Key & Anchor, Freemantle, Southampton

Quinno _ left this review about Key & Anchor

Four ales on, Flowerpots Goodens Gold was serviceable but not GBG quality (NBSS 2.5). Log fire on the go and friendly service, though the gloomy music on a dark and dank night didn’t really do the place any favours. I see that I was less than enamoured 11 years ago and TBH I didn’t see much to elevate the score I gave it then, feels like a weak GBG pick to me. 5.5

October 2013
Listed in the 2013 GBG so thought I’d try it out at the end of my epic crawl despite there not being much info about the pub elsewhere. I had clocked it unwittingly earlier on my way to the Wellington; it hadn’t exactly struck me a GBG pub then and it certainly didn’t strike me as a GBG pub on return. Two Ringwood beers available and mine was poor. Plenty of things in here felt uncared for, from the soft furnishings spewing their innards to the unkempt rear garden. The interior was quite dimly-lit but I did make out a dart board, a small collection of daily papers available and a few old GBGs. The over-loud music drove me out to the front drinking area which again was not overly inviting. Clientèle all seemed to be drinking lager. Quite a disappointment – I’d be intrigued to know how this gets into the Southampton CAMRAs allocation of GBG pubs based on my stop-off. Rated 5

On 27^th December 2024 - rating: 5
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