Posts by Glynn Davis
Book Review – The Good Beer Guide 2026
Fifty three years and counting. It’s that time of the year for the launch of CAMRA’s latest edition of The Good Beer Guide (GBG) when we can see if our favourite pubs have made the cut in the new publication. When I first bought the guide back in 1988 it was a slim-line 352 pages…
Read MoreDesert Island Pubs – Matt Snell, CEO of BoxPark
Matt Snell, CEO, BoxPark 1. Earliest Memory of a Pub I grew up in a pub, so all my early memories were in smoked-filled public houses, in Sheffield. The video juke box had just been invented and we had one in the games room, which made it feel like something from Back to the Future.…
Read MoreStriking out at The Sun Tavern
On an early Monday evening as the sun flooded into The Sun Tavern in London’s East End the tube strikes clogging up the city outside seemed very far away. They drifted even further into the distance after a few of the bar’s cocktails. What was previously something of an old geezers bar, I was told,…
Read MoreLet’s be more crisp with pub snacks
The hanging basket-adorned Cross Keys pub in Endell Street in Covent Garden was a regular stop-off point for me before heading for an Indian meal at the sadly long-gone Neel Akash restaurant (replaced by Sainsbury’s in Hanway Street). Another plus point was that it also stocked the rarely seen roast turkey and stuffing crisps from…
Read MoreGood news for pubs
Whenever my family and I venture out into the country on short breaks, my priority when booking the accommodation is the close proximity of a pub. This caused slight issues on our recent cycling trip, as the lovely Horse & Jockey in Manton, Rutland, was about 50 metres away from the Airbnb that I’d booked,…
Read MoreBook review – ‘Ale City – St Albans’ Beer History and Remarkable Pubs’
St Albans is a city I’ve visited infrequently even though each time has involved thoroughly enjoyable forays into its wonderful pubs. I’m not sure why I’ve not been more often but I’m definitely planning to return very soon as I’ve just completed reading a new book on the history of the city and its pubs.…
Read MoreDesert Island Pubs – Simon Potts, CEO, The Alchemist Bars & Restaurants
Simon Potts, CEO, The Alchemist Bars & Restaurants 1. Earliest Memory of a Pub I have one of those memories that has perhaps been forged more from my Dad’s retelling over the years – we were on the Isle of Mull on the annual holiday that we took with another couple of families. One day…
Read MoreDesert Island Pubs – Andreas Akerlund, co-owner, Grace Land Pub Group
Andreas Akerlund, co-owner, Grace Land Pub Group 1. Earliest Memory of a Pub I moved to London in the 1980s when I was in my mid-teens. It was a different world back then. I can’t exactly remember my first pub but a stand-out from that time was the Sun Tavern in Barnes. Many Swedes live…
Read MoreCzeching out new Czech bar
Having previously been involved with a London-based Czech lager brewery that left a sour taste in my mouth it has not put me off the country’s lovely lagers. It was therefore enjoyable to visit The Stranded bar on London’s The Strand where Bloomsbury Leisure Group has opened a new venue dedicated to serving Czech lager…
Read MoreNo boring beers at The Mall Tavern
All too often pubs like The Mall Tavern in Notting Hill can disappoint. They look attractive on the outside but their ability to easily attract tourists can lead to sloppy practices and an uninspiring beer list. Andy and Nati Perritt have ensured this is not the case at the pub they’ve been running for around…
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