The Mulberry Tree , Ipswich

Thanks for the wonderfull review. Just to clarify; This review is written by the owner by way of informing the dear public. The divers helmet and other nautical bits refers to the owners sea faring heritage and work. The pub will soon have its kitchen referbed. This will include a covered over smokers outside eating area which will look into the 'gally' extension. Food is hoped to be served later this year and will be home cooked on site. Follow for details of food and offers. Consider joining on Facebook and liking page for updates on beer and bands. Music is every Fri/Sat, some wednesdays and Folk twice a month on alternate Sundays. A quiz nite is currently running once a month which may be extended. We hope the customers embrace this venture which is now in its 3rd year. Please for give my rating........I'm obviously biased and think its a great boozer with Best-Bar-None accreditation, won CAMRA Cider pub of the year 2 years in a row. Is Cask Marke accredited and Guinness approved. A growing range of single malts and is now Ipswich's #1 live music pub. We will continue to make this a good friendly pub with hospitality at its heart.

This is a large roadside pub, built in 1928 by the Tolly Cobbald Brewery on the site of a former pub of the same name. The pub has more recently been known as Milestone Beer House - a reference to the milestone positioned against the pub's front wall which tells us that we are 69 miles from London. The pub reverted back to its original name following a refurbishment in 2012. Entering through the left hand door - formerly the jug and bottle entrance that separated the rear lounge from the front left smoke room, but now all knocked through - you find yourself in a smart room with the bar directly opposite and some nice high backed pews running down to the rear of the room where there is a smart brick fireplace. The space expands dramatically as you move into the former smoke room in the front left corner, where mixed seating is arranged around a similar fireplace in a spacious area with plenty of vertical drinking space. A square arch takes you through to a the public bar which has a mix of woodblock and tile flooring, standard tables and chairs, mostly under the front windows and a stove in a fireplace on the right hand side with an interesting decorative relief feature above. For reasons not entirely clear to me, there was a diver's helmet on display here, whilst TV screens showed muted news coverage with music playing quietly in the background. The pub seems to have a commitment to live music and there were lots of gig posters in the rear right corner. Elsewhere, the décor is mostly the usual red and cream colour scheme, complimented by numerous pump clips throughout. There is also a nice Mulberry Tree mirror incorporated into the bar back. I didn't get a proper look at the garden, but there did seem to be quite a sizeable space to the rear, with tables under parasols and the front of the pub also has plenty of benches, shaded by the eponymous tree. The current owners have been keen to establish a strong ale policy and I was pleased to find a good range comprising Everards Tiger, Nelson Frigging in the Rigging and Revenge, Adnams Broadside and Southwold Bitter Growler Umbel Magna, Kite Thunderbird and Wolf Sirius Dog Star. I tried the Thunderbird, from a brewery that was new to me, an thought it was a reasonable pint in good shape. Sadly, my Easter Monday lunchtime visit found the place virtually empty, but it would appear it gets a little livelier in the evenings. I thought it was quite clear that a lot of effort had been put into this place and that was reflected in the good beer and clean and tidy surroundings. This pub is easily reached if returning to town from the Fat Cat or Dove Street Inn making it easy to incorporate into a crawl. I enjoyed this visit and hope the locals continue to support the place.

This pub has re-opened in March 2012 after a major refurbishment and is now under private ownership who intends to run it with a wide selection of Real Ales and hold several annual beer festivals. Originally known as The Mulberry Tree, the name was changed to Milestone Beer House in 2002, then to just The Beer House in early 2010 but has now reverted back to its original name again after the refurb.