The Paper Mill, Sittingbourne

Official site of The Paper Mill - www.thepapermillmicropub.co.uk

Official site of The Paper Mill - www.thepapermillmicropub.co.uk

One of Kent's many micropubs this one is an end of terrace former builder's merchants. It's in the smaller size category of these places consisting of a small square room where the only seating is high tables, benches and chairs. There were around half a dozen people already in when I arrived on a Friday lunchtime. The walls are adorned with a few old enamel signs, pump clips nearer the ceiling and some old drip mats including ones from Ridleys and King & Barnes. Accessing the toilet involves walking through the kitchen. Appropriately enough there is a Foster's drip mat on the wall in here. There were three beers on, the regular Goacher's Mild (£2.80), Burning Sky Plateau (£3.00) and Triple fff Apache Rose Peacock (£3.60). I went for the Triple fff beer which I'm sure I tried years ago but couldn't remember much about. It was in excellent nick but I have to admit I would have preferred their Moondance. There was a fourth beer listed but sadly it wasn't actually a beer. It was a mixture of half Plateau and half Apache Rose Peacock. I'm not really a beer ticker but I could imagine this making one of them choke on their pint. If this were to be accepted as a genuine ale then where would it end? Why shouldn't I turn up and mix thirds of each of the three beers and call it Goats Head Soup? Despite this aberration and the fact that it's all high tables and chairs I still liked this place a lot and would happily return. Current opening times are as follows :- Monday-Thursday 17:00-21:00 Friday 12:00-14:00 & 17:00-21:00 Saturday 12:00-21:00 Sunday 12:00-18:00

Sittingbourne's newest pub is a micro in a former corner shop. It's named after the eponymous factory nearby which once employed most of the nearby residents. A small front bar has a wooden floor and high tables with limited seating; the theme is new wood. The staff are excellent, and they have connections with Goacher's Brewery. Four ales on stillage: Goacher's Mild is the regular and there are three guests on. The clientele is exclusively ale lovers, mostly CAMRA members. No electronic distractions, though the barman is known to entertain with his guitar and original songs. Being close to he Town centre and the railway station, this pub has rapidly become the essential element of a Sittingbourne crawl and is a pub to which I shall return whenever I can.