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The Brewery Tap, Norwich
Norwich
NR3 4LF
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about The Brewery Tap
Brewing in a shed come to life, there’s a brewery on the roadside of the building and a well appointed brewery tap behind. It is a large shed but has a flag floor and a decent hardwood counter with a beautiful naturalistic top, furnished with Britannias and benches and two large drinking shelves with tall stools in the middle. There’s a raised area at one end and the decor is old pub signs, stained glass pub windows and photos of the brewing process. One end has a window into the cold room where some beers (9) are on gravity, the counter has eight pulls and two banks of keg taps giving 18 pours. Blackboards above the servery show what’s available conveniently split by dispense. Busy with the idle middle aged, when I dropped by.
On 21st April 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3276 recommendations about 2982 pubs]
Will Larter left this review about The Brewery Tap
I'm not normally a fan of brewery taps, and the exterior of this one is no more promising than most. Once inside though a great effort has been made to transform the available space into something that is as pub-like as you could want, with wooden screens or room dividers, hops suspended from beams, old inn signs on the walls and a magnificent varnished wooden bar counter.
I would guess that the separate ownership of the brewery and the tap is for business reasons that needn't concern us, as the bar is dominated by beers from the Fat Cat Brewery. Guests at the time of my visit were from the likes of Deya, Brew York, Oakham and North Riding, but I can drink most of those any time, so I concentrated on the Fat Cat beers. The regular Norwich Bitter was true to style and very enjoyable, though in no better than "good" condition. I also tried a new beer called Bittersweet Symphony, a maltier version of a session bitter, which was in very good condition (NBSS 3.5). As a treat I also had the Wild Cat IPA 6% which was a very good beer that I would not hesitate to drink any time I find it again. Worth a visit to Norwich? Well, perhaps that's going a bit too far, but my quick visit here at the end of a cycling trip on the north coast gave me food for thought. This was my first visit to this brewery tap, I hope it won't be my last.
On 5th August 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3751 recommendations about 3486 pubs]
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Brewery Tap
First revisit for 15 years to this excellent place, adjoining the Fat Cat brewery but now separately owned and known as The Brewery Tap. Might be considered a bit cavernous by some, but as busy as before so I haven't found it feeling that way, and the breweriana around the walls add interest. Also has outside seating areas front and back. Splendid range of in-house and guest beers from the eight handpumps and the same again served by gravity from the side cool room, but I went for the 'house' Norwich Bitter (£1.75, half) in the end. Yes it is slightly odd (or perhaps quirky), but not in a bad way.
On 13th May 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Fat Cat Brewery Tap
Probably the best brewery tap room I have visited and I have visited a fair few over the years so that is praise indeed. Well described by previous reviewers this place is known locally as “the Barn”, and although architecturally it probably is, it is much more than that once you are inside, and is much closer to a true pub experience than it is to drinking alongside the fermentation vessels that a lot of brewery tap experiences are.
There were several things that impressed me with this one, but primarily it was the available beer choice which was frankly stunning. 16 ales were available, 8 on handpumps along the bar and 8 from barrels on stillage in a side room behind the bar. As well as four of the breweries own products there were guest beers from all over the place in all styles to suit nearly all tastes, including cask products from Arbor, Tiny Rebel and Cloudwater. I went for the Vocation Naughty and Nice Salted Caramel Stout and it was sublime. Then on top of these there were 18 keg products which included an eclectic mix of modern craft offerings at modern craft price points.
What was also impressive was how busy with likeminded drinkers the tap was on an early Friday afternoon, giving the place a really good vibe.
One of these fellow drinkers it turned out was a member of the local CAMRA branch committee who, on seeing a large bunch of mainly CAMRA looking blokes on a crawl, demanded to know who we were in case we were a rival branch looking to diss his pubs. On establishing that we were not a threat he then demanded to see our crawl, only to pronounce “what idiot came up with this ?”. “Er, well me actually “ . Fortunately the members of PuG who would probably have punched the bloke at this point could not make the Norwich crawl and we had the opportunity to establish that he would not have had us going outside his beloved NR3 post code,and when being informed that we had to start and end at the station he agreed it wasn’t a bad attempt and then proceeded to accompany us around the next few pubs, providing useful local bus information to those that needed it.
On 29th April 2023
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2122 recommendations about 2001 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Fat Cat Brewery Tap
The Fat Cat Brewery Tap is an open plan flagstone floored single room barn-like space with an apex roof with beams across that are covered with hops. The bar up the left wall is lined with hand pumps and there is more cask on stillage. Available during my recent Friday afternoon visit were six cask ciders, 3 cask perries, Fat Cat Norwich Bitter, Tom Cat, Tabby Cat and Marmalade alongside Fyne Ales Jarl and Vital Spark, Arbor Ales My Little Sabrony, Neptune Brewery’s Ezili, Zapato Brewing’s Tent, Vaux Brewery’s Freeborn, Vocation’s Naughty + Nice Salted Caramel Stout, Tiny Rebel’s Very Cherry, Oakham’s Green Devil and Bishop’s Farewell, Cloudwater’s In Your Heart and Three Blind Mice Brewery’s Melon Bomb. Quite a line up! Also available from the bar are rolls from a plastic container. At the rear is a beer fridge full of cans next to the rear exit to a half patio and half grass covered picnic table seating area. Breweriana is found mainly on the walls at either end of the barn, and the casks on stillage can be viewed through a window to the left of the bar and the entrance. It was busy in here, and rightly so, but given the choice I would choose the Fat Cat pub.
On 28th April 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5268 recommendations about 5236 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Fat Cat Brewery Tap
Seated beneath a forest canopy of hop bines, this is a big improvement on your typical tap.
A half of Fat Cat Tabby Cat came in at a very reasonable £2.00.
Proof that you need not drink in a pub to have a good drinking experience, but the barking dog was a bit of a pain; why would I drink here when there’s the real Fat Cat pub to enjoy?
On 23rd April 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1993 recommendations about 1959 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Fat Cat Brewery Tap
A busy brewery with the bar around the side up some steps,there is so much beer choice here it's almost overwhelming.It's well done inside and pub like with a mixture of furniture,the row of high tables and stools opposite the bar a sensible place for crawlers to pitch down.The handpump ale choice I noted down was Arbor My Little Sabrony,Neptune Ezili,Fyne Jarl (NBSS 4),Vaux Feedom,Mr Winters Hapi,Shotts Cure,S&P Darkest Hour,Zapato Tent with Fat Cat Tom Cat,Norwich Bitter and Tabby Cat along with six real ciders ,three perry's and a huge array of craft keg.
Maybe without the charm of some more traditional real ale pubs but a must visit on any crawl of the drinking extablishments in Norwich ,I would happily return.
On 16th April 2023
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2737 recommendations about 2737 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Fat Cat Brewery Tap
Much better than the average brewery tap, a nice hall, sensibly decorated and furnished alongside and separate to the brewery section, rather than being squeezed in amongst the fermenters. A modern building, but once inside it feels very publike. Outside there is a patio area one side and a lawned area the other, but both suffer a little from traffic. 16 cask ales were claimed, on handpump or from the stillage - 4 of their own and guests from all over the place. Well worth the trek out from town.
On 16th April 2023
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3352 recommendations about 3289 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Fat Cat Brewery Tap
AKA ‘the Shed’ the Fattus Cattus Tappus sits on the apex of a junction and is (or felt like) a bit of a hike to get to. Worth it though. The interior has red black and flagstone flooring and a big oak wood bar. Breweriana everywhere and some traffic lights, just because. Lots of different seating arrangements to break the space up, we ended-up on the bench facing the bar which was handy for people watching. Also a decent amount of outside seating which on this sunny Friday was overrun. Loads of beer - 14 spread over pump and stillage. Sampled the North Riding Ice Cream Porter (NBSS 4) and the Totally Brewed Papa Jangles Voodoo Stout (3.5), Fat Cat Lockdown IPA (3.5). We just beat the 5pm rush and the place filled up to capacity not long after. One slight gripe was the chaos behind the bar, though that did eventually subside when a lad with a bit of organisational skill appeared later on. Has one of the burgers and was happy with what I received. Well-worth prioritising, you’ll probably want more than one here.
Visited early August.
On 12th September 2021
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5107 recommendations about 5090 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about Fat Cat Brewery Tap
Known locally as The Shed for obvious reasons, Mr PSM describes the place well below.
Food is now available here in the form of chips in various guises. I went for salt beef and pickled gherkins which were very good.
Wednesday evening appears to be quiz night and it was extremely popular with standing room only by eight o'clock. Inevitably, this slanted my experience of the place although they often seem to have various events on. I found it impossible not to be dragged in to what was a very friendly and good-natured quiz. I'd guess, given the atmosphere, that, quiz or not, it's a friendly spot.
Service was top notch: friendly, knowledgeable and efficient despite the busyness.
The ale range was also quality: Fat Cat Bitter, Honey Ale, Chinook, Upryze, Marmalade and Stout, Bad Seed Centennial Pale Ale, Enville Czech Saaz, Fixed Wheel Single Speed Equinox, Dark Star Hophead, Adnams Southwold, Oakham Bishops Farewell and Citra, Crouch Vale Brewers Gold and Marble Earl Grey IPA. I tried a few of these and they were all in great shape.
As this is the brewery tap, you'd expect Fat Cat beers to be well represented and they are, but having tried a few of them I wasn't tempted to a second of any. But even if you avoid all the Fat Cat beers, that still leaves a range which is well worth the journey north of the city centre for.
The most atmospheric shed I've ever supped in and with the best ale range.
On 24th November 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]