The gastropub continues to be a growing phenomenon. Almost every week a slightly grim old boozer will get a lick of paint, some eclectic retro furniture and a good floorboard polishing before re-opening with a full menu and another ale or two on offer.
Of course, this is no bad thing, but there’s always a downside. These pubs all too often lack the character and personal touch of a more old-fashioned establishment, and what’s created instead is row after row of almost identical yet indefinable pub-bistro-cafe-wine bar-restaurant hybrids.
