Hand & Flower, Richmond

Spurred into action by John Bonser’s comments, I paid a long overdue visit to the Hand & Flower on Thursday lunchtime. I really don’t need to add much to John’s comprehensive review. The ale selection is still the same – London Pride, Young’s Bitter, Twickenham Naked Ladies and Sambrook’s Wandle. The first three were on pumps in the main Cricket Bar, but the Wandle was available on another bar counter around to the left, near to the restaurant area. The young men manning the Cricket Bar were friendly, enthusiastic and helpful. There was a daily specials menu available, with all items at £5, including such staples as chilli con carne, and steak sandwich and chips. I had the steak sandwich, which came on ciabatta bread, with a decent portion of good chips, plus a bit of salad. It was good quality and well worth the £5 I paid. The pub was doing a good trade on Thursday, no doubt aided by the lovely weather that could be enjoyed in the large pub garden at the back of this pub. I’ve no doubt that I’ll visit again sometime.

Surprised that neither Maldenman nor Rex have done this one yet ! Situated on the south east corner of Ham Common is The Hand and Flower, a pub that’s much larger inside than it looks at first glance from the outside. A rather offputting green painted exterior, which immediately makes one think it could be a Paddy’s pub, belies a reasonably attractive, welcoming and spacious interior with different areas and a premises that brands itself as a “Public House and Kitchen”. On entering into a slightly unusual lobby area, we see a sign directing us to either the dedicated bar area on the right or to the restaurant behind. We’re informed that The Hand and Flower is the “home of great food, fine wine, real ales and fantastic atmosphere” ( in that order ). On the wall, a framed potted history of the pub tells us that the inn was established upon the site of a former farm labourer’s cottage. It later operated as a beer house before being reclassified as an inn sometime between 1851 and 1861, when it acquired its current name. In part, the building still resembles a cottage, although it is not immediately clear to the untrained eye which is the oldest part and which are later additions. Do note the unusual gothic style windows that face the garden. At one end of this lobby is The Cricket Bar, which is the main area of the pub catering for drinkers. It’s a bare boarded small bar with half height burgundy painted wood panelling. Not surprisingly, there’s some cricketing memorabilia, including small framed autographed bats of the famous Australia and New Zealand Test Teams of 1948 and 1949 respectively. There’s also some framed drawings – Dennis Lillee, Viv Richards etc. The name “Cricket Bar” reflects the fact that, next door, is the headquarters of Ham and Petersham Cricket Club, founded in 1815 and who, on my recent Saturday afternoon visit, were playing a match over the road on Ham Common. At the break between innings, the players trooped off over to the pub for a rather appetising looking spread of cakes and sandwiches in the pub garden, laid on by the friendly pub management. Through the lobby is another smarter area which leads through to a well appointed 60 seater restaurant / dining area. The pub garden at the rear is surprisingly large with different areas, including a covered sheltered area which can be heated up in winter. A separate fenced off area is called “ The Sanctuary” , although I didn’t see any sign telling me who it was providing a sanctuary for, and from whom. There’s a paved seating area outside at the front. The pub was advertising its forthcoming second anniversary on 4 June 2011, in recognition of the fact that, in 2009, it reverted back to its original name, following a spell as The Legless Frog. Beers on were Twickenham Naked Ladies, Youngs Ordinary, London Pride and Sambrooks Wandle. The Twickenham beer was in superb form and, at £ 3.20p, perhaps cheaper than might be expected from an establishment with something of an upmarket feel to it. I formed the view that these beers were probably the regular offerings. At the risk of being accused of getting on my soapbox, this is a classic example of how establishments with separate dedicated distinct areas for food and drink work so much better than the large open plan places that the big pub chains try to foist on us. It’s on the 65 Bus Route between Richmond and Kingston. If you decide to get off and pop in, I doubt you’ll be disappointed