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The Butchers Arms (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Larkins - Best Bitter |  | 3 |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | | 3 |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | | 2 |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | | 3 |
| Dark Star - Mild | | 1 |
| Dark Star - Festival | | 1 |
| Larkins - Traditional |  | 1 |
| Dark Star - Mild for May | | 2 |
| Dark Star - Original | | 1 |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Broadside | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | Not Tried | 0 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
23 Jun 2009 (Glyn)
Quite late for me to be visiting this award winning micro pub, and was surprised to find quite a few early enbibers still there at nine o'clock when I arrived,and still there when I left! To add to Fannits famous peoples list is Frank Muir who was born in Ramsgate and went to Chatham House, (thanks John). Place was buzzing and the beer great as ever.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | The optimum distance for this beer to travel is from Lewes to Herne Bay, because by the time it is dispensed it is in brilliant condition. Perhaps if Martyn sold his to the John Harvey Tavern they too could sell an excellent pint! |
| Larkins - Best Bitter | 4.40 | | Bit young but still excellent |
19 Jun 2009 (Glyn)
Many visits this week to the multi award winning micro pub. Nice to see Fan
it boys again including Blair, Blairs dad and an assortment of others. Most amusing to witness their collective brain power struggling to list famous people from the island and only coming up with minor celeb artist. Put down the Good Beer guide pick up your old school books and look around. Have they not heard of Saint Augustine, Fanits earliest visitor/resident.Ex Prime Minister Edward Heath attended Chatham House, Charles Dickens left a few clues in Broadstairs. Famous actors include Jack Warner, Bernhard Hepton, John LeMesurier, Annette Mills. Jacky Pallo and Lord Scarman, Dennis Wheatley schooled in Cliftonville and Vincent Van Gogh taught in Ramsgate in 1876 and poet Sam Coleridge was from the area as was Nigel Horne the composor. the list goes on, so come on you Fanit boys smell the coffee!! The beer great as ever including Dark Star Mild.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larkins - Best Bitter | 4.40 | | This beer will contend as one of my "best" bitters, full of flavour and packs a punch as well, what more do you want. Can we have some more please? |
| Dark Star - Mild | 3.60 | | Really good beer with plenty of Dark Star flavours |
18 Jun 2009 (Blair)
I hadn't been to the pub in exactly 3 weeks so I was really looking forward to it tonight. Surprisingly quiet really, but still had a great atmosphere. The main theme tonight was trying to think of famous people from Thanet, I think the best we managed to come up with was Tracey Emmin. Says it all really, great night as ever.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | | This beer is such a grower, every pint I have I love it even more. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | |
| Dark Star - Mild for May | 3.60 | | Really tasty dark mild. Light roasted malt and choc flavours. Really good. |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB | 5.50 | Not Tried |
13 Jun 2009 (Ken)
A real case of Mohammed and Mountains tonight. We couldn't get some 300 music 'lovers' and 4 or 5 bands to the beer in the Butchers so had to take the beer from the Butchers to Mansfield's barn, between Highstead and Marshside. Good to see some old faces again and, needless to say, the beer travelled well..........very well
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Original | 5.00 | | a truly deep dark ale with that distinctive marmity depth of flavour. |
10 Jun 2009 (Ian)
Andrew was on holiday so we thought that we would have a meet up somewhere and where better than here. Great night here, even better than most. The geology/geography discussion was enlightening and the discussion on possible models for the Butcher's Wives Calendar was good too. Never stopped laughing from coming in to leaving 3 hours later. Martyn was on top form too.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | I had this in Lewes on Monday and it was very fine then, but this is even better. Just so crisp and drinkable. The blend with the Jaipur was great, the freshness of the Hophead with the structure and extra weight of the Jaipur |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | | First couple of pints out of the barrel were good, but didn't burst as it can. However, the 3.5 pints I took home were stunning. Fresh flowery hop, great structure and no real hint of 5.9% ABV. Really stunning. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried |
10 Jun 2009 (Andrew)
The board that displays the beers on offer said Hop Head and London Pride but all manner of different beers were coming out the back. Ian and I tried making our own beer to add to the list by mixing Jaipur and Hop Head (50-50). Very nice it was. As well as top class beer you can get a free education at this pub. Who'd have guessed that archaeology isn't really a subject. But the most exciting development was the possibility of a Butcher's Wives calendar!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | The best beer? ... in Kent's best pub? I think so. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - London Pride | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Jaipur | 5.90 | Not Tried |
10 Jun 2009 (Glyn)
Well done to Martyn for picking up yet another local area Camra award! The pub was full of hard core regulars enjoying the usual quality ale and bonhomie.New barrel of Harveys on which was excellent, far better than you will get anywhere in Sussex!
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larkins - Best Bitter | 4.40 | |
05 Jun 2009 (KB)
Busy again tonight with lots of regulars and locals. Some new faces which is good to see. It means the gospel is spreading far and wide converting the L**** drinkers to the real stuff. Goodness me I'm beginning to feel like a missionary !! Lots of banter and Dave the Wave jokes - another good night.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | | as ever this is first class because Martyn knows how to keep and serve it. A tradesman knows his stuff. |
| Dark Star - Festival | 5.00 | | what a good pint this is - its from the Dark Star brewery and what we've come to expect |
29 May 2009 (Andrew)
Damn it! The Larkin's had gone. Damn it. My own stupid fault for not getting down here earlier. So I got my bottle of Mild and sat and had a chat to Mick and Rosemary and the other locals who were in. It felt really nice and relaxed with only a handful of people in. By now I guess it'll be packed.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Mild for May | 3.60 | | Damn fine stuff this. Big roasted coffee flavours dominate with a milky, slightly sour/tart bitterness to the finish. |
| Adnams - Broadside | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Festival | 5.00 | Not Tried |
28 May 2009 (Mick)
Very busy for a Thursday, mostly locals.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larkins - Traditional | 3.40 | | Superb, a golden/copper bitter, tastes more like a 4%. Tastes better with each pint, a good session bitter. |
| Harvey's - Sussex Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - American Pale Ale (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried |
About The Butchers Arms
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 241 |
| 432 |
 | 93 |
 | 14 |
 | - |
The pub is found in Herne, Kent, CT6 7HL.
In the middle of Herne village in Herne Street, once the Canterbury Beer Shop selling beer straight from the cask. It is now a pub (with the same owner as before) and still does off-sales which is fantastic! Voted CAMRA Kent Pub of the Year in 2008 and East Kent CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2009 (...and not surprisingly). Regarded universally as the first micropub, which has spawned many similar ventures in East Kent and throughout the UK. Real ales are kept on gravity dispense in a cold room to the right and you will view this when you walk through it to the unisex toilet at the rear. Displays a Micropub Association Certificate of Registration warranting, annually, that it adheres to the tenets and ethics of the Association's definition of a micropub. Since post-Covid re-opening in October 2021 now open 5-8 Tuesday to Friday only. The landlord and founder of the Micropub Association, Martyn Hillier, was awarded an MBE in the 2024 New Years Honours list for services to Business and to Hospitality. Cash only accepted, no card payment facility.
We have visited this pub 383 times, seen 164 different beers and tried 135 of them.
Postcode: CT6 7HL