Drink *, Décor ****, Price ***, Staff ***, Atmosphere ****

WHETHER you trudge round the high street weighed down by shopping bags or just click and buy on the internet, Christmas present buying is enough to make anyone turn to drink.

For anyone going through the annual ritual in Bromley, the Tom Foolery is ideally placed in the high street for a quick break.

It has big televisions for sport, a wide selection of papers to skim through while supping and is large enough to hide from your partner while they look for the last gift.

The pub sofas are big and comfortable which I would normally frown upon but there is something about eight hours spent searching for this year’s must have toy which makes me want comfort rather than tradition – so shoot me.

And there are three Fullers beers on tap – Discovery, ESB and London Pride.

The Discovery barrel needed changing during my stint so I cannot say whether it is nice.

But the other two were a let down – especially when you consider the Caskmaster certificate displayed behind the bar.

The first few sips of the ESB tasted good but then, strangely enough, about half a pint in, the drink became overtaken by a vaguely grainy taste.

This full bodied beverage (5.5 per cent ABV) was not a soft and malty tastebud pleaser as it usually is.

The London Pride was also not the well-rounded flavourful brew it should be (£3.05).

Instead I saw it as more of a jungle challenge which I had to get through.

It was nowhere near as bad as licking bees – or Christmas shopping – but very disappointing.

Despite all this I still say Tom Foolery is a good place to take a break from Christmas consumerism.

It had a good fun atmosphere and if you make a careful drink choice you should be okay.