The Brunel, Saltash

Once the Brunel was THE pub in Saltash. A great place to socialise and catch up with friends from work, early on a Friday evening, or for a beery lunch on a Saturday.

But not any more. Saltash people have voted with their feet and deserted the place in droves.

It`s easy to blame the credit crunch, but the problems here are much more fundamental.

Firstly, no one seems to be properly in charge.The result is un-trained staff, too young to spot when someone is waiting to be served. Too young to exert any control on the loud, foul-mouthed scrotes that now ruin the Brunel for everyone else.

There really is no escape from the language. The `family end` tends to be overrun by screaming, feral kids. The Brunel has evolved into a free baby-sitting service for pissed, pond-life parents.

The owners live away from the premises, so there is no one stamping their authority and personality on the place like an old fashioned licensee. No one to make the Brunel the centre of the community, the way it used to be.

It`s a shame. The Brunel is large, comfortable, nicely decorated and the food is good.

But something is going badly wrong here.

Saltash people are a gregarious lot. They like to go out. They like to mix and socialise and gossip in safe, pleasant surrounding, where people know them by their first names. Currently, there is nowhere in the town centre catering for this large potential base of customers.

By night, Fore Street is left to the chavs. The rest of us either stay in - or go to the Ploughboy or to the two superb pubs on the Waterside.

I really do wish the place well - and hope that the `pubco` that owns its freehold starts to get to grips with things. At least two pubs in the town have ceased trading in the past year.

The Brunel could be next... if it`s not careful.

Saltash Dog.

10 Jul 2009 11:20

The Waterside, Saltash

Plucked up the courage to go in there very recently.

I was a bit wary because I`d witnessed a lot of the problems that existed here, pre-2006.

I`m delighted to report that the atmosphere and ambience of the Waterside Inn has changed out of all recognition. Goodbye, pool table. Hello, house plants and modern-style pictures on the walls.

The more `challenging` staff have since departed along with the problem customers that plagued this historic waterfront pub over many years.

The Waterside Inn deserves to do well now.

Dee, the landlady, has worked wonders, not only with the spruced up interiors, but with bright, smart bar staff who actually look like they enjoy their jobs. And yes, the food`s good too. Me and the Mrs chose steaks with all the trimmings from a wide ranging bistro-style menu - and very good it was too.

Walked past with the dog on a sunny autumn evening and found a whole group of office workers slurping there after work. Even 18 months ago, they wouldn`t have been seen dead in the place.

In the 1970s, when it was the Wheatsheaf, this was one of the great pubs of SE Cornwall. Having undergone so much change, in such a short space of time, the pub is now rebuilding its customer base and hopefully rediscovering its long lost character.



Me and the Mrs had great steaks with all the trimmings.

21 Sep 2007 16:47

The Boatman, Saltash

Sorry nhsmonkey had a bad experience.

Ate their recently with my wife and daughter. Fresh fish is the speciality here. My sea bass in lemon grass sauce was great. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed her`5 fish` - sole, plaice, monkfish, haddock, sardine. The Mrs had the grilled sirloin, which was tender and top quality. Good vegetable selection, although Andy the landlord and chef does seem overly fond of his red cabbage. The place seems fully booked most weekends, and busy during the week as well, so they must be doing something right.

Formerly the Passage House Inn, The Boatman is 16th century, in a terrific riverbank setting beneath the Royal Albert Bridge and the Tamar road bridge.

Andy and Yvonne have built a good core of regular drinkers since they took over in April 2005 - and this is down to a good beer selection and the friendly welcoming atmosphere, where no one is excluded.

A `village pub` type feel in an urban waterfront setting and well worth a couple of hours of anyone`s time.

2 Sep 2006 12:10