A few drinks in Earlsfield – The Halfway House
I am surprised that, as a long time Wimbledon resident, that it had taken me so long to get over to Earlsfield and enjoy some of the great watering holes that are on offer on Garrett Lane. But here it was that I found myself on a surprisingly warm St. George’s day supping on a pint of Wells Bombardier (cleverly marketed at only £2.00 a pint) and enjoying a much needed Villiger Grosse Format cigar following a grueling day tapping the computer keys in the office.
The Halfway House is a Young’s pub, in that it is owned by the brewery of the same name and as a consequence stocks its beers. Not that this should be much of a surprise as the local area is deeply associated with the brand – given that the brewery was once less than a mile away (a sore point for many a resident as it is now based in Bedford following a merger with Charles Wells). But one thing that Young’s know how to do is to create a cracking local pub and this one is no exception.
Perfectly positioned opposite Earlsfield station it benefits from great access so whether you are coming from Waterloo or from further afield it is incredibly easy to get to, so the first box was ticked.
On entering it is a spacious, modern pub with a plethora of different seating areas from intimate booths, large communal tables and perfectly positioned perches – something for everyone. Making it a space that can be enjoyed by both the solo drinker and the communal party alike.
Before experts scoff, let me point out that this is not a pub for the seasoned ale drinker, the selection is pretty limited, to put it bluntly you’ve got to enjoy either Bombardier or Young’s Bitter if you want to drink beer. That is not to say though that they don’t have a fair range of interesting wines, spirits and soft drinks though to tempt you away from the traditional pub fare as well as some viciously potent looking cocktails posted on the bar blackboard!
Luckily for me I like Bombardier and, as aforementioned, I enjoyed it with a cigar in the ‘beer garden’ (more a terrace on the main road) until a friend came and joined me. At which point – it being St George’s Day and the alcohol being so cheap – we ordered a few more rounds and settled into an evening of putting the world to rights. Whilst watching the varied clientele share their problems, voice their opinions and generally indulge in good some good, old-fashioned British humour. One thing this pub had was a great deal of good spirit and it was reflected in its patrons.
A few pints in we felt the pangs of hunger and decided to order a some food from a very well considered menu. Being that special day of the patron saint of this fair country, there was of course a specially created ‘ironic’ Scotch Egg menu on offer, as well as the standard gastropub expectations. Going for a few of the lighter bites, we chose the scotch eggs, homemade chicken goujons with a honey-mustard dip and some sliders. All dishes were well cooked, if not the most inspiring food I have ever tasted, but it was not unpleasant so please do not let this put you off ordering food should you feel peckish there – it was perfectly tasty without being earth-shattering. But then again, it’s a pub, food should be a secondary consideration!
A couple more pints were supped before we both realised that it was a school night and that we had jobs to go to, but the bar was still packed, given the shrewd marketing tactic from the Charles Wells brewery to price their pints so low on this one evening. Of course it would have been churlish not to have taken advantage of the offer and we persuaded ourselves that one more should be partaken in the honour of our saint on his day. So here’s to The Halfway House, a fab boozer in the traditional sense of the word and one which I urge you to visit the next time you find yourself in Earlsfield!
Why not pop down: The Halfway House, 521 Garratt Lane, London, SW18 4SR
Henry
