The Fighting Cocks, Newport

Large roadside middle market eating and drinking pub. Much extended it is multi-spaced, possibly even multi-dimensional, there is an old core but it’s hard to discern. Styled in Olde English fashion with bare boards, white painted roughish plastered walls and many dark beams. A brick fire place is completed with horse brasses and there are plenty of old, and new, photos. There are prints and figurines of fighting cocks dotted about. It is extremely popular and its large carpark was full every time we drove past. Three pulls, two serving sweet n brown English bitter style beers, Doombar, and a version from a local brewery called Yates allegedly containing Chinook hops - possibly as many as two. The other had Adnams Ghost Ship. Standard sort of kegs and spirits ranges. Covid times so short staffed and busy as many nearby places were shut when we called, but they coped well. The rules have relaxed a fair bit but it’s still a little regimented however the table service is sorted with wi-fi connected buttons on the tables and can be faster than other places.

The car park of this roadside pub was almost at capacity when we arrived here around midday on a sunny midweek day. The garden looked packed. The "please wait to be seated" sign has been replaced by a queuing system, which felt akin to waiting to see Santa in his grotto. But we were soon welcomed and after being requested to use the hand sanitiser, we were briefed with the pub's rules. Ordering was to be done by an app or at the ice cream stand at the other end of the garden! Needless to say, I chose the ice cream stand. But whilst the lady in the ice cream stand may have been able to advise on the raspberry ripple or the mint choc chip, she was less au fait with the real ale range. This turned out to be Doom Bar, Islander or Ale of Wight. After ordering, there can still be a substantial wait for your drinks to arrive. It was certainly a good 15 minutes from our arrival until we had drinks in front of us, which is a clear failure amongst all pubs adopting this practice in the Covid-19 world.

Official site of The Fighting Cocks - thefightingcocksiow.co.uk

Official site of The Fighting Cocks - thefightingcocksiow.co.uk

A roadside food-led pub, nicely kept but it is always off-putting having to fight past a 'please wait to be seated' sign on the way to the bar. Pretty well tabled throughout, although there are a couple of sofas, and with an extensive and quite floral outside too. A large play area is at the back of the car park and it is handily placed for the nearby Amazon World. On handpump were Goddard's Ale of Wight, a very drinkable Wight Squirrel, and Doom Bar of course.