The Hollybush in Bridgeyate has reopened after what seems like forever, but is it any good? That’s the question!

The Hollybush in March 2014

The guts of this review first appeared in the current issue of CAMRA Bristol’s splendiferous quarterly publication Pints West, but that was before the pub had actually opened, so I thought I’d pop back and see what it’s like.

Against the current climate of pubs everywhere under threat of conversion into flats or yet another ‘local’ supermarket, it is hugely refreshing and encouraging when a long-closed pub returns from the risk of dereliction to re-emerge as a vital community resource.

And that is exactly what appears to be happening with the Hollybush in Bridgeyate. From the moment when it was badly damaged by fire in 2008, there was a real concern that it would be lost for good. It remained unused and slowly dilapidating for some while, with occasional hints that someone ‘had bought it’, ‘was thinking of buying it’, ‘wanted to demolish it and build flats’. The former car park was barren scrubland and all hope seemed lost…

Imagine our delight then, when Pints West received notification that the Hollybush has been undergoing a complete refurbishment, inside and out, and is due to open in March! We had to know more, so we arranged to meet with James Prangell on site and have a nose around.

James has most recently been running the Swan at Swineford, an excellent Bath Ales house down by the River Avon (much closer to the Avon this winter than usual!). However, when the owner of the Hollybush (who is not a part of Bath Ales but has a strong working relationship with them) was looking for a reliable tenant, and James was looking for a new project, this seemed like a match made in heaven.

Those who have the pleasure of travelling along the Bath Road in Bridgeyate will have noticed work going on at the Hollybush for quite some time now. The exterior has changed from its previous cream and red colouring to a British Racing Green finish, and the front wall and entrance porch have been stripped back to their original stone.

Inside the Hollybush

The bar has moved! Those of us of a certain age will remember blacked out windows, the bar on the left and a DJ laying down some ‘phat’ house grooves complete with scratching and the words ‘Aww yeah’ repeated once every few bars. Not any more!

It’s a very light and airy pub these days, with the bar moved to the rear wall, green-glazed tiling around the pillars and not a carpet in sight. To the right, the glass-fronted conservatory style dining area has a touch of the mess room about it, but will be an absolute sun trap come summer. There is also an overflow dining area to the left, overlooking the car park.

At the moment the food is kept fairly simple, printed on a single sheet of A4, and caters for the more upmarket pub diner as well as the ‘baguette and a pint’ brigade. (Wonder how one goes about joinng brigades like that? I’d quite like to be a member of the ‘more money than sense’ brigade…)

Six handpumps along the bar feature prominently. Bath Ales Gem is going to be the resident, plus a few guests. Bath’s own Golden Hare, and sister brewery Beer’d Monterrey too. Castle Rock’s Harvest Pale Ale was on two pumps. It’s a great beer for a warm summer lunchtime. It’s the colour of straw, with a refreshing taste that acts like that Gaviscon fireman on your throat. It has a non-threatening sort of a flavour too, like the beer equivalent of a suntanned surfer who’s just too mellow to ever upset anybody. Orchard Pig’s Explorer cider was also on handpump.

Outside, that rubble-strewn car park has been completely resurfaced and marked out, and there are plans to put benches next to the little brook that runs past, to make full use of the natural setting.

James plans to build on his experience working in Bath Ales pubs by providing a traditional pub with a modern feel; where the emphasis is on good beer, good food and good conversation.

Measuring the Pub against random criteria:
Ambience: A bit quiet but it was a Saturday lunchtime… 3/5
Toilets: Super-clean… 5/5
Beer/Drink: In excellent condition… 4/5
Food: Not sampled
Music: None

Overall, this is a pub that deserves to be supported. The new team are clearly enthusiastic and trying to serve their chosen clientele well. Let me know if you visit, and tell me what you think.