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Detail Pages
Shinner & Sudtone, Sutton
Sutton
SM1 1DT
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Shinner & Sudtone
This is an eclectically decorated former Antic pub, now notably rebranded by the Portobello Brewery, following their post-lockdown acquisition of several Antic venues. Entering past a fenced off pavement seating area, you find yourself in a deep but relatively narrow room, which runs through a few distinct spaces from front to rear. To the front is a parquet floored seating area with long tables lined with mis-matched chairs to the left, a drinking ledge under the front windows and some banquettes to the right, which continue further along the side, as the servery emerges on the opposite wall. Here, the banquettes are formed into a couple of nice booths by some high shelving units stuffed full of old books, ornaments and beer cans, with one boasting a load of old apothecary-style small drawers in its frontage. This part of the pub has a great mosaic tile floor, presumably preserved from the building’s former shop incarnation, whilst the servery has a counter which looks like the sort of thing you’d find in a chemist’s, complete with glass fronted display cases in the counter, with drawers beneath. The display cases are full of more ornaments, glassware and various old bottles, tins, boxes and the like. The bar back is also pretty impressive, backed by a glazed tile wall with a tile frieze across the top (the same is also visible in places on the opposite wall, although it has been replaced by chequered tiles in some spots). The bar back shelving units are very much a retro piece themselves and are decorated accordingly with tankards, old bottles, miniature figures and some vases of peacock feathers, among other things. Beyond, a few high tables and stools stand next to a shelf heavily stacked with board games, and past this, some steps lead up to a raised rear seating space which I didn’t properly explore. The whole pub has been decorated with old beer trays nailed to the walls, and extensive collections of bottles and ceramics, most notably in large display cabinets to the front left. Pop music played quietly in the background and there were only a few customers dotted around on my Saturday afternoon visit, most of which were eating from an Antic-esque menu.
On the bar, just Portobello Star and a real cider on the handpulls - two of which were left unclipped. The Star was a very reasonable £4.00 for a pint and in good condition - despite the low turnout, it seemed to be relatively popular so I was more than happy supping my pint whilst trying to take in all the quirky decor.
This place felt pretty out-there, even by Antic’s usual standards, and the Portobello people don’t seem inclined to tone things down, so there’s plenty here to keep you interested and perhaps merit return visits. The lone ale choice may prohibit extended stays, but it was in good shape and preferable to the expensive craft I found in other Sutton watering holes. Probably my pub of choice for Sutton town centre.
On 20th December 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Shinner & Sudtone
Apparently, the unusual name is derived from what was once an adjoining department store and an historic name for what has become Sutton. Inside it is unmistakably Antic, the front area has cobbled together tables seemingly fashioned from off-cuts of wood, there are cases of all sorts on the walls including some old tobacco tins, all over the walls are fixed tin trays with brewery and cigarette branding and the doors to the toilets look like they've been dragged from a skip then bashed about a bit more. Towards the end of the bar a high ledge holds some ancient suitcases with shelves of board games below, then there is a flight of steps leading up to another area where lines cross the room at ceiling level, each holding a number of music sheets attached by washing pegs.
The bar counter front has glass cases of plates, glassware etc which I assume is as a homage to the erstwhile department store. Curiously a picture of a young Queen Elizabeth looks down on proceedings from above the bar back.
As an Antic pub there will be a Volden beer, on this occasion their Session Ale. Also on were Siren Undercurrent, Wiper and True Doves and Raisins plus Lilley's Dark cider.
The shabby and random style appeals to me as there are all kinds of unusual items to catch the eye and above all a decent and less usual range of beers.
On 18th February 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1707 recommendations about 1681 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about Shinner & Sudtone
Was expecting more from this place. It was OK but only four hand pumps on the bar. Basic seating arrangements in place. Probably worth a revisit if I'm ever in Sutton again.
On 14th January 2018
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rex Rattus left this review about Shinner & Sudtone
This one had four ales on - a Milk Stout (brewery not displayed); Bragdy Heavy Industry Collaborator (think I noted it correctly - never heard of it before); Volden Session Ale; and London Beer Factory Chelsea Blond (£4). There were no menus about when I visited at about 5.30 on Monday evening.
This is one of Antic's most recent acquisitions, and as is usual with this chain they've stripped it back to its bare bones. Very often the pub is left with rough plaster, rough concrete floors and other stuff some might argue is best left covered up, but in here it's revealed a parquet floor at the front, some mosaic tiled floor in the rest of the room, plus loads of tiling on the walls. Apparently this place started out in life as a Sainsbury's many years ago, and at some stage subsequently became Shinner's store - hence the name; Sudtone is the old name for Sutton. I would guess that the wall tiling and mosaic flooring would be from its time as a Sainsbury's.
As usual for an Antic pub, they've not pushed out the boat on top of the range furnishings. Some tables seem to be made from old gash bits of wood, most chairs are folding jobbies, possibly re-cycled from somewhere like an old erstwhile cinema. The bar counter seems to be constructed from old department store drawers and display cases; the wall on the left as you enter has more display cases and chinaware on it; shelving units are used as dividers between some bench seating; and I saw loads of old suitcases down at the end as some sort of decorative feature. There's another seating area at the back up on a mezzanine level, but I didn't explore it.
All in all it's a fairly predictable Antic "conversion". But the beer's good and the barman was friendly and chatty, and it had the usual laid back Antic feel. Whatever else you might say about Antic pubs, they're not boring and there's always something to look at.
On 8th January 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2606 recommendations about 2520 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about Bar Room Bar
CLOSED & BOARDED (08/07/09)
On 9th July 2009
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Ford left this review about Bar Room Bar
Now called Bar Room Bar
On 29th November 2008
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 11 recommendations about 11 pubs]