Always Looking

It's really hard to impress me with beer these days and it's increasingly difficult for me to tolerate pubs without good beer.

As a birthday trip for the Best Beer Buddy we got on a bus to Seaford.  Searingly hot, though it was, we shunned the indoors and grabbed a bus.

Our main destination was a micropub at the tiny station buffet.  It's had a lovely makeover and we'd been desperate to try it for a while but never quite find the time.  So we arrived around 4pm and were greeted with a lovely, interesting list of potentials to try.

We each picked a cask beer and took a seat.  Sadly, the beer was a little bit warm and, although in good condition, that took the edge off a bit.  Then they announced the place was closing at 5pm and reopening at 6pm.  It kinda disrupted the mood but we left graciously and promised to return.

We then wandered off to find "The Old Boot" which was OK ish and with more interesting beer than we had anticipated but nothing to keep us there for more than one.  So we sloped around the corner to the Wellington Hotel which we'd really like to love but I don't think they sell quite enough beer during the week so often the beer that's there is a little bit sub-par.  The beer was fine but, again, not really as cold as I'd like.

It being mealtime we found a Chinese restaurant around the corner which was perfect but by the time we'd finished there we weren't really up for more beer.

Ultimately we left Seaford, once again, feeling like it could be so much nicer than it is in reality.

That said, we'll probably try the micropub again...but when it's a bit cooler.

Since then, we've been back to the Eagle a couple of times with the result that we've been very pleased with the quality and choice of beer.  Fingers crossed they keep it up.

We're off to Bristol before too long - no doubt we'll remind ourselves of the range and variety of beers available there and hoping that the trend continues down here...

Pleasant Surprises

So, yesterday, a piece of work we were installing in a local arts venue worked first time we plugged it in (I was really expecting there to be hardware and software fiddling about to be done) and we thought we ought to go and get ourselves something to eat ahead of popping to The Eagle to watch football.

So we found ourselves in the Soup Shack.   This place is from the same stable as the Belgian Bar which we visit quite often and and enjoy its slight quirkiness.  This place is also definitely quirky, too.  Well, mad as a box of frogs, to be honest...but in a good way, I think.

They have a load of beers on keg (about half are Beer: Me beers which are good but not astounding), they also do sandwiches, tapas and, as the name would suggest, soup.

I have to say it's not the easiest place to understand - so it's hard to see, from the counter, what food is available and the staff were a little confused by the beer but all in all it's really friendly and fun.

We had a pint of Holler "Stout" which was more of a black IPA, and a pint of Franklins Pils.  We also had a bowl of soup each - he: muligatawny, me: chicken & chorizo.  Even though it was an incredibly hot day there was something very pleasant about what felt like a light, but proper lunch with beer.

Definitely worth going back to and we almost certainly shall.

After a return to the gallery to check all was well with the installation, we headed to The Eagle for beer (Woodfords and Purity - both fine, but not stunnng) and the 3pm match...then home for good canned beer (Beavertown and Brewdog) for the 7pm match.

Today we're not going to the pub to watch football but there's plenty of beer left in the fridge, we've got a cool lounge and a comfy sofa...what more could a girl want?