The Pot Kiln, Thatcham

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Quinno _ left this review about The Pot Kiln

Attempted revisit thwarted by them closing really early - despite one of our party ringing ahead and them also still having a smattering of customers. Weren't even apologetic about it either. Well at least it means I won't bother making an effort again any time soon.

July 2011
Tucked away in the back-end of beyond is the Pot Kiln, which used to be a an old-fashioned country pub until getting a TV-inspired celebrity chef gastropub makeover a few years ago. The only drinking area (by the bar) is now pretty small. This section features a fire and wooden furniture. The rest of the floor space is reserved for diners, meaning that trying to have a restful drink at busy-times is near-impossible if the weather outside is poor. Whilst a big asset is the massive south-facing garden overlooking the valley which makes this a mecca for summer drinking, the small bar area then condemns drinkers to extraordinarily long queues as well as getting in everyone’s way. The ale is usually a couple from West Berks, whose brewery used to be based in the adjoining buildings (they’ve now moved) and to be fair the ale quality is pretty good. During the summer pizzas are cooked in the outdoor ovens. Whilst I certainly wouldn’t be averse to the occasional summer revisit (making sure I get there early doors), the marginalisation of the drinking part of the pub stops this from being what should be a gem to rival the Bell at Aldworth. Rated 7

On 29^th May 2022 - no rating submitted
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