The Paper Mill, Sittingbourne

Named after a local long shutdown plant is the Paper Mill which is a small single room micro. With the bell ringing as I entered I thought Arkwright was going to appear from the back, but I sat for a couple of minutes with no service. This gave me a chance to note that that the floor is wood, the high tables are wood, the benches are wood and the walls are wood – No smoking! There’s lots of beer related stuff on the walls as well as a list of available beers. Only three were on during my recent Tuesday afternoon visit, Goacher’s Gremlins, Tartarus Snawfus and Neon Raptor’s Filament. I went for a pint of Gremlins which was well served. I liked it in here and will pop back in if I’m in the area at a busier time.

Excellent Micro pub that gets the format right - with friendly locals (you have no choice in such a small single roomed place) and staff. They'd had a Cloudwater Tap Takeover on the weekend before our Monday visit. The choice was excellent and some very good craft options to try. Good banter. Easily the best in town.

This is a micropub located in rather unassuming corner premises in a residential area. On arrival, it all appeared to be closed, despite us having made a table booking. After a quick call to the pub, it was revealed that entry to the new beer garden was through a gate at the side. A board listed the ale choice, with a couple of real ales and about 8 craft beers. The 2 ales were Goacher's Gremlins & S43 The Phoenix. Craft beers included Vault City Iron Brew Sour, Unity Nocturn Oatmeal Stout & Top Rope Black Mass, an 8.4% imperial stout. In addition, there were 19 real ciders - Snail's Bank Banoffee Pie, Gooseberry Fool & Black Forest, Lilley's Pear & Raspberry Cider, Gladiator, Collider, Rhubarb Cider, Mango Cider & Pineapple Cider, Turner's Medium, Dry, Pear Cider, Russet, Apple Pie & Rhubarb Cider, Seacider White Peach & Bourbon Barrel-Aged & Pulp Rhubarb & Strawberry Cider & Raspberry Cider. Whilst you cannot go into the pub itself, the setup in the garden is very well done and they have really adapted well to the changing circumstances. Indeed, they have increased their customer base through deliveries they did during lockdown and many have been requesting cider, which has allowed them to vastly increase their range. The 2 staff members were both very friendly and welcoming. They even invited us to participate in their quiz evening, which was again a continuation of something that had worked well during lockdown. The quiz host was present at the pub and participants could either take part in the garden or from their own homes, with a live feed. We had a very enjoyable and entertaining hour or so here before heading to a nearby curry house to avail ourselves of the Boris' 50% off food. Don't miss this gem if you're ever in Sittingbourne, but for now at least, make sure you book a timeslot.

Excellent micro-pub, slightly off the beaten track between Sittingbourne and Milton Regis with the eponymous industry sadly gone and gradually being replaced by housing. The interior layout isn't immediately obvious as you enter via a narrow corridor, but you soon find a typical counter-less drinking area with just a few tall tables. Good selection of real ales in a variety of styles, served on gravity from a room at the back, from which I went for the Iron Pier Porter (£4.00, and a fine pint).