I am in the privileged position at the moment of writing restaurant reviews for a local newspaper called Shorelines. What is most heartening is the fact that despite the decline of 'The great British pub' there are some really superb traditional pubs still thriving.
Remarkably, considering The Fox is hidden away off the beaten track, nestled in the countryside of the South Downs, it does covers of up to 70-80 on an average weekday. It's nothing short of marvellous to find a 400-year-old pub still going strong and one that remains a gathering place for its local community. We tend to forget that for some people the local is a home-away-from-home, take Roger and Jim, two elderly gentlemen who frequent The Fox, for them the pub is a lifeline without which they would mostly be isolated on their own indoors. In fact, when either gentleman has been too unwell to visit the pub, it has been the staff who have taken meals round to them both.
For centuries the pub has stood as a microcosm of British society at its best as both Roger and Jim can attest. It embodies the spirit of community togetherness and for tourists visiting the UK, symbolizes tradition as much as our royal family or fish and chips wrapped in newspaper.
I have been criticised in the past for dwelling too long on how much of our British culture and tradition now eludes us. I've been told to embrace change and to accept 'progress.' However, to witness sleepy rural England transformed from a hub for independent retailers and quaint pubs, to a mass of corporate chains and retailers, and to see the heart being ripped out of community life doesn't equate to progress in my book! The growth from small villages to large residential suburbs is like a juggernaut that we seem powerless to stop.
Whilst I appreciate the fact that the younger generation want the glitz and glamour of trendy wine bars and gastro pubs, I mourn the fact that these anonymous venues don't offer the intimacy or camaraderie of a good old-fashioned-local-pub.
With prime land being gobbled up by developers for housing, our countryside is an endangered species. Many rural pubs, with their historical and social traditions, which were part of the fabric that held communities together, are being demolished.
I have had the good fortune recently to visit some excellent independent pubs full of character, authenticity and integrity. Far from churning out mass produced, industrialised ballast, quality has prevailed over gargantuan quantities. Independent pubs further invest in the community by buying produce from local farmers and independent suppliers all of whom are struggling to compete with mass, corporate catering. Unfortunately, portion size and low prices are more important to us than good ingredients or ethics. I'm no stranger to pubs who rely heavily on the pre-cooked and processed and after many a miserable excuse of a meal, have been amazed at how everyone else seems to be having a gay old time, clearing their over laden plates with gusto.
With closures escalating across Britain, it is naively assumed that the majority of people no longer want the traditional pub, but for many of us it remains an integral part of British life.
'Is there no nook of English ground secure from rash assault.'
- William Wordsworth.
Love Donna xxxxxxx
No comments:
Post a Comment