Pomeroy's Old Brewery Inn

June 10

Jamie gets a taste for Ye Olde English style and hospitality.

Warm the cockles by Jamie Hanton

'Twas a dark and stormy night; the rain flew horizontally as the carriage pulled up to the kerb and the nearby Avon rushed by a row of stoic brick buildings. Orange light splashed on to the pavement from a row of arched windows as the pulsating noise of a Friday night drew us in from the brutish wild to Pomeroy's.

I exaggerate, but stepping inside Pomeroy's does give the instant feeling of overwhelming warmth and hospitality. Inside, punters stood shoulder-to-shoulder; a cosy conviviality in a modern and spacious setting. Yet, despite the numbers, our foursome was easily able to find a booth on the periphery of the pub.

There were plenty of seats in the less rowdy restaurant section of Pomeroy's, Victoria's Kitchen, an area not completely separate from the pub. The menu is available in both the pub and restaurant.

Spatially, the parts are unified by an updated Ye Olde English décor. Exposed brick interior walls are densely hung with historical photographs of the Fitzgerald Ave/ Kilmore St block, as well as contemporary sports memorabilia and Victoriana.

Tap upon tap of beer lined the bar - quite a Willy Wonka moment. The hospitality continued as we were greeted on approach and served. It was difficult to believe that service at peak time could be so easy. Always glad to see Epic on tap, I eagerly ordered a pint of the Pale Ale ($9), although the lager is also available. Half of our party chose the excellent Waikanae-based Tuatara Brewery's Hefe (yeast) beer ($8.50), while another had a pint of Bulmers Cider ($8).

Seated on pews around a solid hardwood table, we found ourselves having to repeat a great deal of conversation, as music and surrounding banter conspired to strangle our communication. But, far from being an annoyance, it encouraged us to join the boisterous ambience.

Live rugby was showing on the television, but fortunately the sound was down - even better, there was only one screen in the entire pub. There's nothing worse than a multitude of screens pulling at eye sockets and tearing ears from conversation in a social setting. If dialogue isn't enough, a pool table and a foosball table are on the premises, with the pool table free on Tuesday nights.

For our second round, we fully utilised The Pomeroy's Press, a free magazine featuring upcoming events, as well as menu, wine and beer information. The Three Boys Oyster Stout ($9), a 6.5 per cent darkly savoury bombshell, had to be shared, such was its impressive weight and subtle briny undertones.

I spied Return to Magenta ($9) from the Yeastie Boys brewery and felt compelled to try it; I wasn't disappointed with the efflorescent amber ale. The range of high-quality New Zealand-brewed beers is at the heart of Pomeroy's appeal; perhaps only the Twisted Hop can begin to compete.

Our cider drinker switched to the Brookfields Pinot Gris from Hawke's Bay ($8.50). Unfortunately, only about a third of the wine list is available by glass. A comprehensive bar snack menu more than compensates, offering a cross section of styles and tastes - going well beyond the stock standard pub line-up.

The kitchen closes at a very reasonable 10pm, so we opted for the warm cheese fondue with crusty bread ($12) and pork crackling ($12); both came promptly. At first, there looked to be a disproportionate amount of cheese to bread, but there were definitely no complaints as we heaped the creamy, peppery goodness on the warm bread. The crackling came out hot and fresh with a side of apple and pear relish. It was light and not at all greasy, as might be expected, given its composition of pure fat.

It is deeply comforting food, as homely as an inn - a traditional place of sanctuary and rest - should be. The only real let-down of the night was when the last-drinks bell was rung at 10.50pm. Suffice to say we duly took advantage and got another round in.

The locals gathered their riggers and headed home, while we were left to reflect a little sadly that the night was coming to an end. The bar finally closed at midnight, just as our pint glasses dried up. Outside, the rain had subsided and we stepped out fortified, contented and ready to return in any kind of weather.

Where: 292 Kilmore Street

Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 3pm-late; Friday-Sunday noon-late.

Wine: A comprehensive selection of New Zealand wines.

Prices: Reasonable for the quality offering, $7-$9 for beer and wine.

Service: Swift, smiley and ever-so-helpful.

Ambience: Like your own personal local.   

Amenities: On the rougher side of basic.