The New Inn, Canterbury

I passed this likely looking back street local before opening time, and by coincidence had it recommended to me by the first person I talked to (we were waiting outside the Butchers Arms for it to open, but that's another story), so decided to call in for a last beer later that day. It's a fairly narrow room with bare boards, bench seating around the walls and stools at the bar. A group of locals were gathered around the landlady at the bar, partly obscuring the seven real ales on the hand pumps at the part of the bar where they were sat. I went for the Musket Flintlock 4.2% (brewed in Maidstone) and settled down away from the bar. The other beers were from Brockley, Blackjack, Red Willow, Otter, Gadds and Padstow. As Ian says below, the landlady really knows her job - her husband pours the drinks and she entertains the customers. She has a knack of keeping the conversation flowing and even brought me into a discussion about vegan food, having no idea that I was a vegetarian: it was just the way she draws her customers together. I left promising to return if I'm ever in Canterbury again.

GBG 2019 Entry. Back Street Terraced locals boozer just out the City Walls. You have to go looking for it. Lovely greeting from the landlady. So easy to provide but so rare. Six or so real ales on. Played safe with a decent Adnams Ghost Ship. Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2NZ78v5

The New Inn is set in a terraced street and to me looked from the outside just like any of the other houses. It's been around for a while as it's listed as a Free House in my old Kent beer guide from over 20 years ago. Inside it's a small wooden floored L shaped room with a long conservatory and a further small area off it at the rear. It looked like there was some sort of garden behind that. I saw seven hand pumps of which two were unused (it was a Tuesday afternoon) so the five beers were Oakham JHB, Woodforde Wherry, Adnam's Ghost Ship & Cashmere IPA and Purity UBU. This seemed a bit mainstream but I suspect that was just the luck of the draw. The old school governor was cheerful, friendly and enthusiastic about his beer. He insisted I try the Oakham JHB which had just come on so I did (£3.10) and it was fine as well as being a reasonable price compared to some Canterbury pubs. It was closing soon after I arrived but I had to move on anyway. I really liked this back street pub.