BITE user comments - swansheath
Comments by swansheath
So the pub survived.... one landlord bought his partner out. Sensible move as this is def not a two jags establishment. The decor has improved considerably and gives off a far less threatening aura. A woodburner now helps create a pleasant comfy feel during the winter. Beerwise.... not a lot on offer for the ale fan. In fact it has even let its bottled ale selection dwindle. Guinness has now gone from draught to one of those electronic canned dispenser gizmos..... No bad thing because their draught was undrinkable in the main.
This pub will survive, primarily because the owner is a frugal chap with, it appears, no real aspirations for the establishment to flourish beyond it's role of catering primarily for a friendly but small bunch of regulars. That said, it fulfills that brief extremely well and harks back to a time gone by in the sense that it is a true "local" pub with a fairly young at heart feel. Whitstable has lost a myriad of such local pubs over the years.... there used to be at least one on every terraced street's corner and The Fountain and it's neighbour The New Inn are quite literally the only survivors in the residential part of Whitstable's conservation area. These two pubs complement each other very well indeed, each catering for different markets amongst the locals.
19 Jun 2012 07:22
Geronimo are no longer running this establishment. It is back with Youngs. Review to follow.
23 Jul 2010 08:23
It's been a while since I passed comment on The Queens.... 12mths in fact. One of the comments I made in my last review was regarding management and the lack of continuity. Has that improved? Not a bit! If anything it is distinctly worse. At the last head count, amongst regulars, there have been five different manager/landlords in a two year period. As I am sure the reader can imagine, the regular bar staff themselves tend to "show the ropes" to the new bosses. All well and good if the appointees were in for the long haul, whereby they can make their mark. That is most certainly "not" the case. This pub, quite literally, redesigns the wheel every few months as the managers are moved on to other establishments within the Geronimo group.
The fact of the matter is that this pub is essentially run as a social meeting point for the bar staff...... and it shows, boy does it show.
17 Oct 2009 17:58
Excellent pub. During the week it is a firm favourite with the natives. Weekends tend to get very busy with the influx of folk using the hill. This tends to push things to their limits owing to the limited space. Sadly the clientele at weekends tend to lean toward the more rowdy which can render the place a little too claustrophobic.
The staff turnover seems to be rapid, often leading to tailbacks at the bar as new staff get up to speed. The management turnover is, if anything, more frequent than that of general bar staff. In four years I have witnessed six managers which can do nothing for maintaining continuity of standards.
Geronimo need to sort the management issues in this establishment and install someone who can take the helm on a more long term basis rather than juggling personnel in an apparent ad-hoc fashion.
I still maintain that this is an excellent pub, however this has relied upon a core group of general bar staff who are attentive and friendly. It is crucial that Geronimo keep a grip on The Queens because there is stiff local opposition and to lose custom because of imprudent management decisions would be sad as this pubs atmosphere relies heavily upon the local community (most certainly during the week).
25 Oct 2008 13:41
The Fountain, Whitstable
Now keeping guest ales and they seem to be popular.
12 Dec 2012 08:24