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Two Grumbles

Now, we're pretty easy-going chaps. Not the kind of blokes to kick up a fuss. We accept that nothing's perfect and into every life some rain must fall. We're happy to give a fair tip for good service, an extra-comfortable stay or an excellent meal. But there are two things that make us steam.

First, The Sunday Lunch Effect.
We've lost count of the number of times we've had a great weekend then we roll up to a pub at lunchtime on Sunday to find they won't serve us a sandwich. Not because they're rushed off their feet serving roast beef and Yorkshire pudding (that would be understandable); not because we have our walking boots on (it's never been a problem on Saturdays). No, it's a maddening kind of attitude that says we only serve the full works on Sundays so you can't have a beef sandwich.
We've been to places where the beef is staring us in the face and the retaurant is half empty. We'd be happy to nibble a sandwich in the bar and pay a fair price, but no, they refuse us. Maddening. Landlords, stop it! Next time it happens to us we will name and shame you here!

Secondly, The Gastro Pub Effect. We congratulate landlords who look after their pubs and their beer. We recognise that some will want to bring in more custom and make a well deserved profit by offering good meals and the eating out experience. But, landlords, please don't lose sight of your fundamental purpose. You are here to sell beer in a pub not gentrify the place with fancy wall hangings and make it into a restaurant.
There is a place for both pub and restaurant. There is a place for the pub / restaurant too. But please please don't destroy both in a cock-eyed attempt to go up market. There should always be a bar serving a good range of beer and wine for drinkers and a place by the bar for eating. The restaurant should be separate from the bar while the bar can serve a range of simple meals or a cut down version of the restaurant menu.
Everywhere we go we see good pubs losing local customers in favour of becoming "gastro-pubs". Give us an honest pub with well-kept beer and a simple menu of beef or ham sandwiches and steak and kidney pie with chips. What more could a man want?

In our view the classic pub would be The Queen's Head at Newton, Cambridgeshire, The Blue Ball at Grantchester, Cambridgeshire or The Red Cow at Chrishall.
The Sad Loss To Gastro Award would go to The George at Cavendish, Suffolk and The Crown at Wells next the Sea, both of which "elevated" themselves out of the Good Pub category and therefore out of our range. But of course some might argue with that .... Have your say.