Norwich – The York (Two Julians)
Taken during one of our perambulations, apologies that these photos were taken during the dying days of my last phone, so the quality of the imagery isn’t exactly top notch. The York is a traditional Victorian corner pub which opened in 1878 and it has been owned by breweries including Bullards, Watney Mann, Courage in the past. I didn’t go and check on this occasion, although I have done before, but there’s a large beer garden out the back which used to be a bowling green and the pub’s web-site notes that there’s now “a Pétanque pitch in the pub garden – a nod to The York bowling club who were based at The York in the early 1920s”. Incidentally, the pub has traditionally been called the York Tavern, although it’s usually shortened to just the York now.
In 1907, the funeral of the landlord Alfred Dashwood took place, he appears regularly in newspapers and seems to have been an interesting character. He had started his career as a plumber and gas-fitter before becoming landlord here and he had built up the bowling club to be “one of the principal clubs in Norwich” which is some considerable achievement for the period (I assume, I think it’s like being the home of the best bar billiards team). He was also active in the Eaton Ward Conservative Association the Norfolk Chronicle mentioned after his funeral, but maybe that’s what happens when you become a pub landlord. I’ll check with Julian. He had been advertising for a servant (Alfred that is, not Julian) and preferred “a country girl” and he had hoped that she would be about 18. I’m not sure that publicans are best advised to advertise for that sort of thing now.
The Westminster Gazette noted the fate of a later landlord, Albert Plane who had taken over in 1908, previously known only to the local press as someone caught refusing to admit the police to his premises. There was something of a tragedy, as the newspaper reported in May 1922:
“Albert Plane, licensee of the York Tavern, rose to his family cups of tea, and later was found lying dead at the foot of the stairs. He had suffered from influenza and latterly was affected by the heat”.
I’m not sure I’ll walk by the bottom of the stairs again without thinking of this.
Just looking back at some photos from 2021, this might be a clearer photo of outside.
And some old photos of outside, I can’t remember why Nathan and I were sitting outside. It was either because it was full inside or I wanted to see this large beer garden.
Back to modern times and the official visit from the Two Julians (we never announce in advance that we’re coming, we don’t want any red carpet quickly thrown outside for us). There were three real ales on, the Sussex Best from Harvey’s, the All Day Long from All Day Brewing Company and the Let’s Cask from All Day Brewing Company. I went for the latter option first, which was smooth with slight Twix flavours and was well kept. As can be seen, there’s often usually a fourth ale as well, but the Encore from Lacons had just run out.
Tom is very good at posing for photos and I will declare that I’ve gone to see the rather formidable bar talent that is Mr Saunders a few times now at the York.
His Untappd page is a thing of beauty with his 10,294 check-ins…. Above is a photo of the day after he got his 10,000th check-in when I popped in to congratulate him. Anyway, enough about him and back to the main event of Julian and myself. The pub was spotlessly clean, with the surfaces clean, dry and not sticky, so it was a comfortable place to sit for a while.
I was planning to go home, but due to some confusion between Julian and I, he seemed to think we were staying out until 03:00 rather than the 19:00 that I had anticipated. However, I went along with his plan as I can be easily led. With that, the food menu appeared.
The York does an evening meal deal thing for £12 which includes a pint of real ale, a rather agreeable deal. The deal, of which I got the last one, was the venison sausages with braised cabbage, mash potatoes and a red onion gravy. Julian had some decadent steak option, but he’s getting quite middle class if I’m being honest ever since he’s become a senior pub executive. Anyway, the sausages were meaty and delicious, the mash was smooth and the gravy was plentiful. My crisis at the time was my phone kept losing charge, but Tom resolved that problem (just as Charlie had to resolve that problem in North Walsham – there’s a theme here that won’t continue now I have my new phone) so all was well. My second beer was the All Day Long which was malty, bitter and went well with those sausages. I must admit I thought that I had ordering halves, but Julian expressed concerned that this wasn’t sufficient to go with a meal. He’s very good at that sort of logical thinking.
It’s a bit of an expedition for me to get to the York, but it’s brilliantly managed, welcoming and the beer is impeccably kept. I hadn’t realised about the evening meal, but I thought that it was excellent value. The service is obviously wonderful and the food/drink balance here is managed well with the pub feeling as if it’s got a friendly vibe. Definitely recommended, and go and wave at Tom as well.
