The Plough, Coldharbour

This pub has an amazing location, and the on-site micobrewery is a real gem.

Quite a lot of comments are about hospitality to walkers and cyclists and I guess the amazing location aspect is a double edged sword in this respect. This beautiful area attracts hordes of cyclists and walkers who need water and toilet facilities, and there is nowhere else in the area that has them.

The cyclists/walkers resent paying for water and wish to use the loos for free. The loos are often left in a sorry state after a coach load of walkers have used them, or muddy cyclists, and the pub must pay for them to be cleaned, or worse, paying customers are deterred from returning due to dirty toilets.

Water costs money to serve, not just serving but glass collecting, cleaning, drying and breakages, and of course the water meter itself.

There may be some goodwill to be earned but it is at a considerable cost, not least in staff time in cleaning the loos, and mostly for people who never intend to purchase anything from the pub.

25 Sep 2010 23:59