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ONE PUB ONLY?
Hobgoblin
CRAWLING FROM RAILWAY STATION TO THE GROUND?
The bus goes from the station on match days so a town crawl of the Hook and Tackle, Hobgoblin and the Allied should do the trick
SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT?
Magpie and Parrot if you have a car.
|  |  Allied Arms
57 St. Mary's Butts RG1 2LG Telephone 0118 9590865 W www.allied-arms.co.uk
G Steve and Moya Rolls
F Pork Scratchings specially imported from Burton on Trent
MP TV JB
O 12 to 11. Closed Sun unless London Irish or Reading F.C. are playing in town
The Allied is a pub that has undergone a renaissance under the guidance of first time landlords, Steve and Moya. The pub is in the town yet far enough away from the station and large pubs to generate regular as well as passing shopping trade. The pub is generating interest from younger real ale drinkers, students and couples loving the community feel of an in town local. The loyalty of the pub is more towards London Irish than the Royals, the banter more gentle than confrontational. The pub also has some interesting oddities. Not the no swearing edict or the front bar being no smoking, but the Bomb Jack machine in the bar and both bars being equal in size and cosiness. When the rugby and real ale guide comes to fruition, the Allied will be a must find pub. In the meantime, come here in summer, relax in the beer courtyard or join in the bar banter, it’s all good fun.
UPDATE: The beer garden is something special, now heated and covered. The guest beer changes weekly. Awards are deservedly being won.
BWV 16.5.06: Fuller’s London Pride, Hop Back Summer Lightning, Lodden Hullabaloo
BWV 4.4.05: Fuller’s London Pride, Lodden Hullabaloo, West Berks Good Old Boy
UPDATE NOW FIVE HANDPUMPS, three regulars plus two guests | |  Fisherman's Cottage
224 Kennet Side RG1 3DW Telephone 0118 9571553
G New management Richard Nante?
F Home - cooked specials and good value pub menu 12 to 3, 6 to 9 Mon - Sat, 12 to 6 Sun (Roast only)
CP TV BM P D
O 12 to 11 Mon - Sat, 12 to 10.30 Sun. (12 to 3, 5 to 11 Winter weekdays)
My visit coincided with the Spring Beer festival and it was good to see the full Fuller’s range available over the week. Adam run a very friendly canal - side pub that has continued its reputation for ales and good quality freshly prepared food. It is, however, a pub not a restaurant. The location is excellent for those who wish to walk along the canal. The locals tend to come from the new residences on the opposite side of the Kennet and Avon. The pub itself is deceptively small in its original state. The snug is stone walled and totally enclosed. The majority of space is found in the large conservatory than forms the bulk of the bar. I would love to see this place on a hot summer’s day when one could either use the large beer garden, or for more fun, sit outside and watch canal life in all its amusing detail as pleasure craft negotiate the nearby lock. The pub slogan is “real ale, real food, real pub.” This would be my choice for a leisurely lunch before a stroll into town.
UPDATE: Adam is the new manager, the pub still being owned by Colin Barlow. The beer list includes Gale’s as a regular, and changing guest ales.
BWV 16.5.06: Fuller’s ESB, Gale’s Festival Mild, London Pride
BWV 4.4.05: Fuller’s ESB. IPA, London Porter, London Pride | |  Hobgoblin
2 Broad St RG1 2BH Telephone 0118 9508119
G Rob Wain
MP BM
O 11 to 11 Mon - Sat, 12 to 10.30 Sun
The Hobgoblin champions West Berks ales and small independent breweries. It is also very different to what one first imagines when you see the Hobgoblin name. The pub is tiny, intimate and very friendly. It has been designed with several timber framed snugs within the shell of an original town boozer. I would defy anyone to; a) recognize all the pump clips that decorate virtually every wall or; b) not find your local brewer somewhere on those walls. I loved the place for the selection of ales and the freedom at lunchtime to read the paper without the likelihood of intrusive mobile phone conversations (they are banned). The pub has a fantastic high street location yet is a calm retreat from the bustle of the street outside. J D of Cardiff loved the “great choice of beer, superb landlord - best pub in Reading.” It will be rammed full on match days.
UPDATE: Thankfully, it is totally unchanged and brilliant, as so many have told me over the year.
BWV 16.5.06: Archers Spirit of St. George, Boggart Hole Clough Dragon Slayer, Hop Back Summer Lightning, Nethergate Stour Valley, Spinning Dog Mutley’s Springer, West Berks Brick Kiln, Heyter’s Healer, Maggs Magnificent Mild
BWV 4.4.05: Butts Le Butts, Church End Cotton Stout, Empire Longbow, Grand Union Gold, Tom Wood Harvest, West Berks Dr Hexter’s Healer, Maggs Mild, Wedding, Weston's Old Rosie, Vintage, Perry | |  Hook and Tackle
Katesgrove Lane RG1 2ND Telephone 0118 9500830
G Claire Bradford
F Good value traditional menu in the modern style 12 to 10
MP SK JB P D
O 11 to 11 Mon - Thu, 11 to 11.30 Fri - Sat, 12 to 11 Sun
Reading Town planners appear determined to stop one finding and staying in the Hook and Tackle. The mad road system allows only one road access and then no visitor parking. The new flyover offers a great view of the pub as you fly by and screens surface level walkers from finding it. This researcher was not to be outdone and using the Oracle car park and an underpass I found a footie mad pub and a brilliant location for both a pre and post - match pint.
There is a chalk board above the bar which records the results of the season just finished. Lots of W’s to encourage hope for the season. The pub is gearing itself up for a great year by adding plasma screens. For the world cup? Nah! For the Sunday away matches on satellite, silly! Claire, that’s “Claire with everything in,” is building up the pubs reputation by listening to the trend of friendly pubs and real ale going together. Those friendly locals include “Biscuitmen” rather than “Royals”, they remember the days of Elm Park with fondness and have the excitement of premiership days as a novelty to enjoy. The bar is large enough for family groups but it will be busy on a matchday. I am advised that taxis arrive by the fleet load and that others ride a bike to the ground. The banter is gentle and relaxed, this Barracuda pub proved to be a good find.
BWV 16.5.06: Brakspear Special, Courage Directors, Fuller’s London Pride, Wells Bombardier, Wychwood Bee Sting | |  Magpie and Parrott
Arborfield Shinfield RG2 9EA Telephone 0118 9884130
G Carol Headland
CP D
O 12 to 7 Mon - Sat, 12 to 3 Sun
This pub was closed in the sixties but has now reopened and has now been extended by the creation of a new room for the public to sample ale, i.e. it is the definition of a “Public House” There is no way that you might call this a typical pub though. It is a single room with a larger patio and garden; it is a bar in your best friends’ home; it is a gentle persons club that does great real ale; it is a meeting place for regular friends.
I visited the Magpie after hearing of their Local Pub of The Year award and their plans for a beer festival. Readers had told me it was the best option south of the M4 and that it was great provided you were only talking very small groups. I really enjoyed the atmosphere. It was full, i.e. there were ten people sat in the bar. The pub was friendly and chatty; it is not possible to talk without being overheard. The pub is all that foreign visitors think is a typical English pub crammed into a single room. I chatted with Doug in the Garden about just what makes it so good and it was evident that its quirkiness is a major factor. Doug and Carol also specialize in Spit Roasts. The pub does close early in the evening; it has no nearby homes for regular trade. There is a ban on mobile phones and baseball caps, the eccentricities go lovingly on. Finally the lunchtime visit ended with the regulars taking Quail eggs home for their tea. What a great place, just don’t come in a large party unless you have a sunny day.
BWV 16.5.06: Fuller’s London Pride, Lodden Bamboozle | | READING HAS A NEW ZERODEGREES
Reg Newman suggests the
Nags Head. 5 Russell Street, Reading RG1 7XD
Taken from their website www.http://nagsheadreading.com/home.php#beer
it says-
"The Nag's Head is a CAMRA award-winning pub situated near Reading town centre. Specialising in Real Ale, we have 12 hand pumps featuring a constantly changing variety of Real Ales from predominantly local breweries as well as a selection of delicious ciders and continental lagers."
Beers include:-
Art Nouveau , Cottage Plunge Bitter, Dark Star Original, Downton Chocolate Orange Delight, fff Pressed Rat and Warthog, Edgars Golden Ale,HopBack Entire Stout, Itchen Valley Pure Gold, Loxely Ale, Oakleaf Quercus Folium, Otter Ale, White Horse Village Idiot | | | READING CAMRA | | 
MADEJSKI STADIUM
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LOCAL BREWERY
TWO BRIDGES BREWERY
CAVERSHAM
www.twobridgesbrewery.co.uk
| | WETHERSPOONS
The Monks' Retreat 163 Friar Street Reading RG1 1HE Opening Times: Sun-Thu 9am-midnight; Fri/Sat 9am-1am
The Back of Beyond 104-108 Kings Road Reading RG1 3BY Opening Times: Mon-Sun 9am-midnight
The Hope Tap 99-105 Friar Street Reading RG1 1EP Opening Times: Sun-Thu 9am-midnight; Fri/Sat 9am-1am
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