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Anspach & Hobday, Bermondsey, SE1

Pub added by Pub SignMan
118 Druid Street
SE1
SE1 2HH

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Blue Scrumpy left this review about Anspach & Hobday

Run be brewers Anspach & Hobday, this place is called the Arch House. It was the last of the bars I was prepared to try along the Bermondsey Beer Mile, but was actually my inspiration for passing this way, as it currently features in the 2024 Good Beer Guide. I'm fairly certain that it is the first such place along here to make the Guide.

In truth, it was somewhat disappointing. There are 2 handpulls at the left-hand end of the bar. On my Saturday evening visit, just the one was clipped with The IPA. It was enjoyable, but I noticed that most people in the bar were either drinking their keg beers or cans/bottles from the fridge. In fact, I think that had I not pointed at the handpull, I would have probably been served the keg version of my beer when I ordered it.

Other keg beers were all from Anspach & Hobday - London Black, Bermondsey Pale, Dry-Hopped Wheat Beer, Sea Salt & Lime Gose, The Porter, Barley Fields & The Ordinary Bitter. The cider was Gravity Theory.

I wouldn't rule out coming back to this place. The IPA was nice, the place was clean, it wasn't too crowded and the clientele seemed to be more likeminded middle-aged beer lovers, rather than the trendy youth witnessed in other venues along here. A little disappointing to find just 1 real ale in here though, when there were 6 in the Southwark Brewing Co. Taproom.

On 14th November 2023 - rating: 5
[User has posted 2442 recommendations about 2441 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Anspach & Hobday

One of the many brewery taps in the railway arches along the Bermondsey Beer Mile, this one benefits from slightly longer opening days / hours than most others. Apart from that, it the usual spartan furniture and almost absent decoration. Of course, they are well known for beer quality and range too, with 12 keg taps on the bar-back, offering a good selection of their own craft beers as well as a couple of guests. However, I went for their original The Pale on cask (£5.50) from one of the pair of handpumps on the small counter.

On 22nd March 2023 - rating: 7
[User has posted 8066 recommendations about 8066 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Blackthorn _ left this review about Anspach & Hobday

One of many similar establishments forming part of the famous Bermondsey Beer Mile, like many of the others this is located in the arches under the railway track, and is of course a brewery tap rather than a pub, and this is reflected in the somewhat industrial style décor, if one could go so far as calling it that.

The flooring was some type of concrete screed, whilst the usual white corrugated iron of these establishments was cladding the ceiling in order to channel the continually dripping water from the tunnel roof away from the punters underneath. A row of tall stainless steel brewing vessels all along the left hand side was something of a feature but this only added to the rather start industrial feel of the place. Seating here was very limited and you certainly did get the impression that you were just squeezed in to the corner of a warehouse, and the harsh acoustics only added to this creating a less than relaxing ambience. There was a small mezzanine level floor, but this appeared to be for storage only rather than additional seating.

The only real ale available was their own The Smoked Brown, although there were a number of keg options including The Bitter, The IPA, The Gose, The Porter, The Pale Ale and The Cream Ale. Overall this was not one of the better options on the mile, with little effort to provide any comfort for the customers and only one cask option available.

On 5th February 2020 - rating: 5
[User has posted 1937 recommendations about 1850 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Steve of N21 left this review about Anspach & Hobday

Anspach & Hobday have been brewing under the arches since they were set up in March 2014. It’s only a single unit without outside seating so cannot accommodate a great deal of people and as mentioned below does employ security to manage a queuing system during the busy times. Fortunately we got here fairly early on this Saturday afternoon and walked straight in.
Its Craft Keg only here and all eight of the taps behind the small serving area were in operation. I went for their 8.5% Stout Porter and bloody good it was too, which it needed to be at £3.50 for a half.
A pint of a below 6% beer will set you back £5.50 and a tasting flight of 3 1/3 glasses of any beer can be had for £6.
Like most of the arch bars and brewers its only open Friday to Sunday.

On 18th June 2019 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2094 recommendations about 1985 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Moby Duck left this review about Anspach & Hobday

Incredibly busy,in fact rammed, queuing outside with security allowing a few in at a time, I nearly decided to give it a miss but persevered and only had to wait 2 or three minutes to gain entry, I 'm glad I did as my Pale Ale was excellent despite the princely sum of £3.00 a half.

On 30th April 2017 - rating: 6
[User has posted 1868 recommendations about 1841 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Pub SignMan left this review about Anspach & Hobday

Originally opened as a joint venture with the Bullfinch Brewery, this is now solely operated by Anspach and Hobday, following the initial cessation of brewing by Bullfinch and their subsequent relocation to that other South London microbrewery hotspot - Herne Hill. We are left with another Bermondsey railway arch based microbrewery offering limited seating in one of the smaller premises on the Beer Mile. The usual canteen tables and benches fill most of the left hand side of the arch, with a simple servery set-up over to the right. A few upturned barrels allow for some vertical drinking within but lots of punters had spilled out onto the pavement which was guarded by a pissed off looking doorman. One couple even took their beers over to the benches outside the now closed Marquis of Wellington. There was quite a lively atmosphere both inside and out, as the day was drawing on and most punters were well into the crawl, but everyone was well behaved and the doorman didn't have much to do.
Eight Anspach and Hobday beers were available on keg from the taps behind the bar. I forget what I ordered, other than it was a dark beer and that it was delicious - is it just me, or do dark beers seem to retain their flavour better on keg than light hoppy beers?
This was a pretty decent effort, perhaps a bit too small to accommodate the number of people wanting to squeeze in, but welcoming enough. I ended up stood around outside, but feel I would've enjoyed the visit more had I been able to get a seat inside.
Open Friday 17:00 - 21:00, Saturday 11:00 - 17:00 and Sunday 12:00 - 17:00.

On 20th October 2015 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3102 recommendations about 3102 pubs]