The Brewery Tap, Peterborough

If you like real ales especially Oakham's this is the place to go when in Peterborough.Most of the Oakham range were on sale along with a couple of guests and all of the Oakham beers that I tried were in top form.About 5 mins from the railway station and a good job it is too.

The Brewery Tap is the home of the fabulous Oakham brewery and as such, proudly proclaims itself to be Europe's largest brew-pub. The interior is a very modern looking mix of wood, bare brick, glass and steel with a partly flagstone, partly wooden, floor. Although such modern design is usually anathema to the pub traditionalist, this felt entirely removed from the bland, pub-co vision of the modern pub and I felt very much at home drinking here. One of the highlights of the design must be the glass wall to the tap room which allows you to idly watch the brewing process as you sample the fruits of their labour. There was all sorts of activity going on whilst I was there, which was quite fun to follow. There was a large TV screen and a rolled up projector screen in the main room, presumably to provide entertainment once the brewer's have left for the day. Music was also playing in the background. The pub is on two levels, with a very large lower floor offering some tempting looking sofas as well as plenty of standard tables and chairs. Upstairs is a glass fronted Thai restaurant with lots of bamboo decorations. The menu, which can be sampled downstairs as well, has most main meals at around the £7-9 mark. I had a Thai Green Curry which was very nice and came in a good sized portion. The menu talks about trying to combine the food with the beers they make and I thought my pint went well with the curry. The long, curved bar counter offered Oakham JHB, Inferno (£2.75), Bishop's Farewell, White Dwarf and Citra as well as having an impressive bottled range displayed on the shelves of the grand bar back. In addition to this, there were guest ales in the shape of Everards Tiger, Elgoods Black Dog and one other which I think was Milestone's Rich Ruby. The beer quality was absolutely top drawer as you would hope. There were certificates everywhere you look in this place, both for the pub and for the beer. As far as I'm concerned, they are well deserved, as this is a top quality pub serving top quality beer in a very interesting environment. I highly rate this place and if I could only visit one pub the next time I'm in Peterborough, it would be this one.

Seemed a decent pub, very large with two levels of seating, a few beers on tap and some decent cider. Quite busy for a Tuesday night.