They Have Sam's in London too You Know

No doubt, my many readers are wondering whatever happened to my series of visits to Sam Smiths pubs.  In fact, I often wonder myself why I have not returned to this rich seam of pub culture and idiosyncrasy. Perhaps I have a small lingering doubt about Humphrey himself reading how the denizens of his establishments really conduct themselves, as opposed to how he wishes they would. It is also true to say that I have some slight concerns about how he may treat landlords and landladies, who, perhaps, in his distorted vision, would appear by my words to have somehow failed to live up to his expectations. On that point it is worth mentioning that in every Sam’s house I have visited, the managers have singularly, and with good humour, tried their best to honour Mr Smiths instructions, however odd they may be.

Of course, knowing myself, it may be that I just have been as usual far too lazy to get out and about and actually visit the 20 or so Sam’s pubs that are still open in my area. That number is of course an approximation, given that Humph has already closed more than one of the pups already visited and reported on – no doubt for some minor infraction of his somewhat arbitrary rules. But as always, I live in hope that one day, all 32 pubs in my Rochdale, Oldham and Bury area may all be open, and that some may actually sell Old Brewery Bitter in cask conditioned form.

But I digress from my original purpose. A couple of weeks ago, when in London checking that Tandleman Towers South still exists, we ventured into Soho with the intention of having a look at how some of the London Sam’s pubs operate. While it has never been officially confirmed, it is known that Humphrey's son Sam is the supremo of all the Southern operations. Things are done differently there, and while recently in the North, innovations such as paying by phone and card have been accepted, it is true to say that no such restrictions have operated in London for quite some time.The reasons for this are pretty obvious when you look at the clientele. I think it's fair to say that in the absence of paying by card or phone Mr. Smith would find insufficient customers willing to pay by cash, as payment by such is, in London, the exception rather than the rule.

Also missing from most of the London pubs is the plethora of notices forbidding this, that or the other, though it is fair to say that the one prohibiting electronic devices is generally clear and present, but,  particularly in the case of phones, is blatantly and wholly disregarded.

Our first port of call was the White Horse in Rupert St, more or less opposite the John Gielgud Theatre. It can best be described as a basic corner street local set out in typical Sam Smith dark wood, bare floorboards and a slight down at heel appearance. Old Brewery Bitter in cask format was available at £5.70 a pint, and was somewhat middle of the road in taste. E’s Pure Brewed Organic lager was an astonishing £6.90 a pint.  It is as well at this point to mention that Sam Smiths pubs in London are pretty expensive. Banish any thoughts of the cheap pint they used to be, and given the somewhat basic nature of some of the pubs visited, could be regarded as less than value for money.  The pub wasn't busy, but a steady stream of people wandered in, vaguely looked round and then blatantly zoomed downstairs to use the loos before re-emerging, pretending to consider drinks at the bar, before darting out the door.  At the bar more than one person sipped their pint while surfing their phone. The landlord, an Al Murray lookalike was clearly used to such behaviour and simply ignored all this while occasionally tilting his eyes in our direction.

Now, Sam's pubs are usually pretty good for people watching, but not in this case. The only real entertainment was a young couple, the male of which would occasionally lean in for a kiss, while the female would carefully move away. Fair dos, it didn't discourage him, and she happily allowed him to hold her waist. Likely she wasn’t keen on public affection, which is just fine. In fact, we bumped into them in a later pub and they seemed quite cosy. So, all was well.

Leaving this mayhem we walked a few steps to the Duke of Argyll, another Sam's pub but this time absolutely rammed.  This was a step-up in class. Multi partitioned, with each area jammed with customers, the lone bar person zoomed up and down at breakneck speed trying to keep up with demand. It took us quite some time to get served, and my pint of stout looked more like Coca-Cola. Clearly the nitrogen gas had gone, and subsequently the beer was poured as flat as could be. There was no opportunity to earhole the frantic barman, and frankly the poor bugger was doing the best he could. At last, when he had a second, I explained the problem with the pint and he offered an exchange. He took the opportunity in the meantime to call someone on his phone, who a few moments later emerged from upstairs to lend a hand. I suppose that was technically a breach of the rules too.

We struck up conversation with a guy who'd come up from Kent for the day. He turned out to be an ex-RAF type and we passed an agreeable half hour with him telling tales of avoiding customs duties from various tours of overseas duty - a subject E knew a bit about somewhat oddly - while we dodged around, juggling our pints, to let people in at the bar. Frankly, it wasn’t a comfortable experience, though I’d like to go back when it was less busy.

Our final stop, nearby, was the Glasshouse Stores. We have been there before and remembered it just as it was. Long, thin, narrow and very busy. It was there that we bumped into the young lovers again, though I doubt very much if they noticed us at all. The pub was full of all types, but nothing of any great interest to the nosey parker. It was simply a Sam's pub with a typical London mix of people and tourists. The beer list was straightforward Sam's – I think the OBB was keg -  but this time my pint of stout was thick with a creamy head, though well north of £6 a pint. From our vantage point in the centre of the pub (fortunately we were able to nab a seat) we observed none of the usual Sam's forbidding notices. We left after one drink.

So, to sum up, in Sam’s pubs in Rochdale and areas you are likely to find the pubs are locals with a loyalty to the pub. In London Sam's pubs are just another convenient location to drink beer, have a glass of wine or whatever, while visiting a popular area. Of course, this is just a snapshot of three pubs, but having visited many, while some are more interesting than others, none have the idiosyncrasies and character you will find further away from the city. It is clear that's in business terms Sam Smiths offer a similar experience to other pubs. There is no price advantage, the pubs themselves vary from quirky and old-fashioned, to just played old-fashioned and a bit dowdy.

When compared to Humphrey’s ridiculous strictures in the North, it seems somewhat bizarre that in the same company, two different schools of thought apply to the way the pubs are run, with sometimes devastating results for pub regulars and managers alike. But that Sam’s for you.

On a previous, but recent London visit we went to the rather good Crown by the British Museum (no cask). There were some more obvious notices there about electronic devices, but again, completely ignored by the punters. 

I wonder if Sam's have got themselves ahead of the game pricewise and will refrain for quite a while? E who has scant regard to prices  is switching to Taddy lager when in Sam's pubs for the foreseeable.  Well, in London anyway.

 

 

Even Me Now It Seems

On Saturday I fancied watching the football. OK I dreaded watching the football as it was Scotland v England, but I still wanted to see it. I like the suffering you see. Of course we could have watched it at our flat, but I like to watch such things in the pub.  Among people. I had also just come back from my holidays abroad and after generic 5% lager, I fancied a pint or two of real ale.  As you do. In two different pubs - we switched pubs at half time - the beer was poor.  Usual problems of it being warm and flat and in the first, nobody that I saw at least, was drinking it, while in the other, it was just not kept well enough.  So far, so normal.  I was after all in London where it is foolish to believe that hope will overcome experience, especially in summer.

Next day we walked along Wapping High Street and we had a drink in Sam Smith's Captain Kidd. E likes it there, but then she has a higher tolerance of the Wapping set than I do. I had Sam's Wheat Beer - I wasn't chancing the cask -  and E a half of Pure Brewed Lager. I believe it was the best part of seven quid the pair in this "cheap" Sam's outlet. We left after one and continued our walk and as we neared the flat, debated another drink in a pub.  We decided on balance not to and nipped in to Sainsbury's to buy a Sunday Times.  Being lushes, we also bought a cheapo bottle of wine for just under £7.50 for both wine and newspaper.  Back at the flat we read the paper and supped the wine.  It kept us going for over three hours for around 70p more than our OK-but -nothing- special beer in the Captain Kidd.  And the wine, (on offer of course) was just fine as a background accompaniment to the Sunday paper.

No wonder people sup at home. No wonder pubs are empty. And some galoots will tell you we aren't paying enough for beer!

I'm not picking on Sam's here. It would have been seven notes almost everywhere in E1.

The football wasn't that bad either as it turned out.comparatively speaking.

Is That Too Much?

Out in Manchester the other day with my oldest friend, our first pint was in Sam's Chop House. There was a middle of the road selection available - think Black Sheep and Bombardier - but we both chose Taylor's Landlord.  Mike raised his eyebrows as the barman announced "£8.40 please".

We repaired to the beer garden and welcome sunshine at the back and viewed the clientèle while checking out the beer. Customers were mostly "Ladies who lunch" or businessmen drinking Becks. It was a rather upmarket crowd and the pub itself could be described in similar terms, at least at lunchtime. The beer was average to good, but better on the second round when it had become a bit cooler, our pints obviously being the first through. Being used to London prices, I didn't really bat an eyelid at the cost and actually I enjoyed the experience, the ambience and indeed the beer, but tweeting without revealing the location, the cost seemed to shock some.

The price of beer is difficult to determine these days, as is the value for money. We discussed this over the next two pints in Holt's Ape and Apple where the cost of the round was five pounds odd instead of eight pounds odd.  The quality of the beer in the Ape was way above that in Sam's and it had a good atmosphere too, though I'll deduct a point or two for the irritating music.

So three quid or so different, but two equally enjoyable experiences.  You pays your money and you takes your choice? What do you reckon?

Holt's Mild was absolutely superb - I do love a top form mild - but best beer of the day was in the City Arms in the form of Brightside Odin.  Lovely drop.

The beer was a bit clearer than it looks in the photo, but not pin bright by any means.

All Change

The area around Aldgate East and Leman Street in London has changed beyond all recognition since we acquired our flat there around 18 years ago. It is so well connected that it has become very fashionable and after many years of little change, in recent years new flats are springing up like crocuses in spring.  It shows no signs of abating. In that time pubs have come and gone, mostly, gone, taken over and demolished or turned into flats. If only some of them had stuck it out, as now the population is huge and growing and amenities are open all the time. Back in those distant days the area was as quiet as a mouse on a Sunday. No longer.

One new pub has opened this month. The Leman St Tavern directly on Leman St itself. Very unlovely from the outside, it is owned by Geronimo Inns, the Youngs offshoot and is the kind of classy affair that will attract the many suits that are kind of thick on the ground around these parts.  All wood, metal and glass, with delightful old railway prints on the wall, it is comfortable and the welcome is pretty genuine.  The menu looked good too. It was also great to see the handpumps are obvious and facing you as you walk in, not hidden round a corner, as is often the case. The beer was in pretty reasonable shape, with my Truman's Blindside being cool and reasonably conditioned. It wasn't however golden or hoppy as stated. Why do brewers have such a problem identifying colour? Light brown is not golden!  Price wise a whopping £4.50 a pint.  As an aside, the £4 cask beer is probably the norm in London now and the £5 barrier is likely to be broken soon I fear

Riding out all this newness has been the Dog and Truck which I wrote about here. We scurried round for a soothing pint of Harveys. Shockingly it was closed. The builders are in and the inside, with all its 1970s gloriousness has been torn apart. It is to be one of Enterprise Inns new managed houses, under the Bermondsey Pub Company (based in the West Midlands oddly) banner. This was devastating.  Now I know that refurbishment is long overdue and that likely we'll get something with decent beer, but another charming piece of the past has gone and we mourned it over slightly too warm pints in the Dispensary.

I'm willing to bet we'll pay something well north of £4 a pint too for the privilege.

I'll mention some prices in my next blog. Well one in particular, for which I am still getting therapy.  It also involves Truman's Beer which somehow I think, just doesn't suit me.

Solving The Price Gap Dilemma

There is an obvious difference between the price of similar cask and keg beers in many of the hybrid craft pubs and bars. When I say hybrid I mean those that serve a mixture of cask and keg - a formula that I think works well as it happens. It brings crossover and a likelihood that there is more of an incentive to keep the cask well, both to compare with the less variable keg presentation - though there are many presentational and quality problems with keg - but just as much as anything, concerns about reputation.  These kind of pubs, often with high prices, don't want to be known for poor beer quality and though that yardstick isn't a sure one, it gives a reasonable probability of decent cask in most cases.

But I digress from my main point. A couple of weeks ago in Leeds, Tapped had the same beer on cask and keg with the keg being a £1 dearer.  This was not a strong beer I recall, but I have seen much wider differences than that on my travels. While you can argue all day why people might prefer to pay a premium for the same beer in keg, there is a undoubtedly a difference in the purchase cost, not least of which is buying the container (in the case of keykegs and petainers) and applying GP to it, as anything else, though there are other costs. I guess most are passed on to the customer. So equivalent keg will always be dearer than cask?

Last week in London I found one pub that seems to be solving this problem. The Hack and Hop was selling 4% cask beer for £4.50 a pint.   Is levelling upwards the start of something new and unwelcome?

Needless to say I didn't buy any and couldn't get near the bar anyway and went elsewhere. That's London for you. Not price sensitive and thankfully, not typical.