The Cricketers, Oldbrook, Milton Keynes

A modern estate pub just a short stroll from MK town centre, it is part of Greene King’s “Meet and Eat” brand, and although pleasant enough it has a rather mass-produced generic feel much like many other similar establishments up and down the country. It’s a reasonably attractive looking building with much exterior trellis work, and the picnic benches on the patio at the front provide good views of the park opposite. There is also a smaller beer garden to one side. Inside it’s all one open plan room with the usual corporate colours such as khaki green along with some blue and deep red, and it looks as though it may have recently been refurbished. Flooring is predominantly carpet with some mottled tiling around the bar. Tables and chairs were mostly of the high variety so that your feet don’t touch the floor, which personally I always find somewhat difficult to manoeuvre myself in to. There is also a raised seating area at the from with more conventional eating. A pool table was at the back overlooked by some throne like chairs along with a couple of plasma screens, one of which was framed in cow hide for some reason. A few black and white photographs adorned the walls and there was also a colour photo of the nearby MK Bowl. Near the entrance door were a couple of fitted Chesterfield style sofa’s and a small fire, although I’m quite sure from looking at it that the pile of logs stacked nearby were for decorative use only. Food wise, the menu appeared to offer the usual extensive selection of mass produced grub, with options such as sausage & mash, fish & chips, chicken tikka masala and a beef and ale pie all priced at around the £5 - £6 mark. There were also sections on steaks/sizzlers/rubs and burgers. Unfortunately there were no real ales on tap despite three hand pumps on the bar. One was unused, one was covered up and the third appeared to offer Greene King IPA, but this had apparently run out. Beer options were therefore limited to keg Ruddles or John Smiths. Even worse than this, the solitary cider was Strongbow. The till seemed very complicated and it took longer for the barmaid to key in my order than it did to pour it. All in all I’m sure this serves the locale well enough, but I can see little reason why anyone would make a special effort to get here.