Royal Standard, High Wycombe

The Royal Standard has been a long standing flagship for real ale in South Bucks. There are regularly 10 ales available, five dispensed from the hand pumps on the bar and the other 5 on gravity from barrels out the back. The pumps are double clipped so that you can see all that is available. A couple of the hand pumped beers are regular, such as Deuchars IPA and Hop Back Summer lightning, but then the gravity beers are regularly changing with always a fair representation from regional brewers. For example Holdens XB, Jennings Cumberland Ale, St Austells Tribute and Guardsman from the recently opened Windsor and Eton Brewery were on during my most recent visit this week. The pub also holds beer festivals a couple of times a year (usually in Spring and Autumn) when up to 50 beers are available. There is also usually an extensive food menu ranging from bar snacks to full meals and the couple of times I have eaten here the quality has been very good. Internally its one open room subdivided into three distinct sections and the decor is that befitting a fine traditional country village pub. But then that brings us to one of the very few draw backs of the Royal Standard, in that it’s not near any village but stuck in the middle of nowhere, on a fairly busy road a couple of miles from Burnham Beeches and next to Odds Farm Park rare breeds centre. This means that the only way to visit is by car, and although it now has an extended car park, this still gets full quite quickly on most evenings. And the other slight negative is that there is no garden. But there are outside tables to the front which butt onto the busy road, and then the Ozzy style shack bolted onto the side of the pub, as mentioned below, which is equipped with comfy chairs and tables and heaters, and although primarily provided for smokers, is still a great place to sup a pint even if you’re not. But don’t get me wrong, these negatives are just small gripes, and if you could get to The Standard by public transport so that you could enjoy the beer without worrying about your car, this would almost be the perfect pub.