The West Gate Inn (JD Wetherspoon), Canterbury

This is a large Wetherspoons pub next to the river and easily reached from Canterbury West station. The pub has a fairly unusual layout by ‘Spoons standards, occupying what felt like a couple of shop converted premises, with loads of former partitioning walls retained, which really break the space up effectively, with the usual mix of seating options filling the remaining space. In fact, the place is so disjointed and maze-like, that the addition of all that furniture can make it tricky to navigate at times, as certain routes get blocked off or diverted away from. The servery is along the right-hand wall and has a fairly bog-standard counter and bar back but is at least relatively free of clutter and therefore easy to get served at. As the pub moves towards the rear, more comfortable seating options appear in the form of plush banquettes, and there is access to an outdoor seating area back here as well as the inevitable staircase to begin your mission to the toilets. There were six operational handpulls at the bar, half of which were dishing out the usual ‘Spoons ales, whereas the other three offered relatively unexciting guest options, from which I ended up with a pint of Woodforde’s Volt, which was in reasonable nick but not the most memorable pint I’ve ever sampled. The staff were a bit slow and disinterested, but it was uncharacteristically quiet throughout our visit and maybe they’re a bit more on the ball when the pace starts to pick up. Thought this was a fairly run of the mill branch of the ‘Spoons empire that benefits from having a few relatively private spots to settle down in but is ultimately fairly underwhelming and not all that much of an improvement from its sister pub at the other end of town. A safe bet perhaps, but there are many more interesting watering holes to check out elsewhere across the city. Date of visit – 1st May 2023