please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This is most likely Aylesbury's best pub. The Aylesbury Brewing Company is situated just behind the pub and there were plenty of Vale ales too. The selection was Vale Best, Red Kite, Wychert, Philosophy & Black Duck & Aylesbury Brewhouse Company Ceci n'est pas Lager, Binary & The Fall of Icarus. My only grumble would be that this was the 3rd of the 3 Aylesbury pubs in the current Good Beer Guide I had visited and this was the 3rd pub that was supposed to stock real cider. Sadly none of them had any. In fairness, this may have been due to a beer festival that had ended the day before. But it was disappointing. The barmaid was friendly and I was surprised that they had only just opened up their doors at 4pm on Easter Monday. The interior has a nice atmosphere with music played at a decent level. Plenty of old pumpclips can be found on the walls. A good pub, but could do with some guest ales and a cider or two.
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what an amazing pub.
at least 8 or 10 exciting differnet beers on tap, and loads of varities in the fridges, including one of my favourites 'la chouffe'.
all the beers are well kept, properly poured and the staff know and care about what they are selling.
the building is pleasant enough, its bright and airy, and kept clean, with plenty of space. they also show the sports, but fortunatly not in a over bearing way so you dont have to be subjected to who ever is playing if not interested.
the onsite brewery shop out the back promisis to be good too. it was closed when i visited as there was a beer festival on, but i am keen to get back and have a look.
food available too, but havn't tried yet, nor have i seen any one else try it, but as i said there was a festival on, so not normal service i guess.
only down sides derive from the fact that the pub is in aylesbury, and in a rubbish part of aylesbury at that! the pub has stood for ages, way before town planning turned aylesbury into one large industrial park/council estate. so i imagine it could have been quite charming at one point, but now the view out of the front windows is of a vw garage, and the view out the side is of industiral units. plus a steady flow of chavs, equipped with baseball caps and staffs gawp in at you through the windows as they drift between home and the nearest off licence.
otherwise, it is an excellent place.
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Called in to see how it is going.
Pub a little quiet, but beer was coming out well.
Barman was showing an interest in the beer and quiet friendly.
Selection good.....to many to list, but prices have been increased.
Vale best was �2.75......very good.
New micro brewery and shop out the back........a very nice addition.
Interesting selection of bottled beers.
Maybe time to put back on the radar......
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Very fine pub including new brewery and recently opened beer shop. 10 ales 8 on when i last visited tried 4 all good. Seems very strange that its not in the good beer guide but one of the other customers said there had been an issue with the cellar and warm beer for a while which has now been sorted. Seems a bit odd that the local camra boys didnt liase with Vale brewery about it or maybe they did.
But as our conversation continued and others joined in we went through the other pubs in the aylesbury wycombe area and since ive been in the area I have been to them all in the last 18 months the general agreement was that the best 4 are The hop pole eight bells long crendon The whip Inn lacey green & The royal standard woburn green (no particular order) We also covered several other pubs from the area which led me to ask if anyone knew why the current pub of the year was the Wheel in naphill which is a good pub but not really a pub of the year. I was amazed to find that if a pub in this area wins it is barred from winning for 5 years so all the best pubs are currently out of contention. How wierd is that Ive been a camra member for years and lived in several areas and often the best pubs win year after year as they should.
Anyway I only started out to comment on the Hop Pole so I shall finish by saying its an excellent pub and top notch in the area.
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As detailed below the pub is under new management or to be more accurate under old management as the Landlord before Edgar has returned. Beer is now back to a very high standard. Because of the hiatus with the management the pub failed to get into the Good Beer Guide, this is of course rather unfortunate as the pub is better than before with the addition of a superb beer shop stocking wines and beers from around the world with a good emphasis on Belgium. To top it off, the 'Aylesbury Brewhouse', a new brewery is located on site and was opened yesterday (2/12/2011) by Roger Protz the editor of the afore-mentioned Good Beer Guide.
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There have been improvements but still got a lot of ground to make up to it's diminishing locals. Majority of beers ok but the buzz that used to exist here is still missing (in my opinion)
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Occasional visitors not locals. Beer selection is always good , staff generally friendly . Like below didn't have a problem with Edgar, but the beers better since the new management have taken over . Friendly atmosphere worth going out of your way to visit.
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Must start by saying that this pub is a hidden gem in Aylesbury, I had a wonderful time there recently trying out some fantastic beer's which were all in great condition, whilst there also had one of there pizza's which was the best I have ever had outside of Italy, friendly bar staff and good atmosphere just added to this pub's appeal.
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Again a good choice of beers in excellent condition.
Still a bit on the warm side especially on the sunshiny days you would like this least, so unlike to local competition pipes are not getting cooled yet.
Food returned to form, best pizzas in Aylesbury!
a big Cheers
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I was disappointed to see that the guy Edgar didn't make a decent go of The Hop Pole. He was a very nice bloke and he and his staff were very friendly. However, friendly folks only, doth not a good boozer make.
Anyway, I had a few crafty pints in here last week after hearing that new management were in. Beer selection was down to about 6 or 7 I'd say, but pump clips were labelled as if theye were about to become "live".
The beer was in great nick and the three pints I had were all very good. Oakham Citra was the first and it tasted fresh and well looked after. A best bitter and a stout followed, but they were pretty unremarkable (and I've subsequently forgotten the names!).
All in all, it seems that The Hop Pole has returned to form, on the beer side at least.
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Food is now back on and is avalible seven days a week, there will also be curry and fish and chip nights too.
The Hop Pole is now back to what is was before if you drifted away when standards droped then try it again as the beer, food and atmostphere and now much improved
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Am reliably informed that food will be served as of monday (11), the same, if not better than Richard produced before. Quiz nite is back on thursdays. Choice and quality of beer back to near normal. One is replete.
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Website says
"As Vale Brewery's Flagship Pub, we believe in top quality beer in a clean and friendly environment "
Simple question.....When will the pub be returned to its former status.
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I walked into this pub tonight, before I had chance to speak the woman behind the bar said "No chance" - I have no idea what she was referring to. I only wanted to watch the boxing ! Probably not the warmest welcome that I have ever received. Would not recommend.
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THURSDAY 2:45 pm, the sign outside said food now being served. Inside I was told food stopped at 2 0'clock.
That was a shame because the array of beers on the counter looked very inviting.
Was recommended the Harrow in the town...............that's another story.
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Am very pleased to read the last two entries - hope it is a sign for an improved future for this pub. I for one shall keep an eye on BITE for some further updated positive comments before venturing back however.
Vale have a lot of ground to make up for the once loyal drinkers.
Prices and beer selections need to be re-established to the level and quality once enjoyed here.
As a once high profile CAMRA pub I would be disappointed to see this pub dropped from the GBG, but at the moment it doesn't appear to deserve its entry.
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Richard and Lisa have returned to the Hop Pole and plan to restore it to the great place it was before; there is a notice above the bar that states �please be patient while we return the beer to it previous quality and variety� apparently the beer lines were never cleaned through since they left three months ago!
Food looks like it will make a return too as a new menu is being worked on, and if it�s anything like Richard and Lisa provided before it will be quality food at a good price.
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Finally, Vale Brewery heard our prayers (or read out emails)
Rumoured, on Wednesday 22nd June the previous landlords return.
It will be a bit of an uphill battle for them to convince previous customers to return, even though they have the advantage of an impeccable ale quality record
Let's hope Vale made them an offer that allows them to make a decent living, which apparently wasn't the case previously (otherwise they wouldn't have left, would they?)
That still leaves several 'issues' unresolved, so Vale cannot do the Pilatus hand wash trick (yet).
Beer too warm!
During the summer months the beer is to warm! Didn't matter much in the past, but does now we have two JDWs serving ale at the right temperature all year round.
Get the cooled pipes in!
Guest choices a bit erratic (to say the least)
The choice of guest ales too often seems determined by whatever Vale's partners in the exchange schema want to get rid off, and not by (even a try to align with) local customer preferences. Apart from that, why should I drink that stuff if you or the landlord fail to explain what it actually is that I am supposed to be tasting in these cases? A little more homework is required! And a little more alignment with customer preferences, or even just to get a balanced 'beer menu' is highly advisable. It doesn't make sense to have three very, very similar blondish hoppish Vale ales on, a few bitters, the good old Grumpling, but nothing darker or more complex, when you can know that the customer base favours the latter.
Price outdated high (especially for CAMRA members)
The two JDWs that came into town June 2010 changed the scene; when they occasionally sell Vale ale, they sell it at price which makes the Vale offer look like 'TWO FOR THE PRICE OF THREE'.
It may keep some chavs out (but that didn't work with me yet).
The site and the complements of the offer are not that 'upmarket' to make current �3+ prices acceptable. Like some other CAMRA favourite pubs, do at a reasonable discount for members, like the pub did in the past.
Why can I get a Vale ale for less than �2 in pubs in surrounding villages and not in my favourite local?
So dear Vale, you can blame it all on the person who sells the beer, kick him out and try to continue with 'business as usual'.
...
Won't work, and though I hate the 'told you so'-game, I'll continue remembering you in case you forget!
Your brew some grate ales, you had a great pub, now get your act together again!
Cheers
EnnioD
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Unfortunately I am hearing similar damning views from others who have visited here recently - not good news. This was a favourite Sat/Sun lunchtime watering hole...but now no longer
The once 10 beer good selection is now down to 7 approx - of dubious quality.
I shall need to hear of some quite substantial improvements before venturing back.
I understand the micro-brewery in the back will soon be producing - hope there are some customers left to drink the produce.
Vale Brewery - get a grip.
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Pub is going downhill at present.
Beer selection is not as used to be, quality of the beer is debatable as most of time cloudy, menu on the website doesn't reflect actual menu , and who's the land lady??
I'm sorry to say this was my favourite pub in Aylesbury for beer selection and quality, now is very much a corner pub where I wouldn't go for a night out with my friends.
Please fix it. I miss the old hop pole experience, with nice beer and friendly atmosfere
Is that so difficult to do? Maybe management is not up to the challenge. Thanks god stuff still friendly as always.
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Honda650.
I think you will find the present web site was managed by the previous managers. This new lot haven't got broadband yet. I agree, the food is expensive rubbish. Shame.
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I think this pub has gone down hill recently.
The food on a recent visit (April 2011) was dreadful - what was advertised as promising to be a 6oz beef burger for �5.50 on their website turned out to be a supermarket-economy burger, tiny and shriveled up, presented on a miniature bun! It was truly awful and actually cost �7.95.
Always been good for its beer, and previously for friendly staff and home cooked food, but only the former found here lately.
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New manager carrying on stirling work with the beer. I do, however, question the introduction of flowers and candles. Whats next? I thought this was a local boozer not a pseudo bistro.
I still rate you as a 10, but watch this space.
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Under new management since the last time I was in, but still very competently done. Great ale selection as usual.
A really friendly pub, both staff and punters alike were very welcoming of my mates and I when we pitched up for the rugby yesterday.
Congrats to Edgar and Julie for their sterling bar and kitchen work and to Joanie for being Aylesbury's answer to Babs Windsor!
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Really nice pub about 10 walk from the station. Run by Vale so several of their beers on offer along with 4 guests. Quality good, service fine and prices OK.
Food served lunchtime and evening (not Monday or Tuesday). Pub doesn't open until 1600 Monday and Tuesday although these maybe winter hours.
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A great venture by the Vale Brewery to show-case their own real ales as well as offering support to many other small independent breweries. A real oasis in the cocrete jungle of Aylesbury.
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Tremendous beer range and quality. By far and away the best real ale pub for miles and miles.
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A little way out from the centre of Aylesbury but well worth the effort. Ten ales always available including Aylesbury Vale selection and a guest Belgian beer on draught.
Simple pine furnishings, discreet sport TVs and clean toilets make this pub a gem. Dedicated locals around the bar but very friendly towards visitors and always willing to recommend a beer.
This is the sort of pub you would want your local to be.
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Good as ever, wide range of ales including local Vale Brewery ales. TV in the quieter back room for sports fans. Even had a range of bottled foreign lagers for 'quality' lager drinkers if there is such a thing.
Staff friendly, prices tad above Aylesbury standards but the price is worth is paying faced with the alternative of drinking beer at �1.50 a pint in the company of zombies.
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Obviously an oasis in the real ale desert that is Aylesbury (Farmers Bar notwithstanding).
My only real gripe is the lack of any form of cooling (jacket, inline, cellar) for the ales. On my recent trip, I had two pints (one Vale Pale Ale and other unknown), both of which were significantly warmer than they should be. Spoilt the beer really.
If this place really is "Aylesbury's Permanent Beer Festival" then it should start to aim to serve it's ale in the same way as you would get at a decent festival.
I score the place highly though because of what it stands for and not the few summer months when their beer is too warm.
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This pub is very unuaul for Aylesbury ,found it by chance on line and went to see what it was like.Walked in floor boards different tables chairs and there in front 10 hand pumps all a different beer, Heaven. If you ask you can have a taste before you buy which is great idea.
Very friendly pub with locals drinking and chatting and found it easy to talk to them etc ,only problrm for me is that I have to drive home so 1 pint then home so taking a bit of time to taste all beers.
My advise go there and see a real pub with real Ales and real locals .
ukpse - 17 Jun 2010 17:45 |
This pub is very unuaul for Aylesbury ,found it by chance on line and went to see what it was like.Walked in floor boards different tables chairs and there in front 10 hand pumps all a different beer, Heaven. If you ask you can have a taste before you buy which is great idea.
Very friendly pub with locals drinking and chatting and found it easy to talk to them etc ,only problrm for me is that I have to drive home so 1 pint then home so taking a bit of time to taste all beers.
My advise go there and see a real pub with real Ales and real locals .
ukpse - 17 Jun 2010 17:45 |
This pub is very unuaul for Aylesbury ,found it by chance on line and went to see what it was like.Walked in floor boards different tables chairs and there in front 10 hand pumps all a different beer, Heaven. If you ask you can have a taste before you buy which is great idea.
Very friendly pub with locals drinking and chatting and found it easy to talk to them etc ,only problrm for me is that I have to drive home so 1 pint then home so taking a bit of time to taste all beers.
My advise go there and see a real pub with real Ales and real locals .
ukpse - 17 Jun 2010 17:45 |
This pub is very unuaul for Aylesbury ,found it by chance on line and went to see what it was like.Walked in floor boards different tables chairs and there in front 10 hand pumps all a different beer, Heaven. If you ask you can have a taste before you buy which is great idea.
Very friendly pub with locals drinking and chatting and found it easy to talk to them etc ,only problrm for me is that I have to drive home so 1 pint then home so taking a bit of time to taste all beers.
My advise go there and see a real pub with real Ales and real locals .
ukpse - 17 Jun 2010 17:44 |
Went in for the first time on Sunday afternoon and i must say i thoroughly enjoyed it. Probably 8 handpumps in action on the day, look out for the chalk board with the beers on as it's quite hard to get through the barflies. The whole place is relaxed, although some Irish guy tried to wind me up about the football on the telly, there are 2 screens showing sport. The Staff were helpful and jolly and we had a long chat with the Landlord, who knows his stuff. If you are into foreign beers ask for the beer menu. No food on the day we went in, but this was abnormal for some reason, there is normally pub food on. i Pub i would definitely return to.
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9 Months on, and R & L have given birth to yet another successful incarnation of the VBC Hop Pole; We don't miss Mr Shouty a.k.a R Chandler at all. Beer still 100%, food more varied than ever and life is luverlee - if we discount a slight increase in Scraetredom. Send em to the Brit, I say.
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WHAT A PUB!!!
If you love Real Ale Then this is the best in the Aylesbury area by FAR and thoroughly deserves all the awards heaped on it. All beer tasted in tip top condition!
Visited for the recent festival and enjoyed several of the really unusual beers on offer (non of your mass produced stuff here!), Great beer drinking music too from the Beer Parlour Jivers no less.
Locals seem like a really nice eclectic bunch and the Landlord and Landlady very knowledgeable about beers, friendly as well!
Enjoyed so much I went out of my way the following week and popped in for a quiet pint and supper, discovered a thriving Thursday night quiz going on!
WISH I LIVED CLOSER - may consider moving?!
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Popped in on Thursday night en route back to Oxford, quiz night in progress, busy all tables full had to stand, great atmosphere, enjoyed the something wicked by vale, and some idle brewery dark. will be back next time in aylesbury. Reccomend
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Cannot dispute the quality of the beer.,,,excellent
Beer festival coming up........hope the standards can be maintained ?
Food deals look good value for money.
However, on a recent visit for many months the bar seemed very sterile and really quite empty compared with how it used to be.....have others voted with their feet I wonder ???
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Wow...so many beers...such a short afternoon. Our pints of Vale Best Bitter were quite superb. Lucky locals to have this pub next door
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As a real Ale buff I went to this pub with high expectatations.....10 real ales wow!
(Vale Brewery)tried their best bitter , Vale Pale ale which was more than acceptable.......however I felt the pub was a bit flat.......OK it was 7.30 on a Monday nie in October but what the hell it seemed tired with TV's showing the news(why oh why does that happen!!!), one member of staff who seemed in a trance, no eaters!.............OK but given it's accolades all I can say is what the hell are Aylesbury's other pubs like?
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Fantastic pub - one of my favourites.
Ten real ales on tap, plus the usual Guiness and fizz.
Live music some nights.
Pub quiz on others.
Nice decor
Footie on the TV too.
Steak and chips for a fiver.
Oh, and a friendly atmos.
Highly recommended.
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For me the verdict is still out on the new incumbants following Stuart and Monia.
An influx of travelling beer drinkers and brewery trippers seemed to bring on high degress of stress with the "Landlady". Bar food and meals suspended due to brewery trippers buffet ...eh 16 people !! - makes the more regular visitors wanting food very welcomed.....not.
Young barman (Stuarts "mini-me" in appearance) appears very competent.
Beer still excellent however which is ultimately the reason for going there, but it would be nice to feel more welcome as a customer.
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This pub is just perfect, couldn't be less than a 10. The pizzas were a genius idea, spot on for a nice Friday night with friends. I'll miss the current managers, was sad to hear during my last visit they will be moving on, and I wish them all the best of luck with their new life in Italy!
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There is an old adage regarding attempts to fix that which hath yet to break, or indeed showing good reason that it will not break. The Alcohol side of the HP needs no attention whatsoever - same could be said for the entertainment.
We sincerely hope Vale Brewery are smart enough to leave well alone and concentrate on those aspects they (erroneously) believe can improve to a significant degree.
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Very sad to hear the management are moving on - woe betide the new management if they try to tinker too much with the place, as it seems to be working well. Was in last Friday - really busy, great atmosphere, fantastic food, superb beers. Will be paying a Good Friday visit to the festival to give them the send-off they deserve!
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Visited the pub a coulpe of fridays back. A really nice place. Best pub i've been in for quite a while. Plenty of beers to choose from and all in good nick. Would recommend this place to anyone. Only one complaint; the 12 inch pizza i ordered was actually 14 inches!!!!!! :-)
Sorry to here that the current management are moving on. If the next incumbants are half as good, the pub will still be worth frequenting.
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This is a fantastic pub. I highly recommend the four cheese pizza - it helps to line one's stomach to enable you to work through the range of beers, all of them on good form. On Saturday nights they have a singer performing rock classics.
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Have had a couple of superb sessions here lately - one Friday night with some friends enjoy superb pizzas along with the ales, the other a Sunday afternoon watching the football.
It's always a treat to see a pub with so many handpumps at the bar, but even more of a treat to see them almost always in use as they are at the Hop Pole. I love the Pembury Tavern in Hackney, but on occasion I've found many of the pumps disused there (not often, though). At the Hop Pole you never know what you're going to find - and even if you just stick to the Vale beers you can't go wrong. Particular favourite on a recent visit was the Mordue IPA - delicious!
I love this pub so much, I wish I lived in Aylesbury. Can there be any more striking a recommendation?
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Informed of the fayre and the quantity of real ale choice I have finaly made it to the Hop Pole. It is off the beaten track for me in these precints but I am happy I have now visited.
I do not think past reputation anymore counts. It is now a very good place and I particularly like the pizzas variety.
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Charlie-m, bless him, is obviously unaware that l'il ole me was actually in The Ship WITH the Editor/Branch Chairman and the author of said article and participated in the rather fractious exchange of views on the subject of The Hop Pole. Moreover, you get more Hungarian ex-pats in the Hoppity to this day than CAMRA Branch members - not that the regulars are complaining!
CAMRA had little to say about the initial rise of The Hop Pole that was remotely positive. And good riddance to The Ship, it was little more than a crack-den serving swill.
More to the point, HP is still great - and no thanks to CAMRA.
Have a nice evening!
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Pub was apparently saved by local brewery Vale a few years ago, �250k spent on changing it from an undesirable scrotes� dive into the very good pub it now undoubtedly is. Nice light front bar, two large bay windows, old but not ancient oak floor, assorted wood tables & solid chairs, walls decorated with various prints & old photos, upper walls and part ceiling sport old pumpclips, hops adorn back of bar. Small plasma to rear & large plasma in rear room (this one quietly showing news ysdty), two decorative fireplaces.Vale Best Bitter, Grumpling Old Ale, Gravitas, VPA(went), Inveralmond Inkie Pinkie, Goffs Tournament, Loddon MumboJumbo, Mauldon�s Micawber Mild, Dent Kamikaze. Board on side of building, visible on approach, also declared belgian beers. Friendly barmaid (offered taste samplers) & convivial clientele. Menu majors in pizzas (�7/8), chalkboard offers Sun roast, Lamb/Beef/Nut(!) �7.45. Mission pub of day & I could happily have stayed longer.
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Very good pub although Deep Thought is misinformed about CAMRA's support of the pub's turnaround -- which has been wholehearted. The piece referred to was a letter published in a newsletter from a reader who was protesting about the closure of another pub and who complained that all the CAMRA members were in the Hop Pole and King's Head instead of the pub under threat. The editor of the newsletter is very supportive of Vale and the Hop Pole.
Excellent landlord at the moment and a well deserved Pub of the Year.
Only drawback is that it is a 10 minute walk from the town centre
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I've tried most diligently to think of anything that could be considered remotely derogatory to the HP = not at all satisfied with my initial asssessment of Heaven on Earth.
It boils down to one issue - the iPod. And that was a struggle. Involve us musos more, Stu. More variety is needed! And Pasta stuff on the menu....gotta be an idea worth pursuing.
Buggerit, have a 10.
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This has to one of the best pubs for beer in the area.
A continually evolving selection of well kept beers never fail to satisfy.
Still dogged by its former "bad set" reputation of those that remember former times, but this is a beer appreciaters heaven, totally transformed and worthy of its Vale Brewery flagship reputation.
Friendly, welcoming and should not be passed by, by the discerning beer drinker.
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Close to paradise, if a little spartan for the White Wine and Soda brigade. Ales are top-notch, and only one mass-produced UK market fizz pump on view - one assumes to cater for the very few children and the clinically insane. A few are bound to sneak in.
The Stevens gang at Vale Brewery have had a lot of luck with their Managers, it has to be said. Each one brought something to the place, and the current folk have encouraged a truly homogenous crew of nutty foreign types and even the occasional Englishman! It works for me - nobody's been belayed with a blunt instrument yet. This could change, however, the main risk likely to be encountered on Thursday evenings.
A moment to commiserate with Stuart and Monia - great to be CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year, but to suffer the indignity of a photo shoot with one of the biggest detractors regards the Vale's ambition for the HP must have been awful. This of course is a man who published snide and faintly derogatory material in the CAMRA rag a couple of years back - one article in particular emanating from a non-CAMRA source - that specifically knocked places like the HP and Kings Head as being 'Trendy'! If 10 Ales and a good family type camraderie is trendy, let's have some more.
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Well done to Vale brewery for making this 'lost' pub into a premier real ale destination & to Stuart and Monia for running the pub so well. Even the font lagers are interesting. When you have 10 real ales on (and none of them from a 'major')do you really need a beer festival! (well, yes - the more the merrier)
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Quite simply Real Ale heaven!
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Nice place. Excellant beer sellection. Friendly staff.
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Had a terrific (and cheap!) Sunday Lunch in here a couple of weeks back. Ales in top-notch condition, as ever. Wonderful place.
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Great pub! 10 beers on, normally 2-4 from Vale the rest from micros. Always well kept and well served. A friendly local's pub.
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Really nice pub with a large range of ales.
Atmosphere very pleasant staff friendly.
Will go back next time I am in the area.
Barda - 22 Dec 2007 14:38 |
The Hop Pole continues to offer a good range of real ales. These continually change so go visit...It was also good to see Thatcher's cider on offer - on my visit, Spartan, Cox's and Perry. When I visited at about 4:00pm the place was empty and "The Best of The Smiths" (surely an oxymoron?) was being played quietly in the background. The bar staff were friendly and very helpful with the menu (my girlfriend is a coeliac)and the beef burgers with bacon, cheese, salad and chips were fine, no complaints.
The toilets deserve a special mention. They are clean and do not smell. Tea Tree and Aloe Vera handwash is available and the hot tap gave hot water on the second press! Not content with that, the hot air hand dryer actually worked and actually dried my hands!! Other pubs take note: It can be done!
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A real pub, not one of the glorified gin palaces. Handpulled ale, selection changes regularly, and also Staropramen on tap along with the ubiquitous Guinness. Just a very good place to go for a drink.
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Excellent range of beer on the 10 handpumps plus a good selection of bottled beers. Very efficient barstaff, nice layout to pub, bare wooden floors, extremely clean and airy. Crowded in early evening, lively chatter from all around. Only had time for a single drink, but will return soon for a longer session and to sample the good-looking food.
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what a top boozer. There's an astonishingly good selection of ales from - amongst many others - the local Vale brewery. Food's excellent and home cooked by the landlord's missus. Best boozer for miles around and I wish it was my local!. Nice one Stu!
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Great selections of real ales, over 8 at any time, many of them festival ales which are always varied and interesting. Staropramen lager is a firm favourite here for lager drinkers too. Nice and clean and the food served is hearty indeed. Be careful with occasionally 'shallow' takeouts though.
anonymous - 19 Sep 2007 12:08 |
What an excellent pub. Recently went to the beer festival over the Easter weekend. Heaven!!.Festival aside, they have 10 real ales and a couple of premium lagers. The real ales I sampled were kept in excellent condition. The Vale Pale Ale was a particular favourite.
The pub has undergone a major make over. It works well, I enjoyed it as a 'shabby' boozer in my teens and now can enjoy the pleasant decor.
Sunday roasts look well stacked and tasty.
TV is not a problem. Confess to having watched a few football games in there. If sat in the front bar the TV is unobtrusive.
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The pub that puts the 'ales' in Aylesbury! This place is a beer-lover's paradise. There's a choice of ten well-kept real ales from all over the UK, which change from week to week. Lager drinkers are well-catered for too, with a range of premium lagers like Budvar and Staropramen. There's still more beer in the fridge, such as bottles of Belgian fruit beer and German wheat beer! If you can't find a beer you like here, there's something wrong with you! The staff are very friendly and go out of their way to make you feel at home. The decor too is warm and welcoming, not pretentious but not scruffy either, with exposed floorboards and rugged wooden tables and chairs. There are various events, such as a monthly pub quiz and weekly music night, and at the time of writing they're working hard to prepare for their 40-ale Easter beer festival! There are large screens for the major sporting events, but these are fairly unobtrusive and tucked away in the back room. Good food is available at lunchtimes and evenings, with a range of pizzas and Italian sandwiches (courtesy of the Italian chef!) However this is not a 'sports' pub, or a 'gastro' pub - but first and foremost a drinkers' pub - a great place to sample some delicious beers and chat with your mates and the friendly staff and regulars. There's even a wireless internet network, available free of charge. Highly recommended.
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fantastic pub! lovely decor (bare wood, pale green/cream walls, open fireplaces, etc) FAB beer, lovely staff + landlord, friendly clientele. Saw ABAKUS play live there on Saturday - what a fantastic band they were too! Will definitely be back.
anonymous - 2 Apr 2007 14:13 |
excllent pub, 10 real ales, top bar staff
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Probably one of the best pub's in Aylesbury,by far the bigest selection of real ale, changing every couple of day's or so. This is what having a drink is all about. treat yourself to an evening here and you will realise what you have been missing
anonymous - 29 Jan 2007 20:03 |
Superb selection of well kept beers, with an appreciative customer base. A must visit for the variety of micro brewery beers.
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New Manager and a better pub. Comfortable, warm, friendly...and the pub is too! Brilliant background music with a real treat on the steel guitar by the Manager for a couple of minutes on the night I went. He has just taken over apparently, but real future in this pub I reckon. Get on yer bike/taxi/bus whatever and compare the ales one by one. Best variety I've ever seen. Bar staff really good too. Looking forward to seeing how the live music develops.....
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The Hop Pole Inn, has just come under new management as of this week. Fortunately, the task of running it has fallen on people who are passionate about real ale, know their stuff and who are determined to keep all 10 hand pumps on the go (as long as there is ale to pull through them!). Beer is obtained from microbreweries all over England (none of that big name stuff....). The new manager also has a background in the music industry so Saturday night entertainment can only get better as time goes on. As for food, the menu will be getting a substantial overhaul over the coming weeks and all being well, Sunday roasts will make a comeback. Thankfully, the new management has also brought along their iPod, so the Hop Pole has entered the 21st century making the leap from a 50 song to a 5,000 song selection! This pub is definitely on its way up and well worth several visits if you can't get through the beer selection on your first!!
Grace - 12 Oct 2006 10:19 |
Spent an afternoon here recently, sat out front in the sunshine working my way through the beers, and really enjoyed it. Food was ok, nothing to write home about but reasonable enough. Beer was great. Loads of choice from local ales to belgian lagers. Lovely. Didn't have a bad pint. One tip: unless you're a seasoned drinker I suggest switching to halves. If you like your beer and in Aylesbury then this pub is a must.
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Strictly over 21s. Under 21 not even allowed in the small garden in front of the pub.
anonymous - 6 Sep 2006 12:55 |
Really good selection of real ale - one of the best in Aylesbury. We weren't that impressed with the food though.
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Huge selection of real ale, visited very early on in the day, so as for atmosphere I cant really vouch one way or the other for that. Its the beer wot does it for me!
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Small former run down locals pub on a busy road out of the town centre. Recently taken over and refurbished by local Vale Brewery, it now feels a little sterile and lacks atmosphere. The pub now boasts around 10 real ales, 2 of them from Vale but the rest ever changing guests from lots of small producers. A few foreign beers on draught and about 20 in bottle (but nothing too unusual). The best beer selection in a 20 mile radius, but not without it's faults.
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