The Pear Tree, Purley

A large Stonegate clone of a Spoons' but a bit lacking in style, despite mandatory old photographs and a drawing room sort of feel. One big room with booths off to the side opposite a long bar, and a mixture of tall and low tables elsewhere. A few large screens show sports. Draught ales were Wimbledon Common Pale, Hobgoblin Gold and Doom Bar, with 4 Lilley's ciders in boxes.

In most respects, a typical Stonegate pub of dull external appearance and with a partly opened-out 'L'-shaped layout. Despite the generally high ceilings, quite dark inside once you move away from the large front windows. Features a variety of anonymous semi-modern furniture and decor, numerous TV screens and a standard menu. On the plus side, five of six handpumps were in operation, offering Greene King IPA, Jennings Cumberland (£3.05) and Hobgoblin plus - unexpectedly - a couple of Lilley's ciders on tap and clips for two more (which must have been in boxed form elsewhere).

Official site of The Pear Tree - www.greatukpubs.co.uk

Official site of The Pear Tree - www.greatukpubs.co.uk

This is a massive Smith & Jones pub at the Purley end of the Brighton Road. The one large room is typical of this sort of drinking barn style establishment, which was packed on my recent visit thanks to multiple TV and projector screens which were showing the Man Utd vs. Chelsea title decider. The decor is a little spartan, with just a few photo collages on the far wall to break the monotony. There's a fair bit of seating, thanks in no small part, to the sheer size of the place, but I was unable to find a seat and so had to make do with leaning against the bar, as no stools were provided. A side door led to an outdoor area, but I couldn't be bothered to fight my way through the crowd to see what was out there. There were quite a lot of staff on for such a busy afternoon, which was encouraging, but they were all pretty slow and I saw numerous people waiting a long time to get served, despite it being not too busy at the bar. I left before half time, but I hope they got their act together by then. There were three handpulls dispensing Sharp's Doom Bar, Westerham British Bulldog (£2.75) and Dark Star Original, with two real ciders also available in addition to a further four which were lined up behind the bar. My pint of Bulldog was in good shape and I was more than happy with the price. I'm not sure I saw this place at its best, but it is clear that it attracts a mostly young crowd and is no doubt a decent spot for a night out for those who can't face dragging themselves into Croydon or beyond. The beer was a definite plus factor and given the pretty poor standard of Purley's pubs, it's as good as anywhere else for a quick pint.