The Royston (Free House)
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Visits Details
20 Sep 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
5th visit of the outing: Usual busy gathering inside this micropub almost equidistance to Broadstairs Station as Mind the Gap and for my early evening visit before catching the train back to London. Not a green hop beer in sight as not yet on site unlike at the last two stops as the green hop ales have of course only just been tapped at Gadds' and at the Four Candles this very day. However, a good 5 real ales to choose from presented. As always, friendly prompt service with a smile from the barmaid.
Sureshot - Whole Lotta Funk 45's - stout | 4.50 |  | Not sure I have ever tried a shot of Sureshot before, an independent brewery best known for "hop forward styles" according to their website. Their brewery and taproom are located in the arches below Piccadilly Station in Greater Manchester and they have been brewing for 3 years a range of styles. This stout with a robust hint of coffee came with very good head and lacing and lasting throughout. A dry malty first bite. A malty bitterness, ably assisted by a mixed malt billing of 11 different varieties including Cherry Ember Smoked Malt and Red Rye Malt, rising with a good number of coffee beans getting in on the act and tantalising my taste buds. Notes of treacle, cherry and light roasted coffee veering up. A moreish dryness lingering aided by being dry hopped with Bramling Cross hops. Very moreish but a train to catch and so my sampling had hit the buffers for now! |
Kent - Prohibition | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Verdant - Lightbulb | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Ossett - World Hop Series - bitter | 4.10 | Not Tried | |
Dark Revolution - Reboot | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
16 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
7th visit of the outing: Busy but not rammed for this little micro and table and high chairs to be had for our party of two. Served without delay for our early evening visit from a choice of five real ales on. It is recognised as officially the best pub in Kent, Surrey and Sussex after scooping the South East Regional Pub of the Year 2025 from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lord Marples | 4.00 |  | Head and lacing, good, and lasting, good, on this bitter from Bakewell, south-west of Sheffield. A very malty bitter first bite to it from its Maris Otter, Caramalt, Crystal, and Chocolate malts in on the mix. A dry moreish bitterness rising aided by its Goldings hops. Nothing in the least sweet about it which I personally like greatly in a bitter, although it is said to have flavours of honey and caramel. It must be just the merest hints therefore but served slightly too chilled for my liking and so perhaps somewhat hiding the more subtle flavourings! A dry bitter, bitterness living on, on the palate. This was the brewery's first ever Thornbridge beer back in 2005 and named after Mr Marples, a former owner of Thornbridge Hall, a Grade 2 listed stately-home situated in Derbyshire in the heart of the Peak District, and who enjoyed using the title of Lord while never quite achieving it. From 2002 Thornbridge Hall has been owned by Jim and Emma Harrison, owners of Thornbridge Brewery. |
Two by Two - Mashup (collaboration with Kent) | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Strong Dark Mild (collaboration with Brooklyn) | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Refresh | 4.20 | Not Tried | A mango and lime pale ale. |
Tartarus - Lenghelo - cappuccino porter | 6.30 | Not Tried | |
02 Aug 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
7th and final Broadstairs' visit of the day: Busy but not rammed for this little micro and closest to the station. Our party of four managed to find a table and we were all comfortably seated and served without delay for our early evening visit from a choice of four real ales on.
Track - Stars Will Fall - best bitter | 4.90 |  | Head and lacing, good, and lasting, very good on this Manchester-brewed best bitter. A very dry bitter first bite. Flavourings of biscuit and toasted-bread from its maltiness. A fruit-infused hoppy note or two rising aided by its Goldings hops. A dry bitterness living on for my taste buds. |
Elusive - Oregon Trail | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Lowline | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Electric Bear - Jack Black On A Jet Pack - session pale | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
12 Jul 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
6th visit of the outing: This tiny friendly micropub was as usual very full at this time of early evening. Promptly served and a stool to be had. They allow you to bring the odd snack in and so a sealed ice-cream was about to float my boat along with their real ale.
Moor - Bitter | 3.40 |  | Very good head and lacing with a pleasant foaminess lasting on this Bermondsey-based bitter. A cloudy look about it and rather reflecting the sky for most of the day. A very bitter first bite. A dry wholesome bitterness rising with a malty touch to it. The odd nutty-infused hoppy note or two getting in on the act to truly float my boat before sailing off into the evening's sunshine. |
Surrey Hills - Greensand IPA | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Anspach & Hobday - The Porter | 6.70 | Not Tried | |
Kent - Go With The Flow | 4.40 | Not Tried | |
21 Jun 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Sixth and final venue visit of this outing to Broadstairs and its evirons and almost at full seating capacity in this multi-award winning micro for my early evening arrival. My two real ale enthusiasts also on the outing were by now veering back to London on their specific routes from the Four Candles and so just my faithful hound and myself remaining. I took this opportunity of congratulating the owner here on his latest award, CAMRA Pub of the Year 2025 for not just East Kent but now, as just announced, for the whole county of Kent. There was a big blackboard on display with a chalked notice upon it extolling the latest success for this micro that only started out in life in late 2021. Prompt and friendly service as always and sat with a good few and two turned out to be the retired couple who live down here now having handed over the baton of their micropub's running in SE London a few years previously. I often bump into them down here as they enjoy their real ale and made their own micro award-winning for that reason.
Arbor Ales - Pocket Rocket | 3.90 |  | Good head and lacing and lasting on this Bristol-based session pale ale from just north-east of the city. A fruity hopped first bite aided by its brew using Simcoe, Citra and Mosaic hops. A crescendo of fruitiness veering upwards in its aptly-named rocket to become a fruity cocktail partying on my taste buds. A zesty hop-infused concoction that was visibly foggy and lasting. Not quite my cup of tea but certainly a refreshing half to aid my return journey. |
Kent - Prohibition | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Broken Dream Breakfast Stout | 6.50 | Not Tried | |
Alfred's - Fyrd - Black Ruby Ale | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
14 Jun 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Not as busy early evening as it was for our last visit back in April when it was the local Gadds' Easter beer festival up the road. Squeezed in and chose from the five real ales on with relative ease. Usual warm welcome and prompt service from this multi-award winning and relatively new micropub to the area and which only opened in the autumn of 2021.
Purity - Pure UBU | 4.50 |  | Good head and lacing and lasting on this Alcester-based, south of Birmingham, Warwickshire premium amber ale and lasting. A dry hoppy first hit. Caramel-infused malty notes pervaded the mouthfeel along with the odd citrusy hoppiness. A moreishly bitter aftertaste was balanced with the odd malty note or two lingering. |
Five Points - Gold | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Two by Two - Sidewinder | 6.00 | Not Tried | IPA |
Elusive - Nocturne - Czech-style dark lager | 5.40 | Not Tried | |
Lunebrew - Caked - Chocolate Brownie Stout | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
19 Apr 2025 (Hogan Sampling)
Packed for our early evening visit but some customers were just prizing their way out of this tight little micro and so a table and seats to be seized upon. The music was somewhat overpowering here after the quietness of the Four Candles where conversation rules in there and so that one gets my vote. Prompt, friendly service.
Vocation - Hoppy Pale Ale (Collaboration with Sureshot Brewing) | 4.00 |  | Very good head and lacing on this session pale from Hebden Bridge, north-west of Huddersfield, and a collaboration with Sureshot Brewing in Manchester. A fruity first hit. Fruits from the tropics hit you in the mouthfeel alongside ripe berries and hints of peach and apricot. This lasted well into the very dry hopped aftertaste. |
Blackjack - Irk Street Pale Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Marble - Export Mild | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Mangotron | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Cherry Tonkoko | 5.50 | Not Tried | |
18 Apr 2025 (Andrew)
Pub no. 7. Not sure if I've been here before. Very busy.
Marble - Export Mild | 5.80 |  | Jet black. Sweet, rich, low hopping. |
Blackjack - Irk Street Pale Ale | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Tartarus - Harlequin | 5.40 | Not Tried | |
Castle Rock - Depth of Field | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Elusive - Brewtality West Coast India Pale Ale (IPA) | 5.80 | Not Tried | |
05 Apr 2025 (Dosser)
Big crowd, many camra beer tasters on a sunny windy afternoon. Tried some lovely 6% stag brewery chocolate stout bottle condition beer. Lovely. And free! 4 ales on.
Two by Two - APA | 5.80 |  | Vegan style and lovely. £4.80 a pint. |
22 Feb 2025 (Dosser)
4 beers on and a good crowd in
Titanic - Plum Porter Grand Reserve | 6.50 |  | In superb form and at £5 a pint. |
Titsey - Estate | 4.80 |  | Few of the promised chocolate vanilla flavouring |
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