The Woolpack, Banstead

Slightly difficult to give an objective review as I had stumbled into their monthly live jazz session, so the pub was heaving with customers and atmosphere. Anyway, it is a fair size, with several different areas including a dining part at the back, and appeared to have been refurbished in a clean modern style but managing to keep some character. Being a Shepherd Neame pub there were just their beers on, with Bishops Finger, Whitstable Bay and Spitfire on the pumps, but I still object to being asked if I wanted the cask bitter or the "Spitfire" lager - a ridiculous extension of the name. Not their fault though and I would happily visit again.

The Woolpack is a nicely appointed, but some of the customers seemed rough. The car park was full of white van drivers on my visit this afternoon. Luckily most were sitting in the outdoor terrace at the rear. Being a Shepherd Neame pub, the real ale choice was limited to Spitfire, Whitstable Bay & Bishop's Finger. I ordered a half of the latter, which was fairly average. The interior is sizeable, with one large single room split into a number of different areas. The dining area is to the rear, but my visit was outside of meal times. So, the only people coming inside were those ordering at the bar, where several staff members appeared to be stood chatting at one end, whilst people waited for the one solitary working barmaid to serve them. Not really a pub I could take to.

Positioned centrally in the heart of Banstead, this is a large Shepherd Neame pub with a reputation for supplying well kept guest ales. You enter via the decent sized car park, past a row of partly covered picnic benches and into the large, sprawling interior which has clearly been opened out from a previous multiple room format, but still retains a number of clearly defined different spaces thanks to the retention of some partitioning and structural support pillars. The dark wood servery is directly opposite the front entrance and to the left there is a mixed seating area which includes some formal restaurant space towards the rear. Most of the space is taken up by nicely upholstered chairs and tub chairs, which are available to diners and drinkers alike. Some partitioning keeps the formal dining space obscured from the main bar area and a few nice bits of glasswork have been retained in these panels. There is a large modern fireplace over to the right, dominating a space that perhaps is supposed to represent the lounge area. A fine patio garden with a large grass area beyond was an ideal spot to eat on a warm summer's day, although there were lot of energetic children running around, trying to spoil things. Boards throughout the pub advertised regular live jazz and an annual beer festival on the August Bank Holiday. Three Shep's beers - Master Brew, Bishop's Finger and Spitfire - were supplemented by guests in the shape of Windsor and Eton Knight of the Garter and Tillingbourne Falls Gold. The latter was a bit of a mystery, starting off in seemingly excellent condition, but turning pretty flat by the time I got halfway through the pint. The food was a more qualified success, as my roast beef with all the trimmings was exactly what you want from a Sunday roast. I can't say I found this pub to be too exciting, with a rather soulless interior full of diners not doing much for the atmosphere. However, the garden, food and guest ales are all bonus points and with little competition in the rest of Banstead, this is actually a bit of a lifesaver for the locals and worth a quick look in passing.