The Star (JD Wetherspoon), Hoddesdon

Wetherspoons latest offering just outside Greater London is a conversion of an old Ind Coope pub called the Salisbury Arms. As you enter the main door there are further doors to the left and right into what looks more like an Indian Restaurant than a pub with no sign of a bar and just low tables and chairs for eating. Going forward through another area with similar furnishing the bar finally appeared at the very end of the pub with a patio on the right. The bar area had a wooden or laminate floor with tall tables and chairs. It had been open for less than two weeks so on my late Saturday afternoon visit it was pretty well rammed. There were plenty of staff behind the bar but they seemed to be overwhelmed due to inadequate training. The bar had two banks of six pumps with two unused, the two usual GK Ruddles and Abbot, Adnam's Broadside, Greene King Abbot Reserve, four Xmas beers and Nethergate Stour Valley Gold. The Abbot was doubled up. I went for the Abbot Reserve (£2.69) which was in good nick. It's hard to know what to make of this pub as it was so busy. I certainly didn't get to see the restored paintings that were referred to in the Spoons magazine. I'll be generous in the hope that on a return visit it wouldn't be so busy.