Craft Brewed, Maidstone

Official site of Craft Brewed - craftbrewedltd.co.uk

Official site of Craft Brewed - craftbrewedltd.co.uk

As described below, this feels more like a seaside ice cream parlour in stainless steel than a cafe or a pub. When we visited there was a very loud group of wannabee thespians howling away upstairs doing some kind of fantasy role play drama, plus there were a couple of large pugilists sitting on the chairs at the front. The barmaid was helpful and pleasant. There were 9 craft beers plus a real cider from Biddenden on, and whilst tempted by the cider, I plumped for a wheat beer from Fierce Beer, although I needn’t have bothered as it was, like so many of these things, over-chilled and lacking any real flavour. I doubt I’ll return.

Coffee and craft beer place. Trendy interior, all in silver, grey and white like the industrial zone of the Crystal Maze. Amazingly perfunctory service, the barman managed to say absolutely zero to me as was too busy chatting to his mate. Accompanying music selection of Red Hot Chilli Peppers and bed-wetting soloists was excruciating for anyone with any semblance of taste. 2x sets of unisex bogs (how woke) but – surprise! – there was no loo paper in mine, so as usual the comfort of ladies is barely an afterthought for the neckbeards. At least my serve of Vault City saved the day, as they often do in these places.

Part craft beer bar / part café, with a light coffee-shop style on both the ground floor (which also has a few tables out in the front alleyway). More seating upstairs. With seven of the ten craft keg taps on the bar-back in use (and the remainder coming on for the weekend), there was a good range of styles and strengths. Having enjoyed my Three Legs Black Lager (£5.90), I unusually stayed on to try the single-hop Sabro (£3.40, half) from the same East Sussex brewery. Nice, relaxed atmosphere mid-afternoon on a Friday.