June 2023. Rochester.
And it was all going so well. A nice riverside walk from Strood, a late morning glass of murk in a pub that might get in the GBG when the CAMRAs drop the “Real” from the name, a triumphant pint of BBB in a backstreet survivor, and some culture in the cathedral.
And then I walked past the Spoons.
Why, oh why did I need to pop in the Golden Lion ? My actual tick was mere yards away, and about to welcome me into its Austrian-themed bosom.
Anyway, 10 seconds later I was staring at these cask joys, and tearing off the voucher.
And you know what I had.
That “simple chicken burger” was £3.13, by the way.
And then it hit me. “Oh grief this Doom Bar is brilliant” I wrote in my notebook (it’s not a REAL notebook, so it won’t be an exhibit in the Pub Museum like BRAPA’s notebook).
Cool and rich and with a dryness rarely found in Spoons, which serve the nation’s favourite too early. NBSS 4, and no joke. Best since the Eclipse*.
The “simple chicken” burger was less of a classic; they should use “advanced chicken”.
*The pub in Winchester. Doh.
retiredmartin 
“and tearing off the voucher”. Let me know when you’re running out of them as I’ve got about fifty-five spare. ( I did use one at about 10am last Tuesday in Harrogate )
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I’m sure you’ll use them all when you have that summer holiday in Cannock, Paul.
Actually, I have a pub to visit in Cannock; I must meet you there.
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I spent my first eighteen years there and never mind returning so yes, just let me know when.
I missed Manchester last Wednesday lunchtime to be there in good time for an old friend’s very well attended funeral.
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I’m going to try and join Paul in Manchester this coming Friday if I can get away from the in-laws on Thursday.
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It’s odd isn’t it…..the local Spoons in Petersfield (deepest, darkest Surrey) serves a *banging* doom bar….. can’t entirely recommend the burgers though…
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Get too many reports like this and we might start believing that Doom Bar is the top selling cask beer because it’s so good !!!
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It’s an average brown beer that’s not as good as, say, 6X but would be perfectly fine if a bit of pre-serve care was applied.
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I’ll take your word for it, though my own record on Doom Bar in Spoons isn’t good. Perhaps they do keep it a bit longer in the cellar in a few places ?
Agree on the burgers, but it’s quite a filling bite for just over £3 if you skip the chips.
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“Best since the Eclipse.” I thought there’d been a calendar snafu, as the Eclipse Stakes is run at Sandown Park on a Saturday in July. Surely I can’t have missed it?
The Eclipse Stakes is named after the famous racehorse of that name, who features in the pedigrees of about 95% of all thoroughbreds.
Pubs Galore lists 13 pubs called Eclipse, of which all but three are closed. What does this tell us about a) pubs, b) horse racing and c) pubs named after racehorses.
Here’s some information about Eclipse to lighten up your blog: https://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Eclipse.html Eclipse was fed almost exclusively on the spent grains from Doom Bar mash tuns.
I meant, enlighten the readers of your blog, obviously.
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