Pubs and Bars / A-Z Bristol pub crawl

A-Z Bristol Pub Crawl: The Swan With Two Necks, St Jude’s

By Martin Booth  Wednesday Dec 11, 2024

On a recent Saturday evening in the Swan With Two Necks, a visitor arrived by bicycle after a shopping trip to nearby Cabot Circus where advent calendars had been successfully secured for his two daughters.

After a few minutes standing at the bar, he realised his back pocket was illuminated thanks to a particularly efficient flashing bike light that refused to turn off.

It was almost Christmas after all, with a sprig of mistletoe hanging from one of the oak beams next to a few old pump clips.

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Soon before 6pm, there were few places to sit left inside this pebbledashed pub in the back streets of St Jude’s which has 16 different beers on tap.

The solitary cyclist ensconced himself on a bench next to a few copies of the latest Bristolian overlooked by the head of a deer wearing a miniature sombrero.

“Look at all that pickled shit,” a visitor exclaimed.

Her eye had been caught by a dozen varieties of pickled eggs made by GingerBeard’s Preserves in glass jars on this side of the bar – from Marmite to candied jalapeño – behind which Cut by the Slits was on the record player.

As more visitors arrived, more chairs were found. The cyclist, with his back red light still flashing, contemplated a pickled egg for the road. Maybe next time.

The Swan With Two Necks has undergone dramatic changes in the last few years – photo: Martin Booth

The Swan With Two Necks, 12 Little Ann Street, St Jude’s, Bristol, BS2 9EB

Main photo: Martin Booth

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