Govern Pub

Cider Vs. Beer – The Southampton Arms

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:33:54 +0000

I don’t know about you but I have to admit to being partial to cider. However until recently I was pretty conventional in my tastes. Usually when I enter a pub and talk to the staff a robotic voice seems to emerge from my mouth to utter the words “A pint of Strongbow please”. It’s like going to Starbucks and ordering a cappuccino, how unadventurous can you get. That’s why when a mate asked me to meet him at the Southampton Arms and sample some of their ciders, I was intrigued enough to agree.

Now although there are other ale and cider houses within London the Southampton Arms is the only one (they claim), to sell products from little independent UK breweries. Some of those featured include Nethergate, Slaters, Camden Town and Mighty Oak. We turned up on an early Sunday evening and it was already busy, probably aided by the efforts of the pianist. I got to see their keyboard technique as me and my mate made our way out to the small beer garden at the back. It was cosy to be sure but atmospheric.

The endless debate of beer vs. cider will

continue for some time I think…

There was a variety of fruit ciders on offer and I tasted two or three and was pretty impressed. As apparently were the other punters I saw around me, plus the previous reviewers of the pub, Time Out and The Telegraph have both given it glowing reviews. Its intentions are stated on the sign outside ‘Ale, cider, meat’ and it successfully delivers on that.

The pub is located on Highgate Road and is within reach of the Kentish Town and Gospel Oak tubes and C2 and 214 bus stops. The only other thing you need to know is that you should leave your credit and debit cards at home; cash is king in this pub.

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The Bok Bar & Enigin Scam Busters

admin — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:04:05 +0000

Many pubs in London are trying to reduce their carbon footprint and the Enigin Scam initiative shows smaller places like The Bok Bar in Marylebone how to avoid easting energy and reduce their consumption.

Overview of the Bok

The Bok Bar is situated just off Baker Street and is unique in more ways then one. From the outside it looks like a traditional London boozer with chalk boards advertising the specials for both food and drink. You wouldn’t think that it was part of a larger chain. On the inside the first thing you see is the bar itself set up in a wide rectangle in the centre of the room. The area is brightly lit with fake chandeliers casting a little too much light to be completely honest – on several occasions punters have asked the landlord to lower the wattage in the bulbs. However as the bar also shows live sporting events including the football and rugby, the extra light is perhaps a sensible precaution as there is little natural light to be gleaned from the windows in the pub.

Behind the bar the atmosphere becomes entirely different. Muted lighting coupled with chocolate brown wooden panelling gives the seated spaces a much more relaxed and calm feeling. The seats are a mix of soft cushion stools and comfy leather bound chairs dotted sporadically about the tables in the area. Whilst the tables and chairs are well organised, the irregularity of the space gives it a nice homely feeling of being messy in a comforting way. Another point of difference to other pubs in the area is the amazing Thai food the bar chef provides. Many pubs have tried their hand at incorporating Thai and Chinese food into their offer, but The Bok Bar does it so successfully that when you eat the food you would be forgiven for mistaking it as being of restaurant quality.

Energy and Light

Of course like all bars, The Bok consumes a lot of electrical energy which is where the Enigin scam team comes into play. Many businesses suffer from a waste of energy and high utility costs, especially in built up metropolitan areas like London. With energy prices soaring higher then ever before, a lot of places have sought to reduce their consumptions (and therefore their costs), by being as energy efficient as possible. The question is how do you avoid the genuine article from the rip-off?

The Eniscope

Not many energy consumption devices can boast the ability to monitor over 100 different electrical appliances in real time. The Eniscope does this and more. In the past several years and following the increased interest in the impending fossil fuel crisis, many products have entered the market claiming to make the customer great savings on their energy usage. Whilst there are many genuine products available to use, there have been an equal number of unscrupulous rip-offs that have penetrated the market. The Enigin scam team was assembled to help the consumer tell the difference between the genuine and the fraud. The Eniscope is a key part of this.

By installing the technology in a bar or other building the system will soon pick up how much energy each appliance is using. After it establishes a base line (which takes between 1-2 weeks depending on the number of parameters being monitored), the system can give you an accurate read out of what appliances are using the most energy – including any that are supposed to be saving you energy.

Applied to The Bok Bar

With so little natural light available to The Bok Bar, their electrical consumption is likely to be higher then other pubs with less available light. Having the Eniscope installed as part of their carbon reduction plan will no doubt lessen their consumption as well as their costs. The chain is already considering options like these which can only be a good thing; less money spent on utilities will lead to less mark up on the bar prices. The Enigin scam solution may appear to be just a corporate model, but in fact it shows how much of an impact can be made just by teaching people to be more efficient.

Amazing food, great atmosphere and an opportunity to show how energy can be saved even in a bar!

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The Dove London

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 16:33:04 +0000

What makes a pub great? The beer is cheap, the atmosphere and the people around are nice, it is near where you live, it is open till late? According to me, a great pub has all these merits, or at least most of them. But more importantly, a great pub has to be unique and to lure you in every time you pass by. So let me present to you a great pub that I discovered recently and which I believe anyone will enjoy drinking in. The name of the Pub is The Dove, by the river Themes just next to the most beautiful bridge, the Hammersmith Bridge.

This pub was the favourite drinking-place of the famous Scottish poet James Thomson, author of the lyrical song “Rule Britannia!”. It was here were he wrote his four poems from the literary miscellany “Seasons” published in 1976, while gazing through the windows and drinking whiskey and tap water. Latter on this pub becomes a meeting spot of some of the best men to have walked on the streets of London, namely Ernest Hemingway, Alec Guinness, who by the way used to drink Guinness beer exclusively, Dylan Tomas also loved this place and the story goes that he used to mix up different kinds of beer in one glass and spend hours pouring the good stuff into his mouth.

Today however, the things are a bit more trivial, especially on the weekends when American tourists storm the pub. The current owners even put two huge displays, which look a bit like exhibition stands but much smaller and without the fancy stuff, so the stupid Yankees can find the pub easier, you know in the end it is all about the money. So please make sure you go and visit during the working week. If you do so, I assure you that the minute you walk through the door you will find yourself in a place which seems to have come out of a fairy tale. Everything is authentic and it is so quiet and utterly wonderful.

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The Castle Pub, Walthamstow

admin — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 21:03:07 +0000

Now, I don’t venture as far out as Walthamstow (zones 3-4) very often, but when a friend had a big birthday, and promised roasting marshmallows and a bonfire I found myself out of excuses to avoid getting on the Victoria line. And I’m very glad I did. Not only was the party a triumph (I would suggest that everyone with their own garden invests in a fire pit!) but the pre-party drinks at The Castle pub just down the road were a success too.

Although it only offers three ales we were not entirely a real ale group so we found everyone was nicely accommodated. The ale drinkers were happy with the Young’s and the rest very pleased with the range of lagers and wines. Only one of us ate, as the rest of us were planning to eat at the party, but he was more than happy with his burger, which was tasty and very reasonably priced. The rest of us were equally happy to help him with his chips!

Relaxing, chilled atmosphere

The main strong point of the pub is its relaxing, chilled atmosphere. The book-lined interior and the smallish beer garden are genuinely welcoming and it was busy but not over-crowded on a warm Saturday night. For the lone diner or the smaller group there was a good selection of books and a few board games such as scrabble, chess and monopoly, though nothing as exotic as Mah jong sets UK pubs have really taken on board how delightful a late Sunday afternoon that stretches into early evening can be with a few pints, some snacks and a great game of Risk with some friends. The Castle is definitely once such pub.

So, The Castle: It’s a bit far out of the way for regular visits, but if I lived nearby I’d count myself lucky to be a local, and if you have any friends nearby then I’d suggest a visit!

The Castle Pub, 15 Grosvenor Rise East, Walthamstow, London, E17 9LB (about ten minutes walk from Walthamstow Central tube and overground station)

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Metro Night Club in Marylebone

admin — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 02:33:05 +0000

Located on Oxford Street in London’s Marylebone, the Metro Night Club not only offers a nice, eclectic mix of drinks and music, but it offers a true rock club experience.

The Metro is not a trendy hipster club (though you will find loads of hipsters there – thankfully the crowd is diverse so you may also see those people are in teaching English jobs there.). Metro’s dark, almost dingy interior might be a little off-putting, but you don’t go to a rock club for the décor. After all, a classic rock club experience needs a bit of dark dankness. Plus, you forget about the décor with the high energy and awesome sounds in the club. And people. Lots of people.

Metro Night Club is often packed with an enthusiastic, dance-happy crowd. The crowd also usually won’t stop moving, or singing along, thanks to the excellent DJs who spin for the club. These wizards play a great varied mix of soul, funk, retro and indie rock, and seem to know exactly what the crowd wants.

As for drinks, while there are pricier bottles and cocktails, there are also cheap drinks for the masses, like 2.50 pound pint-sized beers and 1.50 pound mixed drinks and shots. All in all, the Metro’s a great place to dance, sing, and drink the night away.

The nearest London Underground Station to the Metro Night Club is Tottenham Court Road. So you don’t have to drive and this may be a good thing considering all the drinking that will be done.

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Octave in Leicester Square

admin — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:03:09 +0000

Near the Covent Garden Tube Station in London’s Leicester Square, Octave is a popular jazz venue that is a laidback, modern environment perfect for drinks, food, and music. Octave’s live regular jazz evenings means that you will always have chill music to accompany your eats or drinks.

Octave is open for lunch, afternoon drinks, dinner and cocktails. Speaking of cocktails, Octave offers more than 70 cocktails on its menu. The cucumber cooler is a refreshing cocktail, and for those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks, there are lots of virgin cocktails to enjoy, too. Most cocktails are reasonably priced, starting at 6 pounds each. Champagne drinks start at around 9 pounds each. They are well-worth the extra cost, though so you all can partake on your teaching English jobs. After all, you are enjoying a well-made cocktail while listening to great music. If you have a sweet tooth, you will love Octave’s desserts menu, too.

Octave stays true to the cool jazz vibe with its chic interior: sexy red walls with large, striking pictures of jazz heroes. It’s rather dark inside the club, but that adds to the atmosphere, enhancing the jazz club experience. Octave often offers wonderful live jazz acts, and also hosts live dancing nights, too.

All in all, Octave is a great place for jazz, as well as a casual meal, excellent cocktail, or dessert. It is certainly the place friends will go to have a good lime and for laughs. So get there early and enjoy the scene.

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Octave in Leicester Square

admin — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:03:11 +0000

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The Empress – Cambridge, UK

admin — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:18:24 +0000

Situated off Mill Road – probably the most culturally diverse streets in the city – The Empress offers up a surprisingly spacious area and a few other secrets besides…

Walking down Mill Road, past cramped houses and a steady stream of people, the last thing you expect as you turn onto Thoday Street is a decent-sized pub with room to spare. But that’s exactly what you get, and that’s not all – out the back is a well-kept secret that only a lucky few know about!

That’s right, this pub has everything, including a number of resident pigs. Hanging out in their pen in the beer garden out back, you can check out their curly tails over a pint and then head inside for a game of Pool if that’s your bag!

Inside the pub it’s dark wood all round. Nothing new, apart from the furnishings, which have recently been upholstered. The sister pub of The Emperor in the heart of the city, The Empress is comfortable, always friendly, and run by some of the nicest people around. Not only that but the food is exceptional and every singe week they run pub quiz’s and all kinds of other entertainment, including but not limited to live music.

Hanging out in their pen in the beer garden out back, you can check out their curly tails over a pint

Another thing which The Empress does is make you feel cosy and at home – not the easiest thing to do for a large pub with a big outdoor area containing a large Connect 4 game and a maize of picnic tables bent out of shape from years of drinking. And this is one of the guests'favourite aspects, I suspect. It’s not something which you can engineer but rather something which is either there or not.

Finally, The Empress wins on one very important point – possibly the most important there is: the drink. While they serve all the popular mainstream beers they also have a discerning selection of quality local and special brews. As Lenny from human resource software says after he’s drunk half a bar full of Old Speckled Hen, “That’ll do me, my friend!” (And let me tell you, if it’ll do Lenny they it’ll probably do you as well. Lenny hates pubs which don’t conform to his strict quality control measures, and he makes this point know at every opportunity, including in the morning when I get in, in the afternoon, and also on the way home. I really need to learn to run faster so I can get away from Lenny’s wrath…)

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Take a trip to Colliers Wood

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:33:09 +0000

A friend of mine lives in Colliers Wood in South West London, it’s right down near the bottom of the Northern line on the tube after Tooting Broadway. An interesting little place that seems to be largely dominated by trading parks with a massive PC World, TK Max and Argos. There is also a significant number of billboards and advertisements, a place I imagine a discount displays homepage is here site would do very well.

There are a few housing estates dotted around but it’s not a place that on first glance you would think is a nice place to live but having spent a bit of time there with my friend I have thought differently. One of the things that stands out when you get off the tube, apart from the huge hypermarket down the road, is a lovely looking pub called The Colliers Tup. My friend and I frequent this establishment regularly and despite it being rather expensive for where it is, it is a great place to have a drink. They have a nice selection of largers on tap, they often have live music on the weekends, if you’re into that sort of thing, and sometimes you can get two good quality burgers for £10.

When the weekend arrives, especially as it’s now getting rather hot in our country, the place is buzzing throughout the day and evening. There is a massive beer garden that has a great atmosphere with a number of different barbecues on the go. Definitely a place to check out whilst the weathers going good.

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Review: Fuller’s London Pride Premium Ale

admin — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 10:17:21 +0000

After spending the day with a number of clients discussing fuel management, I met up with some of my friends and we went out for a beer. We began talking about beer and which ones we thought was the best. One of the ones that made the cut was “Fuller’s London Pride Premium Ale”. Here is why.

This beer comes in what we call the traditional beer bottle shape and has been around for over 160 years. It is dark gold when poured in a glass and it has a fast vanishing head, which I did not particularly care for. I believe the head of a beer should last longer it for no other reason than you will feel like you are drinking a real beer.

London Pride has an inviting smell and you may be able to detect the lovely blend of hops, malt, and some kind of fruit, I can’t indentify. For a beer it really smelt good, which was quite surprising.

The taste is a bit on the bitter which may be because of the different kinds of hops used in the brewing process. There is a quiet malty taste there which is gentle and not overpowering. Some of us found it to be a bit watery also. This beer cannot be called gassy and is fairly still.

So from Fuller’s London Pride Premium Ale you get a complex tasting beer than should get well with a good solid meal or when out with your drinking mates. It is by far more than drinkable.

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