When I saw that one of Basingstoke Wetherspoons had been rated in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide, I simply couldn't believe my eyes and thought, I need to go there and see what this is all about.

I've lived in Basingstoke for a long time, and in that time, visited a fair few boozers in the town. To be honest, when I saw The Angel in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide for 2024, I thought it must be an anomaly.

My colleague and I got there around 11am on Wednesday, October 4, strolling into a quiet but still fairly busy pub, with a number of elderly people sitting around enjoying themselves, making the most of the unlimited refills on the hot drinks, and others tucking into the extensive breakfast menu.

We had the same idea and thought we'd try out some of The Angel's food, and see what we made of it.

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Have you ever felt like a king or queen, with £20 in your pocket? Wetherspoon's pubs have to be one of the only places in the country where you can go with a £20 note, get two cracking breakfasts and two coffees, and still walk out with £9 change! It was an absolute bargain in truth.

I hadn't eaten in Spoons for a fair while, but it was refreshing to see that the quality of the food, and the prices, hadn't changed in recent memory, with the breakfast just as tasty as I remembered.

The portion sizes are always competitive, and for the prices you pay, the quality is outstanding.

I had a traditional breakfast, consisting of sausage, egg, beans, hash brown and a couple of bits of toast, for a very reasonable £4.50.

My buddy for the journey was George Nash, who was with us on work experience. He decided to have the American pancakes with maple syrup - a good choice, but a bit too early in the day for such a sweet treat personally. On top of this, we got a few unlimited refills on the hot drinks. I mean, for about £2 you'd be daft not to.

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It was tempting to get a pint and see which of the ales had been highly rated in CAMRA's beer guide, but it was too early. Despite that gutting hurdle, the experience was great. Staff were helpful and quick in taking and getting our orders and drinks out, and overall, the pub is clean, tidy and has a good feel about it. 

It probably helps the pub by having an extensive indoor and outdoor layout, so seating, or finding a table at most times of the day isn't too much of a challenge - although late on a Friday or Saturday night is a different story altogether.

In truth, people will have their own opinions on Wetherspoons and The Angel, but my experiences have always been top-notch, including this one.