The Cricketers, Woodford

A sad pale shadow of the great pub this used to be. If there was an award for most incompetent, rude landlord of the year, this pub would have won the trophy enough times to keep the original. The last 5 years has seen this pub tumble downhill. The local, friendly atmospheric ale house it used to be is sadly a distant memory. Still serves well kept beer, although the lack of non Mcmullens real ale is still a massive drawback, especially in 2013 with the amount of micro breweries around, and the growth in real ale sales in the industry, producing very high standard beer, you would have thought Mcmullens would add to their beer range. I know of many people who don't use the pub simply because one of their number don't like Mcmullens ale. Simply adding a doom bar or a Timothy Taylor on the bar would be a quick and massive improvement.
Having said this, the pub, the staff and the vast majority of its customers are very pleasant, but sadly have no chance in creating any kind of atmosphere due to the rude, aggressive, moody, unfriendly landlord, Tim, creating an atmosphere that would be more befitting of auschwitz than a local ale house in woodford green. Barring people for the very most pathetic reasons, some of which have used the pub for decades spanning many managers / landlords with no problem whatsoever.
What amazes most is the complete lack of acknowledgement of Mcmullens to the sad state of affairs that have blighted the pub over the past few years, If the landlord were to be replaced with someone with even half a personality then perhaps the scores of locals and regulars who now use the George, the travellers friend, the horse and well, the railway bell, (I could go on) might return and return this pub to the clean, tidy, friendly, warm and welcoming community pub it once was.
Sadly as always it's the people who are made to suffer, while a brainless, useless robot manager ruins what was once a thriving him of the community, here's hoping the situation changes soon....

3 Sep 2013 18:18