The Man of Kent, Rochester

Lovely looking exterior - requires a slight amount of detective work to find the entrance. Which has a covid notice saying "if the door is locked, please knock". I am unsure if this offer is time bound. Three large Paulaner Fonts - they specialise in German Beers and a collection of Real Ales from an L Shaped Bar with benches running along the outside. Friendly locals and barstaff. Goachers Ales Gold Star in fine condition.

A very attractive old exterior of Styles & Winch, a Maidstone brewery that bought up the local Troy Town brewery (which still stands at the end of nearby Cazeneuve St). The front doors are shut off and entry is through the side, which takes you into a glorious back street community local with no frills or pretensions. The L-shaped bar has a splendid array of 11 handpumps, all serving different Kent beers at time of visit, plus a clutch of German fonts serving Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr. At the end of the bar is a small heap of Kentish ciders in boxes while at the back of the pub there is a side room incorporating a library, with a garden behind. We were there early evening when there was a steady flow of regulars, judging from the pulling of the correct beer as they arrived, always a good sign. A permanent exhibition of Kent beers in a proper local which should not be missed.

The Man of Kent is a back street pub that is a short walk downhill to the train station. Once inside i was really surprised to see the real ale choice on the bar. The room is L shaped with the bar facing,there is bench seating to the front and pew seats to the left with small stools,there are a few leather settees in a small area to the front left. I had a drink of Gadds No 7 which was a really nice drink,the other beers i noted were Gadds DR Sunshine,Goody Ales Genesis,Goachers and Imperial Stout,there were many other real ales and real Ciders i failed to note. If you like real ales then this is the pub to visit if in Rochester. Pub visited 6/6/2015

Originally situated just around the corner in an older building (the earliest record of this pub I can find is 1858), it moved to its current building in the 1920s. It is a regular GBG entry and has been the local CAMRA POTY several times - quite deservedly in my opinion.It is a wonderful back street pub, an excellent dog-friendly local and a piece of Rochester's history. The clientele are mostly locals, with a few visitors and CAMRA members mixed in. The staff are friendly but take a no nonsense approach with idiots, and there are no gaming machines or jukeboxes to spoil the ambience. There were 7 ales and 6 ciders on, all from Kent. I had a pint of Kentish Ales Dominator which was in perfect condition. An absolute must for a Rochester crawl and worth dropping in any time.