This is either the best pub in the world, or just not for you. Every time we’ve been there, the whole pub talks together and is definitely one of the friendliest public places I’ve ever been. So, if you want a place to have a quiet drink and to be anonymous, the Brockett Arms isn’t a great choice. There’s a huge open fireplace that’s clearly been around for hundred’s of years which even has seats if you are feeling cold and brave enough. Getting to the pub is quite an effort, where you feel like you are going to end up in the middle of farmland up to your knees in crap, but at the last minute a tiny village appears. The ales are always perfect, and on the last occasion I was there, I had a fantastic pint of Ridley’s Old Bob (ABV 5.1%). Old Bob is now doomed after the brewery was bought by Green King which means that all the beers will be coming from their Bury St. Edmunds factory instead of Hartford End in essex.

Update: I have it on good authority, that the Brocket Arms is has closed (probably to reopen), but never to be the same. The landlord that had been running the pub for more than 25 years has moved on and the pub is boarded up.

This is one of those pubs you would drive past without giving it a second look. In fact, I drive past it everyday after work and have never noticed it. This is definitely a working man’s pub, full of locals looking up from their games of cards and darts wondering who strangers are when they walk in. They had Bateman’s XXXB (ABV 4.8%) on as a fine guest ale which was a little bit gassy but went down nicely. We also had a nice pint of Abbott from their regular selection of Green King Abbott Ale (ABV 5.0%), Deuchars IPA (ABV 3.8%) and Green King IPA (ABV 3.6). We’ll probably go back for the Deuchars another time as they were out on this visit. If you like dark smokey pubs where people keep themselves to themselves, go here for a well kept pint. I wouldn’t go in here on your own though – unless you want to be stared at. Incidentally, this pub features in CAMRAs top 4500 pubs, although I would guess it isn’t too high in the rankings.

It is certainly hard to find anywhere to have a beer in Hatfield (apart from the Horse and Groom – featured on our homepage just now) – so going further afield seems to be the method of choice.

The Crooked Billet has a massive pub garden – and had it not been so windy I am sure we would have eaten outside. The pub inside is pretty small – it looks really old, with about 4 small areas to sit and eat.

Being a free house they always have a range of ales on tap – this time they had a ‘Youngs Premium’ (which we stayed away from) – Corner Pocket for a Toad (from the Tring Brewery) – Golden Glory (some football themed pint) and HoneyBee (can’t remember the brewery)

I’ve had the Corner Pocket before – so I went for the Honeybee – which was very honey tasting and not especially strong (4.2% I recall). It went down nicely but I would have preferred something a bit stronger. Brad’s ‘Corner Pocket’ didn’t seem to light his eyes up either – again a bit too weak.

They definitely focus on their food – and it is all simple stuff. Cod and chips and Pasty and Chips, that sort of stuff. They have a lot of other ‘Home made specials’ too.

It is an OK pub – and the landlady’s ample bosom is definitely worth a look. They had a new starter barmaid as well – who I am sure will be fine too – she is worth a look – how long she lasts is up for debate.

There are better ales out there which will probably keep me away. The quest for good ale is definitely more rewarding that looking at the landlady!

Definitely on the high-end of gastropubs, in fact, more of a restaurant to be honest. The food is fantastic and priced accordingly. We ate at the bar and had a reasonably priced early evening set-menu meal. Anyway. the important thing is that they served a perfect pint of Adnam’s Broadside (ABV 4.7%) and had a local guest beer called Red Squirrel Conservation (ABV 4.1%) which wasn’t bad at all.

For Hatfield, this pub is a brilliant find. It’s right next to the grounds of Hatfield house and is pretty unassuming from the outside. They had five good ales on draught which were well looked after. I had the Adnam’s Broadside and a Ruddles County, but they also had Abbott, Director’s, Greene King I.P.A. and a guest. The food is all home-cooked, and comes in Desperate Dan sized portions. This pub just ticks all the right boxes.

A Friday lunchtime hunt for a different pub found the Crooked Billet. A bit small if you want to eat something but the beers are definitely well kept. This pub would be great in the summer as they have a massive beer garden. Started with a pint of Rebellion Slaughtered from the Marlow Brewery which was full of flavour followed up with a quite different pint of Side Pocket for a Toad from the Tring Brewery. Side Pocket was a bit flat for my liking but it got better as I drank it. They also served Young’s Special and Wells Bombardier — which will definitely be tried on another lunchtime outing.