Foundry, Canterbury

Relocated from its original location, into this characterful old building down a quiet side street, this is a good sized, two room brewpub and restaurant. You enter via a front staircase, through a porch and into the main room, which is a smart conversion of this old premises with a screed floor, whitewashed brick walls, a liberally hop-lined ceiling, and the servery along the back wall. There’s a good amount of basic table and chair seating throughout this space, which is geared up more for drinkers, although plenty of people were eating too. The bar has a tasteful panelled counter front and smart modern bar back, with a disused TV screen to one side. Doors to the right lead through to a side room that is visible thanks to windows along the partitioning wall. This was also full of basic tables and chairs arranged in rows front to back, with a diamond pattern wall down the long side and various blackboards detailing the brewing process and other such facts and figures. Greeters ensured that only diners ended up in this part of the pub, so I didn’t explore fully, but it seemed a decent enough area and I believe they occasionally host beer tasting events in there as well. They had three of their own brews on the handpulls on this visit – Foundry Man’s Gold, Torpedo and Street Light Porter. I took a pint of the latter for a hefty £5.60 and thought it was in good nick, but not the best example of the style you’re likely to find. Ten craft keg homebrew options plus one real cider, rounded out the draught range, with the beers covering a good range of styles and strengths, all listed on handy beer menus on each table. I’d hoped to be blown away by this place but found it all a bit too formal and food-focussed to really be able to relax and settle in for a session. It must also be one of the more expensive pubs in the city, so I whilst I enjoyed the converted building, attentive service, and unusual beer range, I can’t imagine making this a regular port of call. Date of visit – 1st May 2023