It’s very important to jump on any bandwagon that presents itself, and Sweden’s “bold” experiment in keeping bars open (with social distancing) allows me to shamelessly recycle my Scandinavian posts from 2017, a time when (unbelievably) folk were questioning President Trump’s fitness for the role by burning cars in the streets.
Our trip to Copenhagen gave us a chance to cross the bridge made famous by Saga and Kim, but it costs a fortune to cross to Malmo, and we needed to save our Krona for a last pint of Mikkeller Tuborg.
So, the Helsingor-Helsingborg ferry it was.
“The only notable feature of the 20 minute was the frantic purchase of duty free slabs of Carlsberg (we’re talking 96 cans on trolleys here) before a klaxon signalled entry into Swedish waters halfway across and it all died down.
Apparently, some folk travel backward and forward all day, enjoying duty free prices and surprisingly cheap buffets.”
A fairly functional place, Helsingborg at least had decent views from the castle.
No–one was in the mood for anything other than a giant burger and chips in the English-themed pub.
“The Bishops Arms is a chain of English-themed pubs across Sweden in the groundbreaking 1980s London Pub style. Great Swedish microbrews were promised, but instead we got what you might now find in a Wigan chain pub;”
This seemed the lesser of the two Bishops, with an imported beer range denying me a Swedish beer of any description, and you know how much I love local microbrews.
“Lunch for 4 cost £75. Value was, indeed, “interesting“. That left enough for 2 ice creams and a couple of beers at a new Bishops Arms by the marina/ferry.”
It was almost pubby, and with more folk boozing than burgering (?) by the sea we’d have stayed longer if our £100 in Krona hadn’t disappeared in 90 minutes.
Loads of English cask (top) and the “Good” beer that CAMRA folk go on about to distinguish it from the unnamed “Not Good” beer.
“I know you want to know what the Sheps was like, but I only had enough for a pint of the Evil Twin. It was tremendous, like a Green Devil but cooler, and Mrs RM devoured it on the seafront while “Winter Wonderland” played. In July. Those Swedes so wacky.”
£8 a pint, but if you’re ever allowed to travel there before pubs re-open here I guess you might think it’s worth it.
NB Not sure how up-to-date it is, but the European Beer Guide has loads of info on cask in Sweden.
Better off waiting till Copenhagen’s pubs re-open, mind.
“Interesting value for money ” I like that. I wouldn’t mind having a look at Sweden but it’s not likely to happen as I’m married to a Yorkshire man (short arms,long pockets etc ) The cost of aleing,as he would say , looks prohibitive
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If you win the lottery I’d recommend seeing Sweden by a Baltic cruise. Saves you hotel costs and the boat out of Stockholm Harbour past hundreds of islands is stunning.
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Each month I expect to win the big’un on the Premium Bonds -a few £25 ones but not enough for Sweden ! (Ps Mr S is not tight – he is a stereotypical Tyke in many ways,but not tight ! )
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Glad you added that clarification 😉
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That Discourse can’t persuade me to go to Spain and you can’t persuade me to go to Sweden.
If I wanted to pay £8 I could do that for a can in that Candid venue two miles from home.
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I’ll add it to the long list, then.
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Love the Mr. Spock’s usage of the word “interesting” on the pub sign.
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Vulcan is a suburb of Malmo, I believe.
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– and the Vulcan is one of Huddersfield’s best four pubs.
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Oh, the Redwood Arms, you mean?
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Etu,
I’m not sure.
I just know that with 9am opening the Vulcan is the best start to a day in Huddersfield.
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A visit to Sweden has been on my radar for quite some time, but sadly I don’t think 2020 will be the year I make it there.
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I often get Sweden muddled up with Swindon. Is there much difference?
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Tom,
I’m not sure as I’ve only been to Swindon, the Gluepot, but think Sweden has the Great Northern Lights and Swindon had the Great Western Railway, but neither has a Light Railway
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I thought that it was that guy who wrote guitar tutors in the 1960s and 70s
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Ah,the well known Bert Swindon I believe !
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They’re closer in feel than Swavesey in Cambridgeshire, anyway.
At a push I would say that Sweden has better pubs but Swindon has the better roundabout.
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Not to mention the fabulous Akkurat, Omnipollo, Oliver Twist (cask there too) and that’s just one district of Stockholm. Plus various others in Gamla Stan and a small, costly Mikkeler. Like much of Scandinavia, the beer scene in Sweden is terrific. And the pubs are open, to some extent anyway.
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Stockholm is just a wonderful place to walk, island hopping out from Gamla Stan, as long as you can take it at your own pace.
I remember seeing our first Vapiano pasta place here, decent value.
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“as long as you can take it at your own pace” – yes, No Use Rushing. .
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yes, No Use Dawdling when there’s open pubs and you’re only allowed 3 pints in each.
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Cask is growing here as we, Jorvik Estates, import many breweries cask ales, including Saltaire, Ilkley, Leeds, Timothy Taylors, Black Sheep, Theakstons, Allendale, Wensleydale, Hambleton, Rudgate, York of our Yorkshire range and several from around the UK including Boss, Laine, Signature and several others
We have installed nearly 20 Angrams this year with more scheduled.
Price is always an issue in Sweden, that is just the way it is, as the UK moves towards table service you may find the same thing becoming a thing there as well, staff cost money
We assess pubs for the Cask Marque and have doubled, from 2 to 4, the number of pubs that have it here.
Slowly going in the right direction
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Angrams are the best bits of Countdown.
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Thanks for writing, Jeremy, and best wishes for your worthy efforts.
You’d certainly find similar prices on imported beers in some bars in London (e.g. the Mikkeller bar) and Leeds, and your point about table service is timely !
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