The Old Cannon Brewery in Bury St Edmunds receives visit from SuffolkNews’ Secret Drinker for quiz night and food and drink
Welcome back to a fresh series of pub reviews by SuffolkNews’ own Secret Drinker, who will make their way round the county’s watering holes and give you their honest opinion.
Located just a short walk from the centre of Bury St Edmunds is The Old Cannon Brewery and after hearing some good things about it on the grapevine, I decided I’d check the place out… on quiz night.
Just walking into the watering hole on Cannon Street, I was immediately incredibly impressed with what I saw - it would only be a very slight exaggeration to say I was crazy in love, and I’m not talking Beyoncé.
The place was very busy, with a range of excellent decor, but the two large silver brewing vessels are a unique feature that really steal the show for me.
I was also delighted to see a carpet was somehow magically placed on the ceiling too. I wonder if Aladdin was involved in that move at all…
Eleven real ales are all brewed on the property once or twice a week and the pub has been brewing in the bar since 1999. Impressive stuff I have to say and it really adds to the character of the place.
It just so happened I began brewing an appetite for some food as well once I saw the menu. There was a very good range of meals to pick from as well as a great selection of drinks at the bar.
Following some in-depth thinking, I opted for the new roast pork belly dish (£17.95) and a pint of Blonde Bombshell (£4.60). I imagine the alcoholic brew tastes even better in the summer, but it was still very good - refreshing, light and a really lovely golden bitter.
I followed this up with beer of the week - a pint of Gunner’s Daughter (£3.20). A strong ale, with a mixture of sweetness and bitterness, it was another enjoyable drink and it left quite a lovely after taste in the mouth as well.
For those of you unaware, the gunners daughter references the practice of disciplining sailors with a flogging received while leaning over a ship's cannons – known as 'kissing the gunner's daughter’.
On top of this, the meal overall was simply delicious. My grilled hipsi cabbage was tasty even though I’m not a huge cabbage fan and the pork belly was genuinely sublime. I never even use the word sublime, but it seems the perfect word for describing how good it was in this case.
While engaging in my tasty food, my companions and I also got involved with the quiz, which happens every week on a Wednesday in the pub, with a £2 entry per person.
My performance in the quiz was a tad underwhelming so I won’t dwell on that but the quiz itself was still very good and I would recommend any adult who fancies a bit of a challenge to give it a go.
I’d argue the hardest part is actually coming up with a team name to be honest.
Although I did not go outside, The Old Cannon Brewery is meant to have a brilliant beer garden with alfresco dining so it’s something I may have to give a try in the summer.
I’d like to show appreciation for the staff as well who were all smiling, helpful and came across really well throughout the evening.
On the whole, I had a very pleasant experience inside the pub and I think if you live in or near Bury St Edmunds, it’s definitely worth popping in at some point.
Out of all my Secret Drinker travels, this may have been the best watering hole I have been to in the county.
The question is – is there a better one to come..?
The scores out of five:
Decor: Potentially the best I’ve seen on my Secret Drinker travels. The carpet and the silver brewing vessels are particularly special. 4/5
Drink: Two good pints. It was nice to have something a bit different and of course they’re brewed in the pub. You love to see it. 4/5
Price: In my opinion, I was pretty satisfied with prices. No major qualms over here, especially in this day and age. 3/5
Atmosphere: Not sure if it helped because it was a quiz night, but the place was full, bubbly, and I really enjoyed it. 3.5/5
Staff: Honestly very good and certainly helped round off a great evening in the pub. 4/5
