The danger of being a GBG ticker is that you spend so much time in micropubs, brewery taps and Brunning & Prices that you forget what a real non-Guide pub is.
I stopped in Stamford to visit their most famous (OK, only) estate pub.
What a pub sign the Danish Invader has.
Perspex screens, darts and pool, tidy, slightly too tidy if I’m honest. Half a dozen Old Boys, all glued to the T20 World Cup.
A decade ago you’d have had John Smiths Cask, now it’s something local and the UK’s favourite.
It was cool and dry, and just about a 3.5, though priced at a rather ambitious £3.80 in an estate pub (albeit in Stamford). You’d get two pints for that in the Spoons, but you’d regret it.
A great soundtrack ranged from “Lovin’ Things” by Marmalade to Billy Ocean’s ubiquitous classic (I’ve heard it four times in pubs this year), complementing the Sri Lankan onslaught on the big screen perfectly.
Just as I was thinking “No-one will drink the Grainstore“, someone drank the Grainstore. Whadayaknow.
I was tempted to say “Blessings on your house, you serve good Doom Bar” as I left, but it wasn’t that sort of pub. And the Doom Bar wasn’t that good.
retiredmartin 
I like tidy estate pubs like that. I’d probably have had the Grainstore, mind.
LikeLiked by 1 person
But I’d never have forgiven myself if the Doom Bar had been brilliant !
LikeLiked by 1 person
But how would you have known? Unless you stayed for another pint, of course.
LikeLike
There’s a blog on the dark web called “My secret NBSS 4 Doom Bar”.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m a bit conflicted when it comes to estate pubs. Whilst I dream of finding relatively unchanged/unspoilt examples like the one on Worcesters Ronkswood estate, it’s sadly the case that few were furnished to last, and the most successful well-used examples I’ve been to are inevitably those which have been heavily refurbished. I’m guessing part of the reason for the continued survival of the Invader is it’s quite a hack out of town, which makes it all the more handy for those locals that want to use it, particularly now the Drum & Monkey is gone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Never heard of the Drum & Monkey, so it must have been great.
LikeLike
Lives on as a small-batch mini-micro brewery who’s beers only seem to be available in the Kings Head, you’ll be delighted to know. All manner of weird and wacky brews, merely works in progress on the road to reproducing the original classic John Smiths Bitter the Drum & Monkey was famous for…
LikeLiked by 1 person
We may mock, but True North started as a micro and now runs hipster Brunning & Price style pubs selling a recreated Stones Bitter that is actually pretty good.
LikeLike
What you forgot to add was that 10 years ago when it only had John Smiths, it sold twice as much cask as it does now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Spot on. 20 years ago a pregnant Mrs RM drove me up the A1 to tick four John Smiths pubs between Rotherham and Doncaster; JS Cask and possibly a dreadful guest in all, and decent cask volumes in each.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fifty years ago today was my first visit to Stamford, Holbeach and Spalding. I hadn’t bothered looking up the trains home and spent the night on Derby railway station. Happy days.
LikeLiked by 1 person