Each time I traversed Long Lane in Bermondsey, a defunct pub would catch my eye. Simon The Tanner, it was called: its petrol-blue frontage and distinctive red pub sign suggesting it may once have been a Shepherd Neame house. I often wondered what it might have been like to visit: until, one day, without fanfare, I had the chance to find out. Simon was back.
Its new incarnation is as a free house, run by the engaging Julie and Nigel and their small, friendly team. Eschewing the self-consciously trendy feel of nearby Bermondsey Street, they’ve gone for more of a relaxed, unfussy – but homely – ambience: during today’s visit, a new delivery of fresh flowers arrived. This is a pub where you can be yourself and not feel out of place.
Beer-wise, you’ll find an impressive selection. The all-important real ales are there, served to a high standard in old-fashioned glass tankards. A regular Adnam’s beer, accompanied by two changing guests – often from small local breweries – are hand-picked and served by people who know their stuff. (This is one of those increasingly rare places where you can ask for a recommendation without encountering blank looks.) The ales are complemented by a wide range of continental and craft British keg beers and two ciders, including a changing Millwhite’s cider on handpump. Fans of big-brand lagers or smoothflow bitters need not apply.
Given its location in an up-and-coming area on the edge of Central London, the easy option would have been to turn Simon into a gastropub. Fortunately, Julie and Nigel have resisted this temptation. (Yes, the pub does food – and very good food at that, from bar snacks to a hearty meal – but a licensed chip-shop it ain’t.) To call it an out-and-out boozer, however, isn’t quite right, either. How best to describe it, then? A people’s pub: somewhere you can feel comfortable and relaxed, enjoying good beers, good food and good company.
Now, as I traverse Long Lane, I no longer wonder about a defunct pub. Instead, I keep an eye out for a spare seat at the bar. Here’s to Simon!
