please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Was pretty much going to echo my last comments - even inadvertently ordered another Leighton Buzzard brew to start with (Train Robber at 5%). They also had a Gin section (looked like a few bottles on a wallpaper paste table to me) out back. Has a good old school local pub feel to it and the locals were enjoying themselves. They do cobs (varying from Cheese & Onion etc) at a reasonable price to soak up the ale.
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Still a good alehouse - tried a Leighton Buzzard brew on this visit which was probably best pint of the day.
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Great community boozer with 11 ales on offer including Leighton Buzzard Smokin' Angel from the wood. Décor is a bit of a 60's timewarp and possibly not everybody's cup of tea. Same could be said of the carry-on style picture on the cellar door.
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What a gem! We visited Henlow on a camping trip and were recommended the Engineers Arms by the campsite staff as a friendly real ale drinkers pub and they were not wrong.
Massive choice of over 20 ales and 8 draft ciders and a landlord and staff who made 6 of us and 3 damp dogs feel very welcome.
Table skittles and many other pub games and lots of memorabilia around the pub kept us amused and old school homemade crusty rolls and excellent pies completed the package
Shame that we missed the brilliant Ouse Valley Singles Club but we all look forward to our next visit
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Can't believe I have never been here before. Cracking boozer which really feels like a proper pub. Obviously a very community minded place with friendly staff and landlord.
Despite the fact there was an extensive cider festival there, I went for one of the ten or so ales on offer - a perfectly kept and poured pint of bitter from the Church End Brewery (£3.25).
They also do pies for £2 each - something to bear in mind if I am back for another lunchtime pint... Which I am sure I will do.
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Another great Beer festival at the Engineers finishing this Sunday 21 Ocy Thanks to Kev and Clare for a great time so far
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Can get to this pub from the house by bus, so after attending the recent Cider Festival we'll be taking full advantage of that fact! The festival was very good with loads of ciders to choose from.
I'll be back again soon to try the beers - although when we were there it seemed to be all the same types of beers mid-brown beers with not much of a difference in ABV - 3.8 to 4.2% (ish). Will keep an eye on the website and choose a good time to take advantage of stronger and/or darker beers.
That shouldn't be taken as a criticism by the way - I love all beers, but when out I like to mix it up a bit in what I drink.
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Brilliant pub, would love to live in Henlow to take advantage more regularly, but it deserves a regular trek to remind you what a pub should be like! Since our last visit, the tables and chairs have been replaced and it gives a newer feel. There may be more refurbishment as scaffolding is up.
Today no less than 8 hand pumped ales on offer, and as others have said, the third of a pint taster glasses (you get 6) for �5 is a brilliant idea and lets you try nearly the whole board.
Now how much are houses in Henlow?
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Now in final for national pub of year good luck
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Visited this pub on a recent visit to my daughter who lives in the area.
As an avid real ale drinker, this pub ticks all the boxes. The six thirds of a pint on a tray for tasting is a great idea, and sensibly priced too. Tried every ale of ten that were on, mainly from small micros some of which were new to me, all in excellent condition. Good selection of cider but unfortunately on this visit no perry for my wife, think they had just run out.
The pub is well laid out with a nice outside area with skittles. Staff were friendly and welcoming and though we didn't eat, the food looked reasonably priced, typical pub fare pies, pizzas etc.
Howether this pub is all about the ales and has one numerous Camra awards, most recently Bedfordshire pub of the year 2011, which is how i became aware of it. Will most definately return, shame it is 80+ miles away from home. Check out the pub website for a mine of information and visit if you can, if you like your ale i would guarantee The Engineers Arms will not disappoint. Recommended 10/10
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A good pub on a normal day, top pub during their Beer Festival. Wide range of beers of all styles, excellent pies and samosas. Jukebox a little loud if you're near a speaker. A worthwhile visit.
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First (and long overdue) visit to the Engineers but well timed to coincide with beer festival. Beer Festival well organised with vast range of ales, many from smaller breweries too. Samosas were excellent and very friendly pub all around - Landlord and staff. Will definitely return when in the area.
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Kevin & Claire, Thank you for the effort that you have put into the 15th Henlow Beer Festival. We've only managed to sample 6 out of your 100 beers so far but we'll be back tomorrow and over the weekend to give our best shot at getting through them all! Once again big thanks to you and your team for a fabulous event. S&H xxx
.... To anyone who hasn't yet visited the Engineers Arms .... What are you waiting for?? ... also just heard that they're doing a cider festival in Feb 2011 ... can't wait!
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The 15th Henlow Beer Festival will take place at the Engineers starting on Wednesday 20th Oct-sunday 24th,over 100 ales ,ciders and perrys,open all day everyday barbie every night . For further details on special hotel rates and camping details phone Kevin on 01462 812284.
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Went for the first time today, and it definitely won't be my last. Have to agree with all the comments below, especially those articulated by Binman. What an amazing little haven of good ales in a friendly atmosphere.
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I visited here last week and the selection of ale was fantastic. There will be an ale of your liking available.
Beer is kept extremely well. I can see why this pub is so popular
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It's not easy to know where to start when you want to praise this pub. If it's beer you're interested in, they've got it in an execelent variety of types & styles, which is forever changing so that you experience a constant form of beer festival. There's also a "real" German Pils which is now a regular.
If the atmosphere is more important, the front room with the fireplace a'burning on a cold winter day can be very cosy indeed, & in those warmer summer months the beergarden is a delightful place to relax and sip a couple cool pints.
A good pub also needs interesting people & I've never been to The Engineer's when there wasn't someone that I could enjoy a good chat with. If you need more action than that, the pub often hosts muisic nights with a mix of talented acts.
The staff are always friendly & Landlord/ Landlady, Kevin and Claire are both wonderful people. I have no idea what that could have done better in life than run a pub, they both seem born for the job.
As I write this review, I'm trying to be objective. I don't want to send anyone out of their way for a let down, but I can't think of anything I don't like about the place. To sum it up, I'ts everything I want in a good pub. Cheers!
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This excellent pub never ceases to amaze me. The regular appearance of new beers served by friendly, efficient and enthusiastic staff make this pub an essential port of call for anyone serious about their beer. Full marks go to Kevin and Clare for establishing and maintaining very high standards.
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Its like two pubs this,the lively side with footie ,bands etc and the other bar which is quiet and tends to have an older feel. The beer is always top quality, I stuck to a Nelson sauvin from Buntigford Brewery on Sunday night but they had another six on I think,mainly micros. Only been in half a dozen times as not local to me but have always been made welcome. I got lumbered into going to Champneys In Henlow with my lovely wife and this place was an oasis in the desert of health farm drivel, the clients in the pub seemed mostly slimmer than those in said farm. If Carlsberg made pubs this would be it ,but it wouldn't serve their piss! Actually it did have Fosters on , so caters for all.
landlord did seem to forget Derby's average attendance in the mid eighties was only 11 thousand though .
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What a pub. Grew up in the village and still return every so often, and always pay a visit. This is a pub that is proud of its great selection of beers, a true free house. The ales and ciders on offer were all listed on a chalkboard with details of each, and the bar staff were exceptionally helpful and friendly, if not completely up to speed with the products. However the landlord is on offer for any expert advice.
Very nice, great value home made rolls on offer at the bar.
The only critiscisms I could make would be the orange colour scheme on the outside, and the slightly 'farty' aura that tends to hang around in an encosed space full of old geezers. This disappears when the fire is lit (an open fire!).
A triumph for the village and the area.
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Excellent pub - lovely landlord and landlady - very friendly and great choice of ale. Well worth a visit.
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A Big thank you for a wonderful beer fest last week and the great welcome and helpfuness of the staff. Well done. God help my liver.
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Thank you Kevin & Clare for yet another fabulous beer festival (14th). 100 real ales from 77 breweries and only 5 days in which to sample them all. It's a tuff job but we'll give it a go.
The staff at the festival are doing a fab job and the customers are a great bunch - my husband dropped �40 last night, mentioned it to Leighton who said 'come with me' .... one of the customers had handed it in to Clare - where else would this happen??
A really friendly pub with a great atmosphere and a passionate and commited landlord & landlady ... well, maybe only Kevin should be committed.
S&H
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Came in from London yesterday to be introduced to this wonderful boozer by some revolutionary friends of mine. The evening went from good to great. Everything about this pub from the couple that run it to the beer and regulars is tip top, (met an old boy who since losing his wife had been press ganged into going on the pub beano's to Germany by other regulars....what a great sense of communtity and everything that a good pub should be), the beer festival was extremely well organised and would put CAMRA regionals to shame. All the beer was in perfect condition and the simple but tasty food hit the spot without getting in the way of what this pub is about....BEER. A big thank you to Kev, Claire and staff for an evening that failed to dissapoint. 10/10
daveE - 23 Oct 2009 10:44 |
BEER FESTIVAL AT THE ENGINE 21st OCT-25th OCT OVER 100 BEERS AND CIDERS ,FULL BEER LIST ON SCOOPGEN AND WEBSITE
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Super little pub, with ten real ales on and a friendly atmosphere. Not surprisingly, it has won plenty of awards and the effort put in really shows. Lots of interesting memorabilia, but inside and out in the rear (non-smoking) beer garden. Excellent pint of Golden Plover from the nearby Buntingford Brewery on my all-too-short stay.
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Consistently good over 5-10 years now. It IS convivial, it IS well-run, and the bar staff ARE friendly. Nice variety of rooms depending on whether you want a quiet chat or to watch the football. Beer range nearly always interesting and always well-kept. For those not wanting to drive, the walk from Arlesey station is certainly worth any effort.
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It's difficult to know when they have a beer festival on here because there are usually so many beers on normally. I think the hog roast they have outside is the only distinguishing feature between a festival and non-festival day. This has always been a decent pub with decent beer and is worth the 20 or 30 minute walk from Arlesey station.
anonymous - 21 Jul 2009 21:50 |
A convivial atmosphere with many choices of excellent beer. Without doubt the best pub in the area and well worth a visit.
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Me and my wife fell in love with this pub on our first visit. So much so we have recently moved to henlow just to be nearer the place! You can sit on one side of the pub and have a quit drink ( lots to choose from) and read a paper, Or have a joke and laugh with the locals in the main bar. I like to sit in the beer garden and watch the world go by heaven. The main reasons this pub is such a great place to be are. Fantastic beer, lovely friendly happy bar staff, great company, and kev and Clair who always make you fill so welcome.
Cheers everyone garth and sam.
(God i fancy a pint after writing that do your self a favour and join me)
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I lived in the area a few years back and this pub was my bolt hole when times were rough at work!!!! Pleased to see that Kev and Claire are still there- they were great to me and even let me in to watch the All Blacks kick the Lion's backside at half 6 in the morning!
One of the best pubs i've had the privilege of drinking in!
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Fantastic pub, best in the area by far!
Kevin and clair make everyone welcome. Lots of real ale always available 10 hand pumps, with new beers every week. What more could you ask for in a village pub. 10 out of 10 in my book, come and try it for yourself.
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Wonderful atmosphere at this pub with a fantastic array of real ales and ciders to boot. What more could you ask for? Well worth a visit.
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Unassuming pub from the outside, but a great selection of real ales and ciders inside. During our visit last summer, we sat outside on the patio and enjoyed a really nice afternoon.
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This pub is still the best in the area and possibly the best in this part of England - 10 pumps for beer plus ciders in the cellar and loads of draft lager and other stuff. All the beers changed regularly and all well presented.
Great social feel to this place with many regulars of all ages and a real sense of community. Open fire when it's cold and Kev and Claire have provided the crumpets and chesnuts around Christmas
The pub is full of memorabilia with the walls liberally dotted with photos and momentoes of different sports - TV's in some rooms but always somewhere to run to if you want it quiet
All in all highly recommended
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Always a friendly welcome and well kept, great selection of ale. Well worth a visit. Unlike The Bree Louise at Euston which I would not recommend at all! We were allowed to watch the football results on a Saturday afternoon on two HD screens which made a pleasant change from the Saturday before in Euston.
Well done Kev & crew. Keep up the good work.
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Always a friendly welcome and well kept, great selection of ale. Well worth a visit. Unlike The Bree Louise at Euston which I would not recommend at all! We were allowed to watch the football results on a Saturday afternoon on two HD screens which made a pleasant change from the Saturday before in Euston.
Well done Kev & crew. Keep up the good work.
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what a wonderful pub.I cant say enough about the quality and ever changing range of beer at the engineers arms, It always seems to exceed expectations.I have been fortunate enough to have travelled and drunk in many hostelries throughout the british isles over the years,and there is no doubt the welcome I recieve from Kevin, Claire, the staff and locals, keeps me retuning to this little gem of a pub. I only wish I lived closer. Looking forward to the OCTOBER BEER FESTIVAL. Highly Recommended.
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THE ENGINEERS HOSTS "THE 13TH HENLOW BEER FESTIVAL"STARTING ON WED.15TH OCT THRU TILL SUNDAY OVER 80 REAL ALES AND CIDERS OPEN ALL DAY EVERYDAY FOR FURTHER DETAILS RING THE PUB.
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In last two and half years this pub has been our local. We are now moving to Cambridge and one of the saddest parts is losing the Engineers.
Kevin and Claire have been great hosts whether we are in the 'posh' bar or the 'proper' bar. We have made some great friends here and somehow we hope to keep in touch.
Now the beer; I have not drunk a single pint of lager in this pub ever; the ales are always well kept and in the rare event of a bad one it is always swapped for a new pint. The range of ales is fantastic and I have found some real gems that I will always look for wherever I go. Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild...yummy...
Really going to miss this place although I hope to pop in from time to time...
Thanks Kevin and Claire...
Mark and Jackie
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A delight as always just spent a very pleasent afternoon trying new beers I had never heard of before well done Kevin and Claire still a rave of a pub
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Everything people have said about this pub is true, a real ale mecca.
However I was charged �4.20 for my other halfs Bacardi & Coke, so beware if you take yours or somebody elses wife!
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Not as good as my first visit. One beer insufficiently pulled thru, then served in the glass that had contained said thru-pull, another beer vinegary, although a lady in the bar was glad I pointed it out as she took the opportunity to also change the half she had been suffering in silence! Also, the tv was ludicrously loud for screening grand prix practice, what's that all about? I wouldn't discourage anyone, & the choice was still 8 beers, but this visit was unfortunately timed.
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Good pub with an excellent range of well kept, reasonably priced ale. The choice of ciders fairly extensive also, if you like that sort of thing. Something for most people, i think. Great service. Took me 20 mins to walk around and look at all the pictures and memorabilia on the wall. I probably lingered longer than is decent in the gents bog cos there's plenty to read on the wall in there too! I found it a bit quiet at first(2.30pm on Sat) but it soon livened up. Definately a place i shall return to, sooner rather than later, i hope.
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Best pub I have been to for many a moon.The beer and service were excellent.Its a shame people mark down pubs they haven't been to.This is not just a beer geeks pub,Yes it has loads of excellent ales but it caters for all,one bar has no music and is a good place to chat,the other has a jukebox and a T.V for sport.There is obviously plenty going on for those lucky people who have this for a local.Those who have marked this down without visiting ,can you please just fu*k off and stop ruining this site for people like me who find it useful.
Carefree
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Excellent boozer with fantastic beer. Just what a pub should be.
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First the important stuff: 10 handpumps, 9 were on, all �2.50. TT Landlord, Northumberland Legends of the Tyne (#2, David Craig), Caledonian Try�d & Tested, Oldershaw Decadence(6.3%), Bateman�s XB, Everards Pitch Plack (stout), Marston�s Sweet Chariot, Stonehenge Sign of Spring (green! presumably early production for 17Mar), Buntingford Challenger, plus 4 Westons real ciders from the barrel, plus belgian bottles. When the Challenger came up short of its best the Burton guv�nor was called & he took it off and set about cleaning the line there & then, impressive. Food includes locally sourced pies, but none were available yesterday, just pizza. Various weekend music all leaning toward blues & soul (proper � not that shite that today�s youth call r&b), and 8Mar will have �Dr Busker� at the piano for a trad singalong. �Meet the Brewers� features a visit from 5 local breweries 20(?)Feb. Decorated with jugs, beerfest steins, knickknacks, photos, has a book corner behind door to main bar (like large snug) covering sport, beer, travel, insults� Chico the springer spaniel watches over proceedings. The football team had George Best as president, so the beers aren�t the only reason for famous drinking around here.
Having reflected on my exasperation of missing a last pre-train beer due to a protracted card payment at the other bar, I would like to say to the landlady that I was unaware that I swore but, if I did, I apologise. Top pub, by the way!
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Well what can Father Jack say about this pub other than "DRINK"!!!
Visited specially (Peterborough train from Kings X,get off at ARLESEY,20 min walk,shortcut along a public footpath) and it was excellent to find a tremendously friendly welcome. 10 ales were on,5 were tried (pints,none of your halves rubbish!) and found all to be spot on,with Buntingford Challenger(3.8%) the top selection. Other ales were from-Batemans(Rosy Nosey),Dixons(Goodswill),White Horse(Rudolph the red nosed White Horse),Banks & Taylor(Dragonslayer & Xmas Ale),Milestone(Donner and Blitzed),Buntingford(Prancer) and Stonehenge(Rudolph). 4 Real ciders. Knowledgeable and pleasant barwoman. Excellent cheese pickled onions. Definitely worthy of a visit and absolutely ZERO I could find to be negatively critical of. If every town had a pub like this drinking would be a far better experience. Will return soon.
WELL DONE
WELL DONE
WELL DONE!
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Got pretty much everything a beer drinker could possibly want, recently redocorated throughout, 10 (or is it 12) handpumps with good range of beers from mild through to some heavier brews. (5% upwards)
Usually has Landlord on too for when I want something to drink that I recognise! - and boy is Landlord a fine pint.
Nice touch in the loo's with aftershave and jokes/notices above the urinal.
Sky Sports, Tasty Pies, Mini Library, Board Games and Juke Box
A great pub well worth a visit.
NB - No Car Park so it's on the street parking only
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OMG.
9.2!!! That takes the cake,well and truly.
Reviews in the past seem to be honest,but the last 3 reviewers have the usual "paralysis-of-the-finger-after-one-review-on-BITE-itis". Think we've been here before................... Not zeroing cos that ain't the solution.
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An excellent pub, great beer, great hosts and staff. I am glad is is very close to home.
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Great pub - great beer - nice people - centre of village life
Shame about the new staff uniform
anonymous - 16 Nov 2007 20:04 |
A great pub with a very discerning landlord [he supports Derby County], the beer is excellent and the atmosphere second to none, I wish it was my local.
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A real pub that sells real ale (unfortunately this type of establishment is fast disappearing.) Full of friendly people - both staff and customers alike. Well worth a visit if you`re ever in the area
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Definitely the best "proper" pub for many many miles around.
Superb and constantly changing range of well kept real ales, as well as a good selection of real ciders, some good lagers, and a well poured Guinness.
Friendly staff (though not entirely convinced by their new "uniforms" ?!) and near legendary Landlord.
It's got Sky sports, a good jukebox and regular live music (that's nearly always very good quality). Then there's the "little touches" like having a "jokes board" in the gents alongside freebie "smellies", and a selection of daily papers, periodicals etc, (there were even some board games in the front bar last time I looked).
On top of that, there are countless organized "events", from trips to watch Derby FC to visits to real ale breweries, and even trips abroad, and various pub-based sporting groups.
This pub didn't win countless CAMRA "Bedfordshire Pub of the year" awards for nothing.
Oh... and its annual Beer Festival is terrific!
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This is just about as close to a perfect pub as I've come across, an excellent range of ales in good condition, friendly staff and a good atmosphere. I just wish it was closer to where I live.
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Superb pub, very friendly, 10 handpumps, real cider. no smoking in front bar, sky sports. 10/10
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Good beer, friendly and hospitable. Best pub in the area now they have stopped smoking in the front bar.
anonymous - 15 Feb 2007 17:22 |
Cracking pub, with a hige host of well-kept guest ales (including Sarah Hughes' delicious Ruby Mild) with a great landlord and friendly staff.
Also boasts a tidy beer garden and SKY. Well worth seeking out, a real gem!
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Excellent Pub. CAMRA Bedfordshire pub of the year 4 years in a row. CAMRA East Anglia Pub of the year 2003. Says it all!
anonymous - 9 Aug 2006 16:20 |
fantastic beer great people.. a real mecca
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The best pub in the world. A shrine to the hop, with every drinker's need catered for. From the food to the plentiful supply of quiz books, the quirky interiors, free aftershave in the gents and, naturally, a seriously fine selection of ales - this is the zenith of licensed premises. It gets a 9 because 10 seems like closure.
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A truly excellent pub. Loads of well-kept real ales on tap. Serious beer drinker's paradise.
Holds its own well-run real ale festivals ( there's one in October) in the 'beer garden' (back yard actually) which gets covered over against the weather for this event. Countless ales to be sampled.
Hot pies are available, but no nancy-boy food. Industrial-sized bags of pork scratchings too.
The very clean toilets (well, I can only vouch for the gents), have daily postings of very funny and topical jokes (usually via e-mails) on a board above the urinals. Also nice soap and towels provided!!
If I had to cite one drawback, it's the lack of off-road parking.
Give it a try if you're anywhere near!!
jcraf - 14 Jun 2005 18:41 |
