Goddards, Sandown

Located in open countryside to the south east of Arreton and not too far from Shanklin, Goddard's Bar & Kitchen is the brewery tap for the on site Goddard's Brewery. It is a large and impressive barn-like structure with the taproom on the first floor featuring an outdoor balcony overlooking a large grassy area which keeps the brewery away from the main road. The Taproom also has a window overlooking the brewery itself. Walls are brightly painted and there are bare boards with plenty of tables and chairs. Food is served and may be a bigger draw than the beers. Plants are draped around and there are a couple of large hop sacks behind the bar. Dogs are allowed with canine snacks and dog ice cream sold. In addition to the balcony, there are some picnic tables on the grassy area to the front of the building. On the bar, Goddard's Fuggle-Dee-Dum is the regular cask ale. Their GSB was also on, alongside a couple of guests - Powder Monkey Pompey Royal & Castle Eden Black. Although Powder Monkey does appear to be an offshoot of Goddard's. Craft beers were well represented with Qarr Abbey Apiary Ale, Powder Monkey Explosion IPA, Drop Anchor, Bubbleheads & Cutlass, Goddard's South Island & Galway Irish Stout. The cider was Sandford Orchards Devon Mist. A decent new addition to the island and one that has clearly proved popular to visitors. It also now finds itself listed in the 2027 Good Beer Guide.

We visited here twice during our recent trip to the IOW, firstly for lunch when we used it as a meeting point for several of us on different ferries from the mainland on our way to Shanklin, and then we chose to return on a Friday evening to eat and enjoy the live music session that they put on during the weekends. The brewery building is well described in the review below but one key point to add is the outside section beyond the large glass doors opposite the bar, which is an excellent spot to sit when the weather is good. Ten ales were being dispensed during our visits, six on keg and four from real ale pumps. Across these were a decent selection of their own brews in a variety of styles including a black IPA and Hazy Pale Ale. We tended to stick to their cask products, that were Fuggle De Dum, a chestnut ale, GSB Bitter and South Island Pale Ale. The fourth pump was badged with the Powder Monkey version of Pompey Royal mentioned below but I tried the other three and stuck with the South Island Pale Ale, which was a refreshing summer pint ideally suited for these current heat waves we are experiencing. We subsequently found during our trip that their products are fairly well distributed across the Island, either on pump in several of the pubs or very usefully in bottle form in a lot of the restaurant and hotel bars we frequented, including the hotel we were staying in, so were able to try others, including their Ale of Wight blonde citrus beer, which was also a summer winner out of a bottle. As pointed out in the review below one issue is that the brewery itself is a bit in the middle of nowhere and you will need a car to get here. From either Shanklin or Sandown it is under a 10-minute taxi ride and as four up in a taxi on the IOW is significantly cheaper than they are in North London I can very much recommend investing in a cab for a visit here if you are staying in either of those two aforementioned places.

Goddards is a significant and well established Isle of Wight brewery opening in 1993. In 2023 they moved to this new custom built premises which has a large public bar and restaurant. It is located in open countryside between Newport and Sandown and therefore only accessible by car or public transport. As you arrive first impressions are what a large and imposing building it is. Built in the modern 'wood and steel' industrial style it looms above you as you walk through the entrance. Once inside you have to navigate the ground floor office area and then climb to the first floor and the bar. This is open plan, large and roomy with windows overlooking the brewing apparatus. It is a big setup and you are able to walk onto a gantry to get a closer look. The staff were very welcoming, knowledgeable and chatty. Beers available included their South Island Pale Ale and Pompey Royal which I haven't seen for 30 years or so. This historic ale has been revived by Powder Monkey which I understand is a subsidiary of Goddards. For old time's sake I ordered a half of this and it was good. A typical 'last century' bitter. Even though it was a little weaker than the original it had good body and a strong malty flavour (NBSC 4). Foodwise (it was midday) I ate a beef brisket sandwich with fries and my friend a full English breakfast. He had a pint of cider and the whole bill came to £42.55, which seemed reasonable value give the high quality of everything. The place was clearly dog friendly and a small shop was present to provide beer and brewery products. I recommend this place if you can find someone to drive or just want a meal.

Goddards Bar & Kitchen on the CAMRA website - camra.org.uk