Topsham Brewery and Taproom, Exeter

Brewery and taproom housed in part of the Maclaines Warehouse beside the Haven Banks canal basin. Rustic interior with wooden benches, plus a small beer garden at the side. Brewing vessels partly visible through a doorway, a pizza van is parked outside. 16 taps on the bar-back for craft beer and a couple of ciders, plus two rather inconspicuous handpumps. In the end, I went for their Ask Your Dad best bitter (£5.20), purely on the basis of the ironic name.

Large converted quayside stone-built warehouse which takes a little finding off the main drag if you are staring at the Gmap on your phone rather than using your eyes and sense. Inside is a single room with exposed stone walls, plank flooring, wood vaulting support and bench table seating – very rustic. There's also waterside seating. Groaned when I saw unisex toilets but these are sensible fully-enclosed cubicles rather than some wonk-eyed woke free-for-all. It’s apparently a Topsham Brewery brewpub (though I didn’t see any evidence of brewing), so I was mildly surprised to see 2/2 non-Topsham cask amongst the keggery, Timothy Taylor Landlord and a superb drop of Vocation Bread & Butter (NBSS 4.5) which at £4.20 a pint was a steal for the locale – though it meant that I forgot to sample the local brew which I assume must have been keykeg only on this occasion. Card only, inevitably. Pizza van outside with prices between £8-£11 which again is pretty good. Surprisingly honest and enjoyable place, I was expecting a level of hipster twattery which thankfully didn’t materialise. GBG 23 listed and thoroughly deserving. I’d be quite happy to drop by again, though I did think this is a not-far-off a photocopy of the long-established Fire Station up the hill.

I found this place a bit of a faff to get to, having to navigate several backstreets, bridges and towpaths before finally reaching my destination, but it was well worth the effort to find this cool riverside brewpub with its rustic old warehouse-style interior. You enter into a sizable bare boarded room with whitewashed stone walls, a high wooden ceiling and loads of beams and pillars that break up the space effectively. The bar is to the front left with a knockabout timber counter and bare stone bar back which sees the taps and handpulls mounted on a table top unit to the rear. Hops line the beam above the bar counter, giving the place a bit of a rustic, rural vibe. Lots of basic bench seating is available throughout, with some partitioning screens hiding a few high tables and benches down the right-hand side. To the rear, there is an upright piano, drum kit and a few other musical bits that suggest gig nights might be on the calendar. The walls are mostly bare stone, but a few cool modern art prints and a pump clip collection have been put up to add a bit of colour next to the bar. Outside, a pizza truck was dishing out tasty looking grub and plenty of picnic bench seating can be found along the waterfront and in a neighbouring grassy area. Pumping dance tunes played at a fairly sensible level to still allow for conversation on my Friday night visit. The pub was absolutely heaving when I arrived, with people standing five deep at the bar and not a seat in sight. After a long wait, I made it to the bar, where a selection of eight craft keg beers and four cask options were available. The cask range comprised Thornbridge Jaipur, Five Points Best Bitter, and two home brews - Topsham Goat Walk and Serenity. I tried the Goat Walk (£4.20), which was decent enough, if not the most memorable brew of the day. This is a really nice brewpub with a lot of character, a good selection of homebrewed and guest beers, friendly service and a cracking atmosphere. I perhaps would’ve enjoyed the place more if I’d been able to find a seat inside, but still left with a very favourable impression and would suggest this is one not to miss.