Go anywhere in Cardiff and you won’t be able to go more than a block or two without coming across a Brains establishment. Maybe for this reason the mention of Brains can draw polemic points of view. If you listen to the less than silent minority you can be forgiven for thinking that Brains are somewhat disliked. However, the very fact that S A Brain & Co. still exist today means they must be doing something right.
The first Brains bar I worked and drank in was the Goat Major on the High Street in Cardiff, within spitting distance of both the Castle and the Millennium Stadium; this remains one of my favourite bars in the whole of Cardiff. The Goat Major is also one of my strongest arguments in defence of Brains.
Cardiff has developed a lot over the last 15 years. One of the most visual changes is seen in the city centre drinking and entertainment establishments. The emergence of large multi-national company owned ‘chain’ bars has drawn praise from quarters keen to see progress in Cardiff (think town planners) and howls of disaffection from residents. To the occasional weekend, sports, or pre-nuptial celebrating visitors to Cardiff these large chain bars are like manna from heaven, designed to coral large amounts of people into quick service drinking ports to then dance away on the dance floor to eardrum-busting beats. Cheap drinks and promotions are the name of the game. As Cardiff grew in stature as a tourist destination over the years, the city centre fell prey to the same trap that has engulfed many other city centres across the UK – the hegemony of multi-nationals and ‘vision’ of town planners on the cities of Britain has been as stark as it is soulless.
Where Cardiff is concerned there is still a shinning light, Brains. Whilst not uniquely, Brains –due to its not inconsiderable influence – has helped in no small way ensure that Cardiff keeps an element of individuality - albeit in a Brains Red Dragon-stamped one. Brains are one of the biggest real estate owners in Wales and none more so is this evident than in Cardiff. On, or just off, the main street in Cardiff, St Mary’s St (& the High St), there are no less than 10 drinking and eating establishments owned or operated by Brains and they offer quite a wide range of drinking environments. From the Goat Major with its classical gentleman’s club feel, or the Baroque finery of Barocco, to the warehouse-cum-grandeur offered by their flagship The Yard Bar & Kitchen (often renamed in recent times as The Grandslam Bar – in good years at least). Brains it seems has a bar to suit the mood.
Now it is often said that it is the very expanse of Brains in Cardiff is what makes it a bit ‘samey’ and that the only thing their venues serve is, well, Brains. It’s true that all Brains venues will offer Brains products in some shape or form, and why not – there are after all a plethora of alternate venues in Cardiff where you will find the ubiquitous Carling, Fosters, Carlsberg, Guinness, etc. In recent years, Brains have sought to mix things up a little. With drinks such as the new Brains Black, new seasonal ales and a new lease for experimenting that they have given to pubs such as the ‘new’ City Arms they are doing something a little different than the others and this might explain why, when times are hard on everyone, they are seeking to expand rather than contract.
 |
| Photo - the City Arms |
Over the last two years I have been away from Cardiff, on the other side of the World no less! Whilst away from home I grew a new respect for the traditional British pub. ‘Why?’ you ask? There are, after all, bars in Countries across the World, especially in Countries with close ties with the UK. Well, a seemingly limitless supply of bars there may be, but a far cry from what we would know as a ‘pub’. For me a ‘pub’ is a bar that inspires more than a casual drink, ‘once in a blue moon’, a place where you go ‘where everyone knows your name, and everyone’s glad you came…’ All jokes aside, a pub needs to be somewhere you feel welcome enough you can go to on your own. A place where simple things like the publican remembers your name, drink or your last conversation; knowing that there will be other people at the pub who go there for the very same reasons. There are subtle but important things that separate some pubs, Brains ones included – for the most part, from their much bigger chain-bar neighbours. I suppose it is the ‘soul’ of the pub: The service and the hospitality, the clue is in the name of the industry!
So Brains, whilst not being perfect, offer Cardiff and indeed Wales an identity. With the small section of Cardiff I referred to earlier as an example, it is illustrated that Brains do indeed offer a variety of drinking environments, and by offering over 13 regular lines as well as a multitude of seasonal ales offer more selection than most. The ‘smaller’ venues of the Brains estate, places like the Goat Major, offer a familiar feel, friendly smile as well as good beer whilst the larger venues like the Yard offer comfortable alternative to their similar sized neighbours where you would be just as happy to have a meal or party the night away. The exciting new developments for me have been the development of the City Arms as more of a mecca for traditional ales, or of the Duke of Wellington into much more of a food-led gastro pub.
With their recent acquisition of Coffee #1, the highest Restaurant in Wales at the Meridian Tower in Swansea and a financial deal with Lloyds Bank, Brains look to be expanding when others look to consolidate and contract. I applaud the work Brains have done to date developing old venues and new beers; and I for one can think of worse alternatives in a Brains-less Cardiff.
Ross Evans is a valleys expat relocated to Cardiff for political, cultural, leisure and drinking pursuits. Big food, Cider, Beer and Pub aficionado with a love of local provenance and strong branding.
No comments:
Post a Comment