Meantime in Greenwich

A recent visit to the Greenwich Union pub in London presented a excellent introduction to the range of beers brewed by Meantime Brewing. This pub is the brewery tap and serves all the Meantime beers along with a number of notable other beers. We made our way here for a late lunch after a long bus ride and a soggy cold morning traversing Greenwich Park and its museums.

I previously had tried a couple of their British style beers in the US and was surprised to learn that Meantime also has a range of lagers that they brew along with some of the standard British ale styles. This portfolio of lagers certainly differentiates them from other British brewers (that the founder studied and brewed in Germany explains this different focus). They also have a number of draft only beers they make seasonally.


Meantime has pursued a modern design look to set it apart and this is reflected in the proprietary bottle designs they use as well as the labeling and glassware. This is also seen the the decor of the Greenwich Union pub which moves away from the traditional British pub look. You have wood in the interior but it is lighter colored and gives a bit of a Scandinavian style.



At the pub the London Pale Ale was one of three cask ales (the other two were from other microbreweries). It veered from the traditional in using some American hops to give it a stronger floral character but it was quite good. The Smoked Bock they were serving was influenced by the smoked beers of Bamberg, Germany and comes across with light smoky character that I'd say may be a little too suble. It was good with a burger though.

The lunch pub fare was reasonable and the dishes we had were quite good, especially the enormous aged angus burger. The chips were also delicious. Overall the Greenwich Union is a place to seek out if you are a fan of Meantime beers or are visiting Greenwich.