The Shoulder, Wantage

The Shoulder of Mutton appears to have blossomed over the last year or two and is now an excellent destination which I'd make a fair detour to visit. It's a solid brick building close to the Market Place. To the left is a small bar with open fireplace and only room for two tables, both scrubbed pine, and recently upholstered benches around the wall. To the right is a larger room which still has small snug area in the middle, again with scrubbed pine tables. Towards the exit at the back is a small seating area next to the bar. It seems to retain a traditional layout but has been updated with freshly upholstered benches, cushions, scrubbed pine tables and fresh flowers on each table. This works though and makes it feel light and welcoming. The welcome itself was certainly friendly and it's very easy to engage in beer related conversation with the knowledgable staff and locals. These people really seem to know how to run a pub and are as enthusiastic about getting the pub and the beer right as the customers are about drinking it. There's a row of ten handpumps across the back of the bar, which stretches across the rear of the pub running into both rooms. On these were: Dark Star Summer Meltdown, XT 5 American Amber, Vale Decathlon and Sail Away, Shotover Windy, Windsor and Eton Guardsmen, Butts Traditional, Fullers London Porter, Loddon Oarsome and Betjeman Wantage Hills. An excellent selection across strengths and styles and including a number of local ales. If that weren't enough there was also a beer festival on with 12 barrels housed in a room at the back which included beers from Oakham, Blue Monkey, Saltaire and Dark Star. All in all one of the finest selections of beers I've ever seen and all that I tried was in good nick. Generally beer is charged at £3.30 a pint but with loyalty cards offering one free pint for every 8 drunk. On my visit, due to the beer festival I suspect, all beer was charged at £2.80 a pint without any loyalty card system. Either way it's good value in this part of the world. A great pub with an excellent range of ales run by enthusiasts.