The Golden Pheasant, Biggleswade

Called in this pub that is listed in the 2019 Good Beer Guide yesterday. Busy town centre pub with a selection across the pumps. We hose Tring Ridgeway which was fine.

The previous reviewer will be glad to hear that the pub dog is still here, older but not really any wiser. He yapped at me as I entered and created merry hell when a placid old mutt came in. He's learnt how to leave the bar area by standing on his hind legs and using his front ones to open the door then shoving his way through. As noted this is a small old town local with an L shaped room and a small patio area at the rear. The bar has two sets of three hand pumps which had Charles Wells Eagle IPA & London Gold, North Yorkshire Porter, Bexley Own Beer, Whitstable Renaissance Ruby Mild and Chiltern Battle Of Britain Old Ale. I went for the Bexley beer (£3.30) which was first class. I thought this was a good pub but very much a locals one. I preferred the New Inn. It's GBG 2018 listed.

Youngs Special, Archers Game Set & Match, Wells Eagle ipa, Adnams, & the excellent Crouch Vale Oregon Best & Buntingford Twilight. Welcoming local feel in comfortable front bar, dartboard in corner to left, albeit above a table. Nicely paved courtyard, lots of picnic sets, some covered by giant umbrella.The bar displays a list of those collectively barred in Biggleswade; probably 2 dozen(!) names, but I doubt the site of their wrongdoing would often be the Golden Pheasant. Certainly one to return to if in the area again.

A small,low ceiling High Street boozer which is popular with locals.The front door opens into a carpeted room with traditional wooden furniture and a bar to the right.Although the pub is owned by Charles Wells,the tenants are able to offer guests from different breweries so you can avoid the insipid Eagle IPA and boring Directors,with guests on the other four handpumps namely Island's Wight Gold (in good nick ,£3)Okell's Olde Skipper,St Austell Tribute (£3.20) and Wood's Athletes Ale on my visit.There is also a traditional scrumpy cider on offer. The pub is wet led and there was no sign of food.A commercial pop radio station was piped around the pub,but not at peak volume.Without this distraction ,it is very easy to earwig on any conversation at the bar due to the small interior and there was a lot of local gossip during my lunchtime visit.A small wall mounted flat screen was turned off.There is a courtyard with a rank of bench seats and an awning to the side . A noteable feature was the pub dog,a jack russell.He growled regularly at anyone peering through the pub windows and would break into a yap without provocation.He seemed very upset that I should want to leave the pub,this act stimulated a crescendo of barking.It's a good job I like dogs,other reviewers might be a lot less tolerant. Probably the best pub in the area for beer ,not difficult with so many GK tied houses around.Rightly featured in the 2012 GBG.

A good old fashioned pub with a good range of real ales which makes a good change for a town that is dominated by gk