Secret Drinker reviews The Welcome Inn in Skegness
With a whiff of summer in the air I thought it would be a good time to start checking out some beer gardens.
The Welcome Inn is a venue I’ve driven past plenty of times over the years, but until this occasion I’d never pulled over.
But one delight of this column is forcing yourself to take those opportunities when they arrive, especially as I’m a sucker for a pun (just ask my mates at Grantham’s Nobody Inn).
The Welcome Inn is a good looking pub but it’s the green that sits out front that catches the eye most when you pass, with its nine benches and 16 pods - complete with handy sockets to charge your phone - offering plenty of al fresco spots.
And if that’s not enough there’s even more seating out back, by the front door and round the side, where there’s also a handy climbing frame and slide to keep the kids busy so the grown-ups can act like children without risk of being busted.
But like most drinks in beer gardens, my trip began inside.
On the way to the bar you’re greeted by a handful of candy and toy slots for the kids - well, it wouldn’t be a Skegness boozer without would it? - before hitting the attractive bar area, with its leafy wallpaper job.
It’s a pretty large place, with side rooms, one which was being cleared up after the Sunday lunch crowd had left, another with a pool table getting some good use by a group of lads.
“It’s been dead today. Shame, as we were packed last night,” the barmaid said to the person in front.
An offer at the bar suggested I try four bottles for £12, but seeing as I was behind the wheel I had to settle for a Peroni and head back outside.
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A few drinkers and dog walkers grabbing some liquid refreshment took up a few tables, but as we hit mid-afternoon the crowds began to arrive and a bit of atmosphere was building.
Maybe I should’ve gone for the four bottles to see how the day would pan out.
Oddly, the Welcome Inn shares a drive with the next door Tesco Express, convenient if you want something to munch on on the way home after an afternoon’s boozing, not so when you’re trying to take a photo of the exterior and and vans with trailers fresh from a visit to the nearby tip pull up and park up out front.
But I suppose it creates something of a busy feel, even if you’re not sure who’s stopping for a pint of lager and who’s here for a pint of milk.
The van gone, I grabbed my snap before popping in to Tesco for a drive-home snack.
THE WELCOME INN, BURGH ROAD, SKEGNESS, PE25 2LJ
DECOR: It’s a nice-looking place inside and a good summertime venue outside. I couldn’t quite believe just how big the place actually was. 3/5
DRINK: A bottle of Peroni (ABV 5%). 3/5
PRICE: I paid a fair £3.60, but could have saved a few bob had I grabbed three more. 3/5
ATMOSPHERE: As my server said, it was quiet. But with the lunchtime crowd gone the afternoon revellers were just rolling up as I left. 3/5
STAFF: A chatty barmaid, but I didn’t hang around inside. 3/5
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