ReviewJust a short walk from Newton Abbot station, this is a small bar and bottle shop located in part of the former Tucker’s Maltings – Devon’s last traditional malt house until its closure in 2018. The maltings opened in 1900 and produced malt for a number of breweries across the South West, and even supplied Guinness in the early 1900’s, before eventually closing due to being unable to compete with the larger scale modern manufacturers. They’ve left behind a large, impressive building, much of which appears to be converted to housing and office space, but thankfully a small part has been retained as a bar, enabling the public to check out part of the building. The pub occupies a large, spacious room with ample seating to the right and a bar and bottle shop area to the left. It’s a concrete floored room with whitewashed stone walls and a few sections of ugly exposed blockwork here and there. Seating options vary from benches to the right and through the middle, tables and chairs along the front wall and some high stools and drinking ledges nearer to the bar. They’ve tried to incorporate a few items of historic interest in the décor, including lots of old malt sacks which cover one part of the wall, some great black and white photos of the maltings in action and many more of pubs from around the town, a lovely drawing of the building in its prime, various old beer barrels, a collection of malting tools, a beer bottle and can collection, various old signs and mirrors and bunches of hops lining the tops of some walls. The bar has a modern timber fronted counter that runs in an L-shape, with a TV screen behind the bar listing the full draught range. Displays of bottled beer fill shelves to the front and fridges to the far left of the room, all available for take-out.
There were just the two cask ales available on this visit – Powderkeg Idler and New Lion Pandit – supplemented by an interesting craft keg range that included a fair few local brewers as well as more nationally acclaimed options. I initially opted for the Idler, but the very enthusiastic barman suggested I try both options and recommended the Pandit as one of his favourites. Having tried a sample of each, it was clear this was a good recommendation, so I took a pint of the Pandit, which was in great shape and slipped down a treat. The barmaid was also very friendly, stopping for a chat and explaining that his was her first day on the job.
This is a well-judged venture that has been tastefully incorporated into this interesting old building and ensures there is still a beer-themed presence in these old maltings. I thought the beer quality and service were top-notch and that there is plenty here to explore, rewarding multiple visits. It perhaps lacks a little pub character, due to the open-plan nature of the room, but that’s a small gripe and I’d say this is worth adding to any crawl around town.
