The Forester changing hands and reopening excited me, but when I learned it was being taken over by the owners of The King's Arms and The New Inn I was a little disappointed. The Forester as a building is a love letter to the British institute of The Public House. It was intended as a palace of beer. It has some lovely features in its tiling and woodwork that should be matched by the knowledge of the staff and the attention to detail. Unfortunately, while The King's Arms and The New Inn are solid, decent boozers with a good reputation for the Sunday lunch buffet they fail to go the step further that would elevate them to a truly memorable experience. The staff are friendly (and this is to be applauded) and they care for their customers, but this isn't always matched by their knowledge or by their presentation. I was hoping for knowledgable, smartly dressed staff who would represent in some way a reverence for food and drink. Instead the bar man I spoke to had to keep going out back (the door clearly left open with a view of a vacuum cleaner and the drudgery of back of house too clearly displayed) to find the answers to questions about the menu. He went three times. Is it too much to ask when staff are taken on that they are given full instruction on the menu and the ales available? The staff themselves were dressed in their own clothes. A simple colour code and apron would have been more elegant and in keeping with the tradition of the place without excess formality. It would delineate the customer from the bar staff and add a touch of professionalism. I don't think it's enough anymore for staff to simply turn up and be pleasant. The customer wants something more, especially as he can pick up any number of craft ales at his local supermarket and a half-decent gourmet Thai ready-meal for a fraction of the price for home consumption. When we go out the experience has to better than that at home. The attention to detail needs to be improved; what the customer sees and hears is central the the experience. Last night, I went for a quiet pint and a drink with my friend. Instead we were blasted by the distorted electric amplification of a Geordie quiz master. 50 questions and 50 answers repeated twice at high volume do not make for a pleasant experience. I'm aware that bars have to bring in the punters but perhaps the management could have turned off the speakers in the public bar so those wanting to watch the football or have a conversation were able to do so with only minimal interruption.I don't want to see packets of fags owned by staff members left on the side; I don't want to see bins behind the bar; or bottles of Kopperburg or whatever latest mass produced drink is being promoted on shelves that could be filled with higher quality bottled ales or ciders. I want a range of craft bottled ales on cider that reflect the resurgence of independent brewing companies like Purity, Meantime or St Peter's. It's easy to pick fault and I don't want to seem negative because any new pub opening in these times is to be applauded. But I merely want to draw attention to the possibility of creating a better experience.The New Inn and King's Arms are credible boozers, but I think there is an opportunity at the Foresters for a special place that befits such a special building. I would love to see well-trained, well turned out staff, who enjoy real ale and enjoy sharing their knowledge of it; who enjoy Thai food and can explain the menu when asked. I would like to see this in a temple to food, beer, wine, spirits served in convivial surroundings. I think The Forester could, with some effort from management, achieve this. PS Have a look at the following to get a better understanding of what could be achieved in the new cauldron of British brewing and public houses. http://www.eustontap.com/http://www.whitehorsesw6.com/http://www.masonandtaylor.co.uk/gallery-2Ignore how they look but see what they are trying to achieve.
Darren Halford ● 5269d