The Keystone is one of the only independently owned pubs in Guildford town centre and sits proudly on the Portsmouth Road at the bottom of The Mount. The outside, secluded garden terrace backs onto the quiet Bury Street in the shadow of the beautiful St Nicholas’ Church and is a becalming place to enjoy a drink. The pub changed ownership right at the end of 2013 and there are some exciting new changes on the horizon- here’s a rundown of what you can expect from this great pub this year.
Inside, the pub is going to take advantage of the huge rugby following in Guildford by showing all six nations games and now has BT Sport so that you can follow Premiership games the rest of the year. There are going to be a few functional and artistic renovations as well as new owner Richard Jaehme looks to stamp his own mark on the space. Expect a new log burner and intimate snug area, plus some beautiful and creative artwork to freshen the place up. In the back section of the pub there will be a bohemian styled creative space where an upright piano will sit soon for all to play. They also have hanging door panels on the wall which are being painted by staff members, guests and artists before being auctioned off to make money for local charities- what a great idea!
The Keystone is also a really pleasant place to grab a bite to eat; their philosophy is if they can make it from local, raw produce, then they will. So the menu takes traditional food back to basics, making homemade pies, chips, burgers, sauces coleslaw etc. The menu consists of some lighter bites like jacket potatoes with yummy toppings and farmhouse bread sandwiches with fillings like Chicken, Bacon and Avocado, Roast Rib of Beef and Homemade Horseradish and Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella.
Or if you’re after something a little more hearty, then you can grab a steak, a burger or a pie with various optional extra toppings, sauces and sides. With the burgers, they mince the meat themselves in house and provide quite the selection- offering Game and Sloe Gin, which consists of venison, pheasant and rabbit blended with white onions, field mushrooms and marinated in sloe gin, the Moroccan Lamb burger which is pure lamb blended with cumin, mint and parsley served on ciabatta or the vegetarian option of Stilton and English Apple. And finally, there is the option of a traditional, British homemade pie where you can grab a Chicken, Leek and Ham, a Beef and Ale or a Roasted Vegetables and Goat’s Cheese (as well as others) with or without a lid.
Not to mention the daily specials such as soups, fishcakes, Sunday roasts, salads, pastas and desserts which give plenty more variations and options if you fancy something different. And The Keystone shall now be opening from 7am with a new breakfast menu where you can simply grab a coffee and a slice of toast, or some scrambled eggs, a bacon sandwich or a full English. But if you are going in later on in the day then you will have a great selection of real ales with 4 pumps; 2 house ales (Otter and Tribute) and 2 that are constantly switching, plus 8 bottled craft ales. There is also a good selection of wines, 6 red, 3 rose and 5 white currently, with 4 types of bubbly and 10 single malt whiskies.
The Keystone also has a strong program of events and themed evenings throughout the week to give you no excuse not to pop in for a visit. On alternate Monday evenings, there is open mic night with an eclectic mix of people, with Café Scientifique (a series of science-based presentations and talks including topics from nuclear fission to climate change) featuring on the third Monday of each month. On Tuesday night, there is the pub quiz where it costs nothing to play and the winner takes away a bottle of wine and Wednesday is burger night and sports night for the University of Surrey students who can get discounts on drinks and entry into local club The Legion. Thursday is the legendary pie night where you can grab one for a fiver, Friday the kitchen stays open an hour later (until 10pm) just to serve fish and chips, takeaway style and Saturday hosts a variety of different nights and events. Sunday is the perfect way to end the week as there is a New York brunch on offer from 11am-1pm with live jazz serenading you in the evening.
So head down to The Keystone soon to check out the intimate, relaxed and creative environment, listen to some live music, eat some traditional British homemade pub grub, or have a quiet evening on the outside terrace.
James Martin