Cowper Arms, Hertford

Very accurate review from Steve of N21,I would add that the pub is owned by Mitchell and Butlers pubco and is part of their Village Pub and Kitchen chain.There is no obvious branding,but the menu is predictable with light bites from £5,most mains £10 plus and a limited lunchtime fixed price 2 course for £10.My meal was acceptable but there is a definite foodservice element at work here.The staff lack training and motivation,despite the upmarket interior makeover,which is also undermined by overloud musak.The fairy lights seemed a left over from Christmas decorations. Only two handpumps were operational with Abbott and an indifferent Adnams Bitter on my visit.I was left with the impression that this pub is a triumph of style over substance.

Official site of The Cowper Arms, contains menus, wine list and beer details - www.thecowperarmscolegreen.co.uk

The Cowper Arms is a fairly sizeable country pub down a lane half way between Cole Green and Letty Green, but a fairly short drive from either Hertford or WGC. A recent modern make over (some time in 2008 I believe) has made it very light and comfortable inside with a modern bar design, lots of leather seating and a kind of modern hotel double glass door arrangement to get in the place. This all gives it the impression of it being a bit of an upmarket Ember Inn, but it just about gets away with it. It is food orientated and the back two thirds is taken up by the restaurant. The front section in two parts either side of the front door is a more traditional bar area, but here too most people were eating , so I guess that’s why most people come here. We hadn’t, but the menu was varied and a cut above the usual pub fair but stopped short of being Gastro. There are four hand pumps dispensing real ale on the bar. I think it is probably a Free House as I couldn’t see any evidence of PubCo branding and the ales on were Fullers Pride, Adnams Best and CW Bombadier. Our two pints of Pride and Adnams were decent enough, but served far too cold, which is usually the curse of these types of places who centre of food and lagers. One plus point of this pub is the large garden to the side, and its location next to the Cole Green Way disused railway path from Ware to WGC. So it’s a very handy location to catch a pint halfway on the route between WGC and Hertford. Although better done on a warm summers day when you can utilise the garden, rather than on a wet May Day when you will be right out of place sitting on the bar stools wearing bicycle clips, wet cycling shorts and giving off a damp musty odour. However got no complaints from the bar staff who were happy and courteous to serve us. I’m sure they’ve seen it all before...

Official site of The Cowper Arms, contains menus, wine list and beer details - www.thecowperarmscolegreen.co.uk