The Burnt Oak, Shenley Brook End, Milton Keynes

Marston's estate pub located opposite a small Tesco. Two-part bar to centre and right featuring a pool table and dartboard, with a separate dining room on the left-hand side, and all parts having a standard mixed corporate look. Also has a basic beer garden. With no handpumps these days, just keg Wainwright Gold (£5.55) on and an upturned glass on the adjacent Hobgoblin IPA tap.

First impressions suggest this is a modern, estate pub although with it’s brick facade and round room with an unusual conical roof on the left it perhaps seems to have a bit more character than many. Inside though, it’s in many ways more of a sports bar. There was a plasma screen at each end, both showing football matches. The conical roofed room on the left had a couple of card tables in, and there were some games in progress. There was a darts board on the right and a couple of quiz machines. Decor wise it’s suitably bland as is to be expected from modern, chain pubs with burnt cream paintwork, some wood panelling, a few stone slabs around the bar and carpet elsewhere. A number of non-descript drawings were on the wall, such as one of the Statue of Liberty. Quite what the connection with Milton Keynes is, I’m not sure. A typical mass produced menu was on the tables and proudly proclaimed that main courses started at £2.95. Quite what that says about the quality I’m not sure, but then I didn’t try the food so perhaps I’m judging it unfairly. However, I did attempt to try the food – ordering at about 8:10pm in a chain pub such as this with menus still on all the tables, I would have expected to be able to get something, but apparently the kitchen shut at 8:00pm. The menu’s were still on the tables when I left three-quarters of an hour later though, so clearly that’s not an indication that they’re actually serving. Perhaps if the barmaid had spent a little less time chatting to her mates she could have attended to this. Although there were four hand pumps on the bar, only two were in use dispensing Wizard’s Staff and Brakespear Bitter. The solitary cider was Strongbow, unfortunately. All in all, a pub best avoided. And what on earth are they doing with a Christmas Tree up at the beginning of October?