The Jolly Coopers, Epsom

Three separate drinking areas, a saloon/lounge bar to the left, a public bar to the right and directly ahead on entering, a very small snug-like bar. There was a well attended quiz going on during our Monday evening visit, pretty much rendering the saloon bar out of bounds. We sat in the public bar where we were made very welcome by the staff and the locals who were watching Chelsea v Man City on the TV. This bar is very traditional in style with darts and pool being available. The room had an open vaulted ceiling, some exposed brickwork, a few chalked musings on a board above the bar. The fire was lit on what was a fairly miserable evening weather-wise. Only one handpump in this bar, sporting a Dark Star Hophead clip, but the helpful barman listed the other beers for us, all in the other room. A good selection too, running to five in all, Hop Back Red Ember, Tillingbourne Bitter Gem, Skinners Betty Stogs and Sambrooks Powerhouse Porter. Good to see a range of styles too. I found this to be an excellent, friendly and welcoming pub, well worth the wet and windy walk from central Epsom.

This is a traditionally designed pub that still retains its traditional layout. As you enter you are in a very small room with just a single table, which was originally probably a jug and bottle bar, or possibly a snug. To the right is a much larger room containing a pool table and a bit of seating (public bar?), and to the left is another room with some better quality tables and chairs, with small posies of carnations on the tables, which looks for all the world like a traditional saloon bar. This room had a couple of large fish tanks in it, and one of the beams was adorned with numerous pump clips, presumably as a testimony to its real ale policy. Ales on during my visit were Jennings Cocky Blond, plus a pair of Surrey Hills ales: Shere Drop (£3 a pint) and Greensand IPA. A further pump had a clip reversed, which looked like a Dark Star offering to me. Three pumps were in the “saloon” bar, with a further pump in the “public” bar dispensing the Greensand IPA. Helpfully a Greensand IPA clip was also displayed on the bar counter in the saloon bar. I am informed by my Epsom informant that Shere Drop is a regular in this pub. There was a sign above the bar proclaiming the pub as the Kingston and Leatherhead CAMRA pub of the year, a fact of which they are clearly justifiably proud as there was also a chalkboard on the roadside announcing this accolade. It’s obviously dog friendly, as a very large black mutt was allowed to sit in the entranceway. I didn’t see any food or menus during my midweek mid-afternoon visit, but there were adverts on the bar gantry for a Sunday roast at £7.95, a full English breakfast available between 10 – 2 on Saturday for a fiver, and Ruby Tuesday – curry, rice and naan for £6.50. There was no music being played during my visit, and I found it a delightful pub in which to enjoy a quiet pint of excellent Shere Drop. In fact I reckon it’s something of a gem of a pub, and I’ll definitely make an effort to return.