One more round of “Micro Pub Spot The Difference” for you tonight. I certainly failed to distinguish the Old Bay Alehouse from three dozen others in Thanet and Lancashire. Perhaps they should call it something distinctive like Jug & Firkin, Ale Corner or Malt ‘n’ Hops.
Still, Birchington is my last tick in West Kent, and the OS extract had Groynes, Mussels and Gore to keep Russ happy (assuming he can read the small print).
It’s a dull workaday Thanet village, hardly a suburb of Margate, and mainly catering to retirees who like pie and chips and windswept winters on Minnis Bay.
But those retirees do at least provide a bit of pub custom on a weekday lunchtime.
Hilariously, I nearly didn’t make it, forgetting the Old Bay has a less than generous 90 minute lunch session and dawdling in the town centre before suddenly realising I had a 15 minute walk to Minnis.
Five blokes sitting round the bar gently abusing each other on the subject of spinach and cooking. “No-one understands me” said the chap in white socks.
I don’t much like the seating arrangements in places like this, high tables round the wall and locals at the bar, but it feels like their pub, and they’re polite and pleasant.
“Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use)” by Sub Sub plays for the benefit of no-one except me, pleased to hear from Wilmslow’s finest dance act after 25 years.
I even warm to the pews and sofas.
This one would fade quickly in the memory, just as previous Birchington GBG entry the Wheel already has, with a Thanet Micro GBG Merry-Go-Round in full flow. Now they know how Ales of the Unexpected and the Harbour Arms feel, I thought.
Just one thing. The beer was sensational. NBSS 4 for the cool, rich Clouded Minds Stout, a beer of the month contender.
So once again, Thanet CAMRA get it right. As they nearly always do.
retiredmartin 
I am a pub man above a beer man but when the beer is good it can’t half cloud your judgement!!! Any open pub is a good one in my book as a starting point and work backwards from there. Amazed at how many new boozers have sprung up the past five years…surely that must be a good thing?
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s spot on. I reckon the half dozen Old Boys (retirees and caravanners) would be seen dead in the foodie pub down the road and treat the micro the way they’d have treated a public bar 50 years ago.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes micros will evolve and some will be old bloke bars replacing the old bloke trad pubs that are closing….good news really and they all have old man beermats 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved this bit: “gently abusing each other on the subject of spinach and cooking. “No-one understands me” said the chap in white socks.” –It’s a sort of micro pub haiku, it is, and I thank you for it!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Those were the entirety of my notes ! There was good banter going back and forth. I liked it, even though I felt a bit excluded (unintentionally).
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Mainly catering to retirees who like pie and chips” – as evidenced by the bloke with the large derriere sitting at the bar.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good for them I say. Retired and happy and socialising, rather than sitting at home arguing with their wives and watching Sky.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“rather than sitting at home arguing with their wives and watching Sky” – ah, at long last I see the attraction of micropubs. .
LikeLiked by 2 people
Another padded bar front! You could start a (very niche) sub-blog…
LikeLiked by 1 person
“(assuming he can read the small print)”
I can! But I was more interested in Plumpudding Island. 🙂
“Unique entrance”
Definitely a ‘step up’ from some of the other places. 😉
“Big lettering you can read”
For the beers at least. And what’s with the padding on the bar?
“This one would fade quickly in the memory,”
I’d have forgotten it already if it wasn’t for the padded bar front. 🙂
““No-one understands me””
And no wonder. White socks in winter? Sheesh.
Cheers
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t think why but in that big lettering “JOSHUA” and “YORKSHIRE BITTER” reminds me of Wolverhampton.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That padded bar is almost as buttock-yieldingly luscious as the Cambria’s in Camberwell, Martin.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Erm, it’s Easy Kent!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes. It really is 😉
LikeLike
Sorry, EAST Kent.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Or possibly both…
LikeLiked by 1 person