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Disappointment of the week with Real Ale Ray
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Detail Pages
St Jude's Brewery Tavern, Ipswich
Ipswich
IP1 3EW
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about St Jude's Brewery Tavern
This small, dark pub was originally the brewery tap for the now defunct St Jude's Brewery, having previously been used as a photographic studio. It opened as a rock themed pub in February 2011, specialising in real ale and winning various CAMRA accolades along the way, including Ipswich Pub of the Year 2014. The pub has two distinctly different halves, with the front section bare boarded with a lot of pew, standard and low stool seating down either side of the narrow room. Walls have decent wood panelling and some high shelves display a disparate mix of beer bottles, whisky boxes, gothic and Halloween themed items and all manner of other bits and bobs. The front windows are particularly attractive, with some nice stained glass panes retained. A drinking ledge down the right hand side displays various bits of CAMRA literature, the day's newspapers and a board which lists all of the beer, wine and spirit options. The bar eventually appears on the right, in a section which becomes increasingly obscured from the front of the pub thanks to the presence of numerous pillars, which mean that the only seating available is in the form of high stools along a ledge opposite the bar. There is a red concrete floor in this area and each pillar has been covered in pump clips which attests to the pub's vast, ever-changing ale range. There is also a skeleton hanging from one of the pillars, which kind of fits in with the pub's theme. A TV tucked away in the rear corner was showing some snooker and rock music was playing quietly in the background, although I don't doubt that there will be times in the day when the volume gets cranked up to 11. There is apparently a function room available for hire upstairs and a small smoking patio out the back, but I didn't visit either.
Sat in front of the beer board, I was able to note the extensive ale range, most of which is served straight from the cask. On this visit, the options were Jarrow Westoe IPA and Iris, Growler Bitter and Night Boat, Spitting Feathers Special Ale, Earl Soham Gannet Mild and Sir Roger's Porter, Cliff Quay Tolly Roger and Roaring 40's, Dow Bridge Gladiator, Deuchars IPA and Mr Grundy's Kitchener Wheat Beer. As if that wasn't enough, four real ciders were also available. I thought this was a pretty good selection of ales, almost all from micros, covering a range of styles and strengths. I decided to try the Westoe IPA which was probably the best pint I found during a day spent crawling around Ipswich. The two barmen were very funny, having some great banter between them and with their customers which helped create a very light-hearted, jovial atmosphere.
I really liked this place and would suggest that it's one of the town's best ale houses. It might not be a style of pub that suits everyone, but I found the place very welcoming and relaxed. This is an essential addition to any crawl around town and potentially good for an extended session.
On 6th June 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about St Jude's Brewery Tavern
This brewery tap for the nearby St Jude's Brewery closed in May 2012. Sadly the brewery has also ceased trading as well.
Interior was in a slighty gothic Victorian style with dark painted walls, inset stained glass panels, a variety of small light fittings and much memorabelia including various pewter tankards and wooden furnishings.
The pub was formerly a photographic studio.
Source: CAMRA Suffolk Newsletter
On 2nd June 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]