Ball and Wicket, Heath Endback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Closed down, now a house
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Give the pub and the guy a break-on the whole we had a good time there. Not rating, not due to anything apart from we have not visited recently. On the outside it looks nice. Support your local. Pubs etc can be too cliquey to see the wood through the trees.
Floor was always cleaned as were the loos. Cigarettes outside maybe a valid point, but thats smokers for you and bar staff who dont care(though this is not aimed at the B&W as we have not been for a time).
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As a Licensee who gets fed up with liars you are still not welcome, do you honestly believe that anyone would not think that this is the same one of two people who habitually create new names and write terrible things about this pub, God get a life.
You really accept that it is believable that in over six weeks since the glass that got accidentally damaged in the door was repaired you felt incensed for the first time in your life to create an account here to bitch about this pub. You again are anonymous but I think that the fear of people knowing your identity drives this.
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As a new person to the area I am trying out all the local pubs and restaurants. I saw the Ball and Wicket and had high hopes that it was going to be a nice cosy and welcoming village green pub, oh how wrong I was!!! I should have guessed by my first impressions with the cigarette ends thrown outside the door, a bench propped up on bricks, troughs full of cigarette ends instead of flowers and a pane of broken glass in the door. Unfortunately when entering it didn't get any better, I am all up for oldy worldy but the pub is filthy. The floor probably hasn't been washed in 10 years I know this because I left my shoe behind. As advertised I had a pint of the pubs home brew, not the nicest beer I've ever tasted it was quite bitter and had bits floating in it. The restaurant appeared to be closed and was full of general bric a brac that made it look uninviting. Will I be returning....No! Such a shame because it has a wonderful location and is within close proximity.
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Stan Attabar I have never made any slanderous remarks about Mike Desquenes, in fact I said on 8th Aug 2011 on this site that if it was him, as I was told, that he should be ashamed followed by a further comment on the 10th actually stating that I doubted that it was him, I also stated that my manager, not me, took his beer out because of the constant interference he was causing. Please don’t assume things are true through hearsay it does you no credit.
Your comments about the food can only be just a pathetic dig as the previous comment you made here concerned your inability to get a seat for food at another establishment.
I would imagine that you are quite close to Mike and that you are keen to be seen to be a follower and have probably, proudly, shown him the comments. I am not obnoxious, far from it, and you couldn’t have found me so objectionable if you were a frequent visitor and, in your own words, loved the place.
And not that it is any of your business, and I would love to be able to drink the Ales, but I suffer from diabetes and Holsten Pils suits me as it has no sugar content.
Stop trying so hard to fit in with your friends by making undeserved and hateful comments that do this pub and the customers no justice. I’ll let you know the difference here to another pub I could mention, my customers have better things to do than sit around complaining of other people behind their backs.
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I'm appalled at the landlord's slanderous remarks and his assumption, whether rightly or wrongly, that an anonymous reviewer is local man and established commercial brewer Mike Desquenes. Because the landlord has taken a personal dislike to Dequenes (due, it appears, to his honesty about the landlord's lack of brewing skills) the landlord assumes that he can libel him in a public forum. I have met Mike Desquenes in the days when his brewery supplied the Ball and Wicket. The beer was always good in those days! The home brew currently sold does a great discredit to everyone concerned - it is an "acquired taste" at best, although my opinion is less polite. Interestingly, the positive comments on this pub are mainly about its food, despite this being "BEER in the Evening". If you like keg beer/lager you may well enjoy this pub but, whatever you do, don't critisize the landlord or you will have trouble in store. I was a frequent visitor at one time and loved this place but I cannot support a pub with awful beer and an obnoxious landlord. And, if he is such an expert on cask beer, why does he use the pseudonym "HolstenPils"?
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Hi Everyone
I see a nice comment from a customer continues to prompt vindictive comments, george3 how will people take you seriously, I know who beardless wonder is, which is more than you obviously do.
Of the twelve comments left here by you, seven are horrible comments about the pub, five of which are plainly attacking me personally. What a sad little man you are, no wonder your wife did what she did.
A word of caution, if you genuinely hate me and the pub, be advised to stay away.
Oh, by the way good luck for the future.
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Beardless Wonder is the landlord, he uses HolstenPils as well, they are both the same person. Very misleading for the public.
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Got to say we had a wonderful family lunch here, the staff Gary employs are always so attentive, it really makes coming out on a cold, damp and miserable day worth it.
The beers were all on top form, I was hoping to see the beers at Farnham BEEREX but Gary thinks it unlikely as he hasn�t had his beers represented locally for a couple of years now, you would think the local CAMRA would support a small brewery on their doorstep. If they said the beers weren�t good enough, well have they got that wrong, the beers are excellent. I hope that Gary gets more support for all his hard work, out of all the pubs in Hale this really is the best for community support, fund raising and just as a really comfortable place to be.
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Mind you, the landlord calling the customers twats can hardly help, can it ?
LukeD - 19 Feb 2012 03:24 |
I have never been to this pub. But the reviews left here seem to be fulfilling the classic patten of anonymous review sites. There are some obvious slanderous, negative comments from non existent users followed by obvious glowing reviews by non existent users, interspersed with genuine reviews and the exasperated landlord losing his rag publicly with the whole thing. I suggest that less than a quarter of the recent reviews reflect genuine customer experiences of this establishment.
LukeD - 19 Feb 2012 03:13 |
a very lovely pub and friendly good ales
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Took my family for a meal the other day, I have to say I was impressed with the new chef. His meals are really tasty and remarkably good value, the whole restaurant has a much more warm, comfortable feeling and the service is very professional, I would definitely recommend this to my friends.
Beer on top form as usual and there seemed to be quite a few enjoying it.
Top pub.
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I've lived in the area for six years and have only had the delights of this pub introduced to me in the last few months.
The atmosphere, orchestrated by a thoroughly decent and friendly landlord is so welcoming that I've found myself taking on more than just the vibrant weekend nights....and now even enjoy a few cheeky pints midweek, where the beer and banter are both first class.
Aside from all that, the reason I'm commenting here is because I want to recommend the new bistro chef. He's American, but once you get over the silly accent you can appreciate the fantastic food. I've had the Sunday lunch with all my (large) family and have eaten midweek and it is delicious and affordable. Proper American burger with a pint? Perfect.
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Been back to the Wicket as they call it... not bad.. a little quaint pub, but no real feel to it, lacking the atmosphere a little!
Overall ok pub for a quick drink! :-)
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the ale in The B&W is perfect. I prefer it to national ales. Well done Gary!
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Gary, I'm happy to let it go, which is why I came to see you, I'm not sure what you're referring to about not being able to trust yourself, and as for sorrow, arrogance and petulance, that is definitely not me, but sometimes everyone says things out of turn when provoked.. and sometimes should apologise
As for the villagers, I assume that you're referring to some of your regulars?
Well, I've seen one or two of them around recently and said hello to them as I have no axe to grind with them what so ever. I have many friends around the village who see me a lot differently to the way that you do... like you, I have strong opinions as do quite a few others on this site.. and as I said, I'm more than happy to let it go
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Vic, I didn�t come to the door for two reasons one I had just got out of the bath and two I couldn�t trust myself. Your sorrow stems from the fact that I exposed you and now all the villagers know what you truly feel about them. I had known for months who scorpiondragon was, I didn�t want to expose you I even threatened to do so if you didn�t calm it down but you are like a petulant child and won�t let it go, you forced my hand to expose you and now you sorry for your actions and the consequences.
As to the matter of the alleged hacking of this site, dream on, the reason I knew it was you was the style of your rants, the arrogance of your views and comments made to other customers that mirrored the comments made here.
Just let it go.
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Gary, as I mentioned in my earlier message direct to your account, as you've no doubt gathered, I rarely use this site these days but if it's me that you are referring to in your blog to George3 (whoever he is - butyou seem to know though !) all I will say is that you must somehow have access to user accounts either via BITE, or some other means of obtaining personal email profiles via their BITE accounts....
Not sure if this is ethical,but I will check it out with BITE
As you also know, rather than carry on mindless blogging, I came to your abode a while back to try and resolve issues face to face, but you wouldn't even come to the door..... Enough said I think
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Well well, Geo3 has resurfaced. Nice to see you back, nine comments in total here from you of which six are negative comments about this pub, but the problem is that you seem to run contrary to the popular comments, I wonder why that is. Apart from the comments that is of your schizophrenic, multi-personality mate who was uncovered here.
Be very careful, how difficult do you think it would be to uncover a aged ex-computer programmer who wrote software as a profession ages ago? You see I know more than you think.
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Went in the other day to see if the pub had gotten any better. Sadly it was just as run down and the beer was dreadful. I tried a couple of pints (Mike Hawthorne and Bishop Sumner) both tasted off to me. I asked for a bottled ber but you don't sell any. I had the misfortune to have to use the gents - Oh what an awful experience, cramped, run down and very smelly. This pub looks so nice from the outside, but looks really can be deceptive, right next to a very busy road and no garden or decent parking. I'll be giving it a wide birth for a while yet and hope that the present incumbant gets tired of spoiling a nice village pub. One question Mr Wallace (Holstren Pils), however did you get permission to have open plan rooms with toilets and shower in the bedroom? I've stayed in many places during my business trips but never in a room where the toilet is in the room.
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IT seems a shame that some kind of feud I don't understand means that people who actually use this site for its intended purpose can't trust the ratings.
I've been to the place once a week for a number of years and wish it wasn't fifty miles from home: otherwise it'd be my local. The beers brewed on the premises have an unique character that may not be to everyone's taste - the world would be a boring place if we all liked the same things - but there's always the big chain beer, which I gather does taste exactly like it does everywhere else.
Since the character beers don't seem to be on sale anywhere else, I've seen lots of people ask for, and be given, tasters, which is a good way of finding out what it's like.
Gary and the staff have been unfailingly polite and helpful when I've been there - the only problem I've ever had was when someone couldn't find the right button on the till and I couldn't remember the price, and this was solved by 'pay what you think is reasonable and we'll settle up next time'.
As I said, I wish it was my local and I wish people would play fair on the BitE site.
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Hi all
I�ve been into the Ball & Wicket early evening for the past two weeks, I always have my two pints of Hawthorn, never been served a bad one yet, if a barrel needs changing it never is a problem and is changed swiftly.
Gary works extremely hard with the brewing, the pub and the letting rooms and should, indeed deserves, more support.
Unfortunately there seems, I have observed, an element who are driven to cause problems for Gary, creating new accounts here with the sole purpose of undermining the beers, why they do so is beyond me, in truth I have drank real ales for years, more than I care to remember, and the beers produced here are excellent. Those people out to cause issues need to look at what Gary brings to the village and appreciate it. I understand positive criticism, it can be for the good, but sheepishly, cravenly and worse anonymously doing damage to another mans business is below a snake�s belly in my opinion.
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Have visited this pub on a number of occasions and found the beer quality variable. It can be very good, but more often it is disappointing.
On one occasion the landlord was sitting at the bar and overheard my comments about the beer. (Bishop Sumner). He asked about it and then put on a new barrel and replaced my pint. The beer was better - that was a great reaction.
On other occasions when I have commented, I have been told that's how the beer tastes. (It's not how it tastes else where.)
This week I had a half of Mike Hawthorne, having asked the barmaid if it was good this week. It wasn't - it was rather sharp and unpleasant. The following morning I developed a stomach bug - it is still with me 36 hours on. My husband doesn't have the bug, and the only difference in our diet was the Hawthorne. Coincidence or not, I shan't be returning here.
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B&W was packed last night. Mike Hawthorn was absolutely spot on last night - so much so that I had 5 pints of the stuff.. Slightly sore head today ;-)
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The pub was a bit quiet today but it got busier later, the normal chef is away on holiday but the temp did fine.
Disappointed that Mike Hawthorn wasn't available but I understand it's brewing as I write, so should be back on Thursday.
Still my favourite in the area.
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Hi all, just a quick message.
Family's just enjoyed a roast at the pub, excellant value although Josie's not there (holiday) the chef did her and us proud.
Hawthorns not on until next week but the Cobbett was on form.
Love this pub.
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No problem TRBN..... you seem a nice guy
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God you r sensitive when I said expert I wasn't taking the Micky it was almost a complement or short hand 4 u know what u r doing as for pratman it's a play on word ( around the bruce wayne ref)but apparently apt please get s sense of humor:-)
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Great little Pub, cracking Beers and the food is wonderful, would definately recommend this pub.
Understand that it also has first class accomodation for overnighters, worth knowing.
Staff are great, made really welcome by them, locals are friendly and entertaining.
Again would recommend
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And before anyone accuses me of more blogging,, please be informed gwbawbag53 is NOT me.. I've said all I intend to say,,
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Is it true that this pub serves booze after hours? Someone told me it is common knowledge. Is this true?
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"The real big nose" Whoever you are, yes, the company I work for have a t/over of 650 million $, not �,,, and yes, I am a martial artist, didn't say expert, but everyone who knows me and respects me will have either been taught by me, or their children in the area would have been my students at some point ... is it really appropriate to use silly childish comments such as Pratman.
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650 million pound turn over & martial arts expert .gary r u sure scopiondrago is vic sounds more like Bruce Wayne or in this case pratman! If you don't like the pub go somewhere else that's what an intelligent person would do (loads of people love the pub it's food & it's ale) you r in the minority( of haters) just don't go there grind your axe some where else:-)
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Sorry for the double blog but I am totally disgusted on the way the Landlord has added fuel to the fire with all the different comments from each Customer! The best advice in business is to listen to your Customers! They know best! This is clearly not the case but a Landlord that has a one way approach and no doubt a one minded look at this potentially good pub and pressing the self destruction button. I can't believe that the Landlord would pick up so many issues to blog on a website that should be promoting his business or identifying issues that he should be addressing and working to rectifying them with Customers! I think some PR and Man Management Courses are required. Knowledge is power, knowledge can be gained by a number of different ways, training ones self would be a good starting point! I think I will cut down on taking part in any other blogs as no doubt I will be blogged back with some defensive rant when I have no interest. This blog is about the pub! And to some up, its a good pub with bad management.
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I am new to this website and find it very interesting as I love my real ales and the typical English Pub, I also like to share my opinion so that people and this site helps people like myself have a idea of what type of establishments are around the area.
It's a shame that such an independent pub is in such a position. I've been into this pub many times, and well! Firstly I would say that there's no smoke without fire and thing that I would give an honest view of the pub. The Landlord (in my eyes) is dislikes very much and try's to bully the monopoly of the village. This means people having to pay for taxis etc into town.
I agree that there's always a thick atmosphere especially when you have just moved in to the area. I did do a police search and found that there has been a number of incidents including a stabbing. This hardly reflects a well run pub! As for the beer, I am all for new business ideas but this one has failed, its my personal opinion that the Bistro has failed too. The Lobster Pot only a stones through offers better service and food. Looking on reflection this pub shall always remain the thorn in the side of such a great area and local pub as long as its been run by someone that is obviously not liked! And that's not my opinion, this is the blogs on here that tell you that. Let's all hope that the Landlord moves one and gives the village what it wants. Hope this is not too harsh but it is self explanatory, anyway, I'm in some for some food so will give my unbiased opinion soon.
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Hi scorpiondragon, i wouldn't worry too much about what guv2 say's. I've just read his previous postings and 'wanker' seems to be his prefered choice of word. He doesn't come across as very intelligent. In fact, his favourite word is probably the best coin of phrase to sum him up...!
Yes, it would be nice if you and the landlord could shake hands on this matter. As you have offered to bury the hatchet (and not in his head) it would be interesting to see whay his response is...? Anyway, all the best.
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Also, what constitutes being a wanker as Guv 2 kindly mentioned?
I have been in global business development for several decades, currently a sales director of a company with a $650 million turnover, been in martial arts for the past 30 years, am a professionally qualified martial arts coach ( Btech NVQ) holding the rank of 3rd dan in Japanese Karate, have competed at the highest level, have taught the art in almost every school in the location, ran my own club for the past 12 years producing many champions and black belts during that time. Gained the trust and the respect of loads of young and older students and parents all around the area...
Does this sound like a wanker and a fat flounder to you guys ??
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Whoever you are Me the Judge, I thank you for your comments...
I have no gripe with the pub, the customers ( some whom I've known for the past decade or more) nor the staff who are absolutely brilliant and friendly, especially the young lady dating the landlords son,, she is a diamond as are all the other ladies who work at the pub. I've eaten there and the food is very good, as is the chef Josie. I can see where you're coming from with your remark about childish rants. My beef is with the landlord and his attitude towards anyone with an opinion that differs from his. I would gladly make the peace (very doubtful now that he cemented hatred towards me in the pub) shake hands, settle the grievance once and for all, and even congratulate him on his ability as a sleuth, and bury the hatchet (and not in his head either) ... life's too short ...
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I'm a fairly new contributor to BITE and read the comments on the live version daily. Even at night. Yes, you could say I'm addicted...! I just think it's really sad that people have to resort to childish rants on here. I also run my own business, but I'm not in the pub trade. I kind of know where both the landlord and the customer are coming from (I think).
You both know your trying to get a reaction from each other, and there is obviously a problem here. I was brought up to sort out such grievances like men and not act like a couple of school girls. Also, guv2, how do you know someone is a complete wanker if you've never met them...? Your hardly a good advertisement for your profession if that's your attitude.
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It really is unfair that any pub business can be attacked so badly with no comeback, it is a fault of these blog-sites and affects businesses very negatively, a lot of my business comes from all around the country and the first thing they do when looking for a place to stay in the area is check out this site.
I�ve been casting out the ground bait for the last couple of months to catch this guy, who I knew must still frequent the pub, true to form a bite then another and I landed the great fat flounder, his name is Vic, disliked by most customers because of his continuous carping on about how this or that doesn�t suit him. I have been tolerant, pointed out that most people who dislike the pub and it�s clients would choose to go elsewhere, but oh no, the hateful rants just continued.
Well Vic you�re exposed now, no longer able to hide behind anonymity and you�ll probably find yourself an object of ridicule by the customers that you have chosen to insult here.
Good luck and oh yes, over and out.
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come on you guys,sort this out,its beer in the evening,not slag off in the evening,if you dont like the pub dont go there,landlord we all know what happens on this site,dont go down to there level.i saw one of my pubs go from 7.6 down to 4.4,and for what reason...i started posting back,the guy is a complete wanker...dont give him the plesure.....yours fellow publican.
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I hope it's not over and out, a Landlord as rude and unproffesional as this one should told about it on every occasion possible, keep up the good work
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Thank God for that!
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Let me give the correct and accurate version of the events of that day (it was actually Mothers Day so lets get that right first)... Firstly you did NOT serve us with drinks, secondly we waited patiently for almost one hour with the chef coming out to tell us in a polite but clearly stressed manner that we would have to wait even longer due to the fact they were overstretched on that day but we took it in good faith because we happen to like the chef very much. He is a lovely guy. Its a real shame that he fell foul to an issue over a dirty glass after which he left the pub. Back to the day in question,,, 2 hours into the game we asked you what was happening,, your reply was to the effect the restaurant is under the chefs domain which we had to accept. I do not recall saying anything like "get it sorted, but if I did, it would have been justified. We eventually sat down and had a meal which was not good due to the fact we were kept waiting for so long and we had the last knockings so to speak.. we didn't make a fuss as it was a family occasion and yes, we liked the chef and his partner who were continually trying to make the best of a bad day. We did NOT give a tip NOR a brandy,,,(who would after that experience!) but we said not to worry as we understood the pressure they were both under that day. However, the chef GAVE US a bottle of wine ON HIM for having to wait so long which was a very nice gesture on the part of someone who CAN be labelled a real gentleman.
The big issue was over the beer and how you handled the situation
It was nothing at all as you describe, which is no surprise.
Some family members wanted to give your home brew a try.
I ordered the beer and brought it to the table.
There was a look of shock horror on faces as they took a sip.
I tried it too, it was cloudy and it tasted like soap,, brought it to out you and asked for your views,,, out came your stock answer which I understand from others you use on such occasions " no -one else has complained"
My reply was " my family are complaining what can you do
Your reply " was silence,, no effort to draw another pint, give a refund or offer another drink, simply nothing.
I did say the beer tasted rancid but did NOT get in your face as you state.
All I simply asked for your assistance on behalf of my family.
Needless to say, they were all very disappointed, felt let down and left the pub with a bad feeling in their minds. They remember the day very well too.
I'm not going to get into any more of this with you, if you want to meet face to face I've no problem with that, Unlike others I am not intimidated by you, nor the tactics you are using in trying to gain the backing of strength in numbers.
You have got me completely wrong, I do not have to prove my manhood to the likes of you or anyone,, I have spent my whole working life gaining the friendship and respect of people all over the world, maybe I'm just not cut out to be part of village cliques.
Over and Out !!
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Oh yes I do recall that particular lunch but my memory of it may not be yours. As I remember it was a busy Sunday, Fathers Day I think, I was working behind the bar serving you, you congratulated me in my having franchised out the restaurant and how you thought it was a good thing and complimenting Mark, the franchisee, on being a lovely guy. 45 minutes later you�re in my face complaining that after an hour you were still waiting to be seated in the restaurant and demanding that I dropped everything there and then and get it sorted. Get it sorted were your actual words said very rudely in front of the whole pub. You knew and acknowledged that I had passed responsibility for the working of the restaurant over to Mark, you even approved, but you held me responsible for your dinner being late. Gets even weirder, I asked Mark about the problems that you complained bitterly of, he said that it was strange because you never mentioned it to him, in fact he said that you complimented him on the meal, bought him a brandy and gave him a very nice tip.
You have become a very bitter person, I won�t say man because you�re not one.
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Mr Pils, your vanity never ceases to amaze ! Do you really think in your wildest dreams that only one single person would take a dislike to you ??,, take a look a the previous listings and see there are scores in the village, you could line them them up around the Rec'..... really, I thought you were slightly more intelligent than that. So far as uncovering and revealing is concerned, I think that it is you that may be a COWARD now hiding behind your staff and customers in the argument. Pathetic ... I have never levelled anything against your staff because it is they, not YOU, who manage to keep the place afloat. It seems you are now lobbying for internal support, poor man. And yes, I do respect that family names should not be used on the web (apologies),, however, you may not wish to recall the occasion when YOU upset members of MY family with your total disregard of their feelings during a lunch... you treated us with utter contempt and disrespect, and my family will verify that if need be, if YOU are brave enough to discuss it personally in the pub or out of it !!
There are always reasons for conflict, sometimes it can be settled without too much pain and malice, but where people like you are concerned, your track record in management of people rules this out. You are a very confrontational character......... GW rules OK !!
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Scorpiondragon I uncover you and what do you do but change to a new identity, lol. You really have issues.
Be a man, confront me, tell all in the pub how bad I really am, ask my staff to tell customers all the horrible things that I inflict upon them, and then when you have done that brave act be prepared for my customers and my staff to confront you, I won't even need to do it.
You are a weak, craven, childish, scared person who needs counseling, get a grip, unlike you I am proud of my four boys, they are unlikely to be involved with the law courts. When you involve my family it does get personal, no-one ever names peoples family of the web for obvious reasons.
If you are a man come into the pub, according to you there's no guarantee that I'll be there but, on the off-chance and I am, let�s discuss it personally. You won't, COWARD.
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Landlord is ignorant,Self brewed beer is like soapy water, Food is boring. Landlord doesn't like anyone that isn't local Rubbish parking Rubbish left outside and makes a mess of the village The place is located 1m away from a busy road, potential death trap. Staff don't like the Landlord, Very unfriendly staff, Limited wine list. Everyone in the village dislikes the landlord Landlord has no business skills or customer relations. What else is there to say
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Another rant by a VICarious idiot, who lives in the VICinity spreading his VICious outpourings, beware I'm not a VICtim.
I sell my VICtuals, go about my business, which is not your business, minding my own business. I don't see why I should suffer because of the VICissitudes of one idiot's opinion. And as to his comments of my family, I will be VICtorious, beware I'm now watching you.
Julie will be so disappointed.
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Oh dear starting to get at people's children . You really have reached new lows . Telling lies about Gary beer is 1thing but really turn the mirror on yourself don't you have a couple of kids mike ? That you hardly ever see! & don't make excuses for not see them if you spent less time in that little room with your " mate" who wont sell your beer you would have time for a life.
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We can only truly hope and pray that young Master Edwin Wallace does not take after his dear father,,, let's hope he has more of his lovely mothers genes, and lets also hope he is given the opportunity to have an opinion of his own !
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You cannot believe how happy I am that you have finally found a place that you feel comfortable in. I am happy that you've come out and said so.
What was the remark about gays about? Are you a little uncomfortable with it, leave them alone, I've met them and they're nice guys.
Or if they upset you will they in turn have to suffer the tirage of mad rants.
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Wallace, Gromit and other imbeciles,,, have a venture down to the Alma and see how a pub can be turned around from something similar to how the B & W now is under the dire ownership,, see how a pub should be run with style, class and excellent food, and landlords (plural yes and gay) who actually serve drinks to their customers
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Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo.
Get help, seriously get medical help.
This is a purely objective observation, totally impartial and with only your best interest at heart.
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Answer the question mike go on even your "mate" won't stock your beer what does that say to you what does that say to everybody! Your is what you are full of CRAP
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The Wallace & Gromit road show rolls on at relentless pace,, but sadly without any class or style..... speaking of beer, how many pubs would even mildly consider stocking the dire crap brewed by Wallace, Madcap Rapunzel infiltrator of the world of good ales !!!! Mike Hawthorn ??,, more like a Bella Donna nightcap
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Scopionbedwetter(mike) 1more questions not that you answered my last one
if dragon slayer is so good how come your mate the landlord of the little room won't Stock it?
I await an answer but alas I fear I will have avery long wait!
How can you respond & keep credibilty not that you have any.
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My goodness scorpiondragon what a radical shift from "I'm only trying to help you Landlord with my impartial, objective and unbiased observations". You expose yourself every day with your rants, even your friends will start to avoid you if you carry on with your poisoinous attacks.
Take advice, get help, avoid conflict. Every day that you are here, squealing on about how bad things are for you, you make yourself look more stupid, ignorant and cowardly.
I already spend a lot of time in the pub with customers laughing at your comments, they are pathetic, keep feeding the fires, you have no idea the fun I'm having.
Thanks for making my life so enjoyable, you really, really, are making my days.
LOL
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Sorry Scorpiandragon, wrong again. I am an RF engineer - not a pub landlord. Gary wouldn't know his VSWR from his dB Return Loss.
Why do you persist in running the B&W down? It is a fine pub with good ale and good food. Several of my work colleagues have been there (including from Ulm, Germany) and all commented on how nice a pub it is. My parents have been there for Sunday lunch in the restaurant and they thoroughly enjoyed it. I also ate there with family and friends on Carnival day and although the place was absolutely rammed, we had a superb meal - the home-made burgers are to die for. We did have to wait 45 minutes though, which was only to be expected.
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How many aliases do you have Mr. Pils ?? Threalbignose and now mcstu74 !! You should be the one certified mentally disturbed having to use different names to champion your awful brews !!
As for being a craven coward, why don't you have the guts to put some really nice guest ales alongside the other "stuff" and see how much more of it you then fail to sell pal .....
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Hi Mike ( sorry zorpiondragon god that's butch) 1 I'm nobody puppet 2 I'm dslxyic 3 I'm typing on a " smart phone" which keep changing stuff I can't be bother to Change back . So go back 2 your crayons u old fool . While on subject if dinning room I eat at the B&W last night & due to the busy restaurant I had to wait longer than I would have expected I almost complained but Good food is worth waiting for.
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Scorpiondragon you need to calm down, you're no youngster and I think if the blood pressure doesn't get you the mental health act will. No friends of mine go elsewhere and slag me off, if they did, twit, they could hardly be classed as friends. Now go get a life before it's too late.
Thank you to all the loyal supporters of the pub, and it can't be helped but be noticed that the people that like the beers here do not slink away behind anonimity like a child behind his mothers skirts. Scorpiondragon you are a craven coward.
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I was at the Ball & Wicket again last night with some friends - the Mike Hawthorn brew was absolutely spot on and it was being consumed by many other people besides the four of us. It is the main reason I go there rather than anywhere else. Sure, I could go to other pubs to have mainstream ales (London Pride being one of my favourites), but it's the alluring full-flavour in this brew that just hits the spot.
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Oh yes,, whilst on the subject of empty dining rooms,,, take at look inside the B & W Bistro sometime,, what a joke that is,, more like the Marie Celeste decked out with cheap looking curry house style seats ...... what a jerk !
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Are you really the "real big nose" or merely a Wallace glove puppet ??
You cant even spell properly you silly person, and your grammar is rather like the B & W so called real ales,,, uneducated !!
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So now you claim it not you mike (snapdragon u little flower) the big question is where are you going to go when the "pub" ( small room next to large empty dinning room not really a restaurant ) closes &let's face it that "pub" is on its way out other wise it wouldn't be sell it beer garden a carpark! So you are band from the ball&wicket & the fellars down the alma woun't take your nonsense . So where are you going to drink you sad little man ?
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Actually, haven't frequented your establishment for quite a while, its your regulars that you should concern yourself with when they go elsewhere and bang on about how much they dislike you, your beer and your pub,,, over and out !!
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I take it, my small-minded amigo, that you still frequent the pub. I never thought that Big-nose was scorpiondragon. Never said as much, in fact I said that I would be shocked if it was. Why do you keep coming into a pub that is operated by a person so odious as myself, you are sick and I worry about people like you, stewing, seething with comtempt but presumeably nice to my face. Phyco.
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Way off the mark,, just like your ale !!
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Lol, I take it I was right.
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What a Wally (no pun intended) !! Your blinkered mindset knows no bounds, do you really believe that only one person is aware of your shortcomings as a person and a host?? Half the village know the score with you pal ! You couldn't stop interfering yourself when Glenn was at the pub (as you do with everyone who works for you),, of course we all know Glenn had a bit of a "problem" but nowhere near as big a problem as you gave him whilst he worked at the pub.. In fact both he and, (dare I say Sean) FILLED the pub, all you have done with the help of that rank bad ale of yours is EMPTY the place !!
Both had problems granted, but they also had charm and personality, even served drinks to customers,, sadly for the few remaining B & W punters, traits that you sadly lack in great abundance
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Mike Desquenes if you are scorpiondragon you need to be ashamed, your beer was removed by my Manager, Glenn because he could not put up with your constant interference in the cellar. It was not personal between you and I, just business. I'm really shocked if it is you, your credability will take a large nose dive (no pun intended, much), and I will make sure of it. And pre-Holsten days, do you mean 1990? It was boarded up when I bought the pub early in 1991, get your facts right and grow up.
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Now we have a big nose impersonator, or are you Holsten Pils little mouthpiece?? maybe even one of the unsavoury drunks ruining what used to be a lovely pub, pre GW Holsten Pils era's.....
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Come on scorpiondragon (or is it scorpion cross-dresser) we all know how u r get a life it's just sour grapes because u r banded arn' t u mike?
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Ah, Mr Pils,,, you come to life..... I was simply passing on comments from others that are not on this site, others that are offended at your distinct lack of people skills. As I said, this is not a hate blog, and I certainly have better things to do than this, but I felt it very necessary report how you allow decent people to be subjected to rounds of foul abusive language and coarse behaviour in your pub.
Cant you see this? Don't you care? Surely, a person with such intelligence as you profess to have would have the nous to deal with such issues, if not, then it is YOU that needs help, big time pal !
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Oh dear scorpiondragon, is it because there have been some good reviews that you feel the compulsion to rubbish the pub, what a sad little creature you are. Do you sit there night after night working away at finding ways to undermine the pub, you are sick, get help. Professional help. If people take the time to look at your reviews they will see the truth, all of them, nine that is, apart from one, are horrible comments designed to harm this business, and even the one other review is really just warning people not to go to this pub.
seriously get help.
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Some friends of mine dropped by the B & W last night for what they hoped would be a nice quiet drink and relaxing time...
They could just about tolerate staying to finish their drinks before having to leave due to the disgraceful and loutish behaviour from some of the drunken locals,,
Foul language apparently going unchecked as the landlord /owner wasn't around.....
This is not a hate blog,, and it's not a one off incident,, people are becoming increasingly alarmed and put off by this type of behaviour commonplace to this pub.... get a grip landlord !!
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I have been to the ball and wicket a number of times and always found it very friendly and the staff great. I particularly like the beer. As a member of Camra it's nice to meet a landlord that brews his own. Whilst the beers are very occasionally cloudy, they always taste great. Mike hawthorn being a particular favourite. The addition of extra hops recently has made it even more drinkable. Though it has to be respected as it's 5.3%, been caught out a couple of times ;-))
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Mr Pils,, the reference to gallons drank, was the small crowd that descends on the pub, usually on a Friday, treating the pub to rounds of loud coarse language, which you seem to turn a blind ear to,, NOT a full pub of much nicer people as it was in the good days before you decided to return.....
You talk of choice, you give the punters no choice, if they want a beer, they have to drink the awful rubbish that you brew...
Why don't you do as other pubs do,, give customers a choice and bring in some nice guest ales??
Oh yes... cost of sales and margin springs to mind !
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Had a great weekend here, the Hale carnival was going on and the whole village seemed to have turned out on the village green opposite the pub, the pub was packed but the staff were great and no-one was kept waiting too long.
The beers were all on form and we had friends down for last weekend visiting who were able to take advantage of the accommodation on offer at the pub, so I can now tell you that the rooms are really well fitted out and comfortable with a huge flat-screen TV on the wall with freesat, a remarkable, enclosed, shower/bath/Jacuzzi and really comfortable double bed.
I think Gary has got this just right, the facilities offered here are a real bonus to the village, carry on Gary you�re doing a great job and thanks for making our friends stay so memorable.
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There seems to be a lot of inconsistencies in comments left here by anti-B&W campaigners, if you dislike the beers on offer at the pub you are, according to those �people�, a good judge, alternatively if you enjoy the beers offered you are at best an idiot and don�t know what you are talking about. Goodness, they accuse me of being arrogant, a mirror wouldn�t go amiss.
The truth is that there isn�t a beer brewed that will suit all tastes, my Dad swore by Courage Best, others would say that you�d need courage to drink it. There are a lot of different beers on offer throughout the Village and obviously according to the campaigners a lot better Licensees, so why not quit your whinging and take a walk, you would probably not last long in my company in any case.
Rather amusing the comments made about the gallons of bottled beers, lager and spirits that I�m selling, selling to exactly who, as we are empty, according to the hate blogs.
I am known to speak my mind and am unafraid to say things if provoked, I don�t hide behind anonymity, sniping pathetic messages out.
Get a life, you�re here just the once try to enjoy life.
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Why scorpiondragon do you insist on drinking in a pub you dont like? Your reports are so innaccurate that they are obviously the remarks of a bitter (no pun intended) ex customer. I have been a customer here for many years and have seen significant changes in the Farnham brewery. The beers of which are now both successful and popular. .I suggest you use your time more constructively by praising a pub you do like.
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Shame that Mike Hawthorn cant find its way on to the green for the Carnival along with the other top notch beers on offer,,,
I've tried Dragon Slayer and to be honest, it's streets ahead of MH and the other rubbish on offer at the B & W
Used to be sold at B & W and if it were still there, no one would even think twice about the other so called "beers"
You only have to do a spot check to see for yourself how much of this great beer ISN'T sold !!
Apart from the odd brave soul, the few remaining punters drink bottled beer, Lager or spirits by the gallon,,
Nuff said I think
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Been visiting the ball&wicket a lot lately (after not visiting for a number of year)and I must say the mike hawthorn is a lot better than that dragon slayer they used to sell that stuff was not very good infact I would probably say if you see dragon slayer anyware ( unlikely ) avoid it.
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That's good to hear, even though you must be in the minority
Bet the landlord didn't put his Pils down and get up and serve you
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Mike Hawthorn was spot on again last night, as was the selection of food we had.
Full marks!
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mcstu74,,, you must be one of Holsten Pils few pals
Bloody mindedness isn't on anyone's agenda, just plain speaking and opinions
You only have to visit other pubs in the area to see what's best and what's not !
B & W certainly falls into the latter category, mainly due to the Landlord AND the awful beer,,, if it were that good, why doesn't it figure in any good beer guide?
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I don't understand the derogatory comments on here. Bloody-mindedness getting in the way it seems. The beer is excellent (Mike Hawthorn always hits the spot). On the occasions I've eaten here, the food has been spot on too. The atmosphere's just fine too. In my opinion, it is the best pub in the local area.
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Totally agree with Littlecon,,
The pub has no atmosphere, lousy beer, an invisible host (except to his last remaining clique - note singular)
Mr. Holsten Pils, you are the Landlord (and owner too), am I correct ??
If that is the case, why don't you listen to the comments made by local people who have known the B & W in much better days???
Better still why don't you EVER get off your stool, put down your fancy Pils glass, and serve a drink to some of your few remaining customers
Bar staff may be welcoming - landlord NOT
Easy parking ?? - what a joke !!
AND please learn how to spell,, maybe that's where you are going so wrong,
Best pub in the area - why is it always EMPTY ????
You really ought to go on a course to learn about customer 1st principles of business,,,, clueless, arrogant, bully boy
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What a strange comment by littlecon, why would I find the need to bribe a customer to write a good report when others are happy to. And really, to what point, it would only be swiftly followed by another negative review full of spite and personal abuse from small minded, pathetic people or is it person with multible accounts.
There are ample pubs in the area from openly gay to reserved and cliquey and many in between, everyone has a choice and you would make that choice by choosing not to frequent an establishment you dislike, unless of course you have already been excluded from the aforementioned, is that the case?
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Still love coming to this pub as always a friendly welcome and warm atmosphere. Home brewed beers are very good as is the food now and good selection of wines available by glass or bottle. Landlord, bar staff and locals have always made it a visit to remember. Would definitely recommend
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as stated on here previously, holsten is the landlord, it comes to something when you can't slip a local a free pint to big your pub up, a visit here is not worth the effort
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Wonderful to see the fairground back again.
Glorious day yesterday.
Beers are excellant.
Pub looks wonderful.
Food is fantastic.
Accomodation is really luxurious.
Locals are really friendly.
Bar staff are so welcoming.
Great location.
Fantastic Landlord.
Great walks nearby.
Farnham Park a few minutes away.
Easy parking.
Best pub in the area.
Landlord owned since 1991.
He must be doing something right.
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Hale Carnival approaches,, it'll be a very busy time in the evening
Question is,, will the Landlord be a perfect host and look after his customers??
Watch this space as they say !!
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i've still never had a decent pint in there
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Have had another wonderful meal with the family here, I now use this pub regularly and have had the opportunity to talk to the owner and brewer Gary about his beers (which are very, very good), he has recently altered the malting slightly and the hopping for the Hawthorn, which has produced an even better beer than before, let's hope it long continues.
I don't understand the horrible comments made by people on this site about just about every element of the pub, the toilets are very clean, the staff always welcoming, the beers are very tasty and most moreish and the food is excellant, I haven't had the opportunity to see the letting rooms but they seem very busy, full most weekdays.
Although Gary wouldn't be drawn on who is responsible for the adverse comments, other regulars are convinced it is another jealous landlord and his clique, if it is he should be ashamed. Good luck Gary you're doing a wonderful job.
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Despite what everyone say's (well mainly the so called landlord Ayotollah Holsten Pils), the brew beer in this pub is unfit for human consumption. The local people posting comments are NOT exaggerating, they would like to be able to choose the beer they drink and not have to bow down and be dictated to by the bully boy named Wallace.
The number of people he has barred could fill the Wicket 3 fold,, just like the old days when there was a landlord present on the premises serving drinks to his clients, and not sitting around in some corner with one of his last remaining cliques.
It's a real pity how this pub has finished up,, an invisible landlord, lousy beer, inconsistent food, bunch of drunks making a racket (but probably keeping the pub solvent) and very smelly toilets !!
The people who really know are not lying,, just being truthful
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I've been in the Ball & Wicket several times over the past few weeks (including last night) & think the ales are excellent. You have to respect the Mike Hawthorn brew though - it's strong stuff!!
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Dear Mr Wallace(Holsten Pils and landlord),
Totally unreasonable to infer I am a 'twat', because of a review, where I gave an honest opinion. I can now see why your pub does badly; you are highly offensive, resort to course language when customer, give an opinion. Someone made an observation, which I see all the time, your restuarant is on most occassions empty. Incidenatlly, I also looked on laterooms and see that your accomadtion is also mainly empty. Why? Its because of your attitude and perception that we are 'twats in abundance'. Unfortunately the sad conclusion is that it is you, who is the twat and the food is not 'great', otherwise you would be a lot busier. I am not putting a mark down as I wanted to respond to your unnecessary and less than transparent rants!
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Most disappointing Sunday lunch! The restaurant was empty apart from our table which should have been sufficient warning to walk out. Only one person was on duty as a waiter, doubling up to serve all drinks behind the counter for the pub so a very long wait for drinks or service. After an eternity we managed to attract her attention to order 2 lamb roasts and one other roast. Came back to advise that there was no lamb - on a Sunday Roast day!!! Switched to chicken. When it arrived it looked as though it had been purchased as a portion - a leg and small breast at a supermarket and warmed up in a micro wave. Certainly not roasted. Did not help that it was luke warm to cold - both chicken portions. Bland and tasteless. Clearly the kitchen is leaderless. Rather drive further down the road towards Farnham to any of the excellent pubs in the area who appreciate the custom.
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Grub great, Beers excellant, Twats abundant. What more needs to be said.
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I totally agree with andrew12, the food in this pub is less than adequate, but there's plenty of room to sit in the restaurant because it's usually empty. The beer is still as awful as ever and if you don't like it, you have to go somewhere else. Wallace wont allow any other bitter in this pub, it's a dictatorship and the most expensive home brew your likely to find. The home brew would not stand a chance if put up against any real ale from other local breweries. Come on Wallace, crawl back under your stone again and give a proper landlord a chance with this characteristic pub.
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Hi, I am not remarking on this pub for the sake of it. I have given it another go with some friends, but, I would like to reaffirm my view that the food has taken a retrospective step backwards. It is not the food is bad, it is just plain boring, lacks any form of imagination and there is no atmosphere. The staff in the pub are better. I will give a 5, not because I want to mark it down, but The Alma is considerably better now.
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Made the pilgramage again to eat here with the family, it was great, it's nice to be able to get good food along with the great service and it's never overpriced. The beer was excellent although the bar was a bit busy, still once we were seated in the restaurant the beers were brought through to us. I've taken the time to look at other reveiws of this and other pubs locally and there seems to be some sort of campaign of malice on this blog site against this pub, what's that all about. For the record I wasn't being derogatory about The Alma when I said it's a bit pink, it's lovely in there. I don't quite like being constantly referred to as "Dearie" by the male bar staff though.
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My goodness, why is it that whenever a positive posting is made here about The Ball & Wicket whingers feel an absolute compulsion to write negative comment about either the pub or the person who made the positive comments. These people need to grow up and move on with their pitiful lives and just let others alone, it's not as if there isn't plenty of choice in pubs locally. Get a life.
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Made another trip to here at last. Anticipating excellent food from previous experience. What has happened? Gone backwards, though staff in pub more attentive. Back down to The Alma for better food and all round better feel. Going to give it a 3. Well perceived liitlecon-Vanille is obviously connected to the pub, probably Holsten Pils.
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glad you enjoyed it van, obviously not a beer drinker then?
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We had one of the most enjoyable evenings here last night. We had an excellent meal in the lovely restaurant which was reasonably priced, followed by an excellent choice if music with a live band. A busy evening, staff very freindly and helpful. Will definately return, especially when live music on again. Impressive overall
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Just a note to wish everyone a happy New Year, and hope you all have a prosperous one. The Pub is doing very well and all the Beers are being well received by the guests of the Pub. The food is excellent and with the help of our new Chef, Josie, will continue to see improvement.
The hate campaign launched by a competitor has subsided and things have settled down quite nicely. Thank you those in particular, who wrote such good things about us, it is rewarding when you try to be supportive of the community, to see recognition.
Good luck.
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Whenever I have been to this pub I have felt a bit intimidated by the locals all sitting at the bar. The real ale quality is too variable to make the trip worth it unless you are already local - I have had fairly good beer but on other occasions, beer so bad I only had one sip.
I can't comment on the food having not tried it!
pinga - 29 Dec 2010 20:37 |
Hooray! The restaurant has re-opened and the quality is great with a good food selection available as well as daily specials, I was told that there is a breakfast menu, lunchtime menu and evening menu so I'm looking forward to returning. The Stinger is gone Boo! but the three other beers were in top form and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay, dogs are allowed in the main bar where you can also eat, so I might make myself a regular for "walkies".
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My name is Mark and I ran the kitchen at the Ball and Wicket until recently. I would like to thank you all for supporting me at the restaurant. I can not really comment on my own food, however, I would like to comment on the beer brewed at the pub; though not a beermeister, I found it to be good and the 'Stinger', was exceptional. I wish you all the best. I have not rated the pub either way as I would consider inappropriate.Local pubs need to be supported. Long live all the regulars at 'The Wicket'.
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Went to TB&W a few weeks back, and ive never felt so welcome a t a pub!
the ales on tap were pretty good, I tried three local brews before settling on a mild one. We then went to eat and had a couple of extremely well cooked sirloin steaks with sauteed potatoes and garlic mushrooms.
locals were friendly and the staff were outstanding, was a bit chilly in the restaurant so moved into the pub, but great apart from that!
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Wow � some strong opinions about this pub. Probably hidden agendas and sour grapes. Surely if you don�t like somewhere you just move on rather than have an ongoing hate campaign.
A more constructive review as follows:
1) Staff, locals and landlord are friendly and welcome newcomers to this pub. No doubt if you cause trouble or upset the landlord then you will get barred but doesn't this apply to every other pub in the UK? The atmosphere can also be a bit off when the pub is quiet but this applies to everywhere including town centre pubs.
2) OK � the ale isn�t to my taste but other drinks are available.
3) This should be a pub serving good food rather than a restaurant and a pub as two separate entities. Why not merge the bar area and restaurant together and then the food will take off (either with the old chef or a new one).
Despite some reviews this pub is what it is. If you want the best real ale selection in the world then this probably isn�t the pub for you. If you want somewhere to have a drink in friendly surroundings then this local pub is fine.
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Dear Bloggers, drinkers and potential locals to this pub-'Beware' of the local igonoramus who purports to be the publican, namely Gary Wallace. If this was the 13th or 14th century, I would have liked to nominate him as the village idiot and ignoramus. Let me give you an insight to Wallace and what he did recently to us locals. A local to the pub organised an event for us(which was very well organised), appx 50 odd people were going to GoodWood racing. He asked our ignorant landlord(Wallace)if he would open up earlier on Sunday. Not surprisingly from this gods gift to ignorance hes said, 'no'. He has absolutely no interest in most of the locals and you can regularly hear him give out his ignorant platitudes. On the day apparently the pub was dead and the organiser had to go to another pub with the regulars from the Ball and Wicket. Now I understand Wallace has yet again been on on one of his bullying rampages, where hopefully I will get the info on this if the victim is prepared to talk.
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Made the effort again today, well worth it. It seems the Landlord has closed the Restaurant temporarily, shame, still the Ales were excellant. I had been looking at this web-site before I went there and noticed a scathing comment from Geo3 which prompted my visit. What is wrong with this guy? He has written a total of 5 reports, 4 of which condemn the Ball & Wicket and 1 that praises its nearest competitor, Alfreds, HMMMMMMM, is there another agenda, for the record Geo3 choice is always an option and you use your feet to achieve it. Anyway back to the pub which was getting ready for a family birthday celebration today, it seems more popular than suggested, the Ales were all in top form and the staff were kind enough to let me try the Stinger, wow, not a session beer I fancy, the Landlord deserves a medal for his efforts in his brews not the petty, snidy sideswipes using this blog site to undermine his pub.
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Still as bad as ever, the beer I had the other night was dreadful, tastes like it sits in the pipes for days on end. Ask for a light a bitter and you can't have one, nothing but the crap that's brewed on the premises sold here. Unless you want some badly kept lager that is. The restaurant looked closed the other day, I heard that Gary is blaming the chef and he's sacked him. But it's nobody else's fault. It's down to very very poor management and the fact that he treats his staff so badly. Why do people that have no idea about running a pub insist that they know what the punter wants. We just want GOOD beer and a CHOICE, not some over priced home brew. Oh and while I'm on, almost all the good reviews for this pub have come from the landlord himself or his little clique. Will he ever listen? I doubt it until; he goes bust.
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thought I would give the local a try again last wekk to see if it was more friendly than before, my observations were, Beer good, Food good, more atmosphere poor, staff more interested in reading books, playing or talking on their personel phones than talking to myself or fellow customers. It's clear staff I have seen have no motivation for the pub to do well, hence one of the reasons for the poor atmosphere. I give the Beer rating 9, Food 9 staff attuide towards customers 0, Pub rating 8. Im sure the Landlord can rectify the blatant rudness of BAR staff
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Having been recently, I was very impressed with the service and the food we had in the restaurant. A friend of our group goes to the restaurant regularly and is always keen to come back. The service is always friendly, the food is cooked very well and the selection of ales and wines are great.
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Superb sunday lunch 12th September. Pity the pub is so dreary including the staff. Give the food and restaurant 10, other side 2 max
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Not sure if the restaurant is part of the pub or not, but have had some good freshly cooked meals here recently, excellent steak and fish.
A welcome change from the food in so many pubs in Surrey which just buy in ready meals. A quirky place, very friendly.
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Excellent pub. I found this place recently when walking up from Farnham Park. Dog friendly and with a good selection of real ales (brewery on site!) and lagers for those who prefer those. Nice interior and all a pub should be. Friendly staff as well!
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I was shown this site by a friend who shares my interest in Breweries and took the time to go to the Ball & Wicket to find out the truth. I have to say I was impressed, the welcome from the staff was warm and the beers were superb, I really liked the Mike Hawthorn in particular, I stayed for the food and again nothing but praise for it, the steak was cooked exactly as requested and the quality perfect. I shall be going back again as it's well worth the effort.
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I stayed at the ball and wicket for 4 days last week, and have to say I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there. The hospitality was brilliant, Gary and his team really are a friendly bunch and know how to make his customers feel welcome. The food there is something else, I went from burger, to fresh plaice, to steak, and I can not recommend Marks cooking enough. Not many places can be found where the Chef sits with you and takes an interest in your life, and makes genuine conversation, well Mark does.
Thank you for making my stay enjoyable and if i ever need to stop in the area again, I'll be sure to return to the Ball & Wicket.
Todd Trent
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Hi, I needed to make a comment on the negative reports posted here recently of The Ball & Wicket. There is a malicious campaign currently to promote another local pub at our expense, using whatever dirty tricks to undermine the pub by individuals who lack the courage to engage Gary face to face. For the record and to clear up any misunderstandings, Mike Desquenes was banned because he was turning up infrequently, determined to encourage as many as possible to go to the other pub mentioned, not because he had the courage to suggest the beer was awful, I'm afraid that as with the aforementioned authors of spite he would not have had the courage to do that.
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It's been a while since I felt the need to comment. I love the Wicket, it's friendly, good beer, good food - the roast is spectacular, but not as good as my missus - (just in case she reads this.) The Hawthorn still satisfies the taste buds and is very good. Gary and the staff know how a local pub should treat its' customers and this is a great pub. If you don't like the pub stay away, I prefer not to drink with people who feel the need to knock a local landlord who is working hard to keep a local pub in business - there are plenty around the country closing - The Wicket won't close because Hale needs it. Come on get behind Gary.
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I agree with Beerdyweirdy, the beer in this pub is still worse than any beer I have had anywhere else. Gary has not got a clue about beer, he has lost most of the local punters (many have been barred for complaining about the beer). when will this arrogant, mean man realise that people will not drink the beer he brews himself, it tastes like vinegar. If he drank it himself he just might realise. Go on Gary get some TEA back in or any other real ale come to that. The locals say, you would not dare because your afraid of any competition. He honestly deserves to go bust and I'm sure it will happen, there is no atmosphere anymore. Lastly the toilets in this pub are a disgrace, they stink and are terribly unhygenic.
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The beer is awful in this pub, everybody knows it, Gary knows it he even banned Mike Desquesnes for saying so. If Gary is that ignorant that he thinks he make good beer, he deserves to close down. No wonder all of his real ale fans have gone to a pub down the road. Wake up and smell the coffee. Your beer is awful, yes really awful.
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We have eaten at this pub restuarant twice and the food has been superb on both ocassions. This place deserves to be better known. A truly remartkable standard of food and service. The fish was superb and a chocolate mousse to die for.
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ok, I was debating on whether to write another comment on here as i dont want to appear like a kiss arse... however i thought... what the hell, I owe it to the food eating public of surrey! :-) We have now been back to the ball and wicket a number of times... if its possible, enjoying the food more each time. He now has Sirloin on the menu ,along with the fantastic Rib Eye. The Sirloin is 2 quid more expensive.... but I tell you what its worth every single penny! I still cant get over how perfectly he cooks the stuff....exactly how I like it. Its quite strange really, as i said on my previous post, we go out quite alot and i have had some good meals, but never have I wanted to share my experience by posting on a forum... always full of good intentions, but couldnt be arsed once i got home!!....but this place needs to be known... I GUARANTEE, once you have had one meal here... you will struggle to go anywhere else....It really is that good.....oh and before I forget.... if you are a sweet lover....try the Tiramisu... "appreciative whistling noise"
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Myself and my wife have now been to this unassuming local pub a few times. Once for Sunday Roast and and a couple of times for an evening meal. We go out 3-4 times a week to eat (lazy I know!). Everywhere from Pizza Express to Chez Gerrard to TGI Fridays to nice local "home cooked food" pubs to more upmarket and avantegard restaurants in London. I can honestly say I have NEVER had a better Sunday Roast! But I have to admit my favourite is the Rib Eye Steak he serves.... Holy mother of god its good......tender and cooked to perfection, The steak is very well sized and I cant reccomend it enough...best in Surrey... no kidding....my missus had the homemade burger and polished it off in no time! Give this place a go....it really is a hidden treasure!
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Further to my earlier postings (since removed) the quality of the homebrew is still poor. Please, please, please give in and order in some Hogs Back, Triple FFF or some other real ale....NOW!!!!
Haven't tried the food yet (more popular than the homebrew by the looks it) but I will once the beer is sorted!
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I went in again recently and have to say that the food is very good, I had a very nice meal and was pleasantly surprised. My experience was only spoiled by that awful, awful beer that they persist in brewing on the premises. I should have known, it would not have gotten any better. The beer was cloudy and quite honestly just tastes as if it's off. I never saw anybody else drinking it, so I guess it must sit in the pipes of a while. Get some real ale in this pub, and get rid of the homebrew and I think you would be onto a winner. Well done with the food.
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Who is this Tates character writing all that rubbish. Probably local competition getting a bit worried?
I eat and drink there three to four days a week and always find a happy (and awake) face behind the bar serving a good range of beer . Four beers brewed on the premises by landlord Gary.
As for the food, Mark arrived only a few weeks ago and are making a huge impression with the quality of their dishes. I've certainly never heard anyone complain about the quality. On the contrary, all you hear is people thanking them for a great meal.
Long may Mark stay at B & W
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My family and I have had two wonderful meals in the last 5 weeks at the Wicket. Not only have the meals met our expectations, they exceeded them. The staff in the pub and restaurant are friendly and friendly. The quality and the flavours of the food exceeded what we expected. The value coupled with the generosity of the portions leads me to two conclusions; the 'Tates', comments are malicious and are designed to denigrate the Ball and Wicket as an up and coming food and drink venue.
Finally, when we were in the bar and we spoke to a family who drive over 30 minutes reguarly who bring their friends to show what they have 'found'.
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Ermm, I can not understand the review by the Tates. The reason being, is that I have eaten there recently on several occasions and the food has been very good. I take their point about no written menu, but it is up on blackboards. The Tates appear to have an agenda against the Ball and Wicket, which one can see in the context of other postings by other people like me and no other postings by the Tates, about other pubs.
jasmi - 16 Mar 2010 16:30 |
The weather in Farnham was superb on Saturday, so we decided to enjoy a pleasant walk through Farnham Park culminating in a nice lunch @ the Ball & Wicket in Heath End. How wrong or disappointed could we have been been, "it was without doubt the worst pub food we have eaten in Farnham or the surrounding area for the last 20 years". The lack of a written menu should have given us a clue to the total disorangisation of this pub. We ordered soup (to be safe) and what was presented did not need a spoon, but a knife and fork to eat it - we have never had soup which had no liqued in it whatsoever!. Our guests played the safe card and decided on a toasted sandwich, which, to put it mildly was not only extemely dry, but bland and it does not take "a Masterchief" to produce a toasted sandwich which looks good and is edible, however, this pub fulfilled that criteria for the worst sandwich any of us had either seen or tasted. All-in-all a totally disappointing experience which we will not repeat. I am not sure what is going on in this pub/restaurant but if this is the standard they deem acceptable, they are in for a shock. Totally unacceptable food, service and ambiance. At one stage the bar-man actually appeared to fall asleep over where the beer was being poured out - we should have known at that stage that this really was the "pub from hell". On a scale of 1-10 we would give the "Ball and Wicket" 1 out of 10 - and we are being very generous. A lovely looking new dining room, but the food if this is the standand on an evening is "appalling" - sadly this trip was to see how good the food was for an impending "party venue of vistors" - needless to say we have definely ruled this pub out.
Tates - 13 Mar 2010 19:38 |
Found this pubs website when looking for somewhere that did real ale and grub so gave it a go Sunday. Quite good, Mike Hawthorne ale was tasty and the menu was as displayed on their website so we weren't dissappointed with the nice sunday roast, intend to return again.
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Wow! Is there some sort of food revolution going on at the Wicket? Went there for Sunday lunch on the 31st. To say the least, fresh vegetables, beef to die for and crunchy potatoes. Gravy superb and beers were excellent.
Friends had Belly of Pork. Here is what I mean by the revolution; they were asked how was the pork cooked so beautifully? Answer, the chef had prepped and cooked it over a 30 hr period!
Price for this was �7.95 Extremely good value
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I beg to differ with mcstu74, I went in again last week to see if the beer had got any better but unfortunately it still tastes awful. Far worse than any homebrew I've ever made. A quick look around the bar and you see that most people are drinking Guinness or Lager. Such a shame, lovely location, could be such a nice pub with a decent drop of ale. Landlord really needs to get his act together and sort this place out before he looses all his trade.
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This is probably my closest pub & I have to say, one of the friendliest in Farnham. They did have a problem with the ale until about mid-November, but rectified this & ever since, the ales have been superb.
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It is very sad to have to write such a negative review as this one but here goes............. the main problem here is that the beer tasted very strongly of cleaning fluid, I was in the company of a coach party of drinkers some with more drinking years behind them than i've actually lived ,our party also included a very long serving landlord who has a pub that wins awards for his ales and his pub is a G.B.G. regular.We tried all three ales on the optomistic belief that they might not all be total cr*p! Not one beer was even close to drinkable, this was the only duff pub of the day.I await accusations of trolling etc.Trust me I would have had greater joy encountering a superb pint ,alas it was not to be.
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I am shocked and very disheartened at the comments made by charles 500. As a small community and such a sucessful day on Saturday (hale carnival) proved that community spirit is very high at the moment so for you to be so vindictive in your comments i find a disgrace. I understand that there is a certain amount of rivalry between local pubs in the same village but to purposely run down another pub is petty and childish. If the beer is so awful and tastes like dishwater then why after reading your comment did i visit the ball and wicket and find many of the customers drinking and enjoying the ales even more than were drinking lager. Also as a lady customer of this pub for over 5 years i have never walked into this pub whether it be at the beginning of opening or end of close and been treated with anything but respect from the locals or staff. So I feel that before you decide to diminish one of the business' in our small village you should think about what consequences could come from it. The Wicket is the heart of the village and will always remain that way so if you think that your comments will attract business to another local in the area you are very much mistaken.
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Have started using this pub more and more now the Restaurant is open, wonderful beers, excellant staff and the local Ales are always the best for miles and now great home-cooked food. I cannot understand the comments made recently here but Gary, the landlord, said that a certain other local landlord has made it his ambition to run the Ball & Wicket down.
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All the local brews are brewed on the premises by Gary the owner. They are all fantastic and range from a light refreshing session ale to a exciting malty brew appropriately named Mike Hawthorn as it is 5.4%.
The staff are friendly and welcoming.
The food is also very good and great value for money you should try their pizza night on a Tuesday. 12" stone baked create your own with garlic bread for �5.95.
I recommend this pub to anyone wanting to sit in a friendly welcoming environment and wanting to enjoy a bite to eat or just to sample the Ale.
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The picturesque location marred only by the busy main road.
A welcome, warm atmosphere awaits when you arrive at the Ball and Wicket. The Ball and Wicket literally is the centre of the village and really maintains that feel. The Ale's are brewed on site, in fact, you can see the coppers from the right hand side of the bar (through a small window). They taste great and are indistinguishable from larger local brews.
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Excellant beers still brewed here, the consistency is good and the quality is very good. Have to say this is a very dog friendly place now and very community orientated which is nice to see. The forthcoming new restaurant should be a real bonus for the area as it plans to concentrate on traditional home-cooked pub grub. The staff are always helpful and friendly and the customers seem to range from doddery octagenarians and young folks. Went there for Paddys night it was packed, what a great atmosphere.
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Went here with a mate as we both liked the idea of some different, locally brewed real ale.
The beer was fab. Being groped by the locals wasn't. What a bunch of rowdy drunks. Completely spoiled the visit!
Don't go there ladies . . . .
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Hadn't been in for ages and I am generally suspicious of "brewpubs" since tiny volumes often compromise quality. However I have to say I was really impressed with the ale. Mike Hawthorn @5.5 is a bit strong for summer but the William Cobbet @4.5 was superb and the Bishop Sumner at 3.8 was also excellent and didn't suffer for coming after x pints of 4.5!
really hope the on-going refurb works for this pub. Hale could do with a real quality pub - not occassional flashes in the pan.
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The recent reviews all mention a fantastic improvement in beer quality, and I'm pleased to confirm it. Apparently Gary (the landlord) has taken over the brewing himself, and he's doing a fine job. I think one or two of the recipes are still in development, but in our last few visits everything has been extremely drinkable. For at least one visit the William Cobbett was a dark ale, somewhere between a dark mild and porter in character and of a similar strength, but more recently it was a light, hoppy session beer. Both were great. The Bishop Sumner and Mike Hawthorn are similar to the original recipes, but no longer have the strange toasty/smokey flavour that the previous brewer seemed to think was necessary.
Speaking of the previous brewer, I never saw him drink his own product - lager was his tipple. Then again, I've only ever seen Gary drink lager, but if his brewing continues as it is then I can't criticise him for that.
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This is a lovely pub, very friendly atmosphere & very welcoming. Bar staff all lovely. Home brewed beers are now better than ever, my favourite is the William Cobbett which now there is a new brewer in house is always excellent, as are all beers.
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Having recently moved into the area I was concerned that my local pub wouldn't live up to my high expectation of what my local should be. The Ball and Wicket has more than met up to my needs. 3 fine beers brewed on the premises. The Hawthorn is a fantastic beer (but I don't start on it too early as I won't last the night.) The Bishop and Cobbett are also very good. Gary,Jan and the friendly staff, welcome ALL. Here's to more great nights up the road for me and the missus.
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The Pub did suffer with consistency when the last Brewer was brewing and he was sacked but for the last two months a new Brewer has been in place and won Best Ale at a local beer festival recently, so I would suggest that people give it a try and then applaud the owners for returning brewing back to pubs, not the national, mass produced, ubiquetous beer found elsewhere. Very disappointed with the comments made by "hotlegs" who then praises highly the Ball & Wicket's nearest rival, almost as if they had a vested interest, hmmmmmm.
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A small pub with a great atmosphere, hence the reason that local people still go there. The beer is brewed on the premises, but it's awful and best avoided. No guest ales, but if there were, they would fly in this pub. Since the brewery started the pub is almost empty on most week nights. Before the brewery started, I'd have given this pub a rating of 10, what whats a pub where you can't drink the ale.
anonymous - 22 Jun 2007 08:24 |
Small locals pub, hard to get to the bar. Beer OK (not their own brew); location is the real plus point.
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Have to agree with littlecon - this is our local and we used to be a regular visitors, but since the brewery started again the beer quality has been very disappointing with no alternatives on offer. We have another go every few weeks in the hope that things will improve, but no luck so far.
Apart from the current issues with the beer, it's a great pub with a great atmosphere. The landlord has plans for a pub-grub type restaurant in the building next door, so the pub shouldn't change.
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its now brewing again, but the beers undrinkable AVOID
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Popped in for a few pints on Friday night, first time in the place, staff were friendly and found the place welcoming. The setting is really nice, opposite the green, but would be better with a nice big beer garden overlooking the green. Would recommend this one.
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This is a nice cosy little number, it's alright trust me on this one.
yorts - 17 Feb 2006 14:52 |
3 ales on, I believe this use to be a brew pub but no more, beer was good
anonymous - 7 Aug 2005 23:09 |
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