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The Butchers Arms (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Gale's - Prize Old Ale |  | 1 |
| JW Lees (see also Lees) - Harvest Ale | | 2 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 10 | | 1 |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Snow Top |  | 2 |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | | 5 |
| Kent - Session Pale | | 3 |
| Mighty Oak - The Ruby One | | 1 |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 5 | | 1 |
| Turners - East Sussex Bitter | | 1 |
| Adnams - Broadside | | 2 |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top | | 3 |
| Time and Tide - Spratwaffler Pale Ale |  | 1 |
| Turners - Ruby Mild |  | 1 |
| Adnams - Southwold Bitter (was 3.7%) | | 1 |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB | Not Tried | 0 |
| Westerham - Grasshopper Kentish Bitter | Not Tried | 0 |
| Oakham - Citra | Not Tried | 0 |
| Adnams - Ghost Ship (was 4.5%) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Mighty Oak - Blackbird | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Sunburst | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
18 Jul 2015 (Andrew)
Met Ian for a night on the beers! Drank Hop Head all night and lost count of how many. Good fun evening in the pub that gave birth to the Micropub revolution.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | Jolly nice stuff. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 5 | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Sunburst | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top | 4.10 | Not Tried |
18 Jul 2015 (Ian)
Where to start? Saturday evening session meeting up with Andrew. Martyn was a great host as usual, Sue from Ramsgate brewery turned up, a Liverpool/Deal party in a pink bus dropped in for a drink, there was a pub ticker from Lancaster talking about micropubs in Wigan, Glyn the Roof popped in to say he doesn't do guttering anymore and I ended up drinking some high end beers that could only have been purchased in this small ex butchers in the tiny village of Herne. Who cares that it takes me an hour each way to get here. It's the first and still the best.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| JW Lees (see also Lees) - Harvest Ale | 11.50 | | 2008 version, slight sourness, dry oloroso sherry. Unbelievable. |
| Gale's - Prize Old Ale | 9.00 | | 2005 bottled version with the cork closure. Dark cherry and damson. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 10 | 10.00 | | Dark chocolate, espresso coffee, great strong dark stout. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | As good as it gets these days. Light drinkable refreshing hoppy. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 5 | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Dark Star - Sunburst | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top | 4.10 | Not Tried |
26 Jun 2015 (Mick)
First in at lunchtime, nice to be back at my old local. A good chat with Martyn about pubs and beer.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adnams - Broadside | 4.70 | | Superb pint of this dark rich beer. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | wonderful,light and hoppy. |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top | 4.10 | | |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 5 | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
| Mighty Oak - Blackbird | 4.00 | Not Tried |
02 Jun 2015 (ChrisE)
Just after mid day, initially we were the only customers but regulars and their dogs soon filled the place. I had a good chat with Martyn about micropubs in Worthing.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mighty Oak - The Ruby One | 4.10 | | A new beer for me, as its name implies it is a ruby coloured ale. Very tasty. |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried |
06 May 2015 (ChrisE)
Lunchtime visit, just a few in. We had a good chat with Martyn. I did not make a note of all the beers on offer.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | |
28 Mar 2015 (Andrew)
The almighty Butchers Arms. Sat chatting with Martyn about the future of beer. Doesn't get much more serious than that.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | | Martyn. Hophead. Umm, you do the maths. |
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 5 | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
| Oakham - Citra | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Adnams - Ghost Ship (was 4.5%) | 4.10 | Not Tried |
22 Dec 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening on a day when not usually open. Mrs Miggins's large pork and large game pies were being traded in volume for take home gorging.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Snow Top | 6.00 | | 2nd one much better mouthfeel |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | | |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Snow Top | 6.00 | | 1st one was a tad metallic |
| Adnams - Southwold Bitter (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | | Not impressed, quite flat |
| Adnams - Broadside | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Westerham - Grasshopper Kentish Bitter | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top | 4.10 | Not Tried |
23 Oct 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening until close. Never known so few in, one customer when we arrived and he left soon afterwards (nothing we said I hope). Good chance to talk Micropubs and people gossip with Gavin.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsgate Brewery (Gadds') - No. 5 | 4.40 | | |
| Adnams - Broadside | 4.70 | | Gavin cajoled me to try this beer which I normally avoid. This was in excellent condition but still more malty than I really like |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top | 4.10 | | |
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | | |
| Fuller's (part of Asahi Europe) - ESB | 5.50 | Not Tried |
21 Aug 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening. Not overcrowded tonight. We had some good beer, cheese, nuts, pickles, wallies and banter.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| JW Lees (see also Lees) - Harvest Ale | 11.50 | | Just a sip taster but lethal and just potentially moreish |
| Old Dairy (being contract brewed after it closed) - Copper Top | 4.10 | | |
| Time and Tide - Spratwaffler Pale Ale | 3.70 | | |
| Turners - Ruby Mild | 4.60 | | |
| Adnams - Broadside | 4.70 | Not Tried |
07 Aug 2014 (ChrisE)
Lunchtime with a group of friends, I sat in the corner and read the book on boring postcards. Various breweries seemed to be turning up with supplies at frequent intervals and I began to wonder if there would be room for it all in the pub.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent - Session Pale | 3.70 | | As its name suggests, a good session ale. |
| Turners - East Sussex Bitter | 3.90 | | Dark in colour, I think this cask was even darker than usual. A good traditional bitter/brown ale. |
About The Butchers Arms
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
| 241 |
| 432 |
| 95 |
| 15 |
 | - |
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 385 times, seen 166 different beers and tried 136 of them.
Postcode: CT6 7HL