The Kentish Belle (Free House)
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Jason Jones
Visits Details
28 Dec 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
4th visit of the outing: Back to the Kentish Belle as almost next door to Bexleyheath station and shortly after 6pm with the walk from the Broken Drum only taking 35 minutes. This was with one other real ale enthusiast who was doing their best to keep up the same rate of knots! Same barman on as earlier in the day and served promptly although busier and for their last couple of hours of serving before the Sunday evening finish at 8pm.
| Sureshot - Not Now Silent Singer | 4.80 |  | Only some head and lacing to start with on this Manchester-brewed stout. A very malty first bite. A dry, dark fruitiness rising. A hint of chocolate malt, roasted barley, red rye and flaked and golden oats in on the mix as detailed by the report on it. Flavourings of molasses, cocoa nibs and caramelised brown sugar joining in. A hoppiness winning over aided by its British-grown Chinook and Cascade hops and with a good measure of fruitiness paddling out. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Hopspur | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Nene Valley - Simple Pleasures | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Victorian Mild (collaboration with The Kernel) | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
28 Dec 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
2nd visit of the outing: This micropub just doors away afforded a warm refuge after the William Camden. Friendly, prompt service from the staff member with a good few real ales to choose from. Ticking over for my early afternoon visit with a few mostly situated around one of the very large tables this sizeable micro manages to house.
| Redemption - Hopspur | 4.50 |  | 1st beer of this visit: Good head and lacing and lasting on this north London-brewed amber bitter from Tottenham. A very dry bitter first hit. A hoppy bitterness rising. A fruity hoppiness winning over from its blend of American hops, Magnum, Cascade and Liberty, lending it hints of citrus sweetness, grapefruit and piney flavours. A touch of biscuity malt flavouring with caramel, toffee, honey and hazelnut notes aiding it on its downwards journey. Very moreish! |
| Redemption - Victorian Mild (collaboration with The Kernel) | 6.00 |  | 2nd beer of this visit: This Tottenham brew's collaboration with south-east London's Kernel Brewery presented good head and lacing to start with but not lasting on this dark, strong mild ale. A spicy first hit. A hint of dark fruitiness from the likes of cranberry and damson in its hoppiness rising. A dry bitterness riding up with a moreish bitter fruitiness winning over. A hint of caramelised spiciness paddling out but not overly sweetened to my taste buds despite its sweet malt, molasses and treacle in on the mix, lending it flavourings of caramel, toffee and burnt sugars. This brew is said to be inspired by what mild ales of the Victorian era might have tasted like. |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried | |
| Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Nene Valley - Simple Pleasures | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| Sureshot - Not Now Silent Singer | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
08 Nov 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
4th visit of the outing: A return trip to the Kentish Belle as just moments from Bexleyheath Station for train back to East Greenwich. Unlike my very early visit just after its opening at 1pm, this time around it was mid-evening and it was packed with everyone seated around these huge dining room-sized tables, left behind by the previous people running it, and but for a couple of smaller round tables. I managed to time it just right for a table and chair and again prompt service at the bar. Same 4 ales on as earlier in the day but two of these ales then ran out towards the end of my 30 or so minutes' visit.
| Pig & Porter - Caravan (was 3.6%) | 3.40 |  | Minus much head and lacing unlike earlier in the day on this bitter just north of Tunbridge Wells at High Brooms. This time around what little lacing there was did not last. Still a dry bitter first bite. A fruity bitterness rising and its East Kent Goldings and First Gold hops lending it a dry hoppiness. A malty note edging up with hints of caramel and toffee. A dry maltiness ebbing out with a fruity finish aided by its tangerine flavouring. I observed it was taken off but I was not in time to see what replaced it. |
| Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Big Chief | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Hand Brew - Kora - Old Ale | 6.50 | Not Tried | Ran out during my second visit of the day. |
08 Nov 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
1st visit of the outing: this is to the Bexley borough and which claims to have the most micros in the whole of London. This micropub is conveniently just outside Bexleyheath railway station by a few minutes. This is my first visit since early 2024 as I recall. On my first visit a few years before that, I walked straight past it as pretty non-descript looking from the outside in a parade of shops. Not busy for my early afternoon visit with just a few others in and well timed as opens on a Saturday at 1pm. Friendly, prompt service from the barmaid on. Although it has changed hands in recent years, its furnishings have not changed much. Full of very large dining-room sized tables at the normal height unlike many micros with high benches and stools so that even the seated are at the same height as those left standing. A good range of cask ales from a cold room at the rear and some KeyKeg ales as well.
| Pig & Porter - Caravan (was 3.6%) | 3.40 |  | Good head and lacing and lasting on this bitter just north of Tunbridge Wells at High Brooms. A dry bitter first bite. A gentle maltiness rising with hints of caramel and toffee. A dry hoppiness from its East Kent Goldings and First Gold hops winning over. Going out with a fruity finish aided by a touch of tangerine flavouring derived from its English Ale yeast. Very palatable! |
| Hand Brew - Kora - Old Ale | 6.50 |  | This dark ale from just north-west of West Worthing railway station did not present much head and lacing and so no lacing to report lasting. A very dry malty first hit. A dry bitterness jumping up to greet me. Crystal and chocolate malts tap dancing on my taste buds with hints of treacle and dried fruits such as dates and raisins. The odd sweet biscuity note or two joining in before sliding out on their downwards journey. |
| Redemption - Trinity | 3.00 | Not Tried | |
| Redemption - Big Chief | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
29 Dec 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit. Several small groups in.
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 |  | On the slightly bitterer than plummy side of this ale's taste spectrum |
| Redemption - Hopspur | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Yu Lu | 3.60 | Not Tried | |
| New Bristol - The Joy of Sesh IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
05 Oct 2023 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit, my first under the new operators. Been off my radar for a long time deliberately.
| Brass Castle - Northern Blonde | 3.90 |  | A little bit of zest but little head or lacing |
| Bexley - Bursted Session Bitter (was 3.8%) | 3.40 |  | Rather flat |
| Marble - Pint (was 3.9%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Tiramisu Lucaria | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
03 Mar 2020 (Magnus Greel)
Mid to late evening, friendly welcome as always from Nick the guv, we spent our entire time chatting to him at the bar and getting in the way of other customers ordering their drinks! Only three beers on tonight, Thursdays were advised as the best time to visit with a much wider range put on.
| East London (ELB) - Peacock English Pale Ale | 4.20 |  | Red fruits caramel and biscuit for ths complex fare.. |
| Time and Tide - Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Cloudwater - Popularity Context | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
15 Mar 2019 (Magnus Greel)
Venue for this months FEG, we arrived mid afternoon and luckily wasn't too busy just a few others dotted about hence procured a few free tables leaving plenty of room for others who joined us later. Excellent atmosphere and beer range as always, when I left 5.5 hours later the place was rammed, standing room only!
| Iron Pier - Whiteout IPA | 5.30 |  | This stood out by far - wheat beer style bursting with tropical fruit flavours combined with a spicy aroma. Faultless. |
| Saltaire - Amarillo (was Amarillo Gold) | 4.50 |  | |
| Iron Pier - Bitter | 4.00 |  | |
| Buxton - Downfall Citra | 4.30 |  | |
| Iron Pier - Dana & Bullion Joined at the Hop | 3.80 |  | |
| Vibrant Forest - Kick-Start | 5.70 | Not Tried | |
| Arbor Ales - Sean of the Red | 5.10 | Not Tried | |
| Little Critters - King Crow | 7.20 | Not Tried | |
| New Bristol - French Toast | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
13 Dec 2018 (ChrisE)
A group of us met here at 12:00 opening time for a tour of micropubs in the Bexleyheath and Sidcup areas.
| Orkney (Sinclair) - Dark Munro | 4.00 |  | |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
| Goacher's - 1066 Old Ale | 6.70 | Not Tried | |
| St Austell - Tribute | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Young's London Special (was Special) | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| St Austell - Proper Job | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Wadworth - Swordfish | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
12 Aug 2018 (Stephen Harris)
I just popped in for one on passing. But the beer range was so enticing I ended up staying for much of the afternoon.
| Beerblefish - Barrel-aged Black Beerble | 5.30 |  | A strong version of their Stout which has been barrel-aged (possibly for as much as a year if I heard right). It is superb. Faultless. |
| Arbor Ales - Chasing Caterpillars | 4.90 |  | Very pale gold. Very nice, smooth and hoppy. Arbor at their best. |
| Brew York - Skedaddle | 4.20 |  | Golden. Ever-reliable brewery, with a light, hoppy pint. |
| Beerblefish - 1892 IPA | 6.90 |  | Murky-brown in colour – not pleasing to the eye. Tastes better than it looks though and has a big alcohol kick. |
| One Mile End Brew Co. (formerly Mulligans at the White Hart and then WH Brew Pub) - Dockers Delight | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| 3 Piers - Golden Smiler | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Siren Craft - Suspended in Magic | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
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