Remember on the brew day when Michael from the Hudson mentioned previously working for Botanic Inns and he muttered 'Expect to hear something soon'?
Looks like this was it:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-22434980
Not a huge surprise, considering some of the weight they've been carrying (Whig springs to mind).
-Barry
I looked at the list of bars they ran and, to be honest, I pretty much wouldn't have gone near any of them - and my friends would be the same.
I think the problem was that their bars are the same old crap. You could go anywhere in NI for a bar like Northern Whig, as it completely lacks any individuality or personality.
The same couldn't be said for Kelly's Cellars, however, which has been there apparently since the days of Wolfe Tone.
Its sad, but not surprising.
Never really enjoyed the bot - guys I worked with loved it but I never saw the attraction. What about a whip-around to buy it and open a brewpub?!
N.I in general lads. The Maiden Oak did fuck all in the 80's, it's time the new generation got the oul finger out
It certainly means there are more liceneses up for grabs...makes a microbrew a bit more attractive.
Botanic Inn's, while providing nothing particularly special, don't really have a "bad" bar..and they all have a strong food offering.
QuoteBotanic Inn's, while providing nothing particularly special, don't really have a "bad" bar..and they all have a strong food offering.
I take it you've never been to the Elms then? It's possibly the single worst bar in the UK. It's a seeping pustule in the arse crack that is the bulk of the Belfast bar scene. A truly awful place. Never liked it, never will.
Of the others I know in the Botannic Inns portfolio:
The Bot - When I used to frequent this place as a student I guess I was always too drunk to realise just how irritating the bar and its clientele is. The beer was always piss poor too; straight from the slops tray. I would die happy never having darkened its doorways again. Full of culchies, and I should know.
Parador Ormeau Road - A wee bit local-y. Not a bad Guinness, but poor beer choice besides. I've only gone in there when the thirst has got the better of me on the walk to the Errigle or Big House (100 yards further down the road).
The Apartment - Full of tossers. One of those places you end up in against your will and it takes 20 minutes to get a pint because the staff are too busy crushing leaves for the cocktail order for the guy in the linen suit queuing in front of you. You'd die of sobriety in there. Food's not bad, though.
Northern Whig - That place well and truly has had its day. Lacks any kind of charm or character despite all the elaborate decor. In its heyday there was so much smugness about the place. The bouncers were happy to let you stand outside in the pissing rain waiting to get in (against your will). But if a gaggle of leggy blondes were to suddenly show up and swish up to the front of the queue they were let in straight away. Did the bouncers really believe these girls were all going to have sex with them both individually and as a group by way of gratitude?
Horatio Todds - Only been there once, last summer. My memory is cloudy as I was drowning my sorrows after the FA Cup Final. Not bad if nothing special. But you'll take what you get in Ballyhackamore (unless you actually like The Point?). Plus they did Belfast ale on draught and the food was decent.
Kitchen Bar - A wee bit up itself for its own good. Went in for lunch one day recently, specifically so I could have a pint of Belfast Ale. We got a table, sat down, were handed menus and were asked what drink we'd like. On being told they were down to their last bottle of ale we stood up and left (to my wife's embarrassment).
McHughs - Went here instead (see above). Couple of ales on offer. Again the bar is nothing special but the food upstairs is pretty damn good as I remember.
Kings Head - It had a roof and it was snowing heavily outside. That's all I can offer here.
Ryans - Quite liked it when I lived on the Lisburn Road. Though anything was better than the Chelsea.
The Tap House - Did this place used to be the Fly??? Oh Christ give me strength. A contender for the Elms crown.
So there you have it. Botannic Inns are carrying far too much dead wood. Definite potential there to buy up one or two of their pubs for a song and turn a decent location & venue into a very good brewpub.
-Barry
P.s. Did I mention already that I'm not partial to the Elms.
Quote
Well god knows following the discussion the last brew day, there's space for a few more microbrewers and especially brewpubs in NI, and especially Belfast. Hard to believe a city of its size doesn't have a brewery *of any description* hint hint
Pretty sure College Green brew on the premises...however they've went the bistro route instead of having a decent wee pub. Been thinking about asking for a tour actually
Quote from: Bill_00 on May 08, 2013, 12:30:31 PM
Quote
Well god knows following the discussion the last brew day, there's space for a few more microbrewers and especially brewpubs in NI, and especially Belfast. Hard to believe a city of its size doesn't have a brewery *of any description* hint hint
Pretty sure College Green brew on the premises...however they've went the bistro route instead of having a decent wee pub. Been thinking about asking for a tour actually
they don't. they're part of hilden
Yeah Botanic Inns really did have the worst selection of bars in Belfast. Their dr:nk off-licences were relatively half-decent though, as they went beyond the usual Carlsberg/Stella/Harp/Magners/Budweiser/Miller bollocks of Winemark and Wineflair.
Wonder where the Lisburn Road and Holylands students will go now to drink their watery lager and argue about sport.
QuoteTheir dr:nk off-licences were relatively half-decent though, as they went beyond the usual Carlsberg/Stella/Harp/Magners/Budweiser/Miller bollocks of Winemark and Wineflair
Totally agree with you about Winemark. Have you ever seen their 'ale' selection? Tins of Tetley Smooth and bottles of Smithwicks and Newky Brown. That's it! But you can get 200 different types of similar tasting piss lager (in tins) and 100 different types of cider (95 of which are brewed by Magners; the rest are in brown plastic bottles). They cater for binge drinkers and alchys only.
Having said all that, I frequently buy wine there. I guess if they called themselves '
Beermark' we'd have more of a case against them :)
-Barry
Yes, I've heard their wine selection is good. I can't help but sigh every time I'm in a situation where Winemark is the only choice.
It has got worse in the past few years. My friend Darren - who was at the first meeting at the Hudson - worked there for ages and he said it used to have some half decent stuff, but it gradually got pushed out by the Tuborgs and Bavarias.
Actually quite depressing when you think about it!
Would I be banned from all future meetings if I revealed I frequently go to Winemark as they are the only people that do PistonHead?
About the only lager I can stomach...(and ideal for park drinking due to it looking like an energy drink)
I would drink Pistonhead the odd time, but it's pretty much cos of the can!
It's a good beer for drinking lots of, though. Nice and light and refreshing...
I had some of it recently and thought that it had changed, less malty or something.
I think it's one of those timid beers which has a taste relative to what you've already been drinking.
So if you've just had a Punk IPA, it'll taste like Bavaria, but if you've just had a bottle of Coors Light, it'll taste like a mildly hoppy, refreshing beer.
So would my suggestion of having a future Friday meet in the Bot, to try out my extensive range of Coors/Bavaria/Bud and Miller clones, not be a popular one?
-Barry
Quote from: Bazza on May 09, 2013, 02:32:44 PM
So would my suggestion of having a future Friday meet in the Bot, to try out my extensive range of Coors/Bavaria/Bud and Miller clones, not be a popular one?
-Barry
as popular as cask breathers at camra
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-22515615 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-22515615)
Wish I could shelve my debts as easily as Mr Magorrian seems to have been able to...
Yeah, had to laugh when I saw that on the news last night. Maybe I'll default on my mortgage and change my name to 'Horatio'.
The silver lining is that the 2 bestest bars in the whole wide world are saved: The Elms and the Fly. I'm off down the local chapel to light a candle in thanksgiving.
-Barry
The irony of Horatio Todd's not being on the list of venues he's taken over?...
QuoteThe irony of Horatio Todd's not being on the list of venues he's taken over?...
Yep, a rat was well and truly smelled there. And I'm not referring the the Bot's delicious tapas platter.
-Barry
Actually, thinking about it, the fact that they saved possibly the 3 worst bars in Belfast (forgot to mention the Whig in earlier post) may not necessarily be a bad thing. They'll hopefully continue to keep the majority of culchies and spides out of the decent bars.
-Barry
At the risk of digging up a very old thread here:
Quote from: Bazza on May 08, 2013, 10:34:55 AM
QuoteBotanic Inn's, while providing nothing particularly special, don't really have a "bad" bar..and they all have a strong food offering.
I take it you've never been to the Elms then? It's possibly the single worst bar in the UK. It's a seeping pustule in the arse crack that is the bulk of the Belfast bar scene. A truly awful place. Never liked it, never will.
Well, here's a case of be careful of what you wish for. I know I'm a little late to this news but it appears the Elms has closed down to be replaced by a Tesco. Much as I hated the bar, do we really need another bloody Tesco?
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/community-telegraph/south-belfast/last-orders-at-the-elms-as-landmark-pub-closes-29733836.html (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/community-telegraph/south-belfast/last-orders-at-the-elms-as-landmark-pub-closes-29733836.html)
Seems to be a trend where (apparently due to drink licenses), but the recently closed Rosetta Bar, round the corner from our house, also looks likely to be replaced by ...guess what... a Tesco! Bloody Hell.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/community-telegraph/south-belfast/community-fights-plan-for-tesco-at-rosetta-site-29772179.html (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/community-telegraph/south-belfast/community-fights-plan-for-tesco-at-rosetta-site-29772179.html)
In my 5 years living in the area I never actually made it to the Rosetta (though I frequently threatened to) but I hate the idea of a pub being replaced by something as unimaginative as a Tesco, especially when there's already a Co-op next fecking door.
-Barry
Quote from: iTube on December 06, 2013, 05:17:22 PM
Think of the possibilities! You don't have to travel as far now to buy overpriced stuff!
Yeah, but there was always the Co-op next door for that.
-Barry
Jeez, Bazza. I feel your pain. Not another b***** Tesco. We're surrounded by them!
They did the same on the Ormeau Rd, opening a few doors down from the Centra. There was already 4 Tesco within 5 mins in the area.
Mind you, I've lived in the area 11 years, and I only ever threatened to visit the Rosetta Bar. There's always the Parkview/Continental at the bottom of Ravenhill? Classic.
Could be worse:
It might have been a Fek**n shoe shop!
At least in a Tescos a man can find something to spend hard earned cash on!
Shoes: Fe**k em all I say!
Queue the 4 Yorkshire men sketch (AGAIN)
Quote from: Quiet_Man on December 06, 2013, 10:57:11 PM
There's always the Parkview/Continental at the bottom of Ravenhill? Classic.
Don't joke, but I used to work for a firm in Ravenhill business park down there and we used to go to the Park View for Friday lunchtime pints. What can I say; it was close. :-X
Anyway, one day we were politely told to never come back. Lovely place.
-Barry
So I was out on Thursday night to one of the bars previously owned by Botanic Inns - McHughs.
We had our work team Christmas dinner there, booked a couple of months ago. We always have a vote from about 5 possible venues and I voted for McHughs, remembering great food from previous visits and the fact you were guaranteed a couple of decent local ales on tap.
Well, not so any more, on both the food and the beer front.
The waiter was genuinely taken aback at my face of total despair when, upon me asking what ales they had on tap, he answered 'Em, Bass'. He explained that in the couple of months since we booked the place it was bought over (name escapes me but they've bought a few bars recently) and they changed all the taps for the generic collection of fizzy piss. I settled for a bottle of Copperhead, but I can drink bloody bottles at home. We ordered a few 20 quid bottles of shiraz which tasted like oven cleaner. A real throat-burner.
As for the food, most of us ordered steaks (a guaranteed McHughs winner from past experience), but this time around, the nicest comment I heard about the steak was "well enough cooked but small and completely tasteless - Tesco value cuts all round". £30 (plus £4 supplement for the bloody steak) a head for a 3-course meal that lacked any effort or thought towards the paying customer. I was only glad that work was paying for it, otherwise I'd have felt completely ripped off.
On the plus side we had the downstairs disco pretty much to ourselves all night, and the DJ at our disposal, so I got me 'Safety Dance' fix, plenty of Tequilas and a new fear of going anywhere near Facebook for a year or so.
Pint-wise I settled on the Staropramen but it tasted watered down.
Another example of a decent bar being 'saved' but going to the dogs at the same time. Never again.
-Barry
Had many a waiter with a shocked look on them when I asked what was on offer :( But then again I do like to ask just to get a response >:D and will continue to do so ::) >:D
Quote from: DEMPSEY on December 16, 2013, 09:46:43 AM
Had many a waiter with a shocked look on them when I asked what was on offer :( But then again I do like to ask just to get a response >:D and will continue to do so ::) >:D
Hah! Yeah; that's half the fun. Didn't help my case when I replied loudly to his face 'No ales on tap - that's the only reason I voted for this bloody place!' Felt a little bad; it's not like it was his fault. Still, if it gets passed upwards it all helps.
-Barry
I asked a waitress in Galway what craft beer she had, I was told Guinness, Carlsberg and Heineken, my wife just threw he eyes to heaven as she knew what was coming when I gave the poor girl the standard 20 minute crash course!
Haha. The trials of being married to a beer snob :)
We went for lunch in the Kitchen Bar, Belfast, recently. The waitress showed us to the table, handed us menus and asked what drinks we wanted. I knew they did Belfast Ale on tap so ordered one, to which she informed me that it was off and the only craft beer they had left in the entire bar was a bottle of Belfast Lager. I handed her back my menu stood up and said to the wife 'Come on; we're leaving'.
Ironically I think we ended up in McHughs that day.
-Barry
Should've tried to squeeze into Bittles Bazza!
That's a real shame - last time I was in there they had Hoppelhammer on cask and a few other Whitewaters I think.