Pubs of 2014

Right, here we go...... The purpose of this blog is to log all the pubs that I have visited and consumed an alcoholic beverage in during 2014. The rules are quite simple, the establishment needs to be a public house, it sounds straightforward but it may get complicated for example things that wouldn't count are a visit to the bar at the cricket, a pre gig drink in a concert venue, a drink at the Birmingham German market etc. As judge and jury my decision is final, and if I'm in any doubt I won't count it.



My prediction as at the start of the year is that the final number will be somewhere around the 200 mark though I won't go to pubs just to get the numbers up, it will be a true reflection of my pub visting year.



My posts will include information about the pub, the ambience of the surroundings, the choice and quality of the beer, any interesting or amusing anecdotes about my visit and, where possible, photographic evidence.



I will try and keep the information as accurate as possible noting that alcohol consumption means that at times this may prove difficult !!



The format of the posts is simple, the first visit to the pub will be the blog entry and that post will be updated for any subsequent visit.



Hope you enjoy it...



Cheers

UPDATE January 2015

Right, that's it, it's finally finished, some 259 pubs later !! It's been hard work but it's nice being able to look back and relive the drinking experiences of 2014.

I am pleased with the final result and whilst I've been reviewing it, I have actually laughed a few times at my own jokes !!

A word of warning, it does start off a bit slow (some of my posts from Bath are a bit dull) but stick with it. In hindsight the format of posting repeat visits to a pub on the original post at times doesn't work very well when reading the blog in its' entirety but on the whole I'm pleased with it and I hope that you enjoy it.

I have stated this in the blog but I will say it again, thanks to anyone that I have had a beer with in 2014 and special thanks to Shelley for her patience !!







Monday, 24 February 2014

The Steak & Cider Works



This recently launched Midland's based pub/restaurant chain aims to 'produce home cooked food with a twist of cider and ale' though the fact that Shelley's brother Craig had been slaving over a hot stove earlier preparing a chilli for us all when we got back meant that it was drink rather food that we required from Hereford's Steak & Cider works, and in all honesty they did a pretty good job. The friendly barman spotted my Brummie accent a mile off and recommended the Sharp's Doombar.

My only criticism of the place was that it was a bit on the bright side so Craig and Maria's friends Mike and Di had no problem spotting us stood up by the fireplace towards the back of the pub with me stood unashamedly facing a rather large mirror !!

We decided a kitty was the best way forward so I got the next round though very nearly accidently pocketed the change myself. I feared accusations of me behaving like Arthur Fowler from Eastenders at Christmas time!!

The main purpose of our visit into Hereford city centre that night was to watch the six nations rugby international between France v Wales. Maria and Di were both sporting their Wales rugby shirts and weren't happy when I referred to the next days game between England and Ireland as 'the main event'. Di's fella Mike is from north of border so like all Scots he supports two team Scotland and A.B.E. (Anyone But England !!)

We quickly finished our pints as kick off was rapidly approaching and went to find a pub that was showing the game.

UPDATE 15th November

This was pub number two on our November Hereford pub crawl with Shelley's brother Craig and sister in law Maria and it's definitely one of the better ones in the town centre.

Nestled in the shadows of Hereford's impressive cathedral, The Steak and Cider Works is probably more food orientated these days however it still works (get it?!!) as a pub.

The ladies were particularly well looked after with a choice of three ciders, the boys were also spoilt for choice with Craig going for a pint of John Smiths ('av it !!) and me on the Sharps Doombar.

We were served by a barmaid that looked like abstract artist Tracey Enim however she must have got out of the wrong side of her unmade piece of artwork as she had a face like a slapped behind, not helped by the fact that the sauce bottle made a loud farting noise when she added mayonnaise to a customer's meal.

It was a bit of a deja vu moment as we stood in the same place as our previous visit, i.e. right in front of a large mirror. Seeing as I'd got a bit of product in my hair I was able to check myself out to see if it was still holding my hair in place correctly !!

Again this was only a brief visit, we'd got plenty more pubs to go to though not before we stopped for a photo outside that looked remarkably similar to the one that was taken earlier this year though we've swapped sides, we'd never be an Ant and Dec would we?!!...



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