PUBMEISTER’S 2020 – PART I (THE CULINARY EDITION)

I DID get out today, and tomorrow you can look forward to photos like this;

I know how you love closed pubs.

But while I have time on my hands, I thought I’d bring you some highlights from blogs I follow (where follow = look at pictures. Starting with Pubmeister, the man that’s actually DONE what BRAPA, and Maltmeister and me aspire to match.

He certainly got around, despite the mid-season “hiatus”, as we tickers call Lockdown 1.

Duncan seemed quite shy about doing a highlights package, so I’ll do one for him (in 2 parts). He was a bit food obsessed in 2020, clearly pre-empting the “substantial meal” craze.

Israel is a long way to go for moths, but the breakfast looked spectacular.

Bury is a long way to go for a Beartown Creme Bearlee Stout, but the 11 o’clock snack looks amazing.

Barton-on-Humber is a long way to go to meet the legendary Tom Irvin (and friend),

but the Snyders pretzels in Cleethorpes look good.

Lisbon is a long way to go to hide Bic razors under a hedge, but at least there was free nibbles with the cards, and “Craft Beer Bar” had early vials of the Russian Covid vaccine Sputnik, which is nice.

is a long way to go for a Wimpy, but there’s only 67 left in the UK, apparently.

Tallin seemed a long way to go to drink murk, and there’s no pics of deep fried herring in schnapps, and Duncan seems to have been a bit late for DJ Butt Plug who I understand only plays Thompson Twins 7″s.

Which seems a good place to stop for now. Part II is even more exciting, as Duncan tackles Coalville.

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

32 thoughts on “PUBMEISTER’S 2020 – PART I (THE CULINARY EDITION)”

  1. Much more exciting than I remember. Despite the months of enforced idleness, I had forgotten some of that. Still trailed way behind the totals you and Simon managed. Somehow doubt this will be ranked in your most viewed blogs!

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      1. The last Wimpy I was in was at Strensham Services on the M5 and my burger was so vile I couldn’t finish it, despite being ravenously hungry.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. But don’t motorway service stations make everything they sell vile ?
        Even Pride would never drink well in one of them.

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      4. I took my parents to the Spoons on the M40 (Beaconsfield) a few years back. Think I had the Windsor & Eton rather than the Pride but it was excellent, as was the service.

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      5. I remember going to the Wimpy in Hemel Hempstead, where I spent most of my childhood and teenage years. It tells you something about Hemel that this was considered to be a treat.

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      6. My special “treat” after a late-ending meeting at the Hemel & Hempstead Hospital was a pint in the Spoons down the hill, one of their very finest. I need to go back for the new micro, assuming it survives Covid.

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      8. Martin,
        “Spoons down the hill, one of their very finest” will be because it’s only fifteen miles from Tim’s head office.
        The best I know is the proper barn in St Albans only nine miles distant.
        Yet go over a hundred miles to somewhere like Wolverhampton and you might have a dreadful experience.

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      10. I noticed a Wimpy Bar in King’s Lynn, although I’m not sure you’d refer to that fair town/city as “downmarket?”

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      11. Martin,
        Yes, but that Beaconsfield one isn’t a proper motorway service station as it’s accessed as easily from the town as from the motorway.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Dave,
      Wimpy is several years older than MuckDonalds but it’ the same basic concept of variations on a hamburger.
      I’ve known two near me for many years, both franchises of local businessman Freddie Sandy who died last year. The one alongside the Barley Mow on Milford Common survives as one of the 71 while the other in Stafford’s main street, opposite Tim’s Picture House, closed quite a few years ago.

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      1. I always feel compelled to defend McDonalds a bit, as they provide the cleanest loos and cheapest coffee on my trips up and down the A1. I’ve only ever had a couple of Big Macs; they’re no good. Brew Dog do the best burgers.

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      2. There’s probably someone somewhere who’s seen this thread, got their road atlas out and is already planning their tour of all 71 British Wimpys.

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      4. Martin,
        But were those “trips up and down the A1” before Roger Protz published his Historic Coaching Inns of the Great North Road book ?

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      5. The really interesting thing about Roger’s excellent book (highly recommend) is how little known those pubs are. They may all see real ale, but few of them have been in the Beer Guide. There’s not many great pubs that close to the A1 in reality, and hardly any on it since the Ram Jam closed.

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  4. Didn’t realise Farnborough was so special we’ve had a Wimpy for over 40 years and it’s only moved once in the same shopping centre for which it was an original tenant one of very few left.

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  5. “He was a bit food obsessed in 2020, clearly pre-empting the “substantial meal” craze.”

    Forward thinker. Good man, that.

    “but the 11 o’clock snack looks amazing.”

    Um, that looks like a f**t cushion to me.

    “Barton-on-Humber is a long way to go to meet the legendary Tom Irvin (and friend),”

    Tom Irvin has friends? 😉

    “and “Craft Beer Bar” had early vials of the Russian Covid vaccine Sputnik, which is nice.”

    I hear it was out of this world.

    “is a long way to go for a Wimpy, but there’s only 67 left in the UK, apparently.”

    I can see from the map at the top that the Wimpy was somewhere in the south of England, but blowed if I’m going to look up the street view of 67 Wimpy’s to figure it out! 😉

    “and Duncan seems to have been a bit late for DJ Butt Plug who I understand only plays Thompson Twins 7″s.”

    The reason for that is, if you look closely at the poster (at the bottom), Duncan was most likely the ‘special “surprise guest’. 🙂

    “Which seems a good place to stop for now. ”

    Quite agree. I need a bit of a lie down after all of that ‘beef’!

    Cheers

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    1. It’s the hard, heavily flavoured, pretzel pieces (almost misshapes) you see in a certain sort of young persons pub over here, first seen nearly a decade ago. Close in healthiness to our pork scratchings ! I’m a fan of the honey and mustard ones.

      Imported from Hanover, PA, they sell for about US$ 1.50-2 over here.

      Do you see them about much ?

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      2. In almost every grocery store. There are several pretzel/potato chip makers from that area. Very “Pennsylvania Dutch” (German ancestors). The Germans make the best pretzels, ja?

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