A coveted Top 100 place secured on my first visit; I bet the owner of Geordie’s Byre will be over the moon. Or not.
Geordie’s has it all, even an alternating position between Newton-on-Ayr and Ayr in the Beer Guide. Small things please small minds etc.
Just a short hop over Old Bridge Street at Poundland to Newton, which has a great collection of outside smokers lining Main Street.
Paul Bailey explores “What makes a good pub” on his blog.
I struggle to list the characteristics, but I knew as soon as I walked in Geordie’s it would be a classic, despite the unprepossessing exterior.
Certainly one for fans of dark brown (i.e. me), bench seating, tasteful wall photos and beer mats.
And tall shiny founts (font to you and me). The landlord pointed me toward a complex document which I pretended to read.
The Jarl was nectar (NBSS 4.5). I would have stayed there all day drinking it, wondering why there was Hobgoblin on the third pump. When it’s as cool and tasty as here and in Musselburgh, I reckon Jarl is hard to beat. It rarely is served that well.
On his visit last year, Simon missed the landlord of 40 years standing. I got the full Monty, delivered in the gruffest way imaginable. It was thrilling.
“Are you CAMRA ?” I wasn’t flashing BRAPA card around, I’d just ordered a Jarl
“That depends” I denied them thrice.
He was very engaging, very sharp and gave fairly brutal verdicts on a range of subjects, including lunchtime drinking (“dead”) and Spoons.
I mentioned I was heading on to Kilbarchan to visit Duncan.
“Snobs”
And Johnstone.
“Take care”
I nearly saught out his views on Maidenhead.
“You’re as good as they say” I said, as I left with a smile on my face. Hmmmph, I heard.
An absolutely essential visit, whether you go to Newton or Ayr.
Visit the trough (not the ladies).
retiredmartin 
A urinal that is worth taking a picture of is one of the distinguishing features of a great pub. Is that your first 4.5 of the year?
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Agree.
Almost my first. Oakham in Live and Let Live (Cambridge) and in Staggs (Musselburgh) spring to mind.
Some good quality beer this year.
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Looks a disgrace. Needs at least 15 hand-pumps, every table set for lunch and quotes on the walls in order to be to be half-decent. Some national branding wouldn’t go amiss as well.
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I’d agree with you if this was in a civilised country, but clearly those qualities, and a “greeter” at the door are the preserve of advanced nations.
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Never actually made it as far as here when I was in Ayr, but sounds as though I should have.
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It’s reminiscent of those Edinburgh New Town bars like the Oxford, though probably with livelier regulars.
Plenty of bars like that, perhaps a little more careworn and without the real ale.
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A great write up of a great pub, I was there on Xmas eve before heading to Somerset Park for Ayr 4 Dumbarton 4.
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Sounds like a perfect (if cold) afternoon.
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A great photo of those traditional Scottish “founts”, although I’ve never understood why the word is pronounced as “fonts”!
Getting a bit technical now, do you know whether the ones at Geordie’s Byre operate using air pressure? The really old ones used water pressure, which was converted to air pressure, and were known as “water engines”.
I’ve been involved with CAMRA long enough to remember the “great air pressure schism”; something which nearly split the Campaign. I might an article write about it, if I can remember enough of the facts and dates.
ps. Lovely looking pub, btw. Also, thanks for the link back to my blog.
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Sad news from Newton: the landlady of Geordie’s Byre had died after falling down stairs at the pub.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/pub-landlady-stair-death-plunge-13231439
I visited it whilst down at Ayr, after reading your blogpost. Great wee place.
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Yes very sad indeed. Only met the landlord, a real Old School gent.
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