On a sunny Saturday in July, Rik and I found ourselves responsibility-free and looking for a day trip within a ~1 hour drive radius of us. We deemed 9:30 as being far too late for a beach trip and instead headed southeast to Dorking, in the scenic Surrey Hills!
Beyond a quick Google search and some broad details I’d picked up over the years from my friend at work who lives there, neither of us had much knowledge about Dorking nor had we ever been. We set our maps to our first destination location – Denbies Wine Estate (which I’d highly recommend for an afternoon picnic date) – just on the outskirts of town and made it up from there. When the need for caffeine hit, we made our way into town for a coffee. This is when Rik mentioned a spot he found that he thought I’d enjoy which serves craft beer. I nearly dismissed this as was not feeling much in the mood for another drink due to the heat, humidity, and feeling less than “whole” from the few days prior, but I’m glad I agreed to check it out anyways as we truly found a gem!
While driving through Dorking and parking up, I was unsure of what to expect. More than once I’ve found bottle shops and micropubs in these types of “quintessentially British” locations promising that craft beer will be waiting for me, only to find the majority being trad-style selections from well known trad breweries, locals who will burn holes right through you with their retinas from the moment you walk in, and only a handful of entry-level craft breweries peppered in as a token gesture to add variety – bonus points when they are actually owned by “big beer” but listed on the “craft” menu. I don’t intend this as a dig, more a demonstration of how some locations aren’t as clued up on the domestic craft scene – which can lead to unintentionally misleading new visitors when trying to expand their audience. Bearing this in mind, I set my expectations low. When I walked in to Cobbett’s Beer Shop & Micropub and immediately spotted a great selection of Belgian and German beers on the shelves to my right, a superb selection of familiar UK favourites on the shelves to my left, and a great mix of both (and more) in the fridge just beyond, I breathed a sigh of relief and felt safe to start raising the bar. There are only a handful of beer-specific locations I have experience with that offer a good range of low/no alcohol options, but Cobbetts has you covered there as well as for the draught cider crowd (raising the bar even further for variety and inclusivity).
Upon stepping up to the counter and spotting names such as “Pastore”, “Burning Sky”, “Verdant”, and “Polly’s” on the menu with even more bangers showing on the “coming soon” list, I officially granted myself permission to get excited. To match the vibe of the hot and humid ‘British summer’ sunshine, I ordered a half of Pastore’s ‘Ripple Summer Berry Sour’ to enjoy in the cosy garden area at the back of the bar. Taking in the tart and fruity notes under the flowering vines of the shaded seating area brought me inner and outer peace – replenishing my exhaustion and burnout. The glass with “bad people good beer” gave me a good chuckle and watching the flower pollinators float about was much less stressful in that moment than I’d found them in the days leading up. All felt right in the world.
When the temperature got too much, we ducked inside and tucked into the corner barrel opposite the bar, ordering another half – this time of Burning Sky’s ‘Quench’ (it would’ve been a shame head off without ordering Burning Sky fresh on keg). The maximalist in me felt at ease in sitting and staring at the vast array of beer badges/posters adorned all over the walls of the main bar room, smiling at my little game of “I Spy” with all the past favourites I could spot. I got nearly as much joy out of observing the wholesome interactions between the staff and the regulars (are there people out there who don’t enjoy people watching?) and toyed with staying for another half solely because of how good the menu, environment and company was. Unfortunately it felt like everything in Dorking was closing on the earlier side for a Saturday – one of the only negatives to call out – and there were some other locations we wanted to make it to. As the clock was ticking, we decided it best to take off while we still had time and I fought the urge to buy any takeaways as the selection game was strong.
It wasn’t until after we got there and settled in that I discovered Cobbett’s was mentioned in CAMRA’s “Good Beer Guide 2025”. I won’t pretend to be surprised as to why as it’s very clear from the minute you walk in. I’ll admit that I always take a CAMRA promoted location with a pinch of salt as a woman in beer due to past experiences of feeling very out of place. While a lot of progress has been made in this area with more work still to be done, I can confidently confirm that this experience has convinced me to challenge my bias and buy the book so that I can take more spontaneous weekend trips to the locations mentioned and relive the excitement of a great find again. Not once did I feel I was being talked around, with the questions and conversations directed to Rik, nor did I feel patronized at any point (including when asking for a recommendation – which is typically the time). Cobbett’s has been added as a pick from me to our newly started podcast Google Map List (see links further below) for great “UK Pub Crawl” locations – as discussed in a recent episode with Tom Bacon.
I truly cannot recommend Cobbett’s Beer Shop & Micropub enough – whether it be for the great beer selection (in keg, can, and bottle), the warm and knowledgeable staff, or the atmosphere which blends a modern beer selection with all the charm of a small, traditional, judgement free “local” feeling micropub, set seamlessly in a historic British market town. They are dog and family friendly as well as offering a takeaway option on their draught selection for when you want to enjoy at home. You can order cans/bottles from their website for free collection or nationwide shipping at an additional fee, but if you’re lucky enough to live locally, you can also get free delivery! For me, it’s an easy sell for a whole day out with all the local businesses mere minutes’ away from Cobbetts. If you’re further afield, stay the weekend, do a winery tour, get some arancini from Monica’s Deli (imported from Sicily!), satisfy your sweet tooth with a fresh slice from PUTTY CAKES (no relation to Verdant 
), and go home full and happy!
CAMRA’s “Good Beer Guide 2025” (book)
AWBP “UK-wise Pub Crawl” Google Map – Add your own picks!
Reach out to me at adventuresinhoptimism@gmail.com if you want to discuss my experience any further or ask any additional questions not covered above!