The Cherry Tree, Canterbury

No problem with the condition of any cask beer these days: there is none. This is a very friendly pub, staff and customers alike. I went for a half of Guinness. Remarkably I was not the oldest customer in the place, though the vast majority at 7pm on a Friday are very young indeed. I thought young people didn't drink these days?

There has been an ale house on this site since the 14th Century, and the current building shows traces of the architectural changes which have taken place since then. It is Spartan inside, with exposed brick walls and tiled floors, basic wooden furniture and a no-frills décor. There is a screen and projector in the back room, and a couple of gaming machines in the front. Food is basic pub grub at a fair price. The locals are a decent bunch, while the landlord was reasonably friendly. There were 4 handpumps on the bar, two dispensing local ciders and one with London Pride, which was in poor condition. Worth a revisit in the hope the ale problem was a one-off.