The Brewery Tap, Peterborough

I've been meaning to come here for years and wasn't disappointed, it's miles better than that restaurant place back in London. You enter into a large room with the bar on the left and a raised area at the back. On my Saturday evening visit it looked like it was gearing up for a late noisy night. I didn't have time to note all the beers but thought there were just four Oakham Ales (Inferno, JHB, Bishop's Farewell & Citra) plus a couple of Grainstore beers. I went for the Citra (£2.60) which was outstanding and a very good price. It's not a very attractive building but who cares about that when there is superb quality cheap beer. I would have stayed for another if I had known my train was going to be half hour late.

Oakham JHB, Bishops Farewell (went just after opening!), Attila (7.5), White Dwarf, Inferno, Oblivion, Darkstar Festival, Wolf Wolf, & Wolf in Sheeps Clothing, Elgoods Black Dog, Westons Bounds Brand Scrumpy. Large paved bar area, gives on to wood flooring, black/white tiles around bar, open upper tier, old copper brewing vats visible to the rear, partially hidden by drop down screen (nothing on - roll it up…), didn't previously realise they have a smaller rear room for functions/ comedy nights. Doesn't feel overly pubby to me, but that's a good beer line up. We arrived in Peterborough before midday so had to wait a few mins for the noon opening. Young friendly staff. Was busying up with younger (but not problematic) clientele when we dropped back in later on return to station.

Date of visit - April 2013. It’s a large stand alone 1930’s building pretty close to the station and was formerly an employment exchange. Despite its central location and the Westgate address, it feels slightly isolated at the end of the street and opposite a large ugly multi storey car park. The interior is large and spacious, featuring a flagstoned floor, some exposed brickwork, with a number of different areas and the usual mix of sofas and more conventional seating aimed at diners. It’s a pleasant enough interior, but with something of that impersonal chain pub feel, enhanced by the usual black shirted foreign bar staff. In one corner, behind a tall glass screen is a brew plant, which brews special one off beers for Oakham Brewery. According to the CAMRA Good Beer Guide, its reputed to be the largest brewpub in Europe. Thai food is served and there’s a further balcony restaurant area upstairs although, on my visit, most customers seemed to be eating downstairs. A separate room – The Tap Room – serves as a music venue with Open Mic nights, Saturday night DJ’s and rock bands featuring most Fri – Sun nights. Twelve handpumps serve a good variety of real ales, mainly Oakham beers, but also guests from other local breweries which included Elgoods Black Dog on my visit. All beers sampled ( JHB, Hare and Hedgehog) and the Elgoods Black Dog were in good form. The pub is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular. Worth seeking out when in town

This pub appears in the 2012 Good Beer Guide and is well described below. It had the full tange of Oakham Ales across about 12 handpulls, but only 1 guest which I found disappointing. The guest was a beer brewed by Green Jack brewery on the Oakham plant too, so all beers really brewed at Oakham. No problem with beer quality and we had the Oakham Green Devil IPA 6% and the Green Jack Pale Ale 3.6%. Impressed by the Thai menu, so we ordered from the lunchtime menu and ate in the dining area downstairs. Generous portions for £5.99 and the meals were good.