Another trip west, another stay in the Budget Ibis on Malpas Road, Newport’s great accommodation bargain. As long as you don’t mind a chicken run across the M4 slip road and then a mile walk along the verge into town. I don’t.
Pubmeister has just been to Newport (see here); he got a livelier reception than I did the previous week.
Newport isn’t designed for pedestrians, but the underpasses and alleyways contain some of our great works of art.
I got a few stares taking shots of the architecture and tiling, but you can’t be arrested for that yet.
I had time for one pint before the train to Bristol for the Lambchop gig. The Tiny Rebel Tap may have the best beer (certainly best chips) in Newport, but that pint was always going to be in the Murenger. A bit like opting for the Boar’s Head over the Magnet, really.
A pub ticker rarely goes back, but this was a fourth visit over the years, and it’s never looked better.
More than that, the welcome was cheery and genuine from a Landlord who may be Newport’s only Lambchop fan.
A typical glorious “Symphony in brown” of a Sam Smiths, multi-area if not multi-room. It’s closer to Peterborough’s Wortley Almshouses than the Stockport boozers, with an unobtrusive food trade which had the decency to stretch to sticky toffee pudding.
You can look up the pub history yourself, I care only for the present (though apparently it has photos from Bass days).
Bass would be nice, of course, but at its best OBB is unbeatable in a proper pub.
The post-work “five at the bar” discussed Rick Stein’s Padstow restaurant nonsense, and the pronunciation of lingerie and Ypres. I’d expected nothing less.
I could have stayed there all night, but Newport Railway Station gets scary after 7pm.
I have only one concern about the Murenger.
Not the provision of the Quinoa Burger itself, but I’m sure someone said Keane-wa. Everyone knows it’s Quinn (as in Niall) oh-a.
retiredmartin 
😀 😀 😀
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Excellent comment. Every photo I too inside the Murenger made it look a gem.
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Typical Sam’s wooden panelling – nice
Not sure about blokes discussing lingery (sic) in a boozer though?
Liking the food pairing – nice. Not sure about kwinnower burgers and I am still banned from drinking Pure Brew Lager, so I couldn’t try that pairing neither!
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Don’t worry Richard, it was the pronunciation rather than the items themselves. This isn’t Selby.
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Why are you banned, may I ask?
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We used to do a thing on Saturday after the football had finished called a ‘Power Hour’. Basically half way through a sesh we would decamp to Old Star and drink about five pints of Pure Brew (hence Power Hour, although it my have been little longer). The results were often catastrophic and a tri-partite agrement involving the on-trade, wife and myself was imposed! Even after a good few years, I only have to mention ‘Pure Brew’ in these parts to cause the majority of customers in the pub to pause, turn and look at me, and shake their heads knowingly.
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I assume Newport is on Sam’s “southern prices”, which perhaps accounts for the non-Boar’s Head-like atmosphere in such a down-to-earth city.
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It was £2.80 I think, which if you’ve just been to Tiny Rebel will seem cheap, and obviously still good value. I’ve seen the Murenger busier at weekends to be fair.
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For some reason I failed to go here on my trip to Rodney Parade and so was hoping for a rematch this season.
Instead I’m heading to outer Solihull.
Did you say you were at the Grand opening in Ramsgate tomorrow?
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Only if the Beer Guide arrives today and gives me another reason to make the trip to Thanet ! Will be there very soon into Sep otherwise.
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Ah, fair enough, I’m sure some new micros will have appeared somewhere in Kent. Mine is at the sorting office but I’m heading to Ramsgate and Deal tomorrow anyway.
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Have fun. Where are you based ?
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Menston, W Yorks. A long way from Ramsgate but as in London tonight and first thing tomorrow fancied some sea air…
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Oh you’re Tranmere’s top fan, just connecting up with Twit.
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You’ll know the end is nigh when Sam’s start brewing evil craft. There is still Sams in Selby isn’t there? About the only non-family reason to visit the place,
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Selby here http://wp.me/p6w2CL-4JZ
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That’s over a year ago, could be half a dozen micro pubs sprung up since then!
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Brewery Taps, Scott. Micros are so 2015.
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But Selby is about 1975?
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Isn’t Sam’s relatively new keg India Ale a kind of answer to craft?
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There you go, the end is nigh.
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I thought Sam’s India Ale was a new brew to celebrate Victoria becoming Empress?
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Very good
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Stapleford has got two breweries but no brewery taps and no Micros on the horizon,as i have said before.
But a secret small town very close to us has had planning application for a Micro pub,nothing there yet but it should be a new place for you to visit in maybe 2019 Martin.
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That’s long-term planning, Alan.
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