If you fancy a seaside trip involving a beer or two and can get to St Pancras or Victoria, you could do worse than pay a visit to Whitstable and Herne Bay.
In August a group of us went to Whitstable for a memorial gathering in honour of Simon Howson, a longstanding CAMRA member who introduced me to real ale and to CAMRA membership. Simon was a member of the East London & City branch and, although not active, he was, like many members, happy to support the Campaign by drinking real ale and going to beer festivals. He later enjoyed living in Whitstable (before Covid struck) and enjoyed the local pub culture, in particular the micropubs such as the long lamented Black Dog and the still splendid Handsome Sam. It was here where we gathered to raise our glasses to Simon and enjoy a spread put on by Simon’s Whitstable friend, Kate.
The Handsome Sam micropub is named after the owner’s cat (sadly now deceased). There were lots of lovely local beers on here and we were ably served by Charles. I particularly enjoyed the pale ales, all local. On Friday there were Chislet beers: Hoplands Pale (3.8% ABV – very refreshing) and Island Road (4.5% ABV – plenty of flavour). On Saturday there was Quiet American pale (4.2% ABV) from Kent and Rising Giant APA (4.8% ABV) from Long Man Brewery. If you like a traditional micropub with a community feel, then the Handsome Sam is for you and it’s just a few minutes’ walk from Whitstable railway station.
We then moved on to the Twelve Taps. Yes, there were indeed 12 taps in use and I was very pleased with my flight of thirds (two pales and an IPA) and we were well looked after by Tash and Ieuan. They also make Whitstable gin!
There are a lot of traditional pubs in Whitstable, many tied to Shepherd Neame, and many look nice from the outside. We only ventured into one such pub however, a free house called the Fountain which had two Canterbury Ales on cask: a limited edition No 26 (light amber 6.4% ABV- ooh!) and the Pardoners, a dry fruity pale ale which was a more session friendly 3.8% ABV. There was also a Camden Eazy IPA on keg but we had to move on. This pub has an outside seating area, nestled in a back street that has become pedestrianised; it’s a lovely little local.
If you like a beach front walk, there are a few watering holes about but we liked the vibe at the Sea Farmer’s Dive. There is only keg available here but it’s nice inside and you have the option to sit outside on the wall and look out to sea. Another fabulous beach pub is the Old Neptune. We didn’t pop in this time but there’s food and music on here as well as cask ales.
Now if you like a good walk, you could trot to Tankerton, going along the harbour and seafront (but do not follow the signs to the seafood restaurant, otherwise you’ll end up in a dead end) then along the road for a short period. When you get to the Tankerton slopes you’ll need to go uphill to Marine Parade and then into the High Street to get to the micropubs. Alternatively, you might prefer to pick up a bus in Whitstable (the stop is very close to the Twelve Taps) for the princely sum of £1.70 (or free with a Freedom Pass!).
Tankerton has a vibe of its own, with its own little High Street. Here you’ll find two micropubs: the Tankerton Arms and Ales & Antiques. The Tank is a large micropub with a good beer selection, friendly service and a fair turnover (beers changed while we were there on a busy Friday evening) and plenty more besides. There is also a back room, good for a quieter drink with a small group. Antiques & Ales does what it says on the tin. It sells antiques and ales (four local beers). However, there’s also wines and gins and a garden full of interesting things. The Kent Brewery Session Pale (3.7% ABV) slid down nicely, as did Wantsum Brewery’s Hurricane (new world IPA, 4.5% ABV).
Now, if you’ve been taking it steady (or if you’re around for the weekend) you could walk to Swalecliffe or take the bus to the Wheatsheaf. You could try that pub but we stayed on our micropub mission and walked the few steps further to the Brickfield Micropub. This is a fairly new place, opened December 2023. Friday and Saturday they close around 10pm, so be sure not to make this your last stop. On other days they close around 9pm. We found a warm welcome here at lunchtime, with a tidy pub garden plus some outside seating. We enjoyed another Chislet beer; this time Captain’s Garden Pale (3.5% ABV). They also had New River Five Inch Drop APA at a heftier 4.6% ABV. The Brickfield is a sister pub to the Handsome Sam, both owned by Chris Reeves who has clearly found a winning formula.
From here, you can also get a bus into Herne Bay, which is worth a separate crawl in itself as it has a few micropubs. However, as always, plan carefully and check opening hours (and bus connections) to avoid disappointment. We dropped into the Firkin Frog which has excellent beers, friendly ‘DFL’s and locals alike, live music on Sunday afternoons (which we just missed) and a cosy back room. The Pub Herne Bay, which opened in 2021, is run by Richard who is very familiar with south east London and has not only great beers but also a carefully curated selection of wines and spirits. We missed the Bouncing Barrel because it closes at 3pm on Sundays but we had a Beer on the Pier. There were Goody Ales here and the Good Health golden ale (3.6% ABV) was refreshing.
There are plenty of micropubs (and regular pubs) to explore in this area. The walk from Herne Bay to Tankerton around the coast is beautiful. I can recommend Birdies in Whitstable for an excellent evening meal and good house wine (book in advance). Ossie’s Fish & Chips (cash only) in Tankerton, sitting on a bench while watching the sunset, also makes for a pretty good end to a Sunday outing. Cheers!
Maria Freeman