please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Permanently closed, as a pub.
|
Closed
Would appear that Shepherd Neame have sold the pub off and is now closed and up for auction.
Future uncertain.
|
2nd visit to this pub with my team playing at Maidstone United.
Not so impressed on my 2nd visit, maybe I wasn't in the mood as much as last time.
Still a very good local pub but on this visit the beer choice was a bit more ordinary and not quiet so large in range.
I will try again but it's still a lovely little pub.
|
A lovely back street pub just up from County Hall and opposite Maidstone prison.
Shepherd & Neame pub as mentioned before, Master brew, Late Red & a guest from the Rudgate Brewery which was Ruby Mild were the ales on tap the day I visited. Started with the Ruby Mild which wasn't great but the Late Red more than made up for it.
Spent most of the time in the garden as there were a group of 6 of us which grew as the afternoon went on.
A really nice friendly local place that I shal lvisit again on my next trip to Maidstone.
|
Smallish Shepherd Neame street corner local. Unlike many SN houses they had 2 guest ales on. I chose one, Franklins Tea ( a Yorkshire Beer brewed in Sussex so the pumpclip proclaimed) which is something I would say is an 'acquired taste'. Still not a bad locals pub overall and worth dropping in to.
anonymous - 12 Mar 2011 23:04 |
I'm not a big Shepherd Neame fan but this compact Sheps pub is very good. A selection of ales on, I had a couple of Late Red which were very drinkable.
The barstaff and customers were friendly and there was plenty of evidence of a lively social life with sports teams and events referred to on notices pinned to the walls.
There's a small outdoor area with picnic benches but no sooner had we occupied them than it began to rain!
All in all a good local and also handy for a quick pint whilst waiting for a train.
|
Great pub - lovely landlady (Jackie) who knows how to keep and serve decent beer. Friendly staff and locals. Good atmosphere not centred around the Sky Sports Channels, offers music nights, darts nights, quiz nights and speciality nights such as Sinatra Tributes, Burns Nights, St Georges Night. Really grest time on each of them. Really fantastic little local - try it, you won't regret it (handy for the train station and taxi rank too). Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant.
|
Very small Sheps pub, excellent Masterbrew along with two guest ales, the best cheese & onion sandwich in ultra-fresh wholemeal bread I've ever eaten. As the Society Rooms didn't have a single drop of real ale in the house (on at Tuesday lunchtime?) this pub was a breath of fresh air.
|
The problem with SHepherd Neame pubs is that hey are tied to the output of the Shepherd Neame brewery. Which wouldn't be a problem if the pubs realised that Sheps do more ales than Masterbrew and Spitfire. If you can find a Sheps pub that's realised this, then you're onto a good thing.
The Swan is one such pub. Four ales on, all good. Friendly barman who knows how to look after the beer. I'll knock them up to 7/10 for the ale selection.
Mind you, what's the telly all about? There's a huge wide screen telly, and the barman boasted of it being a plus that they don't have Sky Sports....
|
A nice little pub that is ruined by a god awful wide screen t.v slap bang in the main bar why???
Talk about a conversation killer while i was there they had some sport playing then some truly awful music channel playing dance music, and of course all were transfixed by this and lets face you cant help but be drawn to the screen no matter how hard you try to fight it!
As for the beer I wanted to try the new beer produced in the new Shepherd Neame micro brewery but the pump clip was turned round, i was later informed by the barmen that it had not come up right so decided to take it off, to this i was very pleased to hear, well done!!
I opted for a pint of Masterbrew very nice if a little lacking in condition I later discovered that they serve all their ales through a sparkler! why???
All this does is give the Ale a massive head but in doing so destroys the flavour in the process, all the aroma and taste is pushed into the head.
I know without this my pint would have been in tip top form!
All in all a nice little pub slightly ruined by a couple of niggles i.e the TV and the sparkler on the pumps.
|
Miserable clientale
|
Very welcoming barman, and although a locals pub, they seem quite sympathetic to those who are visiting the prison over the road. A Shepherd Neame pub with guest ales � you don�t see that very often.
But to counteract that, they�d gone to the trouble of putting out a billboard advertising a mouth-watering spread when the kitchen was closed for refurbishment. What was that all about? I�ll give them 6/10 - average
|
Tiny pub, the prices are a disgrace as well. Live music most Saturdays means you probably won't be able to get in the door because the band takes up half of the pub.
Sharp - 29 Jun 2008 23:24 |
Basically a locals' pub but I've always found it friendly and welcoming. Though I'm not a great Sheps' fan, the beer is exceptionally well kept here' and you get the interesting seasonal beers not to be found widely. Worth a stop-off.
|
Very clean, very friendly and Shepherd Neame'Porters' at its' finest.
Lovely little boozer, one of the best in town.
|
Traditional backstreet pub, handy for County Hall and Maidstone East station. Basic, but well-kept Shepherd Neame beers.
|
