The Blue Boar (JD Wetherspoon), Billericay

Fairly standard Wetherspoon's branch in the centre of Billericay High Street. With most other pubs closed until the afternoon, the pub was doing a reasonably brisk trade on our Saturday morning visit. The usual 'spoon's triumvirate of Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best & Sharp's Doom Bar were on. In addition, they had 3 guest beers - Woodforde's Wherry & Reedlighter & Brentwood Good Elf. Two further handpulls were occupied by real ciders - Weston's Old Rosie & Gwynt y Ddraig Black Dragon. Booth seating can be found against the left-hand wall, with the bar on the right-hand wall. Open-plan seating areas can be found at the front and rear. There is a handy free car park at the rear. No longer, a regular in the Good Beer Guide (it last featured in 2016), there are more reliable places elsewhere in Billericay.

Despite some negative previous reviews I quite liked this Spoons. It is a shop conversion and inside extends back a long way. On the bar were 10 pumps selling Wadworth Fat Head's Rocket Man, Adnam's Mayday, Pedigree, the two usual GK beers, Growler Border Bitter, Shalford Stoneley Bitter, Brentwood Best and two ciders. I went for the Stoneley Bitter (£2.20), a completely new brewery for me and it was in very good nick. I also indulged in the Ddraig Flamllyd Curry Club curry which was also excellent and included a pint of the Mayday. This was the only one of the five Essex Spoons visited giving a serious go at a Locale beer choice and was my favourite of them. It is GBG 2014 listed.

Blue Boar page at the Wetherspoons site - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

Blue Boar page at the Wetherspoons site - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

Fantastic local beer festival in Feb, meet the brewer evening with brentwood brewery and it was nice to see so many camera members there. The pub put on a free buffet and was selling raffle tickets to win a day at brenwood brewery, the proceeds were going to the charity CLIC. Overall a fantastic evening, can see why they are in the 'Good Beer Guide'