The Leaping Salmon, Berwick-Upon-Tweed

Located in a prominent position on the A1167 north of the Tweed, the Leaping Salmon is an ex-Wetherspoons that still retains the feel of a Spoons, but with less cask choice. The Wainwright was off which left Doom Bar and Abbott Ale on the remaining two hand pumps. A standard and premium keg range alongside Neck Oil was also available from the overworked staff who were dealing with geriatrics trying to order food and screaming kids with clueless parents. “What would you like to eat sweety?”, “what drink would you like?”, “go and ask you sisters what they want to eat”, “Sorry, what are we like?”… You’re like a bunch of arseholes… go find a table and sort your family’s order out there FFS! Anyway, the counter runs across the rear wall in the centre of the pub and to the left is a pool table and a DJ booth. Televisions are found throughout and there was some background music playing. To the right of the entrance is a long conservatory with booths along the rear wall and seating along the front windows that look out onto a verandah. This place is hell on earth, and I felt sorry for the staff having to put up with people who only do pubs on holiday. I’ll not be returning.

A former spoons, a bit small for them perhaps but Stonegate took it on. Roughly split in two, an older building on the left with what looks like a newer lower extension on the right with green painted bricks, possibly you could call it a conservatory. The counter is along the rear left wall with higher seating directly in front and lower tables and chairs elsewhere. Theres a pool table at the left hand end but everything looks very crammed in. A lot of screens, especially in the extension and machines and unlike spoons days piped music but at low volume. Not too much décor, there’s a self portrait of LS Lowry and one of his painings of the Town Hall but no explanation of his links to Berwick. Three T-Bars with a typical UK line up plus a couple of taps with Tennents and even John Smiths Smooth doubled up. Three handpulls with Abbot, Landlord and Wainwright Amber, not wishing 5% lunchtime first pint or willing to risk the Landlord I had the Wainwright and it was fine; I nearly gave it a 3 but it was slightly thick so 2.5. Very busy with families, tourists and lunching women, some unfamiliar with pub etiquette and formed a queue at one end of the counter - knobs. The staff performed quite well under pressure of numbers and food orders, but there was too much shouting of “who’s next”. Not a wholly unpleasant place but not on a must do list.

Official site of The Leaping Salmon - www.thepeoplespub.co.uk

Official site of The Leaping Salmon - www.thepeoplespub.co.uk

Just off the bridge, this former Spoons looks quite upmarket from the outside but inside is essentially what JDW left behind but now more run-down. Staple-shaped with muted red and grey colours, there’s a pool table as well as a sports TV at every table in the conservatory, so you can guess what kind of punter it attracts. Three cask; GK Abbot, Doom Bar and a dire Redcastle Crusader (NBSS 1.5). Deciding after the first two sips that I’d seen enough, I dumped it and departed. What I’d have given for this still to be a Timbo Tavern! 3.5

Something of a disappointment, with a fuss to get in, a long wait for service and poor beer choice. Its Spoons origins are clear, but it has acquired extras like a pool table and music and feels a bit run down. Having finally got past the rather-officious front of house guy, who seemed to be more intent on stopping people coming in than finding them a space, the bar boasted three handpumps claiming Doom Bar, Abbot and a "Monsters Inc" beer, from where I know not. While queuing for the solitary serving barman (the other being engaged in a ridiculously-long food order) the Abbot was declared run out, and then someone who had purchased the Monsters Inc beer returned it as off, The barman, claiming ignorance in such matters as the taste of beer, summoned another chap who tasted it and agreed it was probably off, apparently tasting of liquorice. Whether this was how it is supposed to taste is anyone's guess, but at any rate we were left with the Doom. This was overly cold and short-measured but otherwise was about as good as it could be. Come back JDW!