“AD” – Why is this here?

The Brew House is back! Following a refurbishment, a rebrand, and the launch of an entirely new menu, I was invited to see exactly what has changed at the newly renamed ‘King Street Brew House’.

In many ways, the pub hasn’t changed – and that’s no bad thing. It retains that classic city pub vibe, with football playing on the big screen and large upstairs rooms begging to be hired out for private events. Crucially, the on-site brewery remains, serving a diverse range of beers for you craft beer lovers out there.

Meat & Beer

You may remember my most recent visit, where I took on the monstrous Thor’s Hammer roast dinner. This is no longer available but it gives you an idea of the sort of food they prioritise (I also hear that the mighty hammer might be making an appearance again in the future 🤫). The menu is modest in size but filled with interesting things begging to be tried. I noticed poutine, burgers, and a rather appealing Camembert sharing platter. Prices seemed about average for central Cambridge; nothing jumped out as offensively expensive, though it certainly isn’t a budget bin either.

The fact that they have their own brewery makes this a proper ‘meat and beer’ destination, so I was expecting big things regarding both ideas and portion sizes.

Curried Lamb Croissant

A dish that immediately caught my eye was the curried lamb croissant. I was genuinely surprised by the size of this thing, which was served with a side of curried yoghurt. It offered everything you would expect from a croissant – a soft, flaky skin providing a textural contrast to the juicy curried lamb in the middle and worked beautifully on the bite. The lamb was mildly spiced with a gooey tenderness, making this one of the most original dishes I have tried in some time.

Holy Smokes!

I was recommended the “Holy Smokes” sharing platter by the staff team. This is a dish they take particular pride in, making it impossible to resist. Everything here is smoked on-site in their very own smoker and arrived laden with smoked chicken, smoked bratwurst, N’duja porchetta, and a beer-braised short rib. It is the ultimate winter comfort food at its most indulgent.

This was a real dish to behold. Brought out in a rustic pile, towering platter dwarfed everything surrounding it.

Smoked Bratwurst

At the very centre sat an absolutely incredible smoked bratwurst. I have long been a supporter of getting more Germanic food into Cambridge, and having visited all the major Christmas markets in Germany, I was pleased to see it here. The King Street Brew House’s take would do Bavaria proud, offering a strong, punchy smokiness that really hit the spot. My only criticism is that there was only a single sausage on a sharing platter that was far too good to share. Two would have been ideal.

N’duja Porchetta

I was on Cloud Nine after devouring the smoked bratwurst. I was convinced it would be the highlight of the platter until I found the three thick slices of Porchetta at the bottom. All slices were filled with punchy N’duja (exactly as it should be!) and thin yet crispy strips of crackling. It is everything you could possibly want from roasted pork. The meat was juicy, with unapologetic chunks of fat adding an abundance of flavour – if you are worried about your figure, forget it!

Going back to my point about the platter needing an extra bratwurst: I think swapping one of the three slices of Porchetta for a second sausage would have balanced this out perfectly.

Beef Rib

A single beef rib was buried beneath the pile of pork and chicken – a delicious surprise. The rib was generous in size and beer-braised for a complex flavour profile. We ran a knife down the bone with minimal effort to reveal a lovely pink slice of beef with a thick, caramelised crust.

​The platter finished with a large leg and breast of smoked chicken. Chicken rarely excites me as much as pork or beef, but this was executed well. The smokiness was lighter than the other cuts, which worked just fine with the more subtle flavour of the bird.

Ox Cheek Pot Pie

The King Street Brew House is owned by Young’s, a chain renowned for its pies. I have been told that this venue has been given much more freedom than other Young’s pubs to be creative, but they still wanted to honour the company’s reputation with a pot pie. I very much welcome this idea, as there isn’t an abundance of pies in Cambridge, and during these winter months, they really hit the spot.

What made this pie such an interesting take was not only the beer-braised ox cheek (one of my favourites) but the warm, gooey ‘Mac & Cheese’ crust on top. I haven’t seen anything like this before, but it truly worked. Ox cheek can be a tough meat, yet this was as soft and tender as the lamb in the croissant. A thick layer of breadcrumbs on top added a crunchy texture to the soft filling. Pulling the ox cheek apart released a cloud of steam, followed by a rich, intense beef flavour.

Chicken Nuggets

Finally, we tried a bowl of pork rind chicken nuggets served with a pot of black garlic ranch. These were everything you’d want from a nugget: big, crispy, and meaty. They were decent enough but failed to stand out in tonight’s vibrant display of dishes. The black garlic sauce was fantastic, though it couldn’t quite mask the slight dryness of the nuggets.

The Pride of King Street!

The King Street Brew House has successfully reinvented itself without losing that essential city pub charm. It has a menu that dares to be different with fusion dishes like the curry croissant and with its own on-site smoker delivered some of the punchiest smoky flavour in town. It has something for everyone, from big meat portions, sports on the TV, and beer made on site. This is my sort of place and if I lived close enough, I could see it being my regular.

Thanks for reading!