Worcester has seven pubs in the Good Beer Guide, so it's going to be a bonzer place beer wise for a wander round isn't it? Well, not on this showing actually. Firstly we didn't encounter a single beer in what you'd describe as tip top condition. Most were sort of OK, but lacked that sure touch of cellarmanship that marks out really good cask ale.
First up was the Plough, where Purity Gold was the beer of choice. Now this is a splendid beer, but here it was ordinary. The Postal Order,one of the better JDWs, had only Ruddles on offer, as they were getting ready or the Beer Festival. OK tomorrow there would have been brewers and CAMRA talking about beer, tastings and plenty of choice, but the night before? Nothing. We decided that it just wasn't our night and went to the Dragon Inn having had a pint in another GBG pub, whose name, even after checking the GBG, escapes me. (It might have been The Swan?). It was that sort of night. The Dragon Inn wasn't a bad pub, though hardly the friendliest ever and the beers were decidedly ordinary presentation wise, though no complaints about choice, with Millstone, Cannon Royal and Little Ale Cart Bailie Nichol Jarvie. This beer, named after the locomotive, not the whisky, was hoppy and bitter, but sort of died in the glass. Others did enjoy the Millstone, but this to us, was coals to Newcastle.
We bailed out to Abdul's Curry House. This was a class act which everyone enjoyed. My nargis kebab starter was interesting and I'd have it again. We walked back to our digs, fu' as puggies from the food,* despite the moaning of one of our party about taxis. OK he has just had a knee replacement, but taxis for a couple of miles?
Fu' as a puggy means very drunk or full (having overeaten). In our case it was the latter
Did you run into Prescotti? He lives in the area I believe. No tour of Lea&Perrins??
ReplyDeleteWhat do mean by "lacked that sure touch of cellarmanship?" Was the beer too fizzy?
Have you heard the track "Nargis Kebab Nights?" Something tells me you haven't. You really should. You can find this lovely track here:
http://tindeck.com/listen/pdpf
Didn't see him, but he is right about nargis kebabs.
ReplyDeleteNo the beer wasn't conditioned enough. It was a bit dull and lifeless.
PS Have listened to that track and the others. I like the B&B Prescotti.
I am beyond words! The B&B Prescotti is an epic track, no doubt.
ReplyDeleteThe pre- and post-festival beer drought is a mildly annoying thing in general, and not unique to JDW. The Pembury Tavern in Hackney has several beer festivals a year (they're quite good) but if you want a pint the week before or after, you're limited to whatever Milton beers they've managed to scrape together. Boring.
ReplyDeleteYou should have emailed me, I'd have come out for a swift half if I was around!
ReplyDeleteStrange about the Dragon, his beers are generally in great condition... what day was it, though? Not sure trade is that brisk early week, and as for unfriendly - Richard himself is a well-known miserable bastard and the other staff aren't the most charming people either!
mcSpoons has gone crap since the top landlord left, Plough is also generally pretty decent although does have it's moments with dodgy quality.
Although it's a few years ago since I last visited, I have to say I found the beer and pub quality in Worcester left something to be desired. The city centre has also been subject to a fair bit of insensitive development so it isn't actually as nice a place as you might expect.
ReplyDeleteI once spent a few months in Worcester and I have to say it's probably the most soulless place in England.
ReplyDeleteNot a lot seems to happen, you never hear about it on the news, the pubs are really quite dire and the people seems permanently miserable as a result of being stranded in no-man's-land between Birmingham and Bristol.
On Saturday night the only entertainment appears to be an all-night cigarette machine and competitive street vomiting.
And yet it should have everything going for it being situated in a beautiful part of the country
with some fantastic pubs out in the sticks.
Fortunately there is a motorway exit only a couple of minutes away - the signs on the slip roads just read ANYWHERE.
You want to try living in Ashford, Kent. I did and it's terminally depressing with it's omnipotent concrete architecture, burberried chavs and Eurostars screaming through (as not many of them stop these days, presumably as no-one wants to go there!).
ReplyDeleteWorcester isn't great, but I'd much rather live there than the "backyard of England" thanks very much - at least from Worcester you can get anywhere in the UK, from Kent you've sea on 3 sides and London on the other.
I must say I was distinctly underwhelmed by Worcester. Some grand buildings, but it just doesn't have a good "feel" overall.
ReplyDeleteBy coincidence I am visiting a friend in Worcester in a couple of weeks. She live just outside the city and I will probably be spending the evening at her place. I should, however, have a sort time in the centre to grab a couple of pints. It sounds like you were unimpressed, but could you suggested one (or two) of the pubs you visited that I should make a bee-line towards?
ReplyDeleteCheers.
Tom. I'd take Gazza's advice in his comments. He's the local man. Good Luck.
ReplyDelete