Pub Review : The Blue Ball, Grantchester

John Roos has been running this charming and wonderful ribbon development terraced boozer for the last 9 years, having beforehand been at Trinity Hall running their bar for a number of years. The pub is popular with locals, Cambridge Rugby Club (second only to Shelford R.U.F.C in importance in this area!) and a good band of regulars. It is very much a no-nonsense pub with lovely old memorabilia, parquet flooring, and open fires. There is a list of landlords dating way back to 1767, a traditional Ring the Bull, and a nice warm feel to the pub that is a hop skip and a jump from Grantchester meadows. John won the coveted award of CAMRA Pub of the Year for this area back in 2002, and thinks that with the improvement of his beers, he must stand a chance once more soon!

Food at present is served at lunchtime - simple fayre of sandwiches and rolls, very adequate.

God was also looking down when a couple of years ago a stranger crossed the threshold to announce to John he was the new Area Manager... Greene King had omitted to tell John that the pub had been sold on. The first thing John did was to get rid of the dreaded IPA and have Adnams as his regular beer, and has had a constantly changing second choice like Bass, Young's bitter, Spitfire and the like. John reckons he has a wonderful list to choose from, so it is really a free house in everything but name. Bed & breakfast is available and there are no fruit machines or loud music. There seems to be a smoking policy by the publican, but it is not a smoky pub!

The pub opens from 11am until 3.30pm most days, and 6 - 11 at night.