Vesper

diabolically shite multi-year recruiting at CB, GK, LW, and CF

Chelsea Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson is now a transfer target for Everton as it looks increasingly unlikely that Bayern Munich will make his loan move permanent. (Football Insider)

The top 100 British pubs? There are ten in the list that I’d really recommend The Good Food Guide has unveiled its inaugural list of the nation’s best watering holes. Hannah Evans picks out the lesser-known gems that are featured https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/the-top-100-british-pubs-there-are-ten-in-the-list-that-id-really-recommend-kkznc5rng he best pub in Britain is sandwiched between four grey blocks of university student accommodation and a fire station on the outskirts of Leeds city centre. That is according to the prestigious Good Food Guide, which today published its inaugural list of the top 100 British pubs. At the No 1 spot is the Highland Laddie on Cavendish Street, Leeds. This might come as a surprise upon first arrival. On the 20-minute walk from Leeds station you will pass two casinos, a British Heart Foundation charity shop and a Premier Inn — hardly the picturesque scene of the bucolic British countryside that we traditionally associate with a good old pub. But inside you’ll find a welcoming, warm boozer with a wildly imaginative menu. The pub is billed as a “drinkers’ pub with a dining room”. It impressed the guide’s panel of anonymous inspectors so much that it was given top billing despite only reopening in April after its new owners, Sam Pullan and Nicole Deighton, found it on Rightmove. • 12 great London pubs with £5 pints — Wetherspoons excluded This is what the list is all about, says the guide’s owner and publisher, Adam Hyman. “It’s a guide for how normal people use a pub to eat and drink. We’re very proud to be championing these independent places that aren’t so well known but serve a real purpose in the community and have great food. The Highland Laddie ticks every box with a huge amount of flair.” Nicole Deighton and Sam Pullan’s Highland Laddie in Leeds has been crowned Britain’s best pub You won’t find any Michelin-star pubs on the list, or fine-dining restaurants masquerading as boozers. The word “gastropub” is also banned from the guide. “The word gastropub is outdated. It doesn’t mean anything any more,” Hyman says. “It conjures up that image of a lamb shank in gravy that you ate 15 years ago.” These days it just reminds me of Tom Kerridge’s Gastro range at M&S. Speaking of which, none of Kerridge’s pubs, usually considered among the best in the country, is in the top 100. • 20 top pubs in the UK to visit by paddleboard, kayak or canoe “This isn’t a list of places that are well known because they have a famous chef or a big PR budget,” says Chloe Hamilton, the guide’s editor. “They are loved because they are warm and inviting. They’re a nice place to be even if you aren’t eating. Nothing is expected of you when you go in as a customer.” Pubs you will find on the list include the Applecross Inn in Wester Ross, Scotland, accessed via the spectacular Bealach Na Bà Pass, and the Old Eyre Arms in Hassop, Derbyshire, in an ivy-covered 17th-century farmhouse. “You go into a lot of pubs these days and they are set up like restaurants. These pubs, however, don’t do that. You can’t book tables and there’s still loads of places for people to just come and have a pint,” Hamilton says. The Church House Inn is in a Devon village near Totnes Recognisable names still make the grade, such as the Bull in Charlbury, Oxfordshire, which has become so well known in the two years since it opened that this summer it became the watering hole of the former American vice-president Kamala Harris — weeks later, her successor JD Vance was reportedly turned away from the same establishment. Some of London’s best loved new “foodie” pubs are included too, from the Parakeet in Kentish Town to the Kerfield Arms in Camberwell and the Devonshire in Soho. It’s not been a particularly prosperous time for the British pub. In 2024 their number fell below 39,000, approximately half as many as there were in the 1970s. Almost 300 of the closures were in England and Wales — that’s six a week — according to the British Beer and Pub Association. It’s a figure desperate enough to make you want to march down to the pub and order a round in solidarity — except, well, that would cost you at least twenty quid. In March, research commissioned by Frontier Economics also revealed that the average price of a pint will break £5 for the first time, although I can’t remember the last time I bought one for under £7. The aim of the guide is to cut through the doom and gloom and help pub lovers to find a place that’s worth it. “When you actually go up and down the country and visit the pubs with proper hospitality, that serve the community but also have great food — be that a scotch egg at the bar or a three-course lunch — they are actually in really good health. They are doing it right,” Hyman says. • The UK’s most glorious riverside pubs where you can stay the night The list was compiled over six months, with each entry visited by several anonymous judges. In September the guide asked readers to submit their favourite pubs. They received 10,000 entries. “As well as our regional inspectors who have knowledge about specific geographies, we also have a huge amount of verification from our readers who tell us when management has changed hands or when they think standards have slipped or improved. Not every pub they suggest makes the list, but by visiting their suggestions, we are able to find out about the gems that nobody else has picked up yet,” Hamilton says. This year’s readers’ choice is the Broad Chare in Newcastle. “It’s a longstanding institution,” Hamilton says. “You can tell the owner, Terry, is really loved by the community. It’s a proper pub and a really welcoming, interesting place to be.” We’ve picked ten of our favourite lesser-known pubs from the list. For the full list of Britain’s 100 Best Pubs, go to thegoodfoodguide.co.uk. The Radnor Arms, Folkestone, Kent (No 5) Inclusive, warm, convivial town centre pub, which is part of Josh De Haan’s Pickled Egg Company. The head chef Niel Talan is Filipino and his sous-chef is from Sri Lanka so a southeast Asian thread weaves deliciously through the menu. Inn at the Sticks, Llansteffan, Carmarthen (No 9) Teej Sparks and her team run a proper village pub with a menu of Welsh sharing plates. There’s a women-led kitchen — Debs Neale and Mel Fairman have worked together for more than 35 years. Church House Inn, Harberton, Devon (No 16) ELLEN CHRISTINA HANCOCK The setting — tucked away in a quintessentially sleepy south Devon village near Totnes — is at odds with the confident produce-led cooking from Tim Blanchard, who previously worked at St John, Sabor and the Seahorse. It has played host to a number of chef collaborations since opening, including Elliot Hashtroudi from Camille in Borough Market. Hop Pole Inn, Limpley Stoke, Somerset (No 29) Saved from conversion into residential accommodation during 2022, this grade II listed, 16th-century pub in a stunningly pretty West Country valley is now owned by the local community. The head chef and local farm boy Charlie Rawlings’s farm-to-table menu is a love song to British cooking and local producers. The Anchor, Walberswick, Suffolk (No 45) EMMA KINDRED/@EIGHTYONE One of two pubs owned and run by Sophie and Mark Dorber, who recently bought it from the Adnams brewery. It’s hugely popular locally, with excellent beer and a wine list that takes you excitingly down paths less-trodden. The Grove Inn, Kings Nympton, Devon (No 52) Everything you could want from a country pub. The landlord Robert Smallbone has been here for more than 20 years and treats all his customers like old friends — an enthusiasm that inspires his friendly and helpful team. The main menu is hearty Devon grub and the dessert list is almost as long featuring a chocolate and Devon stout steamed pudding and burnt cream made with blackcurrants grown in the village. The Queen’s Arms, Corton Denham, Somerset (No 60) Ballymaloe alumna Doune Mackenzie-Francis bought the pub after the first Covid lockdown in 2020 and invested heavily in renovation work, transforming it into a model of contemporary country elegance. There’s a pub hub selling coffee and provisions in lieu of a village shop, characterful bedrooms and a classic pub/dining room with a menu from the head chef Rich Townsend, who came from the nearby Newt. Applecross Inn, Wester Ross, Highlands (No 62) MARY OVERMEER Run by Judith Fish since 1989 and legendary for its location (at the end of the nail-bitingly vertiginous Bealach Na Bà pass) and its seafood — langoustines in hot, garlicky butter, plump hand-dived scallops, local oysters and crab. The Ship Inn, Low Newton-by-the-Sea, Northumberland (No 67) A whitewashed old inn next to a pristine stretch of Northumbrian coastline run by Christine Forsyth and her daughter since the 1990s. Famous for their crab sandwiches and great ale from their accomplished onsite microbrewery. The Old Eyre Arms, Hassop, Derbyshire (No 92) Muddy boots and dogs welcome at this 17th-century Derbyshire inn that has recently been taken over by Alistair Myres, owner of the local fine-dining restaurant Rafters.

The 100 best pubs in Britain have been named - full list https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/uk-news/100-best-pubs-britain-been-32777399 The Good Food Guide, in partnership with Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, has named the 100 best pubs in Britain. Each pub was nominated by members of the public between August 26 and September 9. In securing one of the top spots, they had to be: Beacons of brilliant cooking that maintain the spirit of a pub Pubs where drinkers are as warmly welcomed as diners Places where customers have room to relax over real ales, a carefully compiled wine list and homemade bar snacks Where menus are changing regularly, following the seasons and using high-quality local suppliers The publication also handed out a Reader's Choice Award to the pub with the most nominations. The vast majority of which are pubs across England, though none from Birmingham made the cut. However, The Old Wharf Inn in Stourbridge managed to claim a spot. Full list of 100 best pubs according to the Good Food Guide 1. The Highland Laddie, Leeds 2. The Kinneuchar Inn, Fife 3. The Merry Harriers, Surrey 4. The Beckford Arms, Wiltshire 5. The Radnor Arms, Kent 6. Greyhound Inn, Pettistree, Suffolk 7. The Pelican, Notting Hill 8. The Abbey Inn, North Yorkshire 9. Inn at The Sticks, Carmarthenshire 10. The Pack Horse, Hayfield, Derbyshire 11. The Eagle, Farringdon 12. The Barrington Boar, Somerset 13. The Sun Inn, Dedham, Essex 14. The Kerfield Arms, Camberwell 15. The Broad Chare, Newcastle – Readers’ Choice Award 16. Church House Inn, Devon 17. The Killingworth Castle, Oxfordshire 18. The Felin Fach Griffin, Powys 19. The Gunton Arms, Norfolk 20. The Plough, Rye, East Sussex 21. The Bath Arms at Longleat, Somerset 22. The Parakeet, Kentish Town 23. The Rat Inn, Northumberland 24. The White Hart Inn, Essex 25. The Pipe & Glass, East Yorkshire 26. The Bull Charlbury, Oxfordshire 27. The Farmers Arms, Devon 28. The Devonshire, Soho 29. Hop Pole Inn, Somerset 30. The Waterman’s Arms, Barnes 31. White Horse Holme, Norfolk 32. The Olive Branch, Rutland 33. The Old Wharf Inn, West Midlands 34. The Star Inn, Harome, North Yorkshire 35. The George at Burpham, West Sussex 36. Fox & Hounds, Hertfordshire 37. Tichborne Arms, Hampshire 38. The Bull Inn, Totnes, Devon 39. Parkers Arms, Lancashire 40. The Woolpack Inn, Gloucestershire 41. The Double Red Duke, Oxfordshire 42. The Cat Inn, West Sussex 43. The Canton Arms, Stockwell 44. The General Tarleton, North Yorkshire 45. The Anchor, Walberswick, Suffolk 46. The Camberwell Arms, Camberwell 47. The Brisley Bell, Norfolk 48. The Swan, Suffolk 49. The Riverside at Aymestrey, Herefordshire 50. The White Horse, Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk 51. The Kirkstyle Inn & Sportsman’s Rest, Northumberland 52. The Grove Inn, Devon 53. The White Hart, Fyfield, Oxfordshire 54. The Silver Cup, Hertfordshire 55. The Anglesea Arms, Hammersmith 56. Heathcock, Cardiff 57. The Feathers Inn, Northumberland 58. The Anchor & Hope, Waterloo 59. The Taybank, Perthshire & Kinross 60. The Queens Arms, Somerset 61. Hare & Hounds, Glamorgan 62. Applecross Inn, Highlands 63. The Punch Bowl Inn, Cumbria 64. The Clachan Inn, Dumfries & Galloway 65. The Bull Freehouse, Troston, Suffolk 66. The Exmoor Forest Inn, Somerset 67. The Ship Inn, Northumberland 68. The Bell at Selsley, Gloucestershire 69. The Tamil Crown, Islington 70. The Millbrook Inn, Devon 71. The Drunken Duck Inn, Cumbria 72. The Bull’s Head, Herefordshire 73. Dylan’s at The Kings Arms, Hertfordshire 74. St Kew Inn, Cornwall 75. The Pilgrim, Buckinghamshire 76. The Howard Arms, Warwickshire 77. The White Horse, Churton, Cheshire 78. The Alford Arms, Hertfordshire 79. The Plough, Bolnhurst, Bedfordshire 80. The Cotley Inn, Somerset 81. The Cornish Arms, Tavistock, Devon 82. Kilchrenan Inn, Argyll & Bute 83. The Red Lion, Isle of Wight 84. The Greyhound Inn, Letcombe Regis, Oxfordshire 85. The Halfway at Kineton, Gloucestershire 86. The Crown, Hastings, East Sussex 87. The Bonnie Badger, East Lothian 88. The Owl Hawnby, North Yorkshire 89. The Blind Bull, Little Hucklow, Derbyshire 90. The Surprise, Chelsea 91. The Leicester Arms, Kent 92. The Old Eyre Arms, Derbyshire 93. The Dartmoor Inn, Lydford, Devon 94. The Longs Arms, Wiltshire 95. The New Inn, Herefordshire 96. The Duck at Yeoford, Devon 97. White Horse, Lincoln, Lincolnshire 98. The Gurnard’s Head, Cornwall 99. The Manor House Inn, Somerset 100. The Bunch of Grapes, Rhondda, Pontypridd

The North Face Pertex Down Jacket https://www.thenorthface.com/en-gb/p/women-211718/unisex-pertex-down-jacket-NF0A8DQB?color=1JI

Forget the Forecast: Sneakersnstuff Stockholm and adidas Bring GORE-TEX to the SNS GT II https://www.sneakerfreaker.com/releases/adidas-sns-gt-ii-7th-edition-gore-tex-price-buy-release-date/ The Sneakersnstuff SNS GT II is back for round seven, and this one’s weatherproofed for whatever the night throws your way. SNS and adidas Originals crank the terrace classic through the rave tunnel again, this time layering the SNS GT II with a full GORE-TEX upper so you can stomp puddles, pavements, and sticky dance floors without flinching. No weather app required. The partnership runs deep. SNS and adidas first linked up in the 2000s, with collaborations like the ZX 450 cementing their creative chemistry. What began as mutual respect between boutique and brand evolved into one of adidas Originals’ most consistent partnerships. From the handball-inspired SNS GT series to modern reinterpretations of icons like the Ultra 4D and Campus 80s, each drop has doubled as a cultural snapshot. Pulled from Malmö’s handball heritage and wired with the Spezial’s unmistakable sole, the SNS GT II 7th Edition pays tribute to Stockholm’s 1990s rave underground – those flyer-plastered underpasses, the flash of strobes off stone walls, the basslines that rattled the cobblestones. Its ‘Core Black’ upper sets a stealthy backdrop for ‘Unity Purple’ Three Stripes and an electric-pink tongue badge, while ‘Carbon Grey’ accents and an old-school gum sole keep it grounded. Every tone hums with late-night voltage, yet the build stays practical. That mix of heritage and innovation has defined the GT line from the start. First introduced in 2015, the SNS GT reimagined adidas’ terrace icons through a global lens – from Malmö to London – each drop tracing a different rhythm of sport and street. Now, the SNS GT II carries the energy of a cult classic into the all-weather era. Ready to roll out? The SNS x adidas GT II 7th Edition (GTX) lands October 31, exclusively through SNS stores and sneakersnstuff.com.

Aaron Anselmino rated by German media after Chelsea loanee’s first 90 minutes for Borussia Dortmund https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/news/aaron-anselmino-rated-by-german-media-after-Chelsea-loanees-first-90-minutes-for-borussia-dortmund/

Fichajes-spread absolute bullshit running wild, claiming we will drop £70m on Camavinga in January.

He is a horrid person on top of being a disastrously shit buy.

Chelsea's Failure to Sign a Top CB & GK is Embarrassing. Sort It Out. The deals should have been done & would have changed our season https://siphillipstalkschelsea.substack.com/p/chelseas-failure-to-sign-a-top-cb There’s no hiding it now. The fact is the Sporting Directors have failed to address two key positions in the last 4 windows, and we’re now facing the consequences. I’m talking of course, about goalkeeper, and most significantly, centre back. Head coach Enzo Maresca has wanted a new CB since January. He wanted one in the summer, even more so when Levi Colwill was injured. Chelsea’s answer was to recall Trevoh Chalobah, who whilst a great squad or rotational player, has shown this season he’s not the man to be starting every week at a club of the level we want to be. We tried to sign a CB in the summer. If not for Real Madrid coming in last minute, we’d probably have signed Dean Huijsen. That’s not on the club at all, Real Madrid is Real Madrid, and it was his dream move. But to then completely neglect the position when there were other gettable targets available, is not good enough. Yes, we had to sell to buy, but again, plan ahead and be ruthless. We weren’t, and now we’re basically relying on Josh Acheampong to stay fit. Our two best CBs are 19 and 22 years old and one is out till next season. Here’s a staggering fact. Of the £1.6 BILLION Chelsea have spent, only £198m has been spent on CBs. That’s half of what we’ve spent on midfield and less than half of what we’ve spent on attack. Having Colwill, Trev, Silva and Acheampong already here is NOT an excuse. Our biggest CB spend has been £69m on Wes Fofana who has played 39 games in over 3 years. Basically 12 games per season at most. The second highest? Axel Disasi for £38m. That’s embarrassing. As soon as Silva left, given Fofana’s injury history, we should have been signing a top CB to play with Levi. Josh could have played in the Conference League last season to develop and been eased in. Then this season, this CB and Josh would have been our first choice pairing, with Chalobah and Tosin rotating as squad players. Instead we’re in this absurd place where a 19 year old academy player is our best CB and none of the others are good enough to start regularly. We have one top CB, 2 squad players and 2 injury prone CBs. This is why it makes me laugh that people blame head coach Enzo Maresca for our defensive issues and bad results. Last season we had the third best defence in the PL, with Levi fit and in form, playing with a combo of Fofana, Trev, Josh and Tosin in rotation. This season Levi is out and its all gone to shit defensively. And it’s not the coaching, it’s a combination of fatigue, injury and Maresca not being backed in the market at CB. As for GK, we all saw the absolute shambles of a move for Mike Maignan this summer. He wanted to come, he was ready to come, and we blew it over £4m. Shambolic. Maignan would have added authority, leadership, organisation, a winning mentality and his distribution would have helped our attack, not just our defence. Not a chance we have that mess against United with Maignan in goal. He’s also old enough not to block the path of Mike Penders, the long term option at GK. He would have cost only £22m, which is an absolute snip. Maresca wanted him, we failed to get it done because we were cheap, simple as that. Simply not good enough for a club of the level of Chelsea. The players we did sign this summer I was impressed with. I was even more impressed with the sales we made, the Sporting Directors did a great job there. I understand the constraints of the UEFA punishment too. But elite Sporting Directors plan ahead for such situations and make ruthless decisions, and get deals done. These two positions being resolved would have meant at least 4-5 more points already this season, and up in 2nd place in the league. It’s absolutely non-negotiable for us to address these positions in the next two windows. Non-negotiable. If they don’t, the SDs know where the door is. I’m personally sick and tired of Maresca, who achieved two trophies and top 4 last year, not getting the backing he earned. He’s been proved right about his requests this summer and he’s the one who gets the stick for the results. Si reported that former scout Mick Brown has suggested we may go for a top CB in the January window. I hope that’s right and it happens. If we can get a top CB in January, it would have a hugely positive impact on our season. There’s also been reports we want a proven established GK too. I hope they are right as well. No excuses, get the deals done. Combined with players coming back from injury, I truly believe that would get us much closer at the top. The Sporting Directors haven’t got it right at CB and at GK, and that needs to change as soon as possible.

Luciano Spalletti has arrived at Continassa to sign his contract with Juventus and begin his tenure as the new Bianconeri coach. The Tuscan tactician will replace Igor Tudor, who was sacked on Monday, becoming the third Juventus coach in 2025. The Bianconeri beat Udinese 3-1 in a home Serie A game on Wednesday night with NextGen coach Massimo Brambilla leading the team from the touchline. Spalletti to sign contract until the end of the season https://football-italia.net/spalletti-arrives-at-juventus-training-centre/

not impressed at all so selfish I can see him being a bust if he doesn't sort himself

Joaquín Panichelli is a scoring machine atm

Slot in real trouble

wow what a shitshow win

Tosin at fault again shit header right into traffic in the box that fucker is diabolical

wtf!!!! 3 4 madness

Gittens easiest MOTM all season

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee GITTENS saves us

Maresca needs to get control of the club discipline

arfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

fucking plonker

fuck off Delap red

Substitution, Chelsea. Moisés Caicedo replaces Facundo Buonanotte.