please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Clearly not a pub in summer evenings - totally food orientated. Forget getting a table unless you've booked
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It is thought to be named after an incident where the landlord brought up a bucket of blood from the building's well, as a murdered smuggler had been dropped there .
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Still the best in the area, back in Hayle after a few years away, the HSD is always tops, very well kept, great home cooked food and a lovely pint of rattler cider, the landlord seems to have gone on a charm offensive since I first went in 2001 when his father still ran it, when he was a bit on the gruff side, been a family run business for generations
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A St Austell house.
A very old building with a great deal of history, and has the very low ceilings to prove it!
One bar operation which sits in the middle of the ground floor with two seating areas either side, both of which can be used for having a drink or eating. Two open fires lit at time of visit with the usual array of St Austell beers on tap, The proper job was on fine form the 'house beer' the 'bucket of blood' is clearly St Austell's HSD re-badged.
Warm welcome from the barmaid with the clientele a mix of locals and visitors.
The only downside is that the kitchen, which is off the bar, doesn't seem to have any form of air extraction unit, the only ventilation being a small window. The net result of this is that the bar area fills up with the smell of deep fat frying, (you you can actually see the fumes in the air). I imagine that if you spent the entire evening in the pub you would come out smelling like a chip.
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I've always found this to be the best in the area, great olde world place, great ales HSD, I've not been for a couple of years, but it's been run by the same family for years and they've kept the standard consistently high, the food is far and away the best in the area in my opinion but be prepared to wait at busy times as it's all freshly prepared
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What a name! The pub sign is pretty scary as well... I popped in for a pint around 16:30 on a Sunday evening, but unfortunately they have an hour and a half close between 16:00 + 17:30 on a Sunday between lunch and evening sessions. Found this a bit strange, as there seemed to be people around, but hey-ho... Pub looked okay though.
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Destination pub, ie out of theway. Not great for kids, but allowed. No telly, its mainly about beer and the pub itself. Bucket of blood ale recommended. Mind your head, 400 years old....
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A strange name for a pub. But apparently there is a story behind it - something to do with a well. It's another St Austell pub - Black Prince, HSD & Dartmoor Best were the ales on offer. The interior is pleasant, with old black and white railway pictures in one corner. I didn't find the barman/landlord the most welcoming. But he wasn't unpleasant either. If you use the car park, watch out for the dog mess. Somebody must walk their dogs there, as there is practically a turd for every space!
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Splendid pint of St Austell here today. Recommended and worth the journey.
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easily the best pub in the area, in my opinion, H.S.D. is called a bucket of blood in here,and along with the excellent food is always tops,
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We stopped here on Easter Sunday for a drink after being on the beach for the morning. St Austell, black prince beer. Very good pint. The staff were very friendly and talkative.
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Arrived one lunchtime. The bar girl was friendly. The Black Prince ale from St. Austell was excellent. Will visit again to spend more time here.
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Excellent pub on my visit recently. Friendly staff and locals. Good beer. Nice patio area to sit outside and interior has lots of character. They do keep old pub hours closing in the afternoon. Recommended.
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what a pub great food great beer and great atmosphere you have to book for food as it gets very busy and let me tell you the portion s are huge we were on a weeks hips and ate there 4 times returning next June for a fortnight and will be certainly eating there
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Visited this pub and I cannot understand bad comments. The staff were extremely friendly and helpfull and although yes the menu was basic pub food and a specials board, all the food was fantastic and with very large portions. The beer was very well kept and tasty. Children are not allowed in one part of the bar but this is clearly stated, I have children and can also understand why some people don't want kids running around their feet. I would go back without hesitation. The only downside, the pubs alsatian constantly barking from an upstairs window! Anybody wanting to visit from the St ives holiday park with tired children or elderly parents would be advised to get a taxi as although it isn't miles away it is a treck along a busy main road and up a steep hill.
10/10 for us!
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Looks nice but is shut during the day. I'll get a pint in there one of these days!
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Top notch pub, best in Hayle. HSD in perfect order. Excellent food. Gets a lot of folk from the campground in season so an everchanging crowd.
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tried visiting here on the weds but pub was shut up...does it onl;y open at 6pm during week or 12-2pm in afternoon?blackboard was a bit vague...does rick still run this pub still...will come again if im based a bit nearer to hayle next time
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An excellent Cornish pub, great real ale and food worth waiting for. I have stayed in Hayle on holiday many times over the years, and the first nights meal is always at the "Bucket of Blood" the fish and the HSD are always top notch. I will be back there at the end of July and I'm looking forward to my first holiday pint of HSD. Book me a table landlord.
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great little pub,lovely HSD will definatly be be going in for a meal on my return to Hayle this year,if you want to eat book a table,very busy in the hols
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I stay in Hayle regulary would recommend The Bucket of Blood Traditional Cornish Pub Great food, Beer looked after HSD, Proper Job on tap the guvnor can be a bit surly and stand offish but as a regular cornish visitor I can tell you that a lot of the Cornish are like that with strangers. the landlady was very friendly though along with other bar staff Highly recommended
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I have been going to the Bucket of Blood for 20 years and the food has always been excellent.
I don't understand some of the complaints.The pub is always full because the food is superb. And children are not allowed by law to be at the bar.
Try it, you'll love it
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Great Cornish Pub. Proper Country feeling. Just beware of low beams. Fab food. Typical Cornish people running it. Once they get to no you they are ok.
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5 star food. Basic menu but proper preppered food is hard to come by in a small country pub. Landlord great once you get to no them. Proper Ale. Children allowed. Just make sure you book .
anonymous - 12 Jul 2007 17:54 |
interesting to see that despite several comments to the contrary, this pub is listed as 'child friendly'... Well, is it or isn't it???
anonymous - 19 Jun 2007 12:57 |
Would have to agree the food is pretty ropey, but then that seems to be the general case for most pubs in Cornwall during the summer.
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As there are several signs saying that children are not allowed at the bar, Its no surprise that the barman was unhappy at a child being allowed to sit on a barstool.
We visited this place last year. Great beer, great food and friendly staff. Will definitely go again if and when in the area and have recommended it to friends.
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suprisec to here some one slagging off the B of B, but I must admit I did think it not quite as good sinse the old land lord retired and his son took over
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Oh and i nearly forgot to say we think that the menu was poor as well, just typical poor pub food served with chips you know the type! so to sum up..... poor food, extremely rude landlord and a dog roaming around too, but i do love the name of the pub, thats it!
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I popped in at lunchtime to ask if children were allowed in and do i need to book a table, no need to book and children welcome i was told. On returning in the evening, i went to the bar whilst my son (6) sat down at a table, the barman landlord failed to notice me waiting for drinks with my mother(76) at the bar right in front of him but scowled at my son who was just sitting quietly and said that the table was reserved!My son then came over to me and mum and i popped him onto a bar stool still waiting to be asked for drinks he totally blanked me and said to my son "children are not allowed at the bar" i then asked where we could sit to eat and he pointed to some scabby old child like benches, yeh my mother would love to squat down there, i muttered something like oh lets go elsewhere and left never to return
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lovely old fashioned pub,great real ale great food and atmosphier if your visiting hayle well wortha visit but book a table if you want to eat or you've got no chance
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In our 2 weeks in Cornwall recently I would have to put this at the top of my list. What a cracking little pub, low beams, authentic interior, great sign. Fantastic atmosphere, kids allowed in, large car park to rear, only minimum cab fare to the local Haven holiday park or TOMS chalet park so no need to walk in the dark. Sunday lunch was amazing so much food on the plate that Henry VIII would have struggled to finish it all. Fully booked out most nights for food which is served between 6pm and 9pm. So friendly and helpful and a real slice of local life, no disabled facilities but that's the only fault I could find with it. I'd rather pee in a bush than go to a lesser pub with a disabled loo!
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I stayed in Hayle a few times and trekked down to The Bucket of Blood with my fella and parents in tow, in the pitch black, telling my knackered mum 'It's only a few more minutes!' Lovely old pub with beams and low ceilings, a pub you can sit in and imagine being there 300 years before. Didn't want to leave. Well worth a visit and will definately go again. Best name for a pub ever!
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WENT TO hAVEN ON HOLIDAY IN THE SUMMER. hAD A GREAT HOLIDAY AND OFTEN WE WOULD GET TIRED AS IT WAS A LONG WALK TO THE SITE SO WE WOULD POP IN FOR A DRINK AND TOILET. THE PUB IS A BIT WEARD AS THE CEELING IS VERY LOW AND YOU HAVE A DOOR LIKE A HORSE STABEL ON THE FRONT. BUT DRINK AND SERVICE WAS 10 OUT OF 10. I DIDNT EAT ANY FOOD THERE BUT I SAW THE KITCHEN THROUGH THE DOOR AND LOOKED VERY CLEAN. THE FOOD THAT WAS BEING SERVED TO OTHERS WAS NICE AND LOOKED BIG PORTIONS. THEY SEEMED HAPPY WITH IT. OVERALL THIS PUB GETS A 9 OUT OF 10 FROM ME.
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Very nice. Very low beams good beer and food, friendly landlord. Well worth a visit.
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