The Willow Tree (JD Wetherspoon), Stowmarket

The interior in here was quite unique with some sculptured wall timber work. Don't quite know what the large bespoke timber wheel was all about perched on a small looking windmill. I thought this was a respectable pub and well kept. The beer choice was dull, apart from 2 from Wolf Brewery, Sirius Dog Star & Wolf Ale.

This is a purpose built pub rather than a conversion of anything so anyone who doesn't like it can pin the blame fairly and squarely on JDW! It's a large open plan rectangular room with the bar area at the front and eating area further back which also leads to what looked like a paved balcony. Overall the fixtures and fittings are better than in older outlets. The Easter school holidays must have started as there were several unsupervised brats using the pub as a playground. The bar has ten hand pumps which had three available soon, The JDW Trio Of Doom with Ruddles doubled up, Salopian Lemon Dream doubled up and Wolf Ale. I went for the Lemon Dream (£2.15 festival price?) which was in good nick. It's not a bad Spoons but was let down by an average beer choice and the rampaging kids.

This review is from St George’s Day 2016 when I visited Needham Market for a football game. This was my first visit to this fairly newly built Wetherspoon’s which is just a short walk up from the centre of ‘Stow. I arrived late lunchtime on a Saturday and it was half busy with the majority of people eating. Typical Wetherspoon’s in that when it’s busy they only have 2 members of staff serving both diners and drinkers (like me), it took almost 10 minutes just to order a drink! A decent selection of ales on but I only had eyes for Nethergate Breweries Azanewt which was very drinkable and of course cheap being ‘spoons prices. Upstairs toilets and very modern décor, the building has a barn feel to it with a conservatory type building to the rear where the garden is. A decent ‘spoons, will I ever return who knows maybe I will on my next visit to ‘Stow.

A fairly new Wetherspoon's that has been open for about a year.It's a plain pub but there were some good real ales on all in good order.