Dorchester: Tom Browns in High East Street, Pub of the Week

Tom Browns pub in High East Street, Dorchester, is known for its regular live music sessions and ever-changing array of real ale.

It has just made the prestigious Good Beer Guide for the fifth year in a row.

The cosy interior includes comfy chairs next to a roaring fire, with enticingly immersive books on local history within an arm's reach.

The pub's cosy interior (Image: NQ) Drinkers are surrounded by wall-mounted beer mats and self portrait sketches done by regulars and lovingly compiled into a wall gallery by bar manager Will Edmed. It’s endearingly known as the ‘gall-will-ry'.

The gall-will-ry (Image: NQ) There's a skittle alley out the back that converts into a speaker's stage area.

In the summer months the pub’s long and narrow beer garden leading down to the River Frome is a popular draw.

Manager Katy Jones grew up in Weymouth and has worked in hospitality since the age of 14. She took over Tom Browns seven years ago.

“People really feel a connection to this pub,” she said.

“It’s referred to as a comfortable pair of slippers. Because I’ve been here so long, both me and the bar manager, Will, people know us.

“I think people feel comfortable when they come here, especially as I’m female and I made that one of my priorities when I got here, to make the pub comfortable for women who want to come in on their own. Some pubs aren’t like that and you don’t feel comfortable.”

Pub manager Katy Jones (Image: NQ)

There are four changing cask lines and two real ciders on offer at the hostelry – a perennial favourite is the namesake Tom Browns beer from the Dorset Brewing Company.

It’s a place for a real taste of Dorset with offerings from other local brewers including the Cerne Abbas Brewery, and Piddle Brewery.

Particularly popular are the pub’s non-alcoholic beers, Katy says, with many punters enjoying a completely sober evening at Tom Browns.

There are weekly Open Mic nights on a Thursday, regular Saturday night gigs from local bands and relaxing Sunday Jazz Jams.

The pub is famed for its annual duck race, which is held on the River Frome at the bottom of the beer garden. The event raises thousands of pounds for charity, with £3k generated for causes this year.

Just some of the many events happening at Tom Browns (Image: NQ)

Upstairs  is a community space used for regular board game nights, games of Dungeons and Dragons, a drama club, pottery and even boxercise classes which Katy teaches herself.

This spacious room can be booked out by groups wishing to make use of the space.

The pub is a proud supporter of the Dorchester Tourism Partnership, which organises events like this past summer’s Hardy Har comedy festival, with Tom Browns one of the host venues.

Tom Browns in High East Street (Image: NQ) Katy would encourage anyone who hasn’t visited Tom Browns before to come and enjoy its friendly atmosphere.

“We’re blessed with a lot of really good pubs in Dorchester. But I hope that people come and pay us a visit down the bottom of the high street, we’ve got a lot of different things going on in here.

“The age range of people in here does make me smile – you look around the room and there’s a varying demographic.

“Anyone who comes through the door will be greeted with a warm smile. There’s something for everyone here.”