The Chesterton suburb of Cambridge used to be full of pubs of varying quality, but now just the Green Dragon and Haymakers remain. Previously a music venue/pub of some renown before standing empty for a couple of years, the Haymakers has been reinvented and refurbished as a real ale haven.
As always when I walk in and see many taps featuring the Milton Brewery classical names I know a good pint is the likely outcome. I chose Justinian (3.9%), described as ‘Crisp pale bronze-coloured bitter. Attractive bitter orange flavours persist into a satisfying lasting finish’ by Milton Brewery and that reads nearly as well as the beer tastes. It reminded me of the delights of the imminent Cambridge beer festival.
It is a large L- shaped pub, free of noise and distraction, featuring a variety of tables and booths and a cosy snug near one end of the bar. Food is mainly pizza, but as you probably have gathered from my other reviews it is usually the beer I am sampling…
There is a large beer garden area out the back, serviceable rather than particularly attractive but it does feature plenty of cycle racks. It was the place to sit during my visit as it did seem a bit airless inside.
There are posters for jazz performances and I think there is a quiz too, so hopefully the pub is again becoming a focus for the Chesterton community, as well as a compelling choice for visiting ale fans from the city centre with a thirst and a bicycle…
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