Beer isn’t the only thing Renegade has perfected. The brewery also knows a thing or two about what food is the best to enjoy along with its tasty selection of ales, lagers and IPAs.
Renegade Brewery – formerly West Berkshire Brewery – is located just a 20-minute drive north of Newbury in the village of Yattendon.
Within the brewery (which also offers beer tastings and tours) there is the spacious Renegade Taproom & Kitchen.
With views of the metallic brewing tanks on one side, and rolling hills and countryside on the other, Renegade’s eatery exudes a laidback atmosphere that is perfect for relaxing and enjoying a couple of cold ones.
The food on the taproom’s menu is tailor-made to be paired with beer, and there is a vast array of different options to suit everyone’s tastes.
The kitchen serves burgers, tacos, pizzas, several different main course dishes and a variety of small plates that the menu boasts are ‘perfect for sharing over a drink’.
There is also a selection of desserts to try, an impressively large children’s menu and a Sunday breakfast offering as well – a lot for a restaurant within a working brewery!
When I visited Renegade with a friend at lunchtime, we shared several dishes to get a feel of the diverse menu.
All the food at Renegade comes out at the same time, adding to the relaxed ambience.
We ordered six hot Buffalo chicken wings (£10.50), tostadas (£8.50), a double cheeseburger (£16.50) and the Renegade master pizza (£15.50).
The wings were your classic spicy poultry snack, very generously lathered in a blue cheese sauce, almost to the point of drowned. This cheesy overload didn’t take away from the tastiness of the chicken or the hot Buffalo sauce however.
The vegetarian tostadas were topped with refried beans, sweetcorn chimichurri, bits of crumbly feta cheese and healthy blobs of guacamole – a refreshing Mexican snack that felt like a healthier counterpart to the rest of the meal.
It was clear to see why the double cheeseburger is one of the most popular items on the menu.
It’s exactly what you want from a burger. Two patties topped with lettuce, tomato, gherkins, onion, cheese, mayo and ketchup all in a brioche bun. Simply delicious, and the chips and slaw on the side were great too.
Our final dish was the Renegade master pizza, which had an Americana-style mix of interesting toppings such as slow cooked beef brisket, sweetcorn chimichurri and ranch dressing.
It was really tasty, and all the food we had were great to share among friends along with some of Renegade’s finest brews.
And of course, being in a brewery, we had to taste some of the beers.
I was lucky enough to be the first person to try Renegade’s newest product, a 4.5 per cent golden ale called Jack and Jill which was sessionable, smooth and fruity. A real treat.
I then had a half pint of the ever-popular 4.1 per cent Renegade Lager, the cornerstone of the Renegade business which hasn’t changed since the West Berkshire Brewery days. It is still as crisp as ever.
The final beer I tried was a strange one, the mango sorbet IPA dubbed Palate Cleanser. As weird as it sounds, the sweet and juicy 4.9 per cent drink was actually really good. Definitely one for those with a sweet tooth.
We finished off our meal with a New York baked cheesecake (£7.50) and Al’s chocolate brownie (£7.50), both baked in-house and both were fantastic.
Renegade Taproom & Kitchen offers customers a large menu filled with delicious, comforting food. Its selection of American dishes are perfect for pair with its famous beers.
Worth a visit for anyone who likes a brew and tasty food!
