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The Punchbowl, Millom
Postal town: Millom
LA18 5HJ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Punchbowl
This pub is under different ownership since my previous review, and the brewery is not as active as it used to be (I understand from reading local Camra newsletters that the brewer has not enjoyed the best of health). Suffice to say that this is now a food-led pub, with beer seemingly, if my afternoon weekday visit is anything to go by, a bit of an afterthought. I was disappointed to see that the delightful interior that I enthused about in 2012 has been partly obscured by recent refurbishments - perhaps this has been because of the switch in emphasis to food. If so, and if this is the only way for a pub like this to survive, then I won't criticise. After all, it's not going to survive on my intermittent custom...
There are still Beckstones beers here - two of them on the bar at the time of my visit - but they were supplemented this time by nationally available Bass and one from York: Hansome Blonde, which I suspected would not be to my taste, so went for the Bass and a local, which were both in good enough condition. I missed and regretted the enthusiasm from before (see my review from six - sorry, seven - years ago), while appreciating that the other customers coming in for their evening meals were keeping the pub in business.
Date of visit: 18th July 2018
On 17th February 2019
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3745 recommendations about 3482 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Punchbowl
Although the pub is not open at lunchtimes, I was welcomed inside when I turned up today just after two by the manager, Andrew, who was outside doing some preparatory work for the beer festival next week. As I had cycled about 40 miles to get there, I may have looked in need of a drink.
There are 11 hand pumps, one of which had a cider on; most were devoid of pump clips because it was mid-week: the policy here is to stock the bar for the busier weekends and allow the beers to run off during the quieter week. A couple of Yates beers were available, but I tried the Cross Bay Winter Moon porter, which was still in good nick. I was also favoured with a taster of the Beckstones Super Freddy, a special version at 4.8% of the former champion Black Dog Freddy mild, which although not quite ready yet was nevertheless full of promise. Normally Beckstones beers feature strongly, hardly a surprise when the brewery is about 50 metres from the front door, but production has been reduced recently because of the brewer's indisposition.
The pub is looking really good, with lots of refurbishment having gone on inside. There's a games room to one side of the bar, with pool table and darts. The main room has some massive low beams and is a really lovely room, though difficult to heat. Apparently the upstairs function room, which still features the old WWII black-out curtains, is a long way off being put back into use.
For the forthcoming beer festival, transport has been arranged to meet every train that stops at Green Road station - but don't forget it's a request stop! Even on non-festival days, it's only a fifteen minute walk and well worth it if the pub is open: 5pm is normal opening time.(Green Road is just one stop along the line from Foxfield, where the Prince of Wales is right across the road from the station. I feel a pub crawl coming on.)
On 1st February 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3745 recommendations about 3482 pubs]