Faith and Hope in Stoke Charity

Best little pub in Hampshire - it’s official

When a man from Cumbria takes on a neglected pub in a small village in Hampshire he would no doubt need a great detail of faith and hope that his endeavour would bear fruit.

It certainly seems to have produced a bumper crop, for the landlord of the Wonston Arms on Stoke Charity road in the small village of Wonston in north Hampshire.  The sign painted on the pub ‘The best little pub in Hampshire', seems accurate as it is both little, and best (as far as Wessex CAMRA are concerned), as they have recently given it the Hampshire, and Regional, Pub of the Year Awards.

Very happy Landlord (left) receives award from North Hants CAMRA official

I should say at this point that being a total newby to pub blogging, and tied down much of the time by the daily rat race, it is inevitable that I will find myself:
a) short of pub visits to blog about - so I’m digging out anything from the archives (randomly), and,
b) trailing in the wake of more seasoned and prolific pub bloggers.
Regards b) - so it is here with RetiredMartin having beaten me to it for a late GBG17 tick (tch tch - not even remote Hampshire pubs in a GBG desert are safe).   Fortunately when I arrived there was no sign of the mobility scooter which seems to stalk him around the country.
The bus arranged by South Hants CAMRA for the award ceremony at the pub was a great opportunity to get to this remote pub for a first look, and try some beers, without having to walk for miles (or hijack a mobility scooter).

Barmaid moves very quickly to serve bus-load of CAMRA customers leaving a trail of ethereal plasma...

Needless to say on this auspicious day the pub was in party mood and crammed with people spilling over into the beer garden outside.  The Saturday lunchtime fish and chip van was in attendance with an aroma which reminded me of my younger days and trays of chips with curry sauce or Pukka pies after a few pints at the Drawbridge in Rotherham.

Three locales and a Yorkshire visitor

Fortunately, having taken a photo of the pump clip line up, I could remember what beer I’d had.  In fact if I remember correctly I tried them all (mostly halves mind).  All were in the good/very good range without exception, but the Jenny Wren from Betteridges Brewery was superb.  The beer range was receiving some serious sampling and appreciation by the CAMRA crowd, and the beers ran out and were changed several times during the afternoon, so unfortunately I lost track and can’t remember the later beers I tried.

Forgot to take a photo of the Betteridges themselves (what am I like?!), so had to make do with their van...

Betteridges Brewery's husband and wife team were also present for the celebrations and were engaged for most of the afternoon by eager CAMRA enthusiasts wanting to associate themselves with a local brewer and talk about their beers/brewery.
As you do, I got talking to one of the CAMRA members, who’s wife (also present) happens to be the regional CAMRA official.  His claim to fame is as a mainline steam engine driver and he was relating the story of a recent assignment driving the steam engine for the filming of Paddington 2  ( he even had a photo with the star himself - Paddington).

A brace of pheasants - not enjoying hanging out at the Wonston Arms as much as the CAMRA crowd...

So it is without doubt a case of 'it’s a small world in a small pub', and the best little pub in Hampshire at that.  Rubbing shoulders (literally as there wasn’t much room) with CAMRA dignitaries, respected local brewers and Paddington’s train driver.
Sadly absent during my visit, was the village’s most famous resident, celebrity chef James Martin, (he obviously hadn’t heard I was visiting).  Apparently James lives in a gated mansion just down the road from the pub.  He may have been otherwise engaged filming his Saturday morning cooking show (in the kitchen in his house, so I’m told).
The landlord did say that he had popped in recently to pick up the pubs leftover halloween pumpkins to use on the show..  Whilst it can’t do any harm for any community pub to have such a famous local, for me it was just a missed opportunity to ask which beer would be the best pairing for the pork scratchings or the fish and chips....

CAMRA official pointing to the actual table where he drank his best pint of real ale ever...

Definitely - the best little pub in the region (note sale board in the background marking my dream home)