The Barrel at Bude, Bude

This was my final pub of the day in Cornwall and as very often happens, I'd saved the best until last. This micropub has extremely limited opening hours, only being open Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and also on Sunday lunchtime. As I approached, I contemplated why several people would be sat outside on the front porch, but as I entered, the reason became obvious. The place was packed, with hardly room to manoeuvre, let alone find a seat. I had to remind myself that it was 6:45pm on a Thursday evening, a time I wouldn't normally associate with packed pubs. A number of casks can be seen behind the bar. These are listed on a blackboard to the side of the bar. Apparently they are replaced every week and they actually stay open on the Sunday until they are drunk. Perhaps the reason it was so busy on my Thursday visit (which I'd timed to ensure this pub was actually open) was because locals knew some new beers would be tapped? Or perhaps it is this busy every time it opens. Real ales on were Treen's Essential & Classic & Driftwood Spars 5 O'Clock Club & French Oak Stout. Ciders are listed on a separate board immediately opposite the entrance. Davvers Cider & Cornish Gold & Crackington Dry & Medium were the options. Although, this isn't obvious from the board, as the landlord/bar staff will mix the ciders to satisfy customers' palates. All ales and ciders are sourced from Cornwall. I did find it strange that I was getting strange looks from other customers. It was only when I was told about the no mobile phones rule that I saw a number of very old mobiles pinned to the wall and realised the reason for other customers' attention. The landlord and most of the other customers seemed a friendly bunch and we soon got around to talking about what had brought me there. I even ended up being invited to sample the local low alcohol keg beer, which wasn't too bad at all! The CAMRA discount they were offering has been discontinued here. They appear to have had a falling out with the organisation, as since their initial visit, the local branch haven't bothered to return since. So, the discount is no longer available. It will be interesting to see if the pub appears in the next Good Beer Guide (2024)! Although not quite my final pub of the day, this was the highlight of this trip to Cornwall.