The Cock Inn, Kettering

Blue Scrumpy left this review about The Cock Inn

Two-room village local that is refreshingly wet-led. I arrive shortly after 4pm opening time to find the landlord and just one other customer sat at a stool at the bar. However, other locals soon began to arrive including a couple of workmen and a couple, the guy clearly from Scotland.

3 real ales were on - Marston's Wainwright, Wye Valley Bitter & Verdant Penpol. I ordered a Penpol and asked the landlord if I was ok to pay with a card. He requested I paid cash if I had any, which was fair enough.

The landlord is a seemingly very interesting chap. He is a larger than life Australian who was quite happy taking the mickey out of anybody who set through the doors. He apparently had plenty of stories and a joke for almost every scenario. With locals all crowded around the bar, he was enjoying being the centre of attention. Note WhatPub claims that the landlord "has been known to bark at self-proclaimed (beer) experts!" This may explain why the Cock has not appeared in the Good Beer Guide pub since 2006!

I found the landlord and his banter quite amusing and my beer was well-kept and certainly one of the better beers I had during the day. The pub itself is also a lovely and traditional building. Long story short, if you're easily offended, this may not be the place for you. But for the nice pub, nice beer and for an entertaining half an hour or so, I quite enjoyed my brief visit here.

On 4^th July 2023 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]