June 2023. Greater Waterbeach.
Two nights a week spent in Waterbeach taking Dad out to remote Fenland villages, with the bonus of some of England’s great takeaways.
Worryingly, Mum has developed a favouring of the chicken shish and salad box at Waterbeach Best Kebab, the van that turns up six nights a week on the green. No Chung Hwa for a fortnight !
The Turkish owner and his lads have the cheeriest dispositions, particularly in our endless Summer.
Every order completed before the next one started, so you sometimes have to wait 20 minutes. 20 minutes is the ideal time for a pint. Sadly, the Sun isn’t open till Thursday, so it’s the White Horse or a can from the One Stop, and I don’t do cans.
The White Horse is two-thirds excellent Italian restaurant, one-third basic locals pub with TV.
5pm is the magic hour, when the high-vis that’s been putting up houses and tearing up pipes in Waterbeach hits the bar. It’s packed with village life, none of whom I recognise.
Obviously there is cask, but no-one else is on the Greene King and I’m certainly not being the first. It used to be said that Cambridgeshire drinkers ditched cask for lager on 1 June, but now I’m not sure they ever start on real ale.
This may be a San Miguel glass, but it’s genuine Moretti, brewed in northern Italian city of Manchester.
I can tell it’s authentic because the Italian landlady takes over the pouring from the cheery barmaid to add a distinctive continental touch. Possibly.
I’m scoring this a 4.17 on Untappd, whatever that means. It’s actually very good, but then it should be for £5.70.
The chicken kebab (in off-yellow styrofoam) is better value, and I doubt Mum and Dad’s garden in full bloom will be beaten for a dining venue this year.
Mrs RM, a hundred miles away in Rye, had the better sunset though…
retiredmartin 
Sometimes a lager just hits the spot. I don’t think you’ll lose too many readers for indulging this whim.
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It’s the murk that drives the purists away from the blog.
Harvey’s up next.
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In Scotland, you’re on the lager pretty much by default but you’re right, sometimes it properly hits the spot.
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I had Tennents a few time and it was fine, but a lot of city pubs have a keg beer (the one with Penguins in the name ?).
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You’re thinking of Williams March of the Penguins, but that’s a stout. The fairly common one from them around Scotland tends to be the Joker, which isn’t a bad keg beer, merely uninspiring.
Personally I’m more of a czech pilsner type of guy in mid summer.
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Thought it might be Williams. Came across them a fair bit last year.
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Joker’s OK. Mrs B and I had a few days in Eyemouth a while back and virtually every pub had Staropramen which suited me fine.
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Dave,
I had a pint of Whim’s Hartington IPA from the jug in the Barley Mow at Kirk Ireton on Saturday.
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I paid £6.20 for a Morretti in one of my locals the other day.
And it wasn’t very good!
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How did you know ! I guess it’s as likely for the pipes not to be cleaned for lager as cask but the chill can disguise poor cellarmanship to an extent. I rarely have poor keg though.
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