Posts by Glynn Davis
Every day is a beer festival at The Mall Tavern
For beer fans a visit to The Mall Tavern in Notting Hill is always an enjoyable experience because this neighbourhood pub is run by husband-and-wife team Nati and Andy Perritt who are both passionate about the beers they serve. So much so in fact that they went free-of-tie after paying Stonegate a hefty sun. For this…
Read MoreThe changing face of wine bars
Yes, I admit this is not about beer or pubs but is about wine bars. It is also an interesting story about how the venues we drink in constantly evolve – whether that is pubs or wine bars. For many people, wine bars still no doubt conjure up images of candle-lit basements with wooden wine…
Read MoreSigning in again at Signature Brew
My first visit to the brewery of Signature Brew was accidental. I had cycled up to see the owner of a butcher’s business called Muddy Boots on an industrial estate near Walthamstow and on arrival spotted Signature in the unit pretty much next door. I briefly chatted to the founders Sam McGregor and Tom Bott…
Read MoreDesert Island Pubs – Tom McManus, commercial & operations manager, McManus Managed Pub Co.
Beer Insider is pleased to bring you the latest Desert Island Pubs column, supported by Sunrise Beverages. So settle in and enjoy reading the stories behind the selection of pubs from… Tom McManus, commercial & operations manager, McManus Managed Pub Co. Limited 1. Earliest Memory of a Pub I grew up in and out of…
Read MoreFront of house is front of mind again
For a few weeks some years back, I worked in Blackfriars and would walk to Holborn tube as my route home because it took me past The Seven Stars in Carey Street, behind the Royal Courts of Justice. After only a couple of nights of stop-offs in this lovely compact pub, the landlady had named…
Read MoreChild’s play
When visiting the hybrid bar/shop Indiebeer in Holloway Road in north London early one Saturday evening before Christmas with my 18-year-old daughter, we had to navigate around various prams and buggies as a large group celebrated a young child’s birthday. My overriding response was that it was good to see the independent venue run by…
Read MoreDesert Island Pubs – Nathan Wall, MD – Proper Pubs, Admiral Taverns
Beer Insider is pleased to announce a new sponsor for its very popular monthly Desert Island Pubs column, Sunrise Beverages. Sunrise represents a collective of independent-minded brands that do not compromise on quality and is founded on the principle that great taste can’t be sacrificed. It has built its reputation through partnerships with dedicated drinks…
Read MoreTaking competitive socialising back into pubs
Competitive socialising is something I’ve harboured reservations about for a number of years on the back of the flood of money that has gone into the category to inevitably fund some rather dubious concepts. This has led to saturation in some sub-categories. On top of this, there is the problem in the UK of there…
Read MoreA word of caution on pre-booked pubs
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. It certainly was in The Audley public house in London’s Mayfair last week. When wandering in around lunchtime, I was greeted by a row of small chalkboards on various tables stating “reserved @ 2:30pm”. It is one of the most annoying aspects of pub-going at this time…
Read MoreBook Review – Brewing in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county I know reasonably well from cycling around the area but I’ve less of a handle on its brewing credentials. Until I got my hands on a copy of the recently-published ‘Brewing in Lincolnshire’ by Adam Cartwright (from Amberley Publishing) and found some surprises. The first revelation came in the introduction when…
Read More