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The Orange Tree, Baldock
Baldock
SG7 5AW
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Graham Coombs left this review about The Orange Tree
An excellent locals' pub in a residential area just out of town. It just about qualifies as a multi-roomer with lots of different spaces scattered round the central bar, all with a nicely homespun sort of feel. Good and friendly too, with knowledgeable staff. The icing on the cake is the beer range (not to mention the 'proper' ciders): Anarchy Blond Star, Acorn Barnsley Bitter, Buntingford Princess, Titanic Plum Porter, Brewsters Hophead and Tring Mansion Mild, along with the mandatory Abbot and IPA. Definitely the best pub in the area.
On 24th March 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Orange Tree
Not much from the outside but large, multi spaces pub with quality real ale. A nice alround pub
On 25th April 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Orange Tree
ORIGINAL REVIEW July 2015
Dont be put off by the GK insignia to the outside,this old building houses a very fine range of real ale.The pub itself retains a two room layout,lounge to the left and public bar to the right,which is the most popular spot and also has a small and charming back snug through a doorway.Seating in the public bar is limited ,mainly a bench running opposite the bar and a table wedged into a former inglenook.A clocking on machine and brick fireplace add more interest.
The star turn here is the ale,with 12 ales,three GK regulars in the shape of GK IPA,Abbott and XX MILD with guests on my trip of Buntingford Chinook and 92 Squadron,Skinners Betty Stogs,Pig & Porter Elders & Betters,Dancing Duck Waddle It Be and Roosters Buckeye,Blind Jack,Wild Mule and Londinium.A fantastic range over various styles from some top brewers and everything sampled was in very good nick apart from a tired Dancing Duck ale.For fans of the apple,there is a selection of 10 real ciders.
The food is good honest pub grub at reasonable prices sourced locally,the wide variety of sausages didn't taste wildly different but were still very acceptable.
This has to be route 1 if you are seeking decent ale in Baldock,I will certainly be back to a pub off the beaten track but well worth seeking out.
UPDATE
Another visit produced an even better ale line up .There will normally be three GK brews but always including the excellent XX MILD,and something from the Buntingford Brewery.Rotating guests on this visit included a sublime Northern Monk True North,two ales from Lymestone and a very interesting Wild Weather Robbers.The range of style is commendable and the condition top drawer.Helpful tasting notes included above the bar and the staff were friendly and chatty.This time I swerved the sausages and three of us ate from the menu,it was top quality and excellent value .I've gone to full marks,couldn't fault it in any way. A must visit.
On 12th June 2016
- rating: 10
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Orange Tree
The Orange Tree is yet another Green King Tied pub in the Hertfordshire town of Baldock. But due to a proper and very active guest ale policy agreed with GK by the current landlord it offers the most interesting choice for the Baldock real ale drinker by a proverbial country mile, and in recognition was awarded the North Herts CAMRA Pub of the Year for 2013.
There are usually 8 real ales on offer which are dispensed across 13 hand pumps in banks of 5,4 and 4 across the three serving areas.
A pub since the 1760’s , the multi roomed traditional pub interior of the Orange Tree retains several period features with a large public bar with impressive Simpsons brewery sign, a cosy oak beamed snug, and a large lounge/function room also with plenty of character, and an external patio area and large beer garden with sofa’d up smoking shelter out back.
From all the advert posters it looks like a good community pub with regular live music, weekly quiz nights on a Tuesday and from what I could make out, a quarterly beer festival. There was also what looked like a good homemade food menu featuring meat from the local butchers but I didn’t try that.
The Orange Tree has a comfortable lived in feel, but perhaps will be a bit too well worn for some who like their pubs modern and clean , especially the public area where dogs are welcome.
On the ale front fortunately the available beers and their prices are displayed on a beam above the main serving area , so you don’t have to walk round all the pumps to see what was on.
The GK brews of GK IPA, Abbott and the XX Mild are always on and Buntingford Brewery brews seem semi-permanent offerings as well and for my visit there was Buntingford Partridge, Twitchell and 92 Squadron alongside Great Oakley Tiffield Thunderbolt, Dark Star Winter Meltdown and a 10% Burton Bridge Thomas Sykes Old Ale. I ducked the Old Ale as I still needed to navigate back to the train station, but Dark Star and the couple from Buntingford I tried were well kept.
This was the last pub of my Baldock crawl and for Ale choice, I had certainly saved the best till last.
On 7th February 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]