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Fox & Anchor (Young's)

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Beer (sort)Average Score (sort)No. Samples (sort)
Tiny Rebel - Beat BoxExcellent1
Brentwood - Hewitt's d'arf WIT Black Wheat IPAExcellent1
Tiny Rebel - CwtchExcellent1
Sharp's - Winter BerryExcellent1
Redemption - Rock the KazbekExcellent1
Colchester - London Porter (Old King Coel)Excellent1
Harviestoun - Natural BlondeExcellent1
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Mad BobGood1
Purity - Pure GoldGood1
Colchester - Anne DownesGood1
Sharp's - Honey SpiceGood1
Anarchy - Sinist*rGood1
Colchester - AK PaleGood1
Colchester - Red DieselAcceptable1
Purity - Mad GooseAcceptable1
Brains - SAAcceptable1
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Fox & Anchor "Ale"Acceptable1
Harviestoun - SchiehallionAcceptable1
Harviestoun - Old Engine OilNot Tried0
Colchester - Brass MonkeyNot Tried0
Pin-Up - Fox & Anchor AleNot Tried0
Sharp's - Honey Spice IPANot Tried0
Purity - Pure UBUNot Tried0
Purple Moose - Merry X-MooseNot Tried0
Adnams - RegattaNot Tried0
Sambrook's - WandleNot Tried0
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Old GrowlerNot Tried0
Lakeland (formerly Stringers) - Yellow LorryNot Tried0
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - 3.9Not Tried0
Moor - AmoorNot Tried0
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Lemon HeadNot Tried0
Ilkley - Joshua JaneNot Tried0
London Fields - Love Not WarNot Tried0
Banks's - Young's London Original (was Bitter) - previously brewed in Bedford and at WychwoodNot Tried0
Devilfish - BombshellNot Tried0
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Young's London Special (was Special)Not Tried0
Harviestoun - Indian SummerNot Tried0
By The Horns - Stiff Upper Lip (downgraded from 3.8% in 2023)Not Tried0
Sharp's - Red AleNot Tried0
Hammerton - N7Not Tried0
East London (ELB) - NightwatchmanNot Tried0
Rooster's - Wild MuleNot Tried0
Moor - Nor'HopNot Tried0
Pin-Up - Honey BrownNot Tried0
Picture 1. Fox & Anchor, Smithfield, Central London

Visits Details

19 Apr 2018 (Stephen Harris)
Mid-afternoon at a quiet time for the pub and it is a rare privilege to be able to sit inside in peace. But is £5:15 a pint a price worth paying for such a privilege?
BeerABVScoreNotes
Redemption - Rock the Kazbek4.00ExcellentA hazy golden, slightly sharp beer with excellent hop flavours.
Banks's - Young's London Original (was Bitter) - previously brewed in Bedford and at Wychwood3.70Not Tried
Eagle (formerly Wells & Young's, formerly Charles Wells, formerly Wells) - Young's London Special (was Special)4.50Not Tried
Sambrook's - Wandle3.80Not Tried
By The Horns - Stiff Upper Lip (downgraded from 3.8% in 2023)3.40Not Tried
Hammerton - N75.20Not Tried
21 Feb 2015 (Philip Pirrip)
Mid evening before a meal at the excellent Vecchio Parioli restaurant nearby. Quiet inside but service slow, a jaw-droppingly limited real ale range and a mass of dirty glasses on the bar counter. Does not seem to have upped its game since Young's takeover.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Brains - SA4.20AcceptableLittle life and at £4.05 pp
Banks's - Young's London Original (was Bitter) - previously brewed in Bedford and at Wychwood3.70Not Tried
24 Jan 2014 (Philip Pirrip)
Mid evening before a meal at the excellent (and yet again I really and truly mean faultless) Vecchio Parioli restaurant nearby. Appalling short measure in this pub was still pretty much the same after a top up. Takes the shine off what could be an atmospheric venue. Poor training or cussedness I just don't know?
BeerABVScoreNotes
Sharp's - Winter Berry4.40ExcellentWhat little was in my glass was an excellent warming beer
Sambrook's - Wandle3.80Not Tried
Lakeland (formerly Stringers) - Yellow Lorry4.00Not Tried
Moor - Amoor4.50Not Tried
Ilkley - Joshua Jane3.70Not Tried
17 Dec 2013 (HSB)
11:15 First stop on a crawl of pubs with historic interiors. Still busy with breakfasters. There were 14 of us so we filled the front bar. The Christmas tree decorated with pump clips was a nice touch.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Tiny Rebel - Beat Box4.50Excellent
Brentwood - Hewitt's d'arf WIT Black Wheat IPA4.60Excellent
Pin-Up - Fox & Anchor Ale4.00Not Tried
Sharp's - Honey Spice IPA7.00Not Tried
Purple Moose - Merry X-Moose5.00Not Tried
18 Jan 2013 (Philip Pirrip)
Mid evening before a meal at the excellent (and I really and truly mean faultless) Vecchio Parioli restaurant nearby.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Colchester - London Porter (Old King Coel)5.00ExcellentAlmost a meal in itself but at over 4 sovs a pint would be a great pity if the brewer did not secure a pro-rata share of the tariff
Rooster's - Wild Mule3.90Not Tried
Moor - Nor'Hop4.10Not Tried
Pin-Up - Honey Brown4.00Not Tried
Harviestoun - Old Engine Oil4.50Not Tried
Colchester - Brass Monkey3.80Not Tried
11 Oct 2012 (Stephen Harris)
Robert and I splashed through the rain to this pub which proved to be very busy, uncomfortably so really, and we spent an hour or so not getting much beyond the doorway.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Colchester - Anne Downes4.40GoodA dark beer.
Anarchy - Sinist*r4.30GoodFull-bodied, dark and caramel, with a little bit of hop.
Harviestoun - Indian Summer4.10Not Tried
Sharp's - Red Ale4.10Not Tried
East London (ELB) - Nightwatchman4.50Not Tried
18 Jun 2012 (Stephen Harris)
Beautiful pub; a pleasure to drink here. Really good service. And a much more adventurous beer range than last time I was here. But all this pleasantness comes at a high price.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Tiny Rebel - Cwtch4.60ExcellentA red ale with an initial sweetish red fruit and malt taste but ultimately dominated by big hop flavours.
Colchester - AK Pale3.70GoodA fruity, light mild / pale ale.
Colchester - Red Diesel4.20AcceptableA sweet malt, caramel, toffee, red ale.
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Lemon Head4.00Not Tried
London Fields - Love Not War4.20Not Tried
Devilfish - Bombshell4.50Not Tried
16 Jul 2010 (James T)
Girlfriends suprise birthday evening / nice at the Fox and Anchor hotel.. Wow..
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harviestoun - Natural Blonde4.00Excellent
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Mad Bob4.40Good
Purity - Pure Gold3.80Good
Sharp's - Honey Spice4.20Good
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Fox & Anchor "Ale"1.00Acceptable
Adnams - Regatta4.30Not Tried
08 Sep 2009 (Ian)
I really must try one of their pork pies as they look lovely. The barmaid was singing Dire Straits as she was pulling my pint which put me in a happy mood.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Harviestoun - Schiehallion4.80AcceptableIt was hot outside, so I can forgive the serving temp of this beer maybe not being as cold as I would have liked. Some tea flavour that can creep into Harviestoun beers. It's ok, just not as fresh as I remember it, cold and bitingly hoppy. Got better as I drank it, but at £3.45 a pint, can I have it colder?
Adnams - Regatta4.30Not Tried
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - Old Growler5.00Not Tried
Nethergate (was Nethergate Growler for a while then name reverted) - 3.93.90Not TriedBadged as a house beer
Sharp's - Honey Spice4.20Not Tried
14 Mar 2009 (Blair)
Not a bad pub. The tankards were a good touch. Seemed to be more orientated towards the food side of things.
BeerABVScoreNotes
Purity - Mad Goose4.20AcceptableNot my cup of tea really. Very bitter and not particularly easy to drink.
Purity - Pure UBU4.50Not Tried

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About the Fox & Anchor

The pub sign. Fox & Anchor, Smithfield, Central London

Summary of Beer Scores

 Total
Exceptional1
Excellent8
Good6
Acceptable6
Poor-

Website.

The pub is found in Smithfield, Central London, EC1M 6AA.

Just off Smithfield market by Charterhouse. Long slim pub with the bar to one side and snug rooms at the rear. Fresh seafood for sale alongside cheese and pork pies. Six handpumps, some beers may be served in pewter jugs. Purchased by Young's Pub Company in Summer 2014.

We have visited this pub 12 times, seen 51 different beers and tried 20 of them.

Map location

Postcode: EC1M 6AA