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Detail Pages
Three Blackbirds, Hemel Hempstead
Boxmoor
Postal town: Hemel Hempstead
HP1 1NR
Pub Type
John Barras (Spirit Pubs)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Three Blackbirds
ORIGINAL REVIEW February 2012
The interior has the look and feel of a 'spoons but without the range of ales.The coal affect gas fire,quiz and fruit machines and the rather corporate looking adverts for the bingo,poker and quiz nights did not fill the heart with desire to make this a destination pub.My visit to the crapper was a quick affair and did not involve lighting issues but the unmended broken door latch is something that is typical in a chain pub where attention to detail is lacking.The raison d'etre for this pub seems to be the cheap food offering,"2 mains for £8" style which I did not sample.
Functional if dull.
UPDATE
The last visit was in the dog days of John Barras pubco.ownership,now taken over by Greene King,who have done a decent job upgrading the interior.On the left side is a sunstantial dining area,while opposite the bar there are a series of high tables with fitted bench seating in the bay windows.To the right is an internal snug called Snook's Den while further back there is a darts board.The sectioned off eating area helps maintain a boozer atmosphere in the rest of the pub where there are regular quiz night,Sky Sport coverage and some live music.A good community pub let down by poor beer.On my trip GK Abbot,a house Blackbirds Bitter 3.9% no doubt some other poor GK brew and a guest in St Austell Tribute (on the turn ,NBSS 2).Lager is the drink of choice in here,I can see why.
On 6th October 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about The Three Blackbirds
The Three Blackbirds is very well located at the corner of the large green park area which runs down to the Grand Union canal. A sign outside gives the history of the John Barras brewery and the pub is owned by the pub group of the same name, in turn owned by Spirit Group and Enterprise.
The outside is well kept and inviting but the dead corporate hand of a large pub group is immediately apparent when inside. The pub is large and wraps around a central bar. It has clearly been recently refurbished with lots of standard pubco modern furniture, pictures and signs advertising events for most week nights including poker, quiz and bingo nights. All the tables have large plastic menus offering very cheap food and various meal deals and there are television screens throughout broadcasting Sky Sports news on our visit.
Beer choice was limited to Bombardier and Black Sheep the latter of which was drinkable, good value at £2.60 a pint and came with a friendly welcome.
To the rear there's a reasonable sized seating area but beware the Gents which doesn't have a lock on the loo and where you're plunged into darkness if in there for too long. The only light sensor is by the main door so take a torch.
On 1st February 2012
- rating: 5
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Clive Thompson left this review about The Three Blackbirds
Large multi-area Spirit Group pub in a residential area of Boxmoor. Tidy, clean and well presented, seemed popular with most customers looking like locals. Good menu with a number of 2 for £7 offers. Juke box, fruit machines and a dartboard. No children's certificate so they are confined to the small garden area. Four hand pumps with standard beers and Tetley's cask good value at £1.98. Cask Marque accredited.
On 23rd November 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 777 recommendations about 697 pubs]