Cross Keys Hotel, Chatteris

I note that this pub in the centre of Chatteris was runner-up in the local CAMRA organisation's Town Pub of the Year competition. They presumably visited it on a good day, with decent beers sampled. The beer I tried here (Lacon's Norfolk Gem) was easily the worst I had during a day of drinking in Cambridgeshire. It was largely lifeless and clearly hadn't been pulled through before being served. Sharp's Doom Bar is the regular beer here. Perhaps I would have had more joy trying that one. Another guest beer was Lacon's Legacy. Inside, there is a main bar area, another smaller room just behind it and a restaurant area at the rear. With all tables in the bar taken, we sat in the small room to the rear, where tables were also made out for dining. In here, there were some strange items on display, including a crucifix. A flickering candle-like bulb in one corner was obviously there to create a cosy effect, but was actually quite annoying. Service was indifferent and the car park to the rear of the building is incredibly cramped. All in all, I'm not quite sure how this pub manages to get in the Good Beer Guide. It's a little on the weird side (I normally like weird), but with beer quality this poor, it shouldn't get anywhere near CAMRA's shortlist of decent pubs in Cambridgeshire.