Norwich – Champion (Two Julians)
Next in our little adventure out in Norwich was the Champion pub. First opened in the 1830s, it is said that it was named after the boxer Daniel Mendosa (1764-1834). I had a little read of the Wikipedia page about him which says that Mendosa was not really considered a champion at the time, so initially, I was doubtful about the actual origins of the pub name. However, this doesn’t ring true, there are scores of newspaper articles from the beginning of the nineteenth century referring to Mendosa as a champion, so the claim is quite likely valid. The pub themselves note:
“The pub is known to date back to at least eighteen forty five. It is named after a London Jew, Daniel Mendozer, who was an extraordinary middle weight fighter. He became English Champion, which was then, equivalent to World Champion weighing 160lb. He was acclaimed the first scientific fighter and after he retired he toured across theatres, and visited Norwich in 1790. In his act, which included no violence or indecency, he depicted various heroic styles of great boxers.”
The reliable Norfolk Pubs put the opening date of the pub at 1836, but I wonder whether it was likely just a little earlier and closer to the death of Mendosa. There’s a newspaper article from 1843 which notes how a game of bowls was played at Thomas Garwood’s bowling green outside his pub and they were playing for “a handsome pair of silver-mounted drinking horns”, the equivalent of the bar billiards plates of the day no doubt….
I can’t quite place the location of the bowling green, but I suspect that it’s the empty space between the pub and the Methodist Chapel. That space is still there today, although it’s become something of a mini traffic island, it’s also the home of the St. Stephen’s Square Community Garden.
Anyway, that distraction aside, the pub was operated by Lacons by the beginning of the twentieth century. Whitbread bought out Lacons in 1958 and promptly shut it down soon after, although they kept this pub until the 1990s when it was sold to a private buyer. Batemans took over the pub in 2007 and the bulk of the real ales are brewed by them and this venue is also listed in the Good Beer Guide. This is one of two Batemans pubs in the city, the other is the Kings Arms on Hall Road.
The pub’s old divisions between different rooms might have been removed, but it’s evident (because the signage is still there) how this pub was once divided between the saloon and lounge bar. This was once the saloon bar element and the area that I took the photo below in is the old lounge bar. I was excited that I had my new glasses and could read all the bottle names that were placed on that top shelf, before I would have to zoom in using my phone. There’s also a back room, which is visible in the rear of this photo, which then leads to the toilets.
The beer selection and they also had the XB from Batemans. That’s also the beer that Julian went for and reading his Untappd it was “as tasty as ever”, so that’s high praise as he can be picky about his beer. Julian mentioned that he used to go in this pub a lot during his younger days, although, frankly, he can truthfully say that about a lot of the pubs that we visit…. That reminds me that I forgot to add an anecdote he told me about the Rose, so I’ll have to write separately about that.
I went for the XXXB (Triple XB) which is a 4.8% beer from Batemans which was well-kept and was smooth and it had a pleasant malty taste with some toffee. I would have preferred a more decadent brand of crisp, but I am quite picky on this matter and that’s not really the pub’s fault. And, life would be boring if every pub had Tyrells, Pipers, Seabrooks, Ringos, Quavers and Hula Hoops to meet my needs. On the subject of food, I understand that they have some home-cooked food options between 12.00 and 15.00 and then 18.00 to 20.00 on Wednesdays to Saturdays. I am always very supportive of pubs and look for every single positive, but I do have to note for reference that the pub is currently sitting on a 1 star food hygiene rating from Norwich City Council and I will simply link to the report so individuals can make up their own minds.
The service was friendly, the environment was clean and the beers were of a good quality, so its inclusion in the Good Beer Guide seems like an excellent idea to me.
