Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Good Beer Guide

  • Cambridge – Pint Shop (2nd Visit)

    Cambridge – Pint Shop (2nd Visit)

    Pint Shop was the fourth pub on our little tour of Cambridge and it’s Good Beer Guide listed and I’ve visited before, so I’ll keep this post relatively brief.

    I’d say that this was the only pub of the nine that we visited where there was a complete absence of welcome either at the door or at the bar, with the service being a little terse and entirely unengaging. The pub wasn’t that busy, but there weren’t many seats available as the venue has a poor distinction between where drinkers and diners can sit.

    The beer list had a range of styles and numerous credible options, although nothing stood out as exceptional, but it’s certainly not a bad little selection. I’m not convinced that the bar staff had any idea about the beers, but if they did, they weren’t going to tell the customers.

    Some of the pub’s interior decor. I note a series of recent poor reviews commenting on the high prices of the menu and I’m in agreement with those, I’m struggling to see how they’re justifying main course prices of £20 whilst offering a minimal welcome to customers.

    I went for The Turtles All the Way Down from Duration Brewing, based in West Acre in Norfolk. Hoppy and refreshing, I’m not sure I can remember anything about it beyond that.

    The venue wasn’t the cleanest and I saw no evidence of staff cleaning anything, so the two probably go hand in hand. There was nothing of great concern about this pub, but it’s probably one that I’d skip on any future visits to Cambridge as it feels like a venue that is really only for diners and not those just wanting a drink. That was a situation which was less evident when I visited in 2020, but it was at that point much quieter.

  • Shipley / Saltaire – Cap & Collar

    Shipley / Saltaire – Cap & Collar

    The sun hasn’t helped me here in delivering a quality photo of the frontage, but there’s always Google Street View for anyone who requires better imagery…. Anyway, this is a Good Beer Guide listed micropub which was established in 2014 and I wasn’t going to miss out on visiting this when I was in Saltaire.

    I understand that there’s a beer garden to the back, but otherwise this is a relatively small pub. The main bar area is visible and the welcome from the staff member was immediate and seemed genuine.

    The beer options, inevitably limited given that this is a micropub, but a few cask and keg options, although nothing dark. There were though some bottles and cans which I didn’t investigate at the time (but have now looked on-line and there’s plenty of choice across most beer styles), so there were some additional choices there. They also have their own branded clothing on display, which felt a bit aspirational, but there we go…..

    I went for the Spectrum Eclipse from Vocation Brewery, along with Seabrook crisps which I think I’ve become addicted to. As an aside, I used to wonder why Morrisons stocked so many Seabrook crisps, but I’ve now discovered that both of them are headquartered in Bradford.  Very hoppy and fruity, it was a refreshing beer although the lingering flavours were a bit weak.

    There was a nice and friendly neighbourhood and community vibe to the micropub, deservedly in the Good Beer Guide I thought as the beer offerings were something different from the generic. Apparently (well, I’ve from CAMRA) that there a frequent tap takeovers and there are sometimes folk music performances. For those who don’t sufficient Seabrook crisps enough, the pub also has some street food vendors that attending on a rotating basis, giving a bit of choice to customers. All very lovely…..

  • Huddersfield – The Sportsman

    Huddersfield – The Sportsman

    Going back a few weeks (my backlog shows no signs of going away, but I shall persist….) to when Tony and I had a little expedition around the pubs of Huddersfield. This is the Sportsman, a Good Beer Guide listed pub which is noted for its historic pub interior and its selection of beer.

    There’s one main bar in the pub and there are numerous rooms leading off from it. The beer options are on the chalkboard at the end of the bar, neatly divided between keg and cask. There was also a printed menu of Belgian beers, which isn’t something that I really have much knowledge of, but Tony commented that it was a very decent selection.

    I liked the little touches from the 1950s refurbishment, such as the bell for drinks service. Some pubs put systems like this back in over the last couple of years when table service had to be reintroduced.

    We were seated in one of the side rooms and that’s half a pint of Plum Porter from Nailmaker Brewing Company who are from the rather lovely town of Barnsley. It was a very acceptable pint, one of the better porters that I’ve had.

    Having visited Saltaire, I’m happy to try some of the brewery’s beers and this red ale had some interesting notes of fruit, but was otherwise perhaps a little unexceptional. Well kept and at the appropriate temperature though, so no issues there.

    I don’t normally feel the need to take photos in toilets, but I like their heritage in this pub. In terms of the main part of the building, it would have been easy for a pub company to entirely knock out the internal walls of the pub, but enough has survived here to give it that historic feel, with some old plans of the building on the wall as well.

    Reviews of the pub are nearly all positive, just with the occasional one like:

    “Need to get this OTT OCD covid attitude rectified or it’ll go the way of the Corner. Soulless and sterile as things stand.”

    It’s disappointing that customers don’t perhaps recognise just how difficult it is for pubs to try and please their wider customer base, but I thought they were doing a really good job with a combination of serving at the bar but also with the team member coming over to offer table service for our second drink. The pub responded politely to the review as well, all nicely done.

    Anyway, this was a friendly and welcoming pub, with something of a community feel in all of the positive meanings of the word and I can see why it has won numerous CAMRA awards. Other customers were conversational and welcoming and the staff member was engaging and knowledgeable about the beer options. I liked the choice of beers as well, there was a range of styles on the extensive beer list. I’m glad that it’s in the Good Beer Guide….

  • Huddersfield – The Cherry Tree

    Huddersfield – The Cherry Tree

    More working through my little backlog of photos (there are several thousand, so my three readers will be in for a real treat over the next few weeks). This is from my visit to Huddersfield a few weeks ago and this is the pub that I went to after arriving in the town, the JD Wetherspoon operated Cherry Tree. It’s listed in the Good Beer Guide and is located near to the station, although I managed to get lost and took about ten minutes to make the one minute walk. It allowed me to see Huddersfield at least….

    I’ve never seen a Wetherspoons pub with a screen listing their real ales. My first impressions of the pub weren’t ideal as a very drunk woman was starting a fight outside and smashing up parts of the pub. The staff seemed to know her and went out to get rid of her and to repair their pub. A customer ran to the bar shouting help was needed and panicking about where the staff were, perhaps not realising that they were already at the scene of the incident. She did think about phoning 999, but she decided against it, but she had to order herself a vodka to calm down. Clever strategy that….

    There’s the screen for anyone who is interested in what JD Wetherspoon had available in this pub several weeks ago. I suspect that this is a limited audience.

    I got half a pint of the Wobbly Bob from Phoenix Brewery, which I can’t really remember several weeks on, but I gave it 3.75 on Untappd, so it must have been perfectly acceptable.

    And a chicken jalfrezi whilst I was there, alongside a pint of Brewdog Punk IPA. This is my go to food order for meals at JD Wetherspoons now, since I can’t order the pastrami bagel as it was ditched a few years ago (which still annoys me as is evident that I keep whingeing on about it). I go for the Punk IPA as it’s a bit like the Tesco meal deal, getting the most expensive drink as it comes free with the meal…..

    The pub isn’t brilliantly reviewed on-line, although that just makes for more exciting reading. Someone managed to order to the wrong pub (hopefully Richard won’t read this, as I won’t mention his little debacle in this regard):

    “Very poor, came from the Lord Wilson wetherspoons pub and didn’t realise I was still logged into L W and ordered drink to wrong pub, did not want to know do [so] went back to Lord Wilson, they to [too] didn’t want to know quoted terms and conditions blah blah, won’t go to any wetherspoons again.”

    But it’s important not to exaggerate in reviews:

    “Ruined by not enough staff!! with new table service 10 mins wait time on 2 occasions a man could die of dehydration”

    Ten minute wait, it’s hard to imagine how brave this customer was….

    “Terrible experience, sat down at the front outside, paid for our drinks. Then told that we couldn’t sit anywhere near weatherspoon pub, due us having a dog, due to company policy. Its the only weatherspoons i have been to that have done this to us, and wouldnt even give us some water for the dog. They seriously need to re-think their policy.”

    Wetherspoons have a national policy of no dogs on the premises (other than assistance dogs) and having seen some recent real problems in decent pubs which allow dogs, I suspect it’s by far the safest policy to have, including in gardens.

    This is my favourite review though:

    “Never ever going to Cherry Tree again, we ordered via the app, I had to go fetch our drinks after 20mins of waiting, then I had to fill the coffee machine up for them as the kids running the place were so unorganised, by the time I got back to the table food had arrived, my partner had half eaten his and mine was cold…”

    I’m not sure customers filling the coffee machine is at all ideal, but I was amused by the “my partner had half eaten his”. He sounds awesome  🙂

    Anyway, as a pub, this was all fine despite the drama going on outside, which wasn’t really the ideal introduction to Huddersfield. The staff were engaging, the customers not fighting were friendly and the environment was sort of clean. The range of beers justifies this pub being in the Good Beer Guide and I did pop back later in the week to have a rather delicious Amarillo golden ale from Saltaire Brewery.

  • Hull – Taphouse Brewpub

    Hull – Taphouse Brewpub

    This is the final Good Beer Guide listed pub in Hull that I hadn’t visited before, located in the rather on-trend Fruit Market area of the city. It’s a combination of a brewery which is jointly used by Bone Machine and the Yorkshire Brewing Company, as well as a bar area.

    The beer options on the board, a mixture of keg, cask and at the time of my visit, a German beer festival as well for Oktoberfest. I thought that the beer pricing was reasonable and I ordered at the bar, although I think it was meant to be table service. Either way, the staff were friendly and the atmosphere was laid-back and inviting.

    The food menu, where the prices were a bit more punchy. I had already eaten, but the food options looked good.

    I went for a couple of half pints, the Erdinger Dunkel (above) and the Men Beyond the Glass from Bone Machine. Both were very drinkable and at the appropriate temperature and all that. The interior of the bar is all modern and I liked the seating around the table, although it took me some manoeuvring to get in. There are plenty of power points dotted around the bar, which is perhaps something of a sign about how modern an interior is.

    It’s an interesting bar and I liked it, although I can imagine that it gets busy on weekends (and indeed, we couldn’t get in one evening last year as it was full). It’s well reviewed, although there is a 1-star review because the venue used disposable cutlery last year to make it easier to maintain Covid compliance, despite it being a “really nice place. Atmosphere, food and service were great”, which must be disheartening. But there’s always someone wanting to do a place down over Covid, although hopefully that is something which is behind us. The beer range wasn’t the most decadent that I’ve seen, but there were a range of different styles and there was plenty of choice. So that’s another bar that I’m pleased is listed in the Good Beer Guide and I think that I made the right decision to go and visit to complete my collection of Hull pubs that are listed in it. Although the new book is out in a few weeks, so if there’s somewhere new that’s another place I’d have to traipse to….

  • Shipley – Norman Rae

    Shipley – Norman Rae

    From a couple of weeks ago, this was my visit to the Good Beer Guide listed Norman Rae pub in Shipley, operated by JD Wetherspoons. It’s a relatively large and modern pub building, although a little unexceptional perhaps in terms of the design.

    That’s the Baltic Rum Porter from Bridgehouse Brewery, a really decent 6% ABV beer with a richness of flavour that only cost £1 for a half pint. I also had the 1872 Porter from Elland Brewery and the Raspberry Blonde from Little Critters Brewing Company, also excellent beers at the same very reasonable price. All three of those beers are way above average and there was certainly nothing generic about any of them. I’m unsure how much money is being made here  by the brewer or the pub at those prices, but I can see why this JD Wetherspoon outlet has found itself in the Good Beer Guide.

    I had the chicken jalfrezi at the same time, all as expected. The pub is relatively well reviewed and the staff members were friendly and helpful. The pub was sufficiently clean and the service was efficient and prompt. JD Wetherspoon pubs might have their faults, but they’re still operating to a decent standard and the real ale options and prices were really quite lovely. I did pop back here for breakfast one morning, which was also fine, and was realistically much better value than the Ibis hotel that I was staying in.

  • Halifax – Victorian Craft Beer Cafe

    Halifax – Victorian Craft Beer Cafe

    On the way back to Bradford, I visited this Good Beer Guide listed pub in Halifax and it’s a relatively short walk from the railway station (which is handy as that’s where I was coming from). The pub opened in 2014 with the aim of bringing continental style drinking to the residents of Halifax.

    The lighting in the pub was quite dim, but that suited its character and decor, although it made it difficult to capture in a photo. I think these capture the charm of the pub though, somewhere very cosy and comfortable.

    The beer board and that’s a well put together set of options, I was suitably impressed. There are usually 10 or so ales, 18 beers on tap and 100 bottled beers, I’d suggest it’d be hard for a beer drinker not to find something appropriate. Although not the man who reviewed the pub saying “pretentious, overpriced and dire beer”, although nearly every other review is quite rightly positive.

    Some news which I saw on the pub’s web-site is that they’re starting brewing themselves, under the Second Sight Brew Co banner and it looks an intriguing little set-up, with more at http://www.secondsightbrew.co/.

    I had debated going to get something to eat elsewhere, but the chorizo pork pie met my needs instead of bothering with anything else. The beer was refreshing and had the pineapple and apricot flavours that it promised, although not to the same depth as some of the other ones I’ve had from Brew by Numbers. Still a very pleasant way to end the night. Oh, and the pork pie was delicious, with not too much jelly for me to scrape off (it’s too decadent for me).

    As an aside, one thing that slightly confused me is that the Brew by Numbers brewery (one of my favourite) have several 55 Double IPAs, but I was able to check the pump clip to see that it was the El Dorado & Idaho 7 beer. Precision is needed for Untappd, a reminder really that I need to get out more….

    The service at the bar was friendly and engaging, this feels like a pub that the community is supporting. The decor is something else by any definition, a far cry from when it was an Italian restaurant, and I think they’ve done a great job with that. This really is one of those pubs that you could bring a book along to and spend a few hours here, or equally, find someone to talk to. I’m delighted that the Good Beer Guide directed me here, as although it’s a little bit trite to say that a pub can help you escape normality, I’d say this one can pretty much achieve that in the nicest of ways.

  • Sowerby Bridge – Hogs Head Brew House

    Sowerby Bridge – Hogs Head Brew House

    Fortunately it’s not too hot today as I explore the delights of West Yorkshire, with this visit being to the well-reviewed Good Beer Guide listed Hogs Head Brew House in Sowerby Bridge.

    I had already seen what drinks were available as the pub has listed them on their app, so that saved some time when at the bar. Well, saved a few seconds anyway. A range of beer styles there and a decent cask and keg selection of options.

    The bar, which feels bright and modern, and although it’s a little hidden by the lights in the photo, there’s a hog’s head above the counter (there are some other dead animals attached to other walls in the pub as well). The service was warm and welcoming, with the pub having quite a relaxed vibe.

    The cellar is visible through this glass panel in the floor and there’s a well that goes down even further.

    All very on-trend, a mix of the old and the new. The surroundings are comfortable and there’s certainly a lot of decoration and stuff around the place. There was one customer’s dog that spent about five minutes barking and he seemed oblivious to that it was annoying at least one other table. The pub didn’t feel very busy internally, but there were a fair few customers sitting outside in the garden area opposite.

    I went for the Paper Planes from Salopian Brewery, quite a quirky hazy beer, but with a depth of flavour that I liked. Of little relevance to anyone else, that’s the second beer I’ve had from Salopian Brewery in the last couple of weeks (and I’ve never had any from this brewery in Shrewsbury before that), both of which have been really quite acceptable.

    I’m not sure that I have much more to add about this pub, but I liked it and I’m glad that it’s in the Good Beer Guide. I’m not entirely sure how places of this size make money when they don’t offer meals (although they had pork pies), but there are two canals that meet in this town and perhaps they get some revenue from the tourist trade linked to that.

  • Barnsley – Tipsy Cow

    Barnsley – Tipsy Cow

    I’m still taking it nice and slowly on the pub front in Barnsley this week, just one Good Beer Guide listed pub a day, with today’s little excursion being to the Tipsy Cow on Sackville Street.

    The interior of the pub which isn’t very big, but there’s a bit more upstairs. It all seems quite modern and it’s something a little different from a micropub given that it feels like a new building and not just a conversion of an old shop.

    The beer list and I was pleased with that choice of beers, it’s not that large, but there’s a range of styles and there was a dark beer that I hadn’t had. The customer after me spent ages perusing the menu before going for a Budweiser, but each to their own of course…. The service was polite enough, with everything feeling clean and organised in the pub.

    There’s my drink of the day, half a pint of the Nutty Ambassador, a rich and partially decadent hazelnut stout from Little Critter Brewery. Also visible are my cheese and onion crisps and the pub’s gin menu, which is really quite extensive for a location this size.

    I’m pleased that this pub is listed in the Good Beer Guide as it’s situated on a back street away from the centre, so I would have been unlikely to stumble upon it otherwise. A very nice little location and there’s extra outside seating now for those who like to sit outside fending off wasps and the like. It’s well reviewed on-line and it feels a well managed pub, so all very lovely.

  • Barnsley – The Old No 7

    Barnsley – The Old No 7

    My Good Beer Guide pub for the day is the Old No 7 in Barnsley, mostly offering beers from Acorn Brewery which isn’t entirely surprising as it’s their pub. I’ve had most of the brewery’s core range of beers before and they make some interesting stouts and porters.

    The interior of the pub and there’s a downstairs area which is open on Friday and Saturday evenings. It wasn’t particularly busy during my visit, although it was a Thursday afternoon so that wasn’t an entire surprise.

    What appears to be a partial list of beers that are available and there’s also a “coming soon” board nearby.

    The bar allows customers to be seated in front of the pump clips and I only realised after ordering there was another beer there I would have ordered, but I saw it too late. I’ve been used to the Covid period of being able to see all the beers which are available, now I fear we’ll be in a period where they’ll be obscured again.

    The beer that I did order was really very good indeed, the Chocolate and Fudge Stout Detectives from 4T’s Brewery, a micro brewery from Warrington. A very rich flavour of fudge, chocolate and other decadent dessert items, although a slightly weak aftertaste, but still a very enjoyable beer and I’d order this again.

    The service was efficient and I can see why this pub is in the Good Beer Guide, and it additionally also often wins the CAMRA branch pub of the year. I felt that the environment was just slightly sterile, but the range of beers was excellent and I very much enjoyed the one that I had. I think I’d have liked it more if it was set up as a tap room arrangement, but everything was clean and tidy and I have no complaints about the offering. Oh, and the scampi fries were delicious.