Brewers Fayre is a chain of pub restuarants owned by Whitbread. They tend to be new and found in out of centre locations where land is cheaper. This permits them to sprawl over a large area and still have room for parking.
Room for parking is a must at Portlethen (near Aberdeen) as the ... Read review
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Advantages: you know what you will get and the kids are welcome Disadvantages: unexciting menu
Brewers Fayre is a chain of pub restuarants owned by Whitbread. They tend to be new and found in out of centre locations where land is cheaper. This permits them to sprawl over a large area and still have room for parking.
Room for parking is a must at Portlethen (near Aberdeen) as the restuarant, known as Mains of Balquharn, lies sandwiched between an oil related industrial estate and the A90 dual carriageway. I would imagine they ... ...lost.
On entering you are immediately struck by the decor. The designers have successfully gone for an traditional English country pub look. If Northern Scotland it is a bit disconcerting. Most of the pubs up here are untouched since the fifties. "Bottled beer son? Nae chance, ye'll huv a wee hauf." and "Women? In here? O'er ma deid boady." are the sort of comments generally associated with the inns of Aberdeenshire. ... more
Brewers Fayre is a chain of pub restuarants owned by Whitbread. They tend to be new and found in out of centre locations where land is cheaper. This permits them to sprawl over a large area and still have room for parking.
Room for parking is a must at Portlethen (near Aberdeen) as the restuarant, known as Mains of Balquharn, lies sandwiched between an oil related industrial estate and the A90 dual carriageway. I would imagine they get around three pedestrian visitors a year, all of them lost.
On entering you are immediately struck by the decor. The designers have successfully gone for an traditional English country pub look. If Northern Scotland it is a bit disconcerting. Most of the pubs up here are untouched since the fifties. "Bottled beer son? Nae chance, ye'll huv a wee hauf." and "Women? In here? O'er ma deid boady." are the sort of comments generally associated with the inns of Aberdeenshire. (He writes, exagarating only slightly.)
The Mains of Balquaharn has a bar area for drinkers (which was empty), smoking/non-smoking areas and a family area where you can watch Satan's offspring on TV screens as they harass the unsuspecting young girl in the Fun Factory or somesuch name. This is a locked room in which you can deposit younger members of the family allowing you to enjoy your food in peace. You are supposed to claim them back at the end but I am sure you could pop over to do some shopping and nobody would notice if you were quick.
The food is fairly traditional. I liberated a menu (the things I do since joining ciao!) and list some dishes and prices below.
Fish and Chips £5.65 Scampi £5.85 Pork Ribs £8.45 Cajun Chicken £7.25
SWEETS
Profiteroles £2.60 Strawberries and cream £2.60
Sunday lunch has a roast beef main course for £6.15 and there is a special menu midweek 12-5 at £4.75 for two courses. An example would be Pate followed by Chicken Escalope. The Kids Menu is available at all times and provides a main course and a visit to the ice cream machine for £3.99.
The food is fine but somewhat uninspired. Helpings are generous and the staff are helpful and attentive. I would have described the strawberries and cream but they were unavailable. So was the Stella.
Since this pub is in the middle of nowhere it appeared to be populated almost entirely by families out for a Sunday drive. The only exception was the couple who were obviously having a cladestine relationship. Unfortunately they must have been unable to thhink up a good excuse for staying overnight (at the attached Travel Lodge) and had to settle for a quick snog in the car park before departing in their own cars with lingering looks. (It is always worthwhile getting a window seat in these places.)
Overall this is a chain restuarant with fairly bland food but it won't cost you a arm and a leg, and you won't feel like a three headed pink alien just because you have children with you. If you have ever gone to the type of restuarant where they believe we are created fully formed at age thirty this will be a big selling point.
Advantages: Nice food Disadvantages: Not many, often busy
Brewers Fayre recently changed it's name to Brewsters, but apart from the new signs the pubs all remain the same.
Brewsters (the new name) are a chain of pubs that can be found just about everywhere in the country, selling what they call a traditional range of pub meals. I suppose you could call them the McDonalds of the pub world, although not quite as standardised.
The pubs are all pretty similar, although by no means identical, but they do have ... ...the food is the same at each pub, as the curry at one place tastes the same as the curry at another place. The food is nice though, and the selection varied. The thing is, when you're out and about in another part of the country do you want to eat the same thing as you could at home, or would you prefer to take a chance with a local pub, and see if their food is nice? Brewster provide a known standard wherever you are, so it's up to you where you ...
real_rob_writer 17.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Brewers Fayre (Portlethen)
