November 2025. Tonbridge.
There’s five (5) Tonbridge entries in the Good Beer Guide this year. Southwold has none (0), Stafford only has three.
One of those is the very beery Nelson Arms, one’s a Spoons, one is the upmarket craft/cask/toastie gem that is Fuggles.
Mrs RM, after a challenging day, wanted that stodge-fest of a toastie, but they’d run out of bread.
We crossed the road to Tonbridge’s second GBG newbie, another one from the faded grandeur stable.
I can’t understand how I’d avoided the Chequers, in its prominent position against the castle and opposite the scary bus stop where I was asked to “mind my drugs mister“.
It just looks a bit “old coaching hotel, probably dull beer, definitely lifeless on Sunday night“.
How wrong I am.
It’s heaving, post-roast and pre-quiz. Top quality Harvey’s (cool, foamy, 3.5) again justifies entry in the Good Book.
We discuss the odd way that some of the smartest looking pubs in Kent are often the most unprentious of boozers (same applies in South-East London).
Mrs RM recalls the saying there’s Kentish Man and Man of Kent, reflecting the chasm between the smart commuter belt of the Weald and the industrial northern coast. I’m not sure which is which. But even the poshest of towns will always have a pub where all folk mix over a pint of Sussex Staropramen. And that’s why pubs matter.
retiredmartin 
Kentish Men are born on the North West Bank of the River Medway and the Men of Kent are born on the South East Bank.
I stayed at the Chequers when walking the Wealdway over 20 years ago. It was rather grim and uncared for. The pub company was running into the ground.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So should it be Kentish Paul or Paul of Kent?
That would explain the Man of Kent pub in Tonbridge.
LikeLike
I think of him as the Kentish Man of Kent – as if he straddles the Medway !
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s certainly had the air of uncared for old hotel about it for a while, but was neat and lively inside.
LikeLike
Have you discovered any good Shepherds Neame in your travels of Kent RM? I lived in Australia for 10 years – a cask desert obviously – but was able to find bottled Spitfire at the local bottle shop on rare occasions. I’m yet to find it from the cask since our return. Dom in Bath
LikeLiked by 1 person
The quality of Sheps is always a big issue, Dom. The answer is pretty much “No”, in fact the only great pint of Spitfire I recall was in a Stratford (London) Spoons in 1997 and it’s been pretty indistinct ever since then.
My in-laws have a Sheps near them, we have one near our Rye caravan, and I went in a decent pub of theirs in Spitalfields recently. All dour, if not dire. We prefer the bottled 1698, which is gorgeous.
I reckon lack of turnover (Kent is a lager county), lack of interest from publicans (find me one who really rates it) and a duff glass all work against it.
I really ought to have a night in Faversham and try the Sheps pubs there.
LikeLike
I think Late Red & Double Stout are decent on rare occasions when on. The Bloomsbury Tavern in London is a fun,. unpretentious pub and reasonably priced for how central it is. The beer is still a bit hit and miss though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not actually seen Double Stout on draught. Those are two beers I reckon you see cheap in supermarkets.
LikeLike
“I really ought to have a night in Faversham and try the Sheps pubs there.”
Just stop for eight minutes between trains, that should be long enough for a taster.
LikeLike
Agree re 1698 – the only Shep beer that is bottle conditioned, and it shows.
When I was in an off licence in Deal/Walmer a year or two back, the licensee was extremely snotty about Shep’s bottles, and rightly so. Shame.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a sad thing to hear. I love the Spitfire back story and SN is our oldest running brewery I believe.
LikeLike
“There’s five (5) Tonbridge entries in the Good Beer Guide this year. Southwold has none (0), Stafford only has three.:
Yes, yes but what about the, horribly misspelled, Tunbridge Wells (and it’s “royal’ partner)?
“One of those is the very beery Nelson Arms, one’s a Spoons, one is the upmarket craft/cask/toastie gem that is Fuggles.”
Got all three ‘strata’ covered there then.
“Mrs RM, after a challenging day, wanted that stodge-fest of a toastie, but they’d run out of bread.”
Oof, she wasn’t having a good day.
“I can’t understand how I’d avoided the Chequers,”
For a second, I’d thought that I’d been there, back in the 80’s, but I was confusing it with The Chequers in Sevenoaks (under new Management apparently), just up the road, so to speak.
“How wrong I am.”
Pfft. You’ve been married how long? And you’re just realising that now?
“It’s heaving, post-roast and pre-quiz. Top quality Harvey’s (cool, foamy, 3.5) again justifies entry in the Good Book.”
They did a better job of ‘heaving’ than the George and Dragon; I don’t see any scaffolding.
“reflecting the chasm between the smart commuter belt of the Weald and the industrial northern coast.”
I sense that’s a ‘thing’ almost everywhere.
“But even the poshest of towns will always have a pub where all folk mix over a pint of Sussex Staropramen.”
Staropramen? Steady on. Carling surely. At least keep it semi-British.
Cheers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve no doubt Life After Football will tell us Carling still rules the Midlands but everywhere else it’s continental named lager that rules ! (except in Jeff’s gaff in Rye, German beers there).
Same number of Beer Guide pubs in Royal Tunbridge Wells as Tonbridge, pretty much, and a similar cohort. But Tonbridge’s are all along the same street (ish) !
LikeLike
“I’ve no doubt Life After Football will tell us Carling still rules the Midlands but everywhere else it’s continental named lager that rules ! (except in Jeff’s gaff in Rye, German beers there).”
Heh. I find that most lagers taste the same.
As for ‘named’ lagers; my brother (who lives in France) tells me the locals turn their nose up at Stella. I’ve heard similar about Fosters in Australia, and Carling is completely unknown in Canada (where it started). Heck, I remember back in the 70’s when Molson Golden (Canadian lager) was big in New York state, but no one in Canada drank it.
LikeLike
“Same number of Beer Guide pubs in Royal Tunbridge Wells as Tonbridge, pretty much, and a similar cohort. But Tonbridge’s are all along the same street (ish) !”
Ok, that makes sense now. 😎
LikeLike
“Stafford only has three” has got me guessing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Railway, Shrewsbury Arms, and that bod which is so far out it’ll probably be listed under “Weeping Cross” soon.
LikeLike
Thanks Martin. No doubt about the first one.
LikeLiked by 1 person