Hope

I was dragged, kicking and screaming, up to Carshalton last night for the beer festival at The Hope. Ok so maybe I went voluntarily and there wasn't any screaming ....... I was invited to attend by the head brewer of Kent Brewery (who makes some stunning beers) as it would be a chance for us to sit and chat about all things brewery related and an opportunity that I wasn't going to turn down.

I've never been to The Hope before and was utterly charmed by the people who run it. They're friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable, run a great cellar and have a great range of beers to try especially at the moment with the beer festival running. They told me a little about the history of the pub, what kind of establishment it was when they took it over and what their vision is for the future. I wish them the best of luck with that; not that they'll need luck because they've done a brilliant job so far.

The worst part of the evening was when they found out who I was. They instantly demanded that I supply them with Ruskin's Ram after having it recommended to them by one of their customers! Delivery should be arranged over the next 10 days so if you're around that area you can get to try my beer soon.