Brewers Fayre Minehead, Alcombe, Minehead

A standard, out-of-the-box Brewer’s Fayre roadside pub and restaurant associated with the adjacent Premier Inn. There is a tidy garden area at the front, though the passing traffic noise makes it less pleasant than it could be. The main door is guarded by an honour guard of mobility scooters and dole poles, with fag-end confetti celebrating the union of the hotel and pub establishments. Inside, it’s a good-sized barn-like single room with a ‘pub’ end containing a pool table, a muted TV screen and a gas fire, while the remaining area is restaurant tables and implied queueing places with instructional plinths telling yo to wait to be allocated a table; we didn’t wait. We did find a table that had day-old pizza hiding underneath, though the smell gave away its location. A pile of board games was available for those children who had the patience to sit and enjoy them. The bar counter is in the middle, staffed by helpful, friendly yet no-nonsense barmen. Food was the standard mass-produced travel fodder, though they did offer treats for dogs – these were definitely better quality than the main menu. Only one ale on draft, Doombar, in average condition, plus a pump with a reversed Proper Job clip. There was an extensive keg range of Carling, Coorrs, Moretti, Guinness, Strongbow, Stella and Madri. No surprises here, you know what you’re getting to a large extent, but no reason not to come here if it fits your plans.