All things to all people: the recipe for a busy pub

The Langton, one of our local pubs, always seems to be busy. The trick seems to be that it does a little bit of everything, and appeals to everybody. When we visited recently there were no seats in the main bar because an open mic night had brought its own crowd. Various musical types were taking turns to perform and it happened to be a jazz trio with guitar, fiddle and vocals in French when we walked through the door. At the bar orders were flying for cask ale, bog standard lager, Guinness, alcohol free wheat beer, exotic gins, and various forms of cider – including cans of Natch. We’ve long thought the continued presence of Natch as part of The Langton’s offer is a sign that its post-refurb management aims to be inclusive in every direction. It’s a product that acts as a signifier in Bristol pubs: pubs with aspirations do not generally stock it. But at The Langton, there it is, alongside the prosecco and the espresso machine. The live music – sedate but dominating – had pushed other…