An Old Friend Scrubs Up

Whenever I hear that a well-loved local is getting a makeover I experience a certain amount of trepidation.

Will I still find it a comfortable place to drink? Will Flossie the blunderdog still enjoy it? Will I end up paying for the refurbishment through eye watering price increases?

I was thus more than a little nervous  when I heard that Earlsfield’s the Old Sergeant was to experience the public house equivalent of a face lift and botox job.

The Old Sergeant, for those that don’t know, sits on Garratt Lane about 400 yards down the road from Southside. It’s a medium sized Victorian pub, and one I’ve been visiting for just over 20 years and my nervousness was misplaced.

On walking into the resprayed bar, one is now greeted with a cheery combination of blues, natural woods and white tiling. This is the sort of look that makes it feel like whatever the weather outside, it’s brightly sunny inside.

This contrasts greatly with the previous décor which was very much in the traditional pub palette of browns and beiges. There was nothing wrong with that, but the makeover has made the interior not only seem brighter but bigger and somewhere you might be happy to linger that bit longer if you know what I mean.

The garden has also been the recipient of some makeover magic, with some AstroTurf being laid down and new seating and sofas placed outside. This has made what was always one of Wandsworth’s nicer beer gardens even better.

The Old Sergeant is a pub which takes its food seriously and has always made its own dishes (no Brakes Brothers here.) Following the refurbishment this also now includes all sauces and has a varied and good value menu. Not only will you find pub classics like burgers and hot dogs, but also great chicken wings, speciality favourites like the homemade Bobotie (I’ve never had this even if it sounds like it was named after me, it’s a hot curry BTW) and a decent selection of sandwiches.

As I said the menu is already good value, it’s even better value at lunchtime when you get 25% off, or on Tuesday when you can get 2 4 1 burgers or on Sunday’s when the usual menu is complemented by a fine range of roasts. For me living locally and occasionally working from home, I find it great to eat the home cooked food for lunch here rather than paying more for shipped in catering pack generic stuff 400 yards down the road in Southside.

The pub is also extremely dog friendly. Now I know that not everyone likes dogs, but for those of us with dogs it is nice to be able to take our furry friends out for the evening with us. Here the staff are happy to provide water bowls and there is a large selection of pup friendly snacks and beverages (pawsecco and dog beer) to choose from.

It is also about as child friendly as you’ll find, and the new colour scheme should help in attracting more families to lunch here. With good value home cooked child friendly dishes liberally sprinkled throughout the menu, this provides again provides a great alternative to many of the chain experiences that you’ll find elsewhere in Wandsworth.

OK, I know I’ve talked about nearly every aspect of this pub but somehow managed not to mention the drinks. Don’t worry these are great, from the wide selection of beers to a well-chosen wine list including one rose so yummy I managed to rather overdo it somewhat in the recent warm weather.

So it’s a thumbs up to this particularly makeover from me, the only downside with this being my local is that I’ll feel like spending even more time there

The Old Sergeant FoodMenu  |  The Old Sergeant DogMenu

www.theoldsergeant.co.uk