Foodie Friends - Pint of 45

Proving that the Welsh Blog scene isn't all about food, I chatted with Oliver Hurley from "Pint of 45"

Pint of dark please. Photo supplied by P. Jones

When did you begin blogging and why?
We started the blog in August 2008, primarily as an excuse to go to the pub. Beyond that, I liked the idea of working on a collaborative project - it's as much about the photos, which are taken by Phil Jones, as it is about the words, which I bash out. We also wanted to do something that's a closer reflection of most people's drinking experiences than you get from some of the more po-faced pub websites.

Pint of 45 is more about the dodgy-looking bloke lurking at the bar or the perplexing decor of local boozers than it is about what selection of real ales are on tap.

What is the essence of your blog?
Originally, it was envisioned as an acerbic, lager-based version of Egg, Bacon, Chips and Beans. Basically, we stumble into various pubs and bars around Cardiff, Phil takes a load of photos on his phone, which we then stick on the blog along with extended captions for each pic, the primary purpose of which is to take the piss. The posts aren't really proper reviews as such - but, in a way, they do provide a fairly accurate snapshot of each place we visit - our Gwdihw post is a good starting point!

Why do you enjoy blogging?
I've spent over 10 years writing for various magazines, newspapers and websites and it's great to be able to say whatever you like on the blog, without having to worry about adhering to someone else's style guide or appeasing PRs. As such, we have given a few places a bit of a kicking, although it's never undeserved (equally, if we like somewhere, we really champion it). It's been satisfying to watch traffic to the blog grow over time and know that it's all due to our own efforts (or lack thereof). And doing the blog also means that pickling ourselves on colossal pub crawls somehow constitutes work.

What are some of your favourite food/drink things in/around/about Cardiff?
Phil's a big fan of the New Fleurs in Splott for a couple of games of darts and a pub lunch. And I've always quite liked Zero Degrees, even if I did have to avoid the place for six months after a big group of us accidentally walked out without paying for the five pizzas that we'd just scoffed!

But if doing Pint of 45 has taught us anything, it's that it's always worth trying out places you've never been to before. Even now, going into a new pub for the first time feels like a bit of an adventure.