BAKE & ALEHOUSE

The Very First micropub in Westgate-on-Sea


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The current ales' list was altered at 2:44 PM on Sunday (29th of January)

Micropubs - What are 'Micropubs'?
Westgate-on-Sea's Bake is deemed a Micropub - What are 'Micropubs'?
The word/term 'micropub' is a new one in the English language and, at the point this page was first written (August 2012), the word micropub didn't exist - it was neither in the OED or accepted as a 'Scrabble word'.

There is even the question of whether the term is MicroPub, Micropub, Micro-Pub or Micro Pub - all are used, and all have the same meaning.

As such, there is no 'official definition' of the term 'MicroPub' (MicroPub is in not related to the similar term microbar - this represents a unit of pressure, equal to one millionth of a bar).

So, what is a Micropub?
As the name suggests, a Micro-Pub is generally considered to refer to a pub that is small (or very small) - but that's about it.

However, most places that call themselves Micro Pubs also adhere to some, or all, of the following;
  • No Bar - many MicroPubs are often too small to even have a bar
  • No Fruit Machines - these take-away the original concept of a pub (but you might find games like Shove Ha'penny or Cribbage being enjoyed)
  • No TVs or Juke Boxes - again, these also take-away the original concept of a pub (a place to enjoy a quiet drink and talk to friends - or talk to strangers, who quickly become friends. Some Micropubs do have live music events
  • No 'Manufactured' Beers - where beer is concerned, a true Micro-Pub will only sell 'Real Ale'.
  • NO LAGER - we'll say that again as this is the golden rule of any micropub, NO lager whatsoever.
    A Micro Pub does not sell lager (though rumour has it that a few Micropub's have, in the past, sold 'lager types' of Ale that have been brewed to meet the standards of being a 'Real Ale' - but that is just a rumour!)
    In many true Micro-Pubs, you cannot even say the word lager - if you say that word, then you are expected to put something (20p or more) in the charity jar in the pub (if you need to mention this drink, a few polite people might say 'the L word'. But the vast majority, the realistic and truthful people, describe it accurately and use the term 'cold, fizzy urine').


Although pubs are closing all over the country, MicroPubs (and micro-breweries) seem to be a growing trend. That is particularly true in Kent (The Butcher's Arms in Herne is considered the original Micro-Pub - it opened in 2005 and started the boom in the micropub concept)


On the Isle-of-Thanet, there are several Micropubs. There are also a couple of pubs that refer to themselves as Micro Pubs, but, in the opinion of this site's author, are too large to be true MicroPubs (though they do meet some/most of the other requirements).


To paraphrase one of Britain's unofficial National Anthems, Land of Hope & Glory - Kent, and the whole of the UK, are the 'Land of Hops & Glory!' (apologies to A C Benson who wrote to original words for Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in 1902).


Below are links to The Butcher's Arms in Herne (the pub that started the micropub revolution), another Micro-Pub in Thanet and Thanet's own branch of the Campaign for Real Ale -

The Butchers Arms micropub in Herne
The first micropub in Birchington - The Real Ale House, sorry Wheel Alehouse.
The Thanet branch of all that makes sense - The Campaign for Real Ale

The Bake & Alehouse
21 St. Mildred's Road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent CT8 8RE
Landlord: John Morphy - 07913 368787
e-Mail: [email protected]
Facebook: Bake & Alehouse


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