CAMRA CALLS THE FINAL WHISTLE ‘A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF A TRADITIONAL BRITISH HOSTELRY’
A NOTTINGHAMSHIRE pub called the Final Whistle, in Southwell, has been getting a lot of attention recently. Newark CAMRA crowned it Pub of the Year for the sixth time.
The Great Food Club hailed it a “unique and memorable” real ale pub.
“This place is all about beer, not food, and is a wonderful example of a traditional British hostelry,” said the recommendation.
The Great British Pub Crawl also paid a visit, partaking in a cherry stout and pork pie, while describing it as an “absolute gem of a place”.
I had to find out what I was missing out on, although I’m at a distinct disadvantage... I don’t like beer.
What wonders could this muchadmired pub hold for me? After a bumpy journey via a terrible pot-holed stretch between Thurgarton and Southwell I could have done with a stiff drink.
We parked in the town, our walk taking us past a really cosy looking bistro La Parisienne and a chippy, where people were queuing outside in the rain.
Ten minutes later we arrived at the Final Whistle, a red-brick pub with a white picket fence and railway crossing gates leading to the garden with a sign warning “beware of the trains”.
If it had been a sunny day we’d have sat on the ‘railway platform’ - a lovelylooking undercover area decked out with vintage signs next to a replica railway line. The actual railway line, to the right of the pub, closed in 1968 and was turned into a nature trail. The stationmaster’s house with its distinctive gables stands opposite.
Inside I instantly fall in love with the feel of the place. It’s a proper old-fashioned pub with wood-panelled walls, rustic terracotta floor tiles, and a fire place. Continuing the railway theme, there’s a booth in an enclave with ‘first class’ signage, a window saying ‘ticket office’ and an old railway lamp on the mantlepiece.
All the cask ales are listed on a board - among them Oakham’s Inferno, Everards’ Tiger and North Riding’s Cascade. They’re joined by craft beers, the likes of Beavertown’s Neck Oil and Glasshouse Furl. I feel a pang of envy.
I didn’t expect them to sell hot drinks. Some real ale pubs don’t deign to sell coffee but the Final Whistle isn’t one of them. Don’t expect a barista-style latte though - it is just a coffee, served in an oversized mug for £2.50. Fair enough, it’s not a coffee shop after all.
As the Great Food Club previously said the Final Whistle isn’t about food. While there’s no lasagne, burgers, fish and chips and the ilk, there are traditional pub snacks. Drinkers can munch on pork pies, Cornish pasties, and cheese or ham cobs. We opt for the twopiece cheeseboard, choosing cheddar and brie. The £6.50 platter comes with grapes, pickle and a mountain of crackers. It’s ages since I’ve had a cheese board with Cream Crackers - it’s always fancy charcoal, beetroot or poppy and sesame biscuits these days but you can’t beat a good old Jacobs’ to accompany the perfect pub snack.
It’s not busy when we visit but it’s not empty either and background music adds to the atmosphere. A wander around the pub reveals the Pullman Room, a cosy seating area with another fireplace, a TV and old railway photographs. Like the bar area, there’s hops hanging from the ceiling.
I’ll have to take everyone else’s word about the calibre of the beer but, that aside, I can tell you that the Final Whistle is well worth a visit.
You don’t have to be a beer drinker to appreciate its merits - there’s plenty more to enjoy so I’d happily bag a return ticket to Southwell.
The only downside for some visitors though is that you have to pay by card.