80 Westgate, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
01733 358500
Opened in 1988, this freehouse also houses the award-winning microbrewery Oakham, which, its owners claim, make it the largest brewpub in Europe.
General manager Stuart Wright says: 'It's not a nice pub from the outside, but it's fantastic inside, hence its slogan: 'the complete venue'.
With an extensive wine list, the pub also sells a number of imported and speciality beers, and a wide range of award-winning ales brewed on site which include Jeffrey Hudson Bitter, White Dwarf wheat beer and Bishop's Farewell. The brewery also produces 13 seasonal beers a year, and one-offs for special occasions such as birthdays or 'when a customer asks us very nicely. There are also six different bourbons and 12 malt whiskies available.
The food menu is purely Thai, cooked by five chefs who were flown over from Thailand to produce 'restaurant-quality food served at bar-food prices, according to Wright. Most diners choose to sit on the first floor, where they can peer down into the kitchen and watch their food being prepared.
With an entertainment licence, the pub currently stays open until 1am on Friday and Saturday nights.
The pub hosts live bands, party nights and events run in conjunction with local papers and magazines. Wright explains: 'We have a licence for 570 and generally allow about 500 in, so it can get quite manic. But at the live music events you see the full spectrum of customers ranging from 18-year-olds right up to the older folk all dancing together. It's fantastic.