The Rosebud, Brightlingsea

We visited this pub for the first time in several months following reports that the new landlord had really improved the place. I'm afraid we were sorely disappointed. I'm not one to judge by appearances but the presence of a couple of dozen tattooed, shaven headed thirty somethings using foul language at fifty decibels & pushing & shoving the surrounding clientele is far from inviting. This could have been quickly remedied by a quiet word from the staff bet alas this didn't happen.
We decided to give them the benefit of the doubt as we all have our off days, so we decided to have a beer. They had four real ales on offer, sadly for a free house all four ales were from the same brewery, Mighty Oak. We each had a pint of Their IPA. It was lifeless, watery & devoid of taste & we had to ask the bar person to top our glasses up as the last inch of our beer was froth. Despite this we decided to risk another pint & moved onto Maldon Gold. This was better but only just & once again we received a short measure.
We have since informed the owner of our experiences & hopefully our next visit to the Rosebud will be a more enjoyable one.

5 May 2013 11:13

The Swan, Little Totham

Visited this charming country pub a few days ago. We received a warm welcome, there were ten real ales available, we ate a good quality pub lunch, the portion size was excellent, the prices were more than reasonable, the atmosphere was great & it is cycle friendly. What more can I say. Miss this gem at your peril.

6 Mar 2013 13:11

The Ale House, Colchester

A local community pub that of late has gone from strength to strength. There is always a good selection of real ales & ciders available sourced from local breweries & beyond. The prices are competitive which is more than can be said for the pub opposite where identical ales are often on sale for 20 or 30 pence more.
The staff are friendly & knowledgeable, always happy to have a chat & will even accept suggestions for future ales. The recent addition of a bar billiards table is a nice traditional touch. Based on current form it would be an injustice should this pub not appear in the next edition of the Good Beer Guide.

6 Mar 2013 13:03