Last year, The Old Bank had been hoping to install another couple of handpumps and chillers beneath the bar. Alas, this has not yet happened, meaning that occasionally you'll travel to this quietly hospitable place to find that there's nothing on the solitary handpump because the barrel's run out. Perhaps The Old Bank's slightly out-of-the-way position in the Blenheim suburb of Redwoodtown has reduced its turnover recently, but its handpulled beers have certainly proved extremely popular in the past. Also, be aware that they tend to close relatively early in the evenings, especially when they are not busy. Other lesser bars who allow their barrels of ale to sit beneath the bar at sultry room temperature should take note how simple it is to serve beer at the correct temperature of 12 °C. Townshend's excellent Old House ESB is the most common brew to find on the handpump. It does have a tendency to be cloudy, presumably due to the necessity of frequently changing over the barrels. Having a second pump on the go could alleviate this problem too.
