The King Rufus used to be a much-loved go-to pub whenever I visited my family in England. It was always relaxed, friendly and offered up a varied menu of both drinks and food that seemed to veer some distance away from the 'ordinary'.
My most recent visit could not have been more different. The Rufus has been swallowed up by one of those soulless pub chains (The Eating Inn - perhaps the worst name for a food chain ever) and converted into... yes, you've guessed it... a soulless pub.
Like a lot of the large pub chain brands it is now all style over substance. Cheap wood and chrome Ikea-style furnishings, bored staff and a bland warmed-up/microwaved 'Americanised' food menu that on the surface appears to be good value but is actually something of a gastronomic nightmare.
The corporatisation of the English pub is a disappointing development in recent years but I do respect how it is managing to save a lot of establishments that otherwise would go to the wall. However, it would appear that some chains get it right - like the Hungry Horse chain, who don't alter the feel of the pub but compliment it with affordable drinks and food - whilst others are hellbent on ripping the heart out of once-loved watering holes.
Edited to add:- Just discovered that the Greene King organisation owns both the Hungry Horse AND EatingInn brands. How can one company get it so right and so wrong at the same time? read more