I agree with all you say, however something I recognise in myself and perhaps others, is always wanting “The Best” whatever, which seems to drive us all to the same venue. I was recently in Sorrento and there was a queue of about an hour outside a restaurant which has 4.9 on Google. We wandered into another and had a perfectly pleasant meal.
Possibly the way ahead is to ditch the Guidebooks and Google reviews and embrace Serendipity, live on the edge. You never know you might just walk into the real “Moon Under the Water” which IMHO a 4.8 google review would ruin.
We tend to avoid anywhere that's very hyped and has queues, and like to find cool places ourselves by wandering about and following our noses. So, yes, agreed!
I agree that books that are not much more than a list are losing their relevance but it’s possible to create ‘guide’ books in a way that, for me, can’t be recreated online. Prime examples being the tour de forces (not sure where the ‘s’ goes there) that are Des de Moor’s London, and Tim Webb/Joe Stange’s Belgium, guides. Although I haven’t read it myself I imagine that’s what you also saw in Matt’s book. Cheers.
I keep a copy of the GBG from 2021 on a shelf and look at it from time-to-time if I'm heading away somewhere for a couple of days or more. I also then get on to the up-to-date app version to see if I missed anything.
But arguably more importantly I have a quick search through some of the blogs that I read regularly (including B&B and Retired Martin amongst others). Sometimes a blog stops posting, and then I need to have a dig around to find one to replace it (although that hasn't happened in quite a while). Sure, some of the blog posts may be years old, but if a couple of them mention the same place, then I'm going.
As mentioned, pub guides are a ‘snapshot in time’ - one of the reasons I commenced the Sheffield series of Pub Heritage Books - earlier editions include descriptions and images of pubs which are now long-destroyed (eg. The Athol Hotel). My criteria for the dead pubs section was that the building existed when the book went to print - https://sheffield.camra.org.uk/rhp/ - several editions included ‘a door to nowhere’ (now gone).
I agree with all you say, however something I recognise in myself and perhaps others, is always wanting “The Best” whatever, which seems to drive us all to the same venue. I was recently in Sorrento and there was a queue of about an hour outside a restaurant which has 4.9 on Google. We wandered into another and had a perfectly pleasant meal.
Possibly the way ahead is to ditch the Guidebooks and Google reviews and embrace Serendipity, live on the edge. You never know you might just walk into the real “Moon Under the Water” which IMHO a 4.8 google review would ruin.
We tend to avoid anywhere that's very hyped and has queues, and like to find cool places ourselves by wandering about and following our noses. So, yes, agreed!
I agree that books that are not much more than a list are losing their relevance but it’s possible to create ‘guide’ books in a way that, for me, can’t be recreated online. Prime examples being the tour de forces (not sure where the ‘s’ goes there) that are Des de Moor’s London, and Tim Webb/Joe Stange’s Belgium, guides. Although I haven’t read it myself I imagine that’s what you also saw in Matt’s book. Cheers.
I keep a copy of the GBG from 2021 on a shelf and look at it from time-to-time if I'm heading away somewhere for a couple of days or more. I also then get on to the up-to-date app version to see if I missed anything.
But arguably more importantly I have a quick search through some of the blogs that I read regularly (including B&B and Retired Martin amongst others). Sometimes a blog stops posting, and then I need to have a dig around to find one to replace it (although that hasn't happened in quite a while). Sure, some of the blog posts may be years old, but if a couple of them mention the same place, then I'm going.
Having just written our own beer guide, Kate and I have responded. Duelling Substacks! https://britishbeerbreaks.substack.com/p/have-beer-guidebooks-had-their-day
Cheers, Phil.
As mentioned, pub guides are a ‘snapshot in time’ - one of the reasons I commenced the Sheffield series of Pub Heritage Books - earlier editions include descriptions and images of pubs which are now long-destroyed (eg. The Athol Hotel). My criteria for the dead pubs section was that the building existed when the book went to print - https://sheffield.camra.org.uk/rhp/ - several editions included ‘a door to nowhere’ (now gone).
Most guides are biased either by payment or nepotism.
The only true unbiased guide is that compiled by hundreds of individual members of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). The guide being the annual
CAMRA Good Beer Guide. If you have not already purchased one, please do so and inform me of what you think of it. Cheers, John Hopkins
hopkins.john48@gmail.com