The Galvanisers Union, Bromley-By-Bow, E3

Just a short distance from Bromley-by-Bow tube station, this is an old estate pub built into the ground floor of a block of flats, but now given a contemporary makeover by the Antic pub chain. The pub was previously known as the Duke of Wellington and this becomes partly evident on arrival, with doorways signed for the Wellington Lounge and Saloon Bar. Only the latter door seemed to be in operation, so I made my way inside to find a large, bare concrete floored room with a nice curved bar counter to the left. The usual mix of Antic recycled furniture was very much on show here, with armchairs under the front windows, sofas in the mid section, standard tables and chairs further back and some unmissable lime green banquettes on the back wall underneath some equally unlovable floral wallpaper. The room's centrepiece is an incredibly long and well used workbench complete with old vice clamps and a lifetime's stains and gouges. High stools line this bench and there was a TV screen above showing live coverage from the final day of the Olympic Games, whilst elsewhere a few enamel advertisements and paintings were displayed, but the usual Antic excesses had been reigned in a bit on this front. A door to the right leads out to a small gravel garden to the side of the pub which offered some picnic benches and views of the busy roads around the building. The Wellington Lounge is accessed by passing the far end of the bar, where a connecting passage leads you through to a sizeable space with plenty more seating, an open kitchen and a table football game. Music played quietly in the background and was accompanied by a yappy and highly energetic puppy tied to one of the tables. Hot food is available from the usual selective Antic menu, but of more appeal were the sausage rolls on the end of the bar counter. An early Saturday afternoon visit saw Fallen New World Odyssey and Animal Brewing Pukelo available alongside two real ciders and a turned clip for Volden Pale. Keg beers from Beavertown, Lagunitas and a few other interesting breweries rounded out the selection. I enjoyed an excellent pint of the Pukelo (£3.80) but was a bit miffed when the barman took my four pound coins, put them in the till and then vanished without giving me my change. A genuine mistake I'm sure, but not a great first impression. I've found that by and large, Antic do a pretty good job when it comes to this sort of pub recovery operation and this place was no exception. I liked the feel of the main bar and was impressed with the quality of my pint, which probably tastes all the better when you consider the lack of good beer in the neighbourhood. The pub also makes a good, crowd-free meet up venue for football fans visiting West Ham's new ground, which is a pleasant 20 minute canal side stroll away.

Official site of The Galvanisers Union - www.galvanisersunion.com

There were four ales on here – Adnam’s Mosaic, Sharp’s Doom Bar and Cornish Coaster (on special offer at £3 a pint) and South Town (£1.95 a half) which is an Adnam’s and Camden Brewery collaboration. The kitchen’s not in operation yet, but I’m sure soon will be, and in the meantime it’s Scotch eggs or pork pies at £2.50 a pop. This used to be The Duke of Wellington, but is now the latest addition to Antic’s ever changing portfolio of London pubs. Being an Antic pub it’s very much work in progress. Most pubcos opening a new venture would paint it from top to bottom, re-furnish it throughout, paint the outside including some signage and then open for business. But not Antic – they get in some old second hand furniture and bizarre knick knacks, put some beer on and – hey presto – open for business. I guess it works though. This one’s got no signage as yet and much of the interior is in need of some care and attention – but with Antic you never know when they’ll regard it as a finished job. The most unusual feature in here has to be the 12’ long solid workbench doing duty as a massive table that has clearly seen a lot of use over the years. I wouldn’t have wanted to be one of the poor sods who had to hump that thing into the pub. It now has little sprigs of flowers on it, which look a bit incongruous on a battle scarred workbench. Despite the fact that you never know how long their pubs are going to last, I reckon that Antic are something of a breath of fresh air on the London pub scene. If I lived around this area I would definitely give this pub my custom.

Official site of The Galvanisers Union - www.galvanisersunion.com