - 23 Sep 2009 09:33
My first visit was on Saturday a well kept pub clean & tidy. The new manager & staff were friendly the local brew particularly pleasant. Having talked to the new manager her plans for the pub appear ambitious but attainable given time.Should these plans reach fruition The Blue Anchor may well become a popular attraction for both ale & good food in the future.
thirst4beer - 21 Sep 2009 20:53
Called into the Blue Anchor recently; there was nobody there, not even a barperson.

But, daytime TV was on! I don't think attitude/bottletop (the same) are helping their mates much...
elfhelp - 20 Sep 2009 01:01
Oh please each to their own if u don't like it then that's ur point of view but I do and having a bit of tv on is better than nothing so thanks for you stupid responses to my comment but I found it funny and look forward to c'in any of you in here when ever I'm in if ur not ex staff or friends of ex staff or even a bit of competition!
Attitude_17 - 19 Sep 2009 20:21
'daytime tv is fantastic' - says attitude. that just says it all, particularly in the case of the blue anchor, with a fine beer garden overlooking the best sports ground in surrey. maybe its only people who want daytime tv go in there. noboby else does. bets are on for next manager change. �5, end sept, was mine. only got 11/8.
brewmason - 18 Sep 2009 22:25
The last two posts by two (?) people who joined the site today - are rubbish - made by staff members or their mates. An old trick!

'Attitude' should book into the local Home for the Bewildered, just up the road.

Blue Anchor is still run by a holding company - has been for years (after several bankrupcies); why then the recent massive change since the last 'management' left just 2 weeks ago ?

Us at the Bulls Head have had such a laugh...... Thanks.

seasidedrinker - 18 Sep 2009 21:51
I have recently re-visited the blue anchor after a long while to find that it is under new management and much to my suprise I found the land lady and her staff to be very pleasant and friendly. The key to a good pub is food, drink and excellent customer service and I tell you this for free I found the new land lady and her staff to have a high level of customer service and food and drink was spot on. I thought what they had done with tv's being on for sport and day time tv is fantastic I love a good bit of sport and was very pleased to see the place revamped to high levels! It may be early days for the new land lady and her staff but I take my hat off to them and wish them all the best and I have recommended the blue anchor to my friends, family and my clients at work! I wish them all the best and I will be in on Saturday to have some food and drink as the new management is 1000 times better! Better that the previous management and team are gone! If you want good food, drink and customer service plus a bit of sport go to the blue anchor!
Attitude_17 - 18 Sep 2009 20:11
Come on you Reigatians,Rome wasnt built in a day,give the new management a chance!From all the negative comments in previous reviews the Blue Anchor has had its share of problems but I believe that the new landlords will turn this pub around for the better.Talk to your new landlords if you have a gripe about your pub I found them to be pleasant and competent in their jobs on my visit and I shall be visiting again.
bottletop - 18 Sep 2009 13:50
Hi, as an ex member of staff at the Blue Anchor and having read all the comments posted on a regular basis there are lots of views on this pub and so far only a few seem to be near the truth. Yes the pub has suffered under the amount of different managers and companies running it but lets be fair we are in a deep recession and that is affecting every business. You only have to walk along Reigate high street to see all the shops that are struggling to stay afloat. The BA was good 2/3 years ago when there was plenty of money around along with the rest of the pubs in town, sadly this company has missed the boat and they would do aswell to close it down for the amount of good it is doing. The current management have not got a clue, the atmosphere built up by the last people has gone and the Pilgrims trad beer that was excellent is like mud, they obviously have not had much cellar experience when it come to that. The BA should be a good food pub and NOT a sports and social club. Ask the people local to it, they want good traditional bitters, good food, and a comfortable place to sit and drink it in. This company are obviously the hard fast buck and get out quick type, they will not last long and by Christmas we will have someone else running the BA, hopefully someone who knows what they are doing.
Timeforabeer - 17 Sep 2009 17:20
In the long life a pub, there comes a time when it reaches a crossroads; the Blue Anchor has arrived.

This is when - after a long period (years) of poor management, nil investment and tansient/indifferent staff - it is clear that the 'business' is not capable of being saved or being traded up to normality. The Blue Anchor is at this point, yet again.

Unless capital is injected and high calibre staff/management are recruited - there is no real future. The new Kent management are clueless and - apart from being on the Reigate weekend pub crawl route - this pub has very little to offer.

As said before, the capital or competant staff will not arrive - and the place will surely fail permanently. Not far away, the same could be said of the Red Cross - run by the same company of also rans.
seasidedrinker - 14 Sep 2009 16:04
Since my comments and concerns posted earlier this month I have visited the pub on several occasions.

Plus points
The temporary girl has gone, she was a disgrace and the bar and tables were sticky and not properly cleaned. The beer quality has not dropped, although reminders about full measures have been required. Bar staff have been good although I know at least one will be returning to Uni soon which is a shame.

Negative points
The food menu has increased in price by an average of about 45%.
The large menu board has been replaced by a TV menu which means that there is very little visibility of what food is on offer.
The bitters are still too warm and would not get Cask Marque. When no sport is on why leave the TVs on showing day time rubbish, there is an off button.

I shall continue to use the pub rather than the Red Cross so long as the beer maintains reasonable standards.
addlened - 14 Sep 2009 08:59
Well done Wiggy for the positive outlook for the BA but I think you have missed the boat on this one as 50% of the businesses adjacent to the pub have now closed within the last 8 months, the student trade that was gained by the manager up to May will all disappear within the next two weeks. The TV's might work on the occasional big match nights but they have also installed TV's in the Red Cross so you will only be sharing customers with them??? Good food would be a way forward during the winter months in Reigate but if you don't know that the new management had changed the prices, who is actually in control there??. As for supporting the local brewer, the temporary 'girl' ran out of all bitters within two days of arriving. The new guy and I think his daughter do not seem to have had any experience of running a pub before. He certainly has never pulled a pint and the girl doesn't seem to want to do it, I'll give the BA two months before we see another set of incompetents behind the bar.
Sandyman - 11 Sep 2009 08:37
The TV's are needed for the quiet autumn/winter months - when Reigate pubs almost die; it'll be good to be able to watch the footy. I do, however, agree that low quality management has been the problem.

A highly lucrative summer trade (bearing in mind the fine beer garden overlooking one of the best cricket grounds in Surrey) has been lost, not least because of yet another management change in the middle - and now, this week, again!

Obviously, the 'owning company' is just not good enough. I understand the real owners are the property lenders (banks); these chaps would have to get involved (by providing equity, management and direction) if they want any return on their failed investment.

Another holding team is not the answer - but I know what will happen. I would almost guarantee another management, before Christmas - and a continuance of the staus quo for a very long time. In this economic climate, banks have beter things to do with their money than plough it into lame ducks like this pub and the Red Cross.

Between, the BA and the RC, how many managers over the past three years? 10+ ? We have heard the wise words and plans before...too often; just scroll back on this very site.

I was born and work in Reigate - and never thought I would say this. Bring on Tim Martin's lot, JDWetherspoon; they would soon cause places like the BA and RC to close permanently as they simply do not deserve anything else.
brewmason - 9 Sep 2009 14:32
Wiggy - welcome. Because of the vast amount of UEFA football coming up (with about 10 British teams) and the World Cup 2010 and qualifiers (with maybe 4 teams from these islands), the TV's are a good idea.

However, the Anchor's problem (and that of the Red Cross) is business failure - time after time, for years. The reason is primarily the very low calibre of staff and management because the premises and locations are prime in the area; the opposition is not exactly strong.

Indifferent and ever changing staff have been a feature and, having been served a pint earlier this week by a newly arrived Beckenham chap (it just might have been his first!), I have no reason to anticipate changes in the very quiet pre-Christmas months.
elfhelp - 9 Sep 2009 10:05
I am commenting as the "owning company".

We do not set out to make management changes but sometimes it happens.

We installed Sky at the request and with the support of our managers. If it has the wrong effect on trade, we will change but as I understand it, we are responding to customer demand and not protest.

We are anxious to support local product and local brewers, be it Pilgrims, Westerham, or Dorking. As long as it is available to us within the tied agreements that we have under our tenure, we will keep Pilgrim Ale as a standard both here and in the Red Cross for the time being. It seems the right thing to do.

We are not aware of food price changes but we will look into it. In any event, we will amend the menu regularly and try to change the offer slightly to keep it fresh.

We respond to criticism positively - if we can do better, then we will try to do it. Please keep the constructive comments coming so that we can help ourselves to improve.

Thanks
wiggymupp - 8 Sep 2009 15:13
Well, it's happened again just when a proper licensee turns up the owning company screws up.... The Blue Anchor was starting to get back a bit of character and atmosphere with a real management couple, now they have left and the new 'girl' has spent four days undoing all the good work put in. The food has virtually doubled in price, halved in quality. The pub is filthy and has run out of bitter just when it was getting to be a good pint of local Pilgrims Progress. AND THEY'VE PUT IN BLOODY TV'S. Exactly what the locals did NOT want..... When will someone get it right with this pub. The last couple had at least some idea and were professional about what they were doing, the place was clean and well kept and local trade was starting to come back and appreciated what they were doing. Looks like it's back to the Black Horse for a decent night out, the Red Cross is a tip, the Bull's Head too dark and clicky the Bell, nice but too far, the rest, well....... Will someone in Reigate give us a good 'pub'
Sandyman - 5 Sep 2009 13:15
I was astonished to see SKY tv's in the corner when I visited last week...this pub..and I have know it for forty years... has always been a haunt of people who went to chat and enjoy each others company...fortunately nobody was looking at the "boxes". PubCo think again..you have a clientele..improve your offer and you take more..you do not need to find an "audience". Bye the bye..the couple or three pints of Pilgrim Progress I had were absolutely top notch...I visited a couple of weeks ago and had Pilgrim Crusader..this was so good I was seriously waylaid! I am very picky about ales so please keep the beers from the "brewery up the road" and I will return...this institution deserves more than industrial ale. Also an outlet for the, now, rare to find Scampi Fries!
Insearchofthebestpint - 5 Sep 2009 12:57
Sadly I have just heard the Pub Co running the pub and the Red Cross have removed the current manager. It's a shame as the beer range from Pilgrim plus a guest had been steadily improving in quality. Rumour has it they want to turn it into a sports pub with Sky. Such a shame as this usually means beer quality and choice plummets. Not who the owning pub co is but they don't see particularly clued in to the local demographics.
addlened - 2 Sep 2009 10:23
Sadly, the new management has brought little. He has had a very sucessful personality bypass and she - sadly - a broken foot! Playing sudoku and on the laptop behind the bar, the new landlord seems to have little interest.

The Blue Anchor overlooks a fine cricket ground and has a great beer garden - but it seems us Reigatians will have to wait (yet again!) for a management to capitalize on this pub's obvious potential.
blackgander - 3 Aug 2009 09:57
read the reports on the blue anchor what a load of crap you have been posting hope the new managers know what there doing couldnt beat the last lot .
theex - 4 Jun 2009 17:39
New management team arriving this coming weekend; they could start by fixing the taps in the gents - been broken for months! Great beer garden - and potential.
brewmason - 28 May 2009 13:10
Popped in on a sunny Friday lunchtime - had to wait around 40 minutes for the food to arrive - difficult with only an hour break, this was due to high number of customers � and low number of staff. After the food finally arriving it was only to find that one pizza was part frozen in the middle, some of the order was missed off, and staff adamant (downright rude) about there being no error. Will opt for other pubs (The Bell or Bulls Head in the high street) in future - avoid this establishment unless severely dehydrated or you have no other options...if a pubs is going to be busy employ more (friendly) staff.
Meloquin - 24 Apr 2009 13:54
Not too bad really, on a few recent mid-week visits there have been a couple of interesting beers on which were in good condition, the young barman was jovial and reasonably knowledgeable of the beers on offer which is always good news.

The music tends to be a bit loud and occasionally it's the radio playing which is a cardinal sin. My main criticism is that it is so bright in the bar, I know this sounds odd but old pubs with bright lighting just don't feel right. Bring sunglasses!
Schooner - 18 Apr 2009 21:43
came here for Sunday luncg just to try it out after a year or so away and wished I hadn't bothered. Arrived at 1pm to find only one other couple there. I had Shere drop which wa fine but the food was disappointing but it was cheap. Very overdone roast beef with veg for �4.95. Won't be coming back here unless the pub improves greatly.
miked_bandit - 23 Feb 2009 09:25
We called here yesterday (Sunday/3pm) to watch the rugby which was advertised outside; the pub was closed and in total darkness.
waltvault - 16 Feb 2009 14:47
A change has occured. A new landlord has improved the beer. We visited last night (Sat) and the beers were Surrey Hills Ruby, Old Speckled Hen, Rockin' Rudolph, Hook Norton Old Hooky so four real ales on offer.
The pub was full of life and the crowd were a friendly bunch. Well impressed, we will return!
goosegog - 4 Jan 2009 09:27
Yes Leftfield - that blond barmaid also has a laugh/voice like a foghorn. And, not very industrious; always at the end of the bar reading the Beano (?).
mapwizard - 25 Nov 2008 10:04
The fat blond barmaid is something else - (something else that is not a barmaid). She likes her Pimms - but doesn't like paying for it.

Strugling pub that fails on most counts - but mainly on its staff who have no interest whatsoever.


leftfield - 13 Nov 2008 12:16
With one of the finest beer gardens in East Surrey, overlooking Priory Park cricket club, this pub has the most potential in Reigate; it has a good location on West Street and has reasonable decor.

Apart from that, nothing good can be added. The staff have a great time laughing and joking - or on their PC's. Because.....the landlord is hardly ever there.

Food and beer are average - the staff are a lot less than that. New management and staff please.


mapwizard - 10 Oct 2008 12:19
Good view of Cricket in Summer,poor beer,no customers lunchtime weekdays,dead.
jeffdaff - 20 Feb 2008 11:27
This pub is a bit too modern, wooden floors, and a distinct lack of indoor tables. Plenty of outside room which is nice during the summer, especially when there is a cricket match going on. Food is modern and reasonable. People in the pub are reasonably young, although there a broad range of type, ranging from goth to townie. You get some older customers, usually very glamourous, but i think this pub is mainly a starter for a bigger night elsewhere.
anonymous - 4 Oct 2007 11:00
Reminds me of the Nelson Mandela bar at Uni - utter rubbish! Beer lousy, dreadful wine and I think I was served by a five year old?! Nice garden though but full of v.dodgy chavs in the Summer....unless you like tats and rings?
VKBarney - 21 Mar 2007 19:18
Glad I amuse you scooterroy. That's what CLOWNS are for, but at least some clowns know how to punctuate a sentence.

You don't have to go to this pub, you could just stay in at your parents place and drink bottles of Bombardier.

This place has gone downhill a lot in the past year, but it's still somehow one of the only decent pubs in Reigate. I'll just make sure I don't go in there when scooterroy is on the warpath, he might do me in.
Ian_D - 20 Oct 2006 14:06
Previous owners have gone bust, (as predicted). However not much sign of improvement either here or in the Cross.
local_lad - 17 Oct 2006 06:25
To anyone who enjoys a good pint of real ale, good conversation with a mixed clientele, good service and a comfortable atmos, think again about going to the Blue (W)Anchor. In the '90s they used to purport operate an over-21s policy. They let in anyone over 18. Then it went to an over-18s policy. They let in 16-year olds. Yep, if you're 30 you feel old here now. Ostensibly a charming old Reigate pub, but inside lurks a lecherous den that is pandering to the growing brigade of "more money than sense (or taste)" under-25 middle-class Reigatians. Over-priced and poorly-kept ale can barely compete with fizzy, even more over-priced lagers, and the conversation of Catherine Tate's Lauren mixed with Harry Enfield's Tim-Nice-But-Dim prevails, but without the irony. A poseur's pub with no soul - but as ever, Punch Taverns are quids in as it seems to be eternally popular. Okay if you want a quick leer at some of Reigate's decent-looking young ladies, but I'd recommend hiring an adult DVD - at least one gets the comfort of one's own home!
TWG - 10 Oct 2006 15:50
this serves the worst pint of real beer in reigate. went in on saturday and got a funny from the bar staff for asking for london pride instead of joining the crowd and asking for a pint of ice with a splash of magners. the person at the bar first had to ask the manager how to pull a pint then put it in a glass which seemed to still be full of fairy liquid. dont waste your time here. go straight over the road to the nutley
gproctor - 1 Aug 2006 16:57
Wow I just can't wat to go in there and see all the rugby players what an incentive to spend over the odds on average beer, Ian-D what a CLOWN
scooterroy - 9 May 2006 20:17
This pub deserves a little bit more credit than others care to give it. They sponsor a local Rugby team, so it's nice to go there and see all the players on a Saturday evening after a game.

The beers are passable (I only ever drink Guinness and it's good here), never tried the food but like someone else said "who eats?". The beer garden is fantastic, especially when there's some cricket on as the garden overlooks the local cricket pitch.

Some attractive clientele puts this pub at the top of my list for Reigate pubs, but then again we're not exactly spoilt for choice... The Market Hotel, The White Hart and The Bull's Head are all either chavvy pubs or too smoky.
Ian_D - 28 Nov 2005 12:32
Shame really - could be nice. But its basically a meeting point for 55 year old company directors and thier spiffy kids.

It has the atmosphere of your average Dental Surgury.

As a pub, its got everything it takes to be great. Given the state of this and The Red Cross, maybe the owners should take the hint & look into early retirement?
anonymous - 3 Aug 2005 13:09
What pool table??? And yes very expensive with nothing going on in there.
anonymous - 20 Jun 2005 17:06
Lets get 'ringbolted' indeed. Was a beautiful pub, but has been eaten away at by a well known disease, MDF. Food is frozen nutrionless crap, but who eats? Watch out for vomit and over crowded toilet use (popular destination for rich kids snorting columbian marching powder).
burn - 22 Apr 2005 20:11
I have to agree, the Bluey and Red Cross have gone downhill. I guess they were invested in and are now being run purely to make money. The Red Cross absolutely reeks of urine by the gents and both pubs are extremely expensive
anonymous - 21 Apr 2005 18:45
Owners seem to have lost the plot!

Both this pub and the Red Cross (same owners) have gone down-hill fast.

Pubs are dirty, beer quality is a bit of a lottery, Staff seem not to care, all very sad really, as they were two of the best pubs in reigate.
local_lad - 21 Apr 2005 14:56
All in all a great place to drink, with a fantastic atmosphere.Let's get "RINGBOLTED"
anonymous - 27 Sep 2004 09:21
Nicely decorated and does good food, quite pricey - not for pikeys
claire - 30 Jun 2004 15:41
Style bar fittings and fixtures and off the peg "modern art" on the walls don't suit this old pub. Paved beer garden is an improvement though. Wadworths had gone off but was exchanged readily by pleasant staff.
H.O.F. - 21 May 2004 01:17
Im student at the Grammar and i like the new makeover, the staff and the atmosphere plus nice new look for the beer garden, it's going to be a good summer...Stellas a bit pricy though!
Dom Jago - 10 Apr 2004 19:35
Woah! They've had a 'makeover' It's now a trendy city style bar with chrome and pine furniture. This would work if they could get rid of the old dark wood beams, looks a bit odd.

Atmosphere is still good, prices are still pricey and I can only presume the garden is still there.

Not sure how the studenty regulars will like the new look, it all seems a bit too posh, not the place to be seen wearing your faded hoody and old trainers.
smuj83 - 16 Mar 2004 15:40
The best pub in Reigate without a doubt. Fantastic, friendly management... brilliant staff... good crowd of people.
anonymous - 19 Feb 2004 10:53
Nice pub but gets VERY busy at the weekend. Nice and very big garden with heaters. A bit pricey (most pubs in Reigate are, keeps the riff raff away darling).

Friendly staff, not a great selection of beers (unless you're a lager-lout). Food smells good, never tried it though.

The mens' toilets reek of piss, PLEASE BUY SOME URINAL CAKES!!
smuj83 - 19 Sep 2003 16:31
Beer now at a less astronomical rate, pool table gone - Hurrah !
Garden nice but full of students!
streaker's can be regularly seen ron the priory cricket ground
Northern bloke - 23 Jun 2003 16:54
ridiculously over-priced, but great beer garden.
wilson - 31 May 2003 10:28
Full of friendly people, can be either a nice quiet evening, or a great night out, with a FANTASTIC beer garden.
Kat - 8 Jan 2003 18:21
Remarkably good food. None of your boring old pub grub; this is modern fresh nosh.
John - 3 Jan 2003 11:46
Excellent garden which offers a view onto the Reigate Priory Cricket Club. Surrey legends Monte Lynch, David Ward and CK Bullen have all played there.
Mrs Swann - 30 May 2002 13:54
nice place, nice garden
anonymous - 17 May 2002 21:09

got anything to say about this pub?

Please read our reviews policy before posting.
Only registered users can post reviews. Please log in. If you don't have an account yet, register here.