Visited on: Thursday 11th April 2019

Bob Thompson

Arguably the micropub capital of England (Ramsgate would be the other contender) Broadstairs offers a number of welcoming and friendly small watering holes. As its name implies, Mind the Gap has a railway theme, and it’s not far from the station, either. Its official opening day was 15th July 2016, although there was a shake-down session the evening before.

The owner is Clare Galvin and she runs the pub along with Shawn Galvin and they have created a nice little pub. Although it is small it nevertheless features two levels. The entrance door is on the right side of the building and it leads to a seating area at street level where there are several tables with chairs and a sofa. The walls are covered with railway ephemera including logos, signal arms and a huge collection of tickets that seem to have been provided by the customers.

On the right side of this room almost the whole of the wall is taken up by an enlarged photograph of steam locomotive 30792 “Sir Hervis de Revel” passing through Broadstairs station with a freight train.

It is a member of the “King Arthur” class designed by Robert W Urie. It was built in September 1925 and was withdrawn from service in February 1959. Thus helping to date it a little. It seems to have the pre-1956 BR emblem on the tender. Although these often lasted some timer before being replaced.

To get beer and cider you go up a few steps on the right of the room to the small serving area. The bar counter is along the rear wall with the beers in a cool cupboard with sliding doors and a glass frontage. There are a few stools along the bar front which were occupied by a few regular customers. The bar rail is literally a rail, from the railway!

There were four cask beers on offer, as follows: Ramsgate Brewery (Broadstairs, Kent) Gadd’s Dogbolter (5.6%); Iron Pier (Gravesend, Kent) Bitter (4.0%); Skinners (Truro, Cornwall) Betty Stogs (4.0%) and Roosters (Knaresborough, North Yorkshire) Highway 51 (3.7%).

The cider list was very extensive: From Celtic Marches (Bishops Frome, Herefordshire) was Lily the Pink (4.5%); Thundering Molly (5.2%); Cherry (4.0%); Cracklin’ Rosie Perry (4.5%) and Cloudy Cider (4.5%).

From Lillys (Frome, Somerset) I could have had Mango (4.0%) or Tropical (4.0%). there was also Weston’s (Much Marcle, Herefordshire) Old Rosie (7.3%).

The pub offers cheese boards, pork pies, scotch eggs and pickled eggs along with all the usual packaged snacks. There is a wine list including Prosecco. They also have a wide range of soft drinks as well as tea and coffee.

This friendly pub is deserving of your visit should you be in this neck of the woods.

Important Information:

Mind the Gap, 156 high Street, Broadstairs CT10 1JA. Tel: 07790 730205

Hours: Monday Closed; Tuesday-Sunday 12.00-22.30

At Broadstairs station cross to the Ramsgate-bound platform. Exit and walk down the approach road.
Turn left at the main road and you will find the pub about 100 metres along on the left.
There are many bus routes in Thanet including the very useful “Loop” route that passes many micropubs.