PubsandBeer
Sonder (formerly The Thirty-Nine Steps Brewhouse; The Thirty-Nine Steps Alehouse) (Free House)
| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - Kentish Best |  | 1 |
| DEYA - Best Foot Forward | | 1 |
| Downlands (formerly South Downs) - Best | | 1 |
| Five Points - Best |  | 1 |
| Kent - Kent Golding Bitter or KGB | | 1 |
| Marble - Stout |  | 1 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Blarney Stone | | 1 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - HPA Hoppy Pale Ale | | 2 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - She Sells Sea Shells | | 1 |
| Bristol Beer Factory - Everytime | Not Tried | 0 |
| Burning Sky - Aurora | Not Tried | 0 |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Miller's Ale (originally 4.5%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Downlands (formerly South Downs) - Cascade - Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| Kent - Madagascar | Not Tried | 0 |
| Lunebrew - cremed - Creme Egg Stout | Not Tried | 0 |
| Nene Valley - Big Bang Theory | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Citra | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Green Hop Ale (2025) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 3 | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 5 | Not Tried | 0 |
| Stancill - No. 7 | Not Tried | 0 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Wild Swan (was 3.5%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Three Legs - Oatipa:Sabro | Not Tried | 0 |
Photos are of original site before move
Visits Details
04 Apr 2026 (Hogan Sampling)
5th visit of this outing to Broadstairs: Marginally less busy than The Magnet for our late afternoon arrival but still heaving in this former micropub that relocated along the street and so is now really the size of your average pub. I normally do the centre of Broadstairs’ micropubs and others not quite fitting that bill earlier in the day but for the beer festival and no trains from Ramsgate to Broadstairs. Served quite promptly despite it being so busy. Located a bar stool but it fell apart in tipping me out of it but none of my half was spilt. The seat part of it was hanging on with just one screw out of four. I left it with its wicker seat part dangling at the side of its legs so no one else would readily try sitting on it and so fall off as I did. The place was pretty deafening as the normally quiet music played earlier in the day had been turned up to compete with the cacophony of voices from the punters packed in.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEYA - Best Foot Forward | 3.80 | | Good head and lacing and lasting on this rather fruited best bitter from an independent brewery southwest of Gloucester in southwest England, based in Cheltenham, known for its soft, juicy and hop-forward "New England" style beers and set up in 2015*. A hoppy first hit from its hand-selected UK hops, from Brook House Hops in Herefordshire. A tropical fruity bitterness rising with citrus and floral notes. A maltiness winning over from its malted English barley with a biscuity flavouring emanating from its light caramel malts. A dry hoppy but fruited infusion sailing downwards and all ably assisted by its in-house English Ale yeast strain. Served in good form but slightly over-fruited for my taste buddies. *DEYA produces other bitter-style beers such as Golden Boy (5% ABV), hopped with Admiral, Bramling Cross and Challenger hops, and a collaboration with St Mars of the Desert, SMOD, an artisanal microbrewery located in the Attercliffe area of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and said to be one of the most creative and idiosyncratic breweries in the UK, using a Bavarian decoction mash which is a traditional German brewing method where a portion of the mash is removed, boiled in a separate vessel, and then returned to the main mash to raise the overall temperature. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Wild Swan (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Lunebrew - cremed - Creme Egg Stout | 3.40 | Not Tried |
18 Dec 2025 (Dosser)
3 beers on
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble - Stout | 5.70 | | At £4.60 thought this was great value. However, it had little condition and tasted like it had been around for too long. |
06 Dec 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
4th visit of the outing: Busier than in the more clement months of the year for this early afternoon time of arrival at about half-two. It was I hasten to add dry outside and following the rainstorm the evening before. Usual friendly, attentive service.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downlands (formerly South Downs) - Best | 4.10 | | Very good head and lacing and lasting on this West Sussex best bitter from Small Dole, a tiny village near Brighton. A dry bitter first hit. A pleasant hoppiness veering up care of its feast of four hops, Admiral, Perle, Galena and Challenger. A fruity malty note competing with its wealth of hoppiness with hints of caramel and toffee. A very moreish bitterness lingering. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 3 | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried |
25 Oct 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
3rd visit of the outing: It began as a micro further up the street but is now occupying the old deli opposite Harrington's hardware shop which inspired the famous Four Candles' sketch by the Two Ronnies and now immortalised on YouTube. The surviving brother of the two running it, in his 80s, has sadly passed a few months back. It was dry on the outside of the Sonder unless you had walked around the harbour quay as I did and for the waves literally washing over the parked cars in that vicinity affording them a free but salty carwash! Usual friendly and prompt service at the bar despite being full on the lower deck. It has a partial upstairs and as I would call it, the upper deck, and so made for that with the two chums from Ramsgate and one other on the daytrip from SE London and their first visit to the area. I was only five minutes later than our suggested rendezvous time having managed the medium-sized breakfast in Ed's Café, and with four bangers no less included if you do not like their two rashers of salted bacon alternative.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Kent Golding Bitter or KGB | 4.10 | | Head and lacing, very good, and lacing, lasting to the end, on this Birling-based bitter, north of West Malling in Kent. A dry bitter first bite. A tad chilled but soon acclimatising in my half. A bitter but ever so gently fruited hoppiness rising care of its Kent Golding and Fuggles hops. A moreishly hoppy bitterness paddling out into the big wide ocean. |
| Nene Valley - Big Bang Theory | 5.30 | Not Tried | |
| Bristol Beer Factory - Everytime | 3.80 | Not Tried |
11 Oct 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
First stop of the outing: Just ticking over for my early afternoon visit following a hearty breakfast in the high street and stroll around the harbour quay. Usual friendly, prompt service and many a seat to choose from.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - Kentish Best | 3.70 | | This amber best bitter, brewed south-west of Canterbury and just outside Chartham, presented very good head and lacing and lasting. A fruited bitter first bite. A dry hoppy bitterness alongside honey malt notes jumping up and a very dry bitter fruitiness paddling out on its descent. |
| Stancill - No. 7 | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Green Hop Ale (2025) | 4.80 | Not Tried |
20 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
2nd stop of the outing: Not overly busy for my early afternoon visit. Three good ales to choose from and my chosen one delivered promptly by the smiley barmaid.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - She Sells Sea Shells | 4.70 | | Very good head and lacing on this local Ramsgate brewery's pale ale and lasting. A very hoppy first bite. A lightly fruited hoppiness, aided by its zesty hops, climbing upwards and a dry bitterness, accompanied by honey and grapefruit hints, playing out. |
| Canterbury Ales (sometimes badged as Canterbrew) - The Miller's Ale (originally 4.5%) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Downlands (formerly South Downs) - Cascade - Blonde | 3.80 | Not Tried |
16 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
My 3rd visit of the outing: my second excursion of the day to the Sonder, which means the realisation that each random passer-by is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. My fellow real ale enthusiast was getting stuck into Kent's dark vanilla stout whilst giving me the low-down on the success of home-grown fruits for their tarts. I was ready for another local brew and after a hearty breakfast in my favourite high street café, beach walk and paddles for my faithful hound. Usual friendly prompt service and now not so early afternoon and so slightly busier. A choice of low-level bench seating or transparent plastic chairs. I opted for the bench seating which you can move to aid getting in and out from in this former delicatessen.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - HPA Hoppy Pale Ale | 3.60 | | Very good head and lacing on this Ramsgate-brewed hoppy pale ale and lasting throughout its performance for me. A hoppy-infused first bite. A good fruitiness rising up aided by its juicy US hops and a moreishly hoppy dryness drifting off on its tidal flow. |
| Five Points - Best | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Madagascar | 4.80 | Not Tried | Looked the part with a good creamy head from observing one being sunk. |
| Three Legs - Oatipa:Sabro | 6.00 | Not Tried |
16 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
1st visit of this outing: Early afternoon and before meeting up with a real ale enthusiast from SE London. Warm friendly service and quiet and perhaps more so after the 9-day folk festival held in Broadstairs and which ended the day before. They were still serving out of plastic beakers and even for you supping on the inside and no doubt in a bid to use them up rather than store them for a whole year for the next one. Broadstairs seemed busier than on my visit just two weeks earlier, as in the café ticking over nicely, but the beach yet to fill up and as the sun had not yet made its way through the clouds and due out at about 1pm onwards.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five Points - Best | 4.10 | | This East London bitter from Hackney came with very good head and lacing and lasting throughout. A gentle bitter first bite. A fruit-infused hoppiness rising aided by its Fuggles hops from Hukins Hops Farm, a 120 year-old family hop farm based in the Weald of Kent. A dry moreishly malty fruitiness with a mix of Maris Otter, Wheat, Light Crystal and Amber, winning over with hints of caramel and biscuit. A very pleasant bitter note or two playing out. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - HPA Hoppy Pale Ale | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Kent - Madagascar | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Three Legs - Oatipa:Sabro | 6.00 | Not Tried |
02 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
My 3rd visit of the outing: this marked my second excursion of the day to the Sonder, which means the realisation that each random passer-by is living a life as vivid and complex as your own, and now joined by my Ramsgate chums. The Blarney Stone from Gadds' was now all gone and so thank heavens for my earlier pit-stop here after my breakfast in a local cafe, beach walk and paddles for my faithful hound. Usual friendly prompt service and now not so early afternoon and so slightly busier but by no means overly busy. A choice of low-level bench seating or transparent plastic chairs, and opting for the latter as not so affixed to the flooring of this former delicatessen.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - HPA Hoppy Pale Ale | 3.60 | | Head and lacing, good, and lasting, good, on this Ramsgate-brewed HPA, hoppy pale ale. A fruity hop-infused first bite. A dry hoppiness rising with a bitter maltiness getting in on the act. For my taste buds, a hint of citrus in its hoppy fruitiness lingering derived from its US hops, Target and Celeia, but locally grown. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 5 | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Burning Sky - Aurora | 5.60 | Not Tried |
02 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
1st visit of this outing: Early afternoon and before meeting up with some chums from Ramsgate. Warm friendly service and not overly busy. Broadstairs seemed quieter than on my visit three weeks earlier, as in the café certainly, the beach also, but my favourite card shop was ticking over nicely.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - Blarney Stone | 4.30 | | Good creamy head and lacing and lasting on this local Ramsgate black stout. A spice-infused malty first bite. A dry moreish bitterness rising among the odd fruity note bobbing up and down from its blackberry flavourings on my taste buds. A good fruity and biscuity-infused maltiness sailing off ably assisted by its three dark malts. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 5 | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Burning Sky - Aurora | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - HPA Hoppy Pale Ale | 3.60 | Not Tried |
About the Sonder (formerly The Thirty-Nine Steps Brewhouse; The Thirty-Nine Steps Alehouse)
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 4 |
| 39 |
| 52 |
| 17 |
 | 7 |
The pub is found in Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 1LR.
First incarnation was a former Pet Food shop converted into a micropub in 5 Charlotte Street specialising in cask ales and ciders. Opened on the 30th November 2012. The casks were visible racked behind the bar behind glass frontage. High tables with similarly high wall mounted bench seating abounds. Plans to relocate to a nearby much larger street corner premise at 11-13 Charlotte Street came to fruition on Friday Friday 5th May 2017 and this originally incorporated a brewhouse for what would have been Broadstairs Town Brewery perhaps in 202??! but it never came to fruition. 8 handpumps and 10 keg beer taps in the new location. Bar billiards upstairs where is some extra seating too. The new venue is too large to be a micropub so best called an alehouse or really just a pub. Change of name in 2024 and now with 5 handpumps and 18 keg taps.
We have visited this pub 92 times, seen 163 different beers and tried 106 of them.
Postcode: CT10 1LR