Aldershot – The George

The George is located in the centre of the town and is operated by Stonegate, probably the nearest chain there is to JD Wetherspoon in terms of prices. The interior of the pub is spacious, but it does need a refurbishment as the carpet was not inconsiderably sticky and the toilets seem to have had all the hand wash containers smashed off.

The staff member was friendly and I liked that she was able to take an order whilst serving the previous customer, as there’s no point standing pouring one drink when you can do two. I had a half a pint of the 4.5% Hobgoblin and it tasted fine, well-kept and at the appropriate temperature.

I like signs such as this, making clear that customers can use power sockets and using some humour to show that. And they were usefully located near to the tables and it didn’t require the unplugging of any AWP machines.

Spacious and not particularly busy during my visit. There were menus on most of the tables and the food options looked generic, but they were keenly priced. The customer service was above average and I liked the engagement and body language of the staff, they did seem focused on the customers.

For anyone wanting a low priced drink in the centre of the town, it’s a perfectly acceptable choice, although a refurbishment could perhaps really enhance the pub. The nearby Greene King pub has received a refurbishment and I can imagine that it’ll take some of this pub’s food trade.

CAMRA note that Stonegate restored the pub’s original name when they completed their last refurbishment six years ago, as it had previously been known as the Goose. I agree with CAMRA that this is positive, although I’m surprised that the last renovation was as recent as six years given the look, and feel, of the carpet.