The Catherine Wheel, Newbury

The Catherine Wheel is a long and thin pub with a small seating area with high tables to the left of the entrance and a bar that runs up the right wall facing a door to the kitchen. There is seating on the left wall past the kitchen and a large chimney breast separates the bar from a rear seating area. This seating area has a few tables that are overlooked by a large television affixed to a thick supporting pillar that hides three booths along the rear wall. To the left of the pub is an enclosed courtyard and advertised gin bar. The bar supports six handpumps that were drawing Exeter Brewery’s Ferryman and Darkness Prince of Ales alongside Windsor and Eton’s Windsor Knot, Ramsbury Estates’ Belapur IPA, Sherfield Village Brewery’s Lockdown Bitter and XT Brewery’s XT4 Session Amber. Premium and craft keg was also available alongside some bottled craft ale and cider. This is a Pieminister outlet, but I went for a ham and cheese panini which was OK, not sure why is was toasted and then also covered in grated cheese. The bloke behind the bar, who I assume is the governor, was very polite and I found this to be a very comfortable pub. Worth a visit.

A good beer guide 2021 tick and one that I would have loved to get to know better. Efficient service and provided with an extensive menu, detailing 6x cask, several keg and a long list of exotic Belgian Beers. A nice little courtyard - chatty locals. I went for an Otter Ale - which wasn't quite in the condition that I would expect. A bit thin and lifeless by the time I got half way down. I would certainly have loved to have stayed and tried others - but time and trains wait for no man.

Another traditional town pub which has recently undergone refurbishment, in this case done with some sympathy. The result is an area which feels like a pub, albeit a with a tidy and modern take, with wood floors, grey and white walls and a very plush smoking courtyard with all the essential fixtures including inset televisions and heaters. There is an enormous selection of 'craft' beer available both bottled - at least fifty across many nationalities - and on keg. Cask choices on our visit were: Red Cat Prowler, Loddon Hoppit, WBB Good Old Boy, Catherine Wheel Ale (from the Longdog Brewery), Wild Weather Skadoosh Double IPA and a real cider. All standard, low strength beers apart from the Skadoosh at a knockout 11%. It really was very good. I don't know if the inclusion of one strong ale is policy, I'd hope so, but the Skadoosh and the friendly service would more than enough to tempt me into a revisit.

Quite a change here, from a basic spit and sawdust type boozer of my last visit to a trendy dining pub with six pumps and eight ciders. The food is largely pie based but in spite of this it all feels a bit yummy mummy and middle class, scatter cushions and all that. Nothing wrong with the place but the beer quality was a bit ordinary, common enough in Newbury, and the service like wise. Not the kind of comfortable relaxing experience I prefer in a pub. The music choice was fine, a mix of Pink Floyd, Beatles and Eagles.