Simon went for an evening meal with some friends at The Brushmakers Arms, Upham , where he had a traditional Steak & Ale Pie, accompanied by chips and mixed vegetables, with a pint of Upham Ale 4%. Unfortunately, Simon was driving so his beer consumption was limited.
The meal was generally very good, not least because of the good company, and the general ambience of the pub, which was excellent. The pie was tasty, with a good meaty filling and proper short-crust pastry, but let down by 2 things: (1) The filling was far too hot when served (Simon scalded his tongue at the first taste), and (2) the pastry, though of good quality, was only a topping and not a full casing (it might also have been slightly overcooked). The accompanying vegetables were fresh, tasty and nicely cooked. The chips were not bad. Portion sizes were ample. The ale was ok, but not as good (in Simon's opinion) as Upham Nectar 3.8%. At £10.50 for the meal it was average value for money.
Simon was disappointed to notice that Steak & Kidney Pudding was on the menu, but "sold out".
Please note that Simon visited the pub without any other members of the Club, so opinions expressed above are purely personal and not representative of the Club.
Simon stopped for lunch at The Folly Inn and opted for the traditional Beef and Ruddles Ale Pie (just a small portion as he knew he was going to have a big meal later in the evening) accompanied by a pint of Goddards Scrumdiggity 4%.
The pie was disappointing as there was too much pastry and not enough filling. The short-crust pastry was good but soon became soggy from the gravy (which had been pre-applied). The filling was tasty, but perhaps rather too much gravy and not enough solid meat. The accompanying vegetables were fresh (apart from the frozen peas), tasty and nicely cooked. The chips were very good. The ale was the best part of the meal. At £6.79 for the meal, and £2.35 for the pint of ale, it was good value for money. The location (right by the water's edge) was good, but the ambience was let down by the presence of fruit machines and background music.
His companion had British Ham Hock and Broad Bean Pie with mashed potatoes and Colmans Diane Sauce.
Simon wished that he had ordered that instead.
Please note that Simon visited the pub without any other members of the Club, so opinions expressed above are purely personal and not representative of the Club.
