The Bell and Bottle in Shinfield’s School Green is a popular spot.
It’s also a pub of three halves: there is a large function room area with two pool tables and two dart boards. Nestled between the arrow catchers, rather bravely, is a large flat screen telly showing the latest football matches.
Around the bar area there is a cosy area where many locals sit, while a corridor connects these two areas.
And then, at the front of the pub, there is a snug that is … well, even cosier. So cosy that you will probably end up talking to those on neighbouring tables as if you’ve been best mates for years.
Tables are wooden, seats are comfortable, and everything is clean – no sticky tables or floors here. Indeed, while on this visit during quiet moments the friendly team went round the building checking things were spotless.
The wall of the pool table is full of old metal signs for firms like Michelin Tyres, John Bull Tyres and Dunlop, evoking the pub’s place in history and also giving something decent to look at if a football match isn’t going to plan.
The pub has a long heritage and was once part of the Simonds Brewery, and much smaller. A photo of the old pub showing it looking more like a two-up, two-down is on the Simonds Family website.
In the background, a second pub can be seen in what is now the Co-Op. This was The Royal Oak, once run by the Dymore Brown Reading Ales company. It closed in 2014, when it was part of the Greene King estate, it had also been a Shepherd Neame inn at one point in its history.
Being part of a double act mean The Bell and Bottle and The Royal Oak once formed one of the shortest pub crawls ever, so in many ways it is a shame one is a food store.
On the pub’s exterior wall is a large Fosters sign, so it should be no surprise that the usual suspects are all on tap. There are also guest ales, usually two.
The real ales on this visit included Loddon Brewery’s Hullabaloo bitter, coming in a £5.20 for a pint.
A healthy selection of no alcohol drinks are also on offer.
What is the food like at The Bell and Bottle?
Bar snacks aside – crisps and nuts, of course, there is a food menu including Sunday roasts, available with takeaways for those who want it.
We haven’t tried this, but there are specials as well as Asian cuisine.
Read more: The Bull at Riseley is a pleasant village pub
At the time of writing, there are 28 reviews for The Bell and Bottle on TripAdvisor, giving it the food and rating its value as four out of five, an overall score of three and a half out of five. The vast majority rate the food as very good or excellent (16 out of the 28 reviews), but many of the reviews are several years old, with none from this year.
This is a traditional pub
Being a traditional pub, there is a meat raffle giving people the chance to stock up their freezers for the price of a raffle ticket … if you’re lucky enough to win, that is.
The Bell and Bottle has a licence to show both Sky Sports and TNT Sports, so all the big games will be available, and it regularly hosts special events.
With strong support from the village, this manages to tread the line between being a locals pub and one where everyone is welcome.
The Bell and Bottle is on the Number 3/Leopard bus route from Reading town centre, so there is no need to have designated driver. However, if you do there is a large car park. And if that is full, there are more spaces outside the School Green centre.
One minor criticism: the Wi-Fi at The Bell and Bottle wouldn’t connect, and this was over several visits.
The pub doesn’t have an active website or Facebook page, but Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) lists it among its venues – https://camra.org.uk/pubs/bell-bottle-shinfield-155822
It is open from noon to 11pm seven days a week, apart from Fridays and Saturdays when it closes at midnight.
The Bell and Bottle,
37 School Green,
Shinfield RG2 9EE
0118 988 3563
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