The Standing Order (JD Wetherspoon), Stevenage

Small, cramped and fairly charmless JDW opened in 2000. Two distinct rooms back-to-back, a more pleasant loungey part in the old building facing the road with an airport waiting room effort behind, which is where the bar and sports TV (Grand Prix, oddly) is. Very cramped seating in the rear part; unpleasant, especially with detritus piling up everywhere (this was the day after the England quarter final, so I suspect a few sickies were pulled by staff). Five guest ales plus an impressive selection of crafty cans (assuming the app was up to date). My New River Lost River was actually pretty decent (NBSS 3), when it eventually showed-up. Stevenage has a pretty ropey set of pubs and this one didn’t do much to stake a claim as the best in town, given the fairly low bar.

Typical Spoons... Nice outdoor patio area at the front. Nothing more to say.

Full of very noisy people including children which put me off. One long room with bar to the left middle and rear, also outside seating. Usual selection of ales but you won't see me returning.

I was surprised to find that this pub only goes back to Spring 2000 as I thought it was a rather Old School style of Spoons. It's been described more than well enough below so I'll get onto the beer. Despite the festival the right bank of five pumps were taken up with a cider and four of the regular Spoons offerings. On the left bank the Titanic Wit Stout was available soon so there were just four festival ales. I went for the Shepherd Neame Boadicea and the Hydes Paddock Wood which were in pretty good nick. This seemed like a fairly straightforward sort of Spoons to me.