The Pembury Tavern, E8

Saturday was my first visit to the Pembury for a few years. It enjoys quite a prominent position not too far from Hackney Downs station and always seems to have quite a youthful crowd inside, in common with many Hackney pubs. The last time I was here, I scored it an 8/10. Although, I think the beer choice has deteriorated slightly since Milton left and Five Points took over. Five Points Railway Porter is the regular ale, a definite plus point for me. Five Points Best was also on, alongside 3 guests - Anspach & Hobday The London ESB, North English IPA & Kent Prohibition. Craft beers were Five Points XPA, Jupa & Sicilian Harvest, Liberation Spiced Margarita, Lost & Grounded Running With Spectres, Gipsy Hill Bandit, Verdant Light Bulb, Polly's Magnolia & The Kernel Table Beer. Real cider appears to have disappeared. We enjoyed a few rounds of beers and a couple of their pizzas, which were quite enjoyable. Staff were efficient, making service quick.

Situated at a busy and complicated road junction, which makes getting a decent photo a difficult, dangerous and time consuming job, the Pembury Tavern is the home of Five Points Brewery (taking its name from said junction, of course). It's one of those big multi-room pubs that can have something going on in one room that the rest of the pub is unaware of - and I noticed heavy curtains hung between rooms to facilitate just this. The bar counter is at the back, with six hand pumps, one of which had a real cider on, with Thornbridge Brother Rabbit and three beers brewed just down the road (see photo), plus numerous keg taps. I went for the Five Points Best 4.1%, which reminded me a little of Youngs Bitter, i.e. I didn't like it very much, though it was in good condition. The guys working behind the bar didn't make any attempt to interact with their few customers - maybe they were saving themselves for when it got busy later.