My local HB shoppe

[Dog Breath]

I found what seemed to be my local HB shoppe in Maidstone (Maidstone Winemaking Centre). I calle d them up to find out their hours. A surly voice answered the phone.
" 'ello? Yeah?". she said
"Hello, is that the..."
"Home brew shop! Yeah." she interupted
"Ahh! Good. Can you tell me what you're opening hours are please?"
"10 til 4.30"
"So you're close then?" I asked, seeing as it was 5.35.
"What time you coming over? I'll wait!" she barked at me.
Feeling compelled to now go to maidstone I said "It probably won't be until 6.30 at a guess, which is probably way beyond the call of duty for you."
"If you ain't 'ere by 6.40 I'm shutting the shop", she ordered. "You know where to come?" I did, kind of. So set sail for the county town of Kent.

I got there just after 6.30 to find an old boy wandering aimlessly outside the shop. "Are you okay?" I asked him concerned.
"Look!" he replied. "Look at what they are doing to our street?" he said, arms out stretched.
"Bit of a mess isn't it?" I said, sympathetically.
"They're trying to make it beautiful again. I'd like to see grass laid all the way down, just how it used to be be", the old boy said, eyes reminiscing of an obviosly bygone age. To be honest, my initial reaction was to back off slowly and not make eye contact. Just as I was about to turn away and head for the shop the old fella turned to me and said "Welcome Sir. How can I be of assistance?" it dawned on me that he must be the shop keep. He confirmed this when I asked him. I was expecting the surly Madame with I spoke on the phone.

Anyway, we went inside and he went to great lengths gooing in to detail about this that and the other (to be honest, I'd given up trying to follow his course of conversation). The visit was saved when a lady appeared (not sure if it was his wife but possibly). Anyway, the upshot is that I came away with a list of the kits they sell and an idea as to what equipment I need and how much it will cost me.

I'll have a perusal through the list tonight and see what takes my fancy. The Madame said that either anything fro mSt Peter's brewery is good and popular and there was another which escapes my memory for now.

By the way, are most home brew types of a similar nature to the old boy or is he an original?

 

[Shug]

I think quite a few are owned by characters. can't just nip in my local one for a minute to grab something. Need to set aside a chunk of time for it

 

[Moley]

Mine certainly hasn't changed much from how I remember it back in the mid-late 70s.

I think some of their loose bagged hops may have been around for that long too.

 

[oz11]

One good thing I find about going to the Maidstone HB shop is that it's a good excuse for a brisk stroll to the Flower Pot :whistle:

 

[Dog Breath]

One good thing I find about going to the Maidstone HB shop is that it's a good excuse for a brisk stroll to the Flower Pot :whistle:

I see they serve Goachers. A nice local brewery producing some damn good beer if I remember rightly as well as my old favourite Summer Lightening :clap: Indeed!

I know where I'll be popping in to come the middle of August.

How's their food there? May take Mrs Breath there for an evening out to give her a break from cooking. Do they allow dogs too. do you know? The hound generally comes along for the ride too.

Oz, I also see you're a local lad to my office, which is based in Tonbridge. Good on you! :

 

[oz11]

I see they serve Goachers. A nice local brewery producing some damn good beer if I remember rightly as well as my old favourite Summer Lightening :clap: Indeed!

I know where I'll be popping in to come the middle of August.

How's their food there? May take Mrs Breath there for an evening out to give her a break from cooking. Do they allow dogs too. do you know? The hound generally comes along for the ride too. :

The Gold Star from Goachers is a fairly regular beer there, Dark Star and Kent brewery beers are also frequently on. They tend to stick to six ales on through the week, then on Friday put three more on for the upcoming weekend.
The food is good but last time I was there was a Friday and they stopped food at 3pm, not 6pm as their website states, so that might be worth checking in advance, to avoid disappointment.
I have seen dogs in there, and I think a bowl of water is often provided. Poor things, all that beer, and they are offered water. :nono:

Oz, I also see you're a local lad to my office, which is based in Tonbridge. Good on you! :

Yep, I'm out on the edge of town, there's another member on here, ChrisP, also Tonbridge based. What/where is your office?