The Free Press, Cambridge

This is actually a Greene King tied house so I approached it with a Bible in one hand, a candle in the other and a bell hanging from my neck. Joking aside, this is actually quite a decent pub and one I'm sure I'd been to before Greene King turned into a national brewer. It retains two separate bars, the one I entered was small with wooden floorboards and benches. One interesting feature is that they still have what is essentially an outdoor toilet, there is only plastic corrugated sheeting keeping the elements at bay. Seven beers were on offer, Abbot, IPA and the rare XX Mild from Greene King, Black Sheep Bitter, St Austell Tribute, Moorhouse Ice Witch and Woodforde Nelson's Revenge. As I had already tried the Ice Witch for just £1.99 in the Tivoli a few hours earlier I went for the Nelson's Revenge which was in superb condition. This was the second Greene King GBG listed pub I had visited at the tail end of the year. If they allowed more of their houses to have a less restricted beer choice it wouldn't harm their reputation at all.

This is a cosy, traditional back street boozer with a typical two bar layout. The corner entrance takes you into the smaller of the two bars with a centrally positioned servery opposite. Limited fixed bench and standard seating runs around the perimeter, supplemented by a row of bar stools. A small fireplace stands in front of the bar with a collection of craft beer bottles on the mantle and some framed pictures, plans and articles all relating to the pub, displayed above. The day’s papers are available from a rack near to the door and an acoustic guitar hangs on one wall, whilst there is one of several display units with numerous tiny compartments, each filled, presumably by customers, with little trinkets such as bottle caps, tiny drawings, stamps, plectrums, business cards and the like. To the rear, next to a couple of fold down chairs, there is a very small snug with a ‘Free Press’ etched glass pane above. It’s a tight squeeze through the doorway and once inside you’ll find a single L shaped bench and a single table, with access to the bar at one end. The walls and ceiling here are decorated with old newspaper articles – a nod to the pub’s name which derives from an unsuccessful local temperance movement newspaper which only survived for one issue. The second bar has a good deal more seating including more fixed benches and standard chairs. Black and white pictures of the pub line the walls and there are more of those display cabinets to poke around. A small fireplace stands on one wall and from the rear you can access the beer garden and outdoor toilet block. An article in the Gents toilet explained how this pub became the first in the city to operate a smoking ban way back in the early 1980’s. A decent soundtrack played throughout my stay, presumably from a streaming service, as the barman took requests from some of the punters. This is a Greene King house, but thankfully one which has been given a degree of autonomy where beer choice is concerned. As well as Greene King staples IPA and Abbot, their rare XX Mild was also available alongside guests Vale VPA, Wadworth 6X and Hook Norton Hooky, with Weston’s Old Rosie cider on the final hand pump. The keg range looked to be fairly standard but craft beer bottles could be spotted in the fridges. My pint of the VPA was absolutely spot on. This is a great little pub and a credit to Greene King who would do well to encourage pubs of theirs in areas with less competition to adopt a similar model. I found the staff friendly and engaging, the beer in great condition and the pub the sort of place you could relax for a few hours. It’s another back street Cambridge gem.

Greene King's Cambridge pubs seem willing and able to not only offer guest beers, but also put XX Mild on the bar. Add in a charming unspoilt interior and you've got yourself a great little pub. Appropriate to the pub name, a selection of newspapers are available to read. As noted in other reviews, 3 Greene King beers (XX mild included) sit on the bar alongside 3 guests and a cider. The tiny snug is well worth a look-in (but mind your head on the way in!). So long as you can work around the afternoon closing, highly recommended to anyone touring the city's ale houses. As a final note, they need to sort out that website of theirs: it's chock-full of dead links right now.

A small back street pub with an interesting interior especially to the left of the front door where there are settles,a snug with an L shaped bench,table and it's own door,and also it's own access to the bar.Outside this snug on the dividing wood panneled wall are two tip up type wooden seats,not the most sturdy looking but useful no doubt as the pub fills.The central bar serves both sides of the open plan interior and there is a charming courtyard.On my trip there were three GK beers in the form of Abbott,IPA and the rare XX Dark Mild,so good that it is hard to believe it is brewed by GK;a very fine MILD.The guests ales were Wadsworth Boundary,Coach House Farriers Best and Nethergate Growler with a real cider also on handpull. The food extends from sandwiches to pub grub staples,it all seemed prepared with some care ,a touch on the pricey side,but I guess you have to pay something for the atmosphere.During the week the pub closes from 2.30pm to 6pm so plan accordingly.Given the XX Mild and guests beers ,well worth including on any real ale crawl.