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The Butchers Arms (Free House)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Burning Sky - AuroraExceptional1
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Silver TopExcellent1
Dark Star - Hophead DryExcellent2
Austendyke Ales - Sheep MarketExcellent1
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%)Excellent3
Adnams - BroadsideExcellent3
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESBExcellent1
Adnams - Old AleGood2
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper TopGood3
Dark Star - RevelationGood1
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 5Good3
Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)Good1
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 3Not Tried0
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Gold TopNot Tried0
Deverell's - DarksideNot Tried0
Picture 1. The Butchers Arms, Herne, Kent
Picture 2. The Butchers Arms, Herne, Kent

Visits Details

06 Jul 2016 (ChrisE)
Early doors before 12:00 and the full session until just after official closing for the afternoon. A very good conversation with Martyn on various subjects to do with beer, pubs and campaigning.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Adnams - Broadside4.70Excellent
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%)3.40Excellent
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top4.10Not Tried
05 May 2016 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit from shortly after opening time. Just the two of us in for much of the time so a great opportunity for us to joust with Martin over Micropubs, breweries and beers.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Dark Star - Hophead Dry3.80ExcellentExcess bitterness from the dry hopping
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top4.10Acceptable
Adnams - Broadside4.70Not Tried
Deverell's - Darkside4.80Not TriedTaster but not to my style
16 Feb 2016 (Mick)
Chatted to Martyn about beer, brewers, CAMRA and SIBA. Also drank excellent beer.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Adnams - Broadside4.70ExcellentPerfect pint to finish on.
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top4.10ExcellentSuperb condition, dark and full bodied.
Dark Star - Hophead Dry3.80ExcellentFirst try of this, very nice.
Adnams - Old Ale4.10Not Tried
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Gold Top4.30Not Tried
28 Jan 2016 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until close. The other two customers left just after we arrived. One other customer came in with a dog that investigated all corners, perhaps bemused by the fermenting beer smells. Good chat with the Guv, lots of gossip on existing and proposed Micropubs.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top4.10ExcellentNew sweeter recipe perhaps?
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%)3.40Excellent
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 54.40Good
Adnams - Broadside4.70Not TriedPriced at £3.33 - half the price of the devil!
16 Jan 2016 (Andrew)
Last stop in my random bus pub tour. Sat and talked to Martyn untill the bus was due.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 54.40ExcellentNot usually my favourite of Gadds beers but this was in excellent condition and went down a treat.
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 35.00Not Tried
31 Dec 2015 (Jack William)
Lunctime - jolly banter ongoing.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Adnams - Old Ale4.10AcceptableDisappointing, ok condition but rather tasteless for an old ale.
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 54.40Not Tried
Adnams - Broadside4.70Not Tried
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB5.50Not Tried
Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)3.40Not Tried
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top4.10Not Tried
20 Dec 2015 (Dosser)
Maidstone camra in. Well just Jeff Tucker plus one so we joined our old colleague. Martin a fountain of camra knowledge. Ifyour local sells these beers better than the Butchers you are drinking in a top pub.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Adnams - Broadside4.70ExcellentWhat the wetherspoons pubs selling this can aspire to
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB5.50ExcellentA quality pint at £3.75.
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Silver Top4.50ExcellentQuality beer
24 Nov 2015 (ChrisE)
Lunchtime visit to celebrate the pub's tenth birthday. The landlord of the Priors Oven at Spalding was busy cleaning the windows and then struggling to get the boards back in place afterwards and his wife produced some very nice food. He had also brought down some ale from his brewery, Austendyke Ales which went down very well.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Burning Sky - Aurora5.60Exceptional
Austendyke Ales - Sheep Market4.00ExcellentVery good crisp golden ale.
12 Nov 2015 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Not too crowded. Usual banter across the benches and with the Guv.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 54.40Good
Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's)3.40Good
Adnams - Old Ale4.10Good
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB5.50Not Tried
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top4.10Not Tried
06 Oct 2015 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Much talk about Micropub development, theory and practice. I hold a purist's view which excludes some currently given the tag.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Dark Star - Revelation5.70GoodFresh cask, first pints out
Burning Sky - Plateau (was 3.5%)3.40Good
Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 54.40Not Tried
Adnams - Broadside4.70Not Tried
Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB5.50Not TriedOrdered but the Guv offered a taster first for a second opinion, the sale did not proceed
Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top4.10Not Tried

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About The Butchers Arms

The pub sign. The Butchers Arms, Herne, Kent

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional240
Excellent428
Good92
Acceptable14
Poor-

Website.

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.

We have visited this pub 380 times, seen 164 different beers and tried 135 of them.

Map location

Postcode: CT6 7HL