Anspach & Hobday, Bermondsey, SE1

Standard arch unit, limited hours

Run be brewers Anspach & Hobday, this place is called the Arch House. It was the last of the bars I was prepared to try along the Bermondsey Beer Mile, but was actually my inspiration for passing this way, as it currently features in the 2024 Good Beer Guide. I'm fairly certain that it is the first such place along here to make the Guide. In truth, it was somewhat disappointing. There are 2 handpulls at the left-hand end of the bar. On my Saturday evening visit, just the one was clipped with The IPA. It was enjoyable, but I noticed that most people in the bar were either drinking their keg beers or cans/bottles from the fridge. In fact, I think that had I not pointed at the handpull, I would have probably been served the keg version of my beer when I ordered it. Other keg beers were all from Anspach & Hobday - London Black, Bermondsey Pale, Dry-Hopped Wheat Beer, Sea Salt & Lime Gose, The Porter, Barley Fields & The Ordinary Bitter. The cider was Gravity Theory. I wouldn't rule out coming back to this place. The IPA was nice, the place was clean, it wasn't too crowded and the clientele seemed to be more likeminded middle-aged beer lovers, rather than the trendy youth witnessed in other venues along here. A little disappointing to find just 1 real ale in here though, when there were 6 in the Southwark Brewing Co. Taproom.

One of the many brewery taps in the railway arches along the Bermondsey Beer Mile, this one benefits from slightly longer opening days / hours than most others. Apart from that, it the usual spartan furniture and almost absent decoration. Of course, they are well known for beer quality and range too, with 12 keg taps on the bar-back, offering a good selection of their own craft beers as well as a couple of guests. However, I went for their original The Pale on cask (£5.50) from one of the pair of handpumps on the small counter.

One of many similar establishments forming part of the famous Bermondsey Beer Mile, like many of the others this is located in the arches under the railway track, and is of course a brewery tap rather than a pub, and this is reflected in the somewhat industrial style décor, if one could go so far as calling it that. The flooring was some type of concrete screed, whilst the usual white corrugated iron of these establishments was cladding the ceiling in order to channel the continually dripping water from the tunnel roof away from the punters underneath. A row of tall stainless steel brewing vessels all along the left hand side was something of a feature but this only added to the rather start industrial feel of the place. Seating here was very limited and you certainly did get the impression that you were just squeezed in to the corner of a warehouse, and the harsh acoustics only added to this creating a less than relaxing ambience. There was a small mezzanine level floor, but this appeared to be for storage only rather than additional seating. The only real ale available was their own The Smoked Brown, although there were a number of keg options including The Bitter, The IPA, The Gose, The Porter, The Pale Ale and The Cream Ale. Overall this was not one of the better options on the mile, with little effort to provide any comfort for the customers and only one cask option available.