BITE user comments - adamcroft
Comments by adamcroft
Brands itself as being in the trendy, upmarket village of Woburn, although it's a good two or three miles away from Woburn and is technically either in Potsgrove or Heath & Reach. The beer selection, however, was surprisingly good and the quality was excellent.
20 Oct 2009 13:06
The Axe and Compass, Heath and Reach
New management as of 1st August 2009, who are trying to rebrand the pub with good beer and a wide selection of real ciders on tap. Well worth a visit if you're passing.
20 Oct 2009 13:04
The Oddfellows Arms, Toddington
Excellent beer, friendly people, and a beautiful little building.
20 Oct 2009 13:03
Not keen on the design at all. A beautiful location opposite the church and stunning views across the countryside. I really have no idea why the interior has been ruined. However, the beer was superb and the bar staff were friendly so it's a definite thumbs up from me!
20 Oct 2009 13:02
Great beer, friendly staff, and a beautiful pub. Agree with 'payback' - Most people are friendly if you're friendly to them!
20 Oct 2009 13:01
A friendly, cosy period pub which offers a selection of real ales as well as commercial lagers and live sports in the larger of the bar areas.
The owners are showing a real commitment to British ale, holding regular beer festivals and having been spotted in various real ale pubs across Bedfordshire. Not tried the food, but fully intend to.
20 Oct 2009 12:41
On the (very) expensive side at �3 for a pint of real ale, which is usually significantly cheaper than commercial lagers. For a Potton beer which has only had to travel twenty miles, the price is far too steep. However, Harlington's a popular commuter village so I'm sure the villagers aren't too shocked by the prices.
Beer condition, however, was very good and, dare I say it, almost worth the �3 paid!
20 Oct 2009 12:39
Excellent pub with good beer. Had a nice long chat with the landlady and her husband and they're keen to increase their real ale offering and to make the pub the centre of the community.
9 Jul 2009 08:02
The Old Hunter's Lodge, Whipsnade
Good beer and good food - although you get a lot of it!
1 Jul 2009 13:58
Excellent beer available and we've heard good things about the food.
1 Jul 2009 13:58
Excellent beer and sausage festival a couple of months back and good beers served on tap.
30 Jun 2009 11:03
Great atmosphere and good beer. The bears aren't as bad as Jumbina makes out.
30 Jun 2009 11:01
The Golden Bell, Leighton Buzzard
A good little pub with excellent beer on. Was here as part of a CAMRA meeting and the service was very "Yes sir, what can I get you sir?". Not sure it'd be the same if I turned up on a Wednesday lunchtime with a false beard on, but can't complain!
30 Jun 2009 10:59
The Anglers Retreat, Marsworth
Excellent beer and a proper old pub. Tends to be very busy at times, but a cracking pub.
30 Jun 2009 10:56
A good, cosy little pub with an excellent pint of Greene King IPA (and it's not easy to get a good pint of that!)
30 Jun 2009 10:31
In Chiswell Green and not St Albans as the address suggests. Excellent beer and a great selection of food. We didn't try the food as they were very busy and had an hour's wait and we had to be somewhere within the hour. Will definitely visit again, though.
30 Jun 2009 10:30
Vladimirs Red Square, Scarborough
A tatty cocktail bar filled with short-skirted 14 year olds. Avoid.
30 Jun 2009 10:28
Excellent pub and worthy of its GBG entry. A great selection of beers and very friendly and knowledgeable staff.
30 Jun 2009 10:28
Traditionally one of the best pubs in town - if not the best. A good selection of real ales and friendly service.
30 Jun 2009 10:27
This place is loved by the locals, but I'm really not sure why. It tends to be filled with oiks and football/sport is pumped through the TVs 24/7. Beer not great either.
30 Jun 2009 10:26
North Riding Hotel, Scarborough
Excellent pub. Great selection of real ales and the landlord is an active CAMRA member so knows what he's doing. Even has some interesting foreign lagers in the fridge and on tap (including a Wei�bier). Well worth the visit and easily one of the best pubs in Scarborough.
30 Jun 2009 10:24
The Newcastle Packet Inn, Scarborough
Not been in here in a couple of years, but seemed to be full of council estate types supping Stella Artois. Rough.
30 Jun 2009 10:22
Wetherspoons chain pub. Beer kept in bad condition, poor service and lousy food. An all-round JDW classic!
30 Jun 2009 10:22
The Albert is, indeed, run by Nick Henry - and you can tell. Crap beer, crap atmosphere, crap pub.
30 Jun 2009 10:20
Not my favourite. Rather tatty and the beer's not great.
30 Jun 2009 10:19
An interesting pub. Beer not great, but handy if you're on your way into town.
30 Jun 2009 10:19
Not great. Under new management and trying to improve, but still a long way to go.
30 Jun 2009 10:17
Not bad, but nothing special. A couple of beers available.
30 Jun 2009 10:15
A couple of beers available - mostly Greene King. Nothing to write home about, but it'll do.
30 Jun 2009 10:14
Fantastic traditional pub with great beers and great service. Well worth trying to find it!
30 Jun 2009 10:14
Surprisingly good. A couple of decent beers and the landlord seems to be quite pleasant.
30 Jun 2009 10:13
Excellent beer, excellent service. Very friendly community pub.
30 Jun 2009 10:13
Real ales available, but nothing to write home about (Hobgoblin and Speckled Hen on a recent visit). Decent enough atmosphere.
30 Jun 2009 10:11
Top-notch real ale boozer with friendly service and a good atmosphere.
30 Jun 2009 10:10
I tend to be very critical of pubs, and on approaching the Bat & Barrel last week, a feeling of dread surged through me. That feeling wasn't allayed when the rather angry-looking skinhead landlord sauntered up to us to take our order. In fact, he was extremely polite and courteous and seemed to know his stuff. Appearances can be deceiving!
The board outside the pub advertises it as 'the worst pub in Luton' and jokes about its terrible reputation. I get the feeling that it's a sort of 'in joke'!
30 Jun 2009 10:08
Fantastic food, but poor selection of (Robinson's) ales.
30 Jun 2009 10:05
Ignore previous post of mine - posted it under the wrong pub! The Peaks Inn is, indeed, open, but the food is awful and the beer is non-existent.
30 Jun 2009 10:04
Sh*tloads of handpumps, but filled with sh*tloads of sh*t. Never seen a pub have so many handpumps and fill it with rubbish! Food not great either.
30 Jun 2009 10:03
Good little pub. Beer well kept, if a little slow to turn around. Friendly bar staff who are always willing to stop for a chat.
30 Jun 2009 10:02
Worth pointing out even more that it's actually not closed...
Absolutely FANTASTIC food. Beer OK, but only a choice of two Robinson's beers so nothing to write home about.
30 Jun 2009 10:01
Good beer and new decor. Friendly service, although one barman was slightly creepy. A decent enough pint, though, and worth the visit.
30 Jun 2009 10:00
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn, Castleton
Cracking pub. Can feel slightly claustrophobic due to the dark decor being used despite the low ceilings, but fantastic beer and friendly service. Well worth the visit.
30 Jun 2009 10:00
A small pub which tries to cram too many people in with loud, obnoxious bands. Thought this place had died a long overdue death, but to no avail.
Last time I visited, there were three handpumps, one of which was turned round and two showing as available. The landlord declared that one of the remaining two was, indeed, off, but gave me a vacant look when I suggested he should perhaps turn the pump clip around. The remaining beer, Greene King IPA, came out as pure froth. The landlord, unsurprisingly, declared this to be off too. His response (and this will go down in pub folklore) was: "If you like real ale, we've got John Smiths Smooth". I left very quickly.
30 Jun 2009 09:57
Things not great under the new landlord - beer is rather poor and the food isn't up to much.
30 Jun 2009 09:52
A decent pub with a good selection of real ales and four beer festivals a year. Not even in the same league as The Globe, a few minutes' walk away, but handy if you're in the area and does good food. Crunchysaviour hit the nail on the head regarding untapped potential.
30 Jun 2009 09:48
Under new ownership with a couple of real ales available, but make sure you stick to the lounge bar and keep away from the saloon bar which is filled with rude, violent locals.
30 Jun 2009 09:45
Dull. Three real ales available, but served in filthy glasses and either freezing cold or warm.
30 Jun 2009 09:44
The previous reviews say it all. Rude, dirty, overpriced, and full of drug dealers. Full of fighting and trouble and best avoided.
30 Jun 2009 09:43
Beer is OK but nothing special. Tends to be very quiet and cliquey. Decent darts area, though.
30 Jun 2009 09:41
A few idiots tend to frequent at the weekend, apparently, but enjoyed a decent pint of Greene King IPA in here on a Wednesday lunchtime.
30 Jun 2009 09:40
No real ale to speak of but a decent enough atmosphere and probably the best pint of Guinness in town.
30 Jun 2009 09:40
Popped in here a couple of months ago and was pleasantly surprised to find a real ale on and in fairly good condition. A little pricey and void of atmosphere, but handy for a quick pint on your way into town.
30 Jun 2009 09:39
Thirteen handpumps available with a constantly rotating selection of guest ales from a range of national microbreweries and well-known names. Friendly and courteous service, as always. No music, no jukebox, and no pool table - just a pub as pubs have always been - a place to enjoy a fantastic pint and have a good conversation. Do you remember when people used to talk to each other?
30 Jun 2009 09:36
An estate pub, as previously mentioned, so you do get a few choice idiots frequenting here. No real ale either, and it's not exactly on 'the circuit', so has no real reason to be visited by anyone except the locals from the estate.
30 Jun 2009 09:34
Only worth a visit if you've got time to kill. It can take up to 25 minutes to get served - no matter how full the bar is, as the management seem to insist on only having one member of bar staff for every fifty or so customers at best. I realise JDW's policy is all about cost cutting, but it should never be at the expense of customer service.
Real ale - a good selection but, as always at the Gary Cooper, served far too cold. I'm reliably informed that the local licensing officer has (when off duty) told them to remove the chiller lines on at least one occasion. Shame they seem to be ignoring the police as much as they do their customers!
Nice to be able to sit outside on a summer's day, and can be a pleasant pub. Cheap and cheerful, but you get what you pay for.
30 Jun 2009 09:32
A friendly village-style pub in the town, offering two or three real ales (usually local) at any one time, although beers from as far away as Cornwall (Doom Bar) have been spotted.
30 Jun 2009 09:29
A Greene King pub offering either GK IPA or Abbot. Seemed friendly and pleasant, but admittedly it was a Wednesday lunchtime and there wasn't a football match on!
30 Jun 2009 09:27
A lively town pub at the weekends, often with a DJ - or so I'm told! Two real ales, apparently, but have only ever seen a rather underused and forgettable London Pride.
30 Jun 2009 09:24
Six real ales available when we visited on a Monday evening. All Fuller's/Gales but landlady did say she'd like to get others in, were it not for being tied to Fuller's. Landlady and bar staff extremely friendly and courteous. Beer in excellent condition.
30 Jun 2009 09:21
The Chequers, Westoning
Youngs Bitter served in excellent condition plus occasional guest ales.
20 Apr 2010 13:33