The Gate Inn, Amington

 

Nestled alongside the Coventry Canal The Gate Inn is what you'd call a community pub though please don't get confused with images of Frank Gallagher's local The Jockey on the Chatsworth Estate. This is actually a busy pub in a residential area frequented by locals, however rest assured strangers won't receive the type of welcome given to the two US tourists at The Slaughtered Lamb in the opening scene of American Werewolf in London !! The locals on the whole are an accommodating bunch as are the staff, however be warned unfortunately at times bar staff can be harder to locate than rocking horse doo doo so be prepared to wait in line (as they say in America) until, like the shopkeeper in Mr Benn, (ask a grown up kids !!) as if by magic they appear.

In a throwback to the good old days the pub has the traditional bar and lounge format. As you would expect the bar regulars prop up the bar chewing the fat, frequently arguing about who is and isn't a 'proper Tammy'. At times the bar can resemble a scene similar to best of breed day at Crufts as our canine friends are made welcome in the bar however, dog owners be warned, you'll get ruff treatment from the staff if Rex wants to go on walkies into the lounge where they are not allowed. 

Whilst I am discussing bar housekeeping matters be careful using the backdoor in the bar, which leads to beer garden, the dart board is situated near the door so ensure you don't become the victim of a King Harold moment. 

The elusive staff (who serve in both bar and lounge) often congregate in the no man's land between the two so to alert them of their presence locals used to tap their empty glass on the beer pump. Things have recently got a lot more civilised however as there is now a door bell to ring though I'm not convinced that this has helped matters as numerous unanswered rings of the doorbell gives thirsty punters the feeling experienced by a Jehovah Witness on a regular basis.

Whilst food is served in the lounge it does not dominate things as it does in some places, it still feels like a proper drinkers pub. The food is standard pub fayre and does a job though the boast on the pub's website that their Sunday roast will 'rock your world' is possibly stretching things somewhat, more Aunt Bessie than Mary Berry. In fact at times when a bell is heard ringing it's difficult to know whether it's the microwave pinging or a customer in the bar that needs serving. 

There is no getting away from the fact that the beers are very well kept and there is a good choice. Proper beer drinkers will be pleased to know that as well as the usual Marston's ales, there is often a guest ale and the occasional beer festival. Sadly the Social Sunday offer of two pints of real ale for a fiver after 5pm has finished which has put an end to my time of being a pub twerlie !!

The beer garden whilst in need of some tlc (tender loving care as opposed to the American female r & b ensemble) is very impressive. It's a suntrap next to a canal so on the sabbath for example you can follow the advice of the Small Faces in the sun kissed beer garden at The Gate by having a Lazy Sunday closing your eyes and drifting way.

Warning time again.....children are more of a pest in the beer garden in the summer than wasps, not helped by the fact that there is a children's play area to encourage them. The pub is that child friendly that there is also a kid's menu and one of those arcade style machines that dispenses toys, in fact I'm surprised that Fruit Shoot isn't available on draught !! Maybe I'm an old stick in the mud but if I had my way I'd get the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to round up the pesky blighters.

For those interested in such matters the facilities are worth mentioning. The gents are that cold (well that's my excuse anyway !!) that any passing polar bears would need to wear a duffle coat to spend a penny. However when washing your hands (are we still required to sing happy birthday twice?!!) the water from the hot tap is rumoured to be twice as hot as the lava that destroyed the ancient city of Pompeii in 79AD. 

As I stated earlier this pub is very much at the heart of the local community and there are regular well supported events for the locals. Halloween for example sees an event entitled Boos and Booze which could also be described of the way I immediately react to disappointing performance at St Andrews. Catch the Joker I believe is an occasionally held card game as opposed to being one of the objectives in Batman's job description. It's pooh bag and pint time most summers when the pub stages The Great Gate Dog Show. They have also staged a hoedown as well as a ho ho ho down at Christmas during the annual Breakfast with Santa festive offering. Joking aside the pub stages regular fun events which raise money for local charities.

In summary The Gate is a really good pub, fabulous location, great beers and a friendly welcome. Go visit.