A Coventry beer expert has delivered his verdict on a newly reopened medieval pub.
Whitefriars Olde Alehouse closed in 2016 and has sat unused ever since. But the Gosford Street venue, which dates back to the 14th century, began welcoming customers once more at the end of last month.
Its return has been warmly received, with most people happy another drinking venue has been added to the city centre after a flurry of closures elsewhere – including Whitefriars’ neighbours The Phoenix.
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The pub is owned by a Coventry couple whose background is in East Asian cuisine – this is reflected in the decision to combine a traditional British boozer with Chinese food.
We spoke with Graham Paine from the Coventry arm of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) who shared his views on the venture.
“The reopening represents a welcome counterbalance to the recent closures of the Town Wall Tavern and the Aardvark,” he said.
“Whitefriars Olde Alehouse was a former CAMRA Good Beer Guide stalwart and has been bought by a couple with a background in Chinese restaurants but no previous experience in the licensed trade.
“Since they bought the property in 2019 they have clearly invested a great deal of money into a sympathetic restoration which returns the 14 century building to its former glory.”
Describing the pub itself, he continued: “There is an elongated drinking area and a rear garden which was well populated on my recent visit, indeed the number of punters on a late Monday afternoon was extremely encouraging.”
But how does the pub stand-up on its beer offering – Graham thinks there is room for improvement but with plenty of promising signs this will happen.
He said: “There are three handpumps, two of which were in use on my visit. These were occupied by the ubiquitous Molson Coors Doom Bar, and Church End Goat’s Milk with Timothy Taylor Landlord preparing in the cellar; certainly not the most adventurous of beer choices, although understandable as they will not want to run before they can walk.
“My Goat’s Milk was in reasonable condition at a cost of £5 a pint. I was told by the young server that, not surprisingly, the Doom Bar was the least popular of the beers served so far, and that they offered customers the chance to nominate beers they would like to see on tap.”
Concluding, Graham added: “It’s great to see Whitefriars up and running after we at Coventry CAMRA thought that it was gone for good. It was last included in the Good Beer Guide in 2017 – it is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility that it will return in a future edition.
“It is certainly well worth a visit – serving real ale in the most atmospheric of surroundings.”
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