retiredmartin

6th January 2020

Grantham sports pubs in the Guide are well and good, but it’s blokes in Hi-Vis jackets in Spoons you want.

Before we get to the climax of any trip to Grantham, a quick look at one of the GBG stalwarts in a reliable but little-changing town.

“Cosmopolitan and contemporary” says WhatPub of Chequers, which must be coming up to 20 years in the Guide.

Perhaps contemporary by South Kesteven standards.

It’s traditional to compare these pubs to one that only Duncan and Simon will know, so I’ll say this has shades of Atherstone’s Angel in its rambling shop conversion chic.

But I care little for style; people make pubs. Chequers is the busiest pub I’ll see till I get to Spoons, without food or 50p pool, and makes do with Mango cider, Abbot and the local Oldershaw.

And that Firecracker is really great, a foamy NBSS 4 to maintain Grantham’s impressively high beer scores on my master spreadsheet.

It’s an odd place, attracting the CAMRAs, the couples and the clearly unhinged with a banana fixation. Even more than on my first visit, I loved it.

“Thanking you” said the Landlord as I took back the glass.

Down to the Town Hall, the museum with the grocer’s daughters shoes, and my favourite Spoons.

In the morning it’s a social club for Old Boys on pints, in the afternoon it’s the place for ladies who lunch on fudge brownie, and in the evening it’s the Hi-Vis gang.

Always NBSS 3.5+ local beers, always a smile, always their puddings are just too gooey.

I know how to live.