Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Good Beer Guide

  • Barnsley – Jolly Tap on the Arcade

    Barnsley – Jolly Tap on the Arcade

    There aren’t a large number of Good Beer Guide pubs in Barnsley, so I limited myself to just one today, the Jolly Tap on the Arcade. This was previously a cake shop located on the Arcade (hence the pub name) and, since 2019, it is the taproom of the Jolly Boys Brewery.

    The beer selection is chalked up clearly at the end of the bar, although I didn’t understand the craft cans options. This is really a micro-pub in size, two tables downstairs and a handful upstairs with a small terrace area. I arrived shortly after the bar opened, but it soon got busier, I can’t imagine how busy it must get on weekends.

    Half a pint of the brewery’s Jolly Collier Porter, which I’ve had before at the Swiss House B&B in Castleton, who stocked three or four of their beers. Perfectly nice beer.

    And half a pint of the Supa-Citra Pale Ale from the brewery, which I hadn’t had before. I paired this well with the Bacon Fries, a very decadent combination.

    Service was polite, the surroundings were clean and comfortable, so all was well. I’m pleased that it’s listed in the Good Beer Guide, as otherwise I might have missed this well-reviewed bar given that it’s relatively new.

  • Huddersfield – The Grove

    Huddersfield – The Grove

    Hop & Vine Tony and I couldn’t get into this pub when we tried on Monday, primarily as it’s shut on Mondays. However, I didn’t want to miss out (and my friend Julian S from Norwich is also a fan of this pub, so it came personally recommended), so I went down on the Tuesday evening to see why this Good Beer Guide pub was so well reviewed.

    The beers on the bar, certainly an excellent choice with plenty of different styles. Incidentally, I didn’t like how my view of their crisp selection on the bottom shelf was obscured by the high bar. I realised after I had ordered that they had Frazzles and I didn’t get to order them….. I’m not saying that this is a critical problem in the world today that needs media attention and Government action, but I felt it worthy of mentioning here.

    A more complete look at the beers that they had, which I’d mostly already had in one shape or form, but there were some that intrigued me. The Albino Pheasant from Verdant Brewing was tempting, but it’s not a cheap beer and I’m sure there will be another occasion.

    The artwork on the wall was, well, I can’t really say anything as apparently it’s of the owners and it feels wrong to make any other comment than to say it’s certainly quite decadent. I would say though that I hope JD Wetherspoon don’t decide this is an angle that they want to go down, I don’t need to see any more of Tim Martin.

    The interior decoration was certainly quirky….. In front of the stuffed animal on the wall, that’s a Green Devil IPA from Oakham Ales which I expected to be quite average, but was actually anything but. Zesty, hoppy and quite powerful, I really liked this.

    I also didn’t have great expectations for my half a pint of Alf, a collaboration between Marble Beers and Amundsen Brewery of Norway. I’m not very good at describing pale ales, but I’ll have a go, but just to say, this was a beer which had a depth of flavour that I’ve rarely experienced in this style, although it is a 5.4% beer. I had to think about this beer and sip it slowly, pretending that I actually had a clue what flavours I was trying to decipher. It was very fruity, that was evident, and there was a strong hoppy background to it and I decided that I could taste peach, although I probably made that up. A clean flavour and rich aftertaste, and I wish I could explain why I liked this beer, but that’ll have to do in my little write-up. I gave it 4.75 on Untappd though, which was generous of me.

    The pub had a relaxed atmosphere, clearly something very different and not run of the mill. The staff were friendly and helpful, welcoming customers who were leaving and departing, with a community feel to the whole arrangement. I hope that they remain in the Good Beer Guide for many more years to come, it was all really rather lovely.

  • Huddersfield – King’s Head

    Huddersfield – King’s Head

    Huddersfield Railway Station has the rather lovely situation where there is a pub at either end of the building, the Head of Steam at one end (more on which in another post) and the King’s Head at the other. It’d be nice if Norwich railway station had such decadent choices, but maybe one day (and perhaps a Greggs as well whilst they’re making the changes). The pub was formerly known as the Station Tavern and the interior is something different, with the floor tiling being of note. It’s certainly a large space (and there’s some outdoor seating as well), although perhaps rather sparsely laid out at the moment though.

    Tony, from the wonderful Hop & Vine pub in Hull, was joining me for the day and this is where we started our little expedition from. Something which doesn’t appeal to me (I prefer quiet and genteel in pubs…..), but there is regular live music held here and I think that that’s a popular way of getting people in for this venue.

    The list of beer options and I liked the range of different beer styles that were available. The prices were also reasonable and it was easy to see the beers that they had.

    The Tiramisu Stout from Salvation Brewery, which was entirely pleasant to drink, but lacking in any real depth of taste. The beer is listed by the brewery as having “a delicious depth of flavour”, but it wasn’t quite desserty enough for me.

    The service in the bar was friendly, with the staff member being engaging and conversational. I can see why this is listed in the Good Beer Guide, a very acceptable place to wait for a train.

  • Huddersfield – Rat and Ratchet

    Huddersfield – Rat and Ratchet

    The Rat and Ratchet in Huddersfield has an excellent reputation locally and is listed in the Good Beer Guide and has been for the last thirty years, which is an impressive achievement by any measure. The pub is located near to the Queensgate Campus of the University of Huddersfield, a short walk from the town centre.

    Underneath the pub in the cellars is the Rat Brewery, which as this useful sign notes has been producing beers since 2011 under the new owners, the Ossett Brewery. The beers are still though separately branded for the moment.

    It’s fair to say that I liked the signage.

    The bar was nicely presented and the barman was kind enough not to comment that I nearly tripped over the little step by the bar whilst walking towards it. Fortunately, I recovered the situation promptly and professionally……

    I was slightly puzzled (not difficult, I’m nearly permanently puzzled by something) at the weekend to see the Ossett Brewery beers at the Salt Beer Factory and so I asked the barman about that given it was replicated the other way round here. He mentioned that it was all part of the same family, which is something that I didn’t know. Judging from their on-line branding, the brewery is treating Ossett Brewery as their cask product and Salt as their keg product.

    The list of cask and keg options is clearly marked up.

    I ordered half a King Rat from Ossett, as well as half of the Ratsputin which was an imperial stout which some depth of flavour to it. Both well kept pints, at the appropriate temperature and so on.

    The service was friendly and the environment had an historic feel to it, although it had a modern edge to it as well, the ‘old meets the new’ and all that. It felt a welcoming pub judging from the other customers and I can see that this would be a handy place to have as a local. There’s very much a focus on their own beer, with few guest beers, although that is perhaps not unreasonable given that they brew some of the products here. Definitely a very worthwhile addition to the Good Beer Guide.

  • Huddersfield – Magic Rock Brewery Tap

    Huddersfield – Magic Rock Brewery Tap

    This is the taproom of Magic Rock brewery, a company which was established in Huddersfield in 2011. It’s now something of a corporate affair, having been taken over by Lion Brewery, an Australian multinational. Magic Rock beer is also widely available in supermarkets and the like, as well as often being seen on restaurant menus. The taproom is listed in the Good Beer Guide, although I would have come here anyway given the good reputation that Magic Rock have.

    There’s no shortage of seating here, this is part of the external area. There are food trucks which turn up every weekend, this week’s was a Dutch company.

    The list of beers, although they’ve also got the complete menu on Untappd as well which made things easier.

    The very nice interior of the taproom, which is very well reviewed on-line. I mentioned to the member of staff that I had booked a table just in case, but it was clear that I didn’t need to. It was a little busier outside, but the venue was surprisingly quiet. Everything was clean and comfortable, with an organised feel to the whole arrangement.

    I must admit to being slightly disappointed at the entire lack of any dark beers, even as guests, with not even their Commons Grounds porter visible. I went for five different beers from Magic Rock, all served as thirds. The bar service was slightly clumsy given that the beers are all the same colour, I would have really preferred a better set-up than this, even if they had just written them down on a bit of paper. The barman told me the drinks, but he got the order muddled up, although I think I was able to correct it (that’s the handy thing about a Gose, it’s not hard to recognise). There was also a moderately surprisingly lack of engagement given that this is the brewery’s taproom, but the service remained friendly enough.

    The keg beers were all very good though, my own personal favourite was the Clown Juice a white IPA, which is a mixture of an IPA and a Witbier. Anyway, I had a perfectly pleasant couple of hours here and I liked that they were serving as thirds. The location was clean and there was an on-trend feel to the whole arrangement, with the staff members always being helpful and polite. This also means that I’m verging on completing the main range of beers from Magic Rock which is handy. This is very much worth a visit though, it’s not far to walk from the centre of Huddersfield.

  • Bradford – Record Cafe

    Bradford – Record Cafe

    I still haven’t dealt with my blog post backlog from Leicester, but since I’m now in Bradford, I’d better start first with my little adventures here. This is the Good Beer Guide listed Record Cafe on North Parade, a mixture of Spanish restaurant, craft beer bar and record shop. That’s an intriguing mix by any measure.

    The beer list, which I thought was nicely put together with a range of beer styles. There’s also an ample list of cans as well, with some interesting and decadent imports from the United States.

    The service was excellent, with the staff member being friendly and engaging. I asked him which other pubs I should visit in Bradford and he gave me a few suggestions on top of the Good Beer Guide ones. He also suggested a venue over the road and checked with a group of customers in the pub when it opened, which was handy. The group probably thought I was following them when I then visited, but they were pleasant when I did, well, follow them.

    Anyway, the beers I had were a half pint of each of the Henry Hops from Mikkeller and the Brownie Hunter from Wilde Child Brewing Company, a micro-brewery from Leeds. The first was a keg beer and was fine, but the latter cask beer was excellent. It was full-bodied, smooth, inevitably decadent and if it had a slightly stronger aftertaste to carry on that beautiful flavour of chocolate fudge brownie then it’d be near perfection. Possibly a little too sweet for some, but absolutely not for me, a lovely lunchtime treat (and actually better than most desserts as far as I’m concerned).

    This is the sort of bar that I’m delighted is in the Good Beer Guide, as otherwise I’d have perhaps avoided it thinking that it was primarily a restaurant. It isn’t, I’d say that it’s a primarily a bar with food options and records for sale as well. Bradford should be proud of this pub, all nicely done.

  • Leicester – The Globe

    Leicester – The Globe

    This was the first pub we visited this week on what proved to be an expedition to all of the Good Beer Guide pubs in central Leicester.

    My first impressions were all very positive as the building looked interesting and there was also an information board outside about the pub’s history. It has been serving beer since at least 1720 with ales once brewed using the well which is still located beneath the building. It’s possible that the pub’s name comes from the larger glass globes of water that framework knitters placed in windows to help give them more light to work by. The current building dates from the late eighteenth century and its been owned by Everards since the late nineteenth century.

    The snug area towards the front.

    Despite the threats of ghosts, we decided to sit in the snug….. So very brave. I can report that no ghostly activity took place that we were aware of. On this whole haunting matter, the pub’s web-site mentions:

    “Prior to becoming a public house, the Globe had several interesting uses, including a cattle merchants and accommodation for women awaiting impending execution at the hands of the noose man in nearby Gallowtree Gate. This may go some way to explaining the reported haunting within the premises, which includes the ghost of a woman on the stairs, two disagreeing brothers that argue over the bar and a young boy in the cellar who turns off the beer!”

    The beer selection wasn’t ideal for my tastes, with no darker options although the Old Original from Everards was acceptable enough. The pub is operated by Ever So Sensible which has twelve or so sites, but they seem to be restricted to beers from Everards.

    The service at the bar was friendly and the environment seemed welcoming and comfortable. Food is served here throughout the day, although I only saw one person ordering a meal, but the reviews are mostly positive. As an aside, the pub has a few negative reviews that really aren’t ideal, I’m never sure that chains like this should have a blanket policy of not bothering to reply. There’s an allegation of an assault that took place recently at the pub, and although review sites aren’t perhaps the place to air these things I’d like to see the venue at least suggest that they’re taking it seriously, even if they don’t comment on the actual incident.

    The pub was clean and it’s great that such an historic building is listed in the Good Beer Guide, I like to see pub heritage. There was nothing wrong for me to comment about on the visit, but ideally I’d have liked some slightly more exciting beer options, but they seem to be tied to Everards which perhaps gives them little freedom.

  • Leicester – The Salmon

    Leicester – The Salmon

    Continuing with our trip to every Good Beer Guide listed pub in Leicester, this is the Salmon on Butt Close Lane (I make no comment on that, but it isn’t perhaps an ideal residential address). As with the King’s Head we visited yesterday, the pub is operated by Black Country Ales who I’ve become quite impressed with.

    The pub had a slightly quirky feel to it, but in a positive way and the staff member was enthusiastic, polite and engaging. I’ve noted that a few pubs in the area serve good value cobs, here there are £2 options which include cheese & onion or ham & tomato amongst other options. It’s best I don’t start buying these, as I’d likely end up buying about four.

    I was very impressed with this list of beers, lots of different styles and three darker options. These screens make it so much easier for customers to see what’s available, I’d like to see set-ups like this more often.

    And what a drink to start with, the Creme Bearlee from Beartown Brewery, a milk stout that was as smooth as Michael Gove’s dancing in Aberdeen. Rich with tastes of molasses, vanilla and coffee, this could be a dessert if someone shoved a flake in it. Glorious tasting little beer.

    I was only going to stay for one, but I felt the need to just work through a couple of other options on the beer menu. I have to note that this drink was served with a hair in it, which wasn’t ideal, but I let that matter fly (and indeed the hair). This is the Dragon Smoke from Beowulf Brewing Company and it had a beautiful smoky flavour as its name suggests, a touch of decadence.  There was some coffee evident in the taste, with a richness of flavour, although the aftertaste didn’t linger quite as much I would have liked. But still delightful.

    Finally, the New Alchemist from Plan B Brewery, a microbrewery from Newport, this didn’t have quite the richness I expected, but it was suitably refreshing.

    Back to the pub, I really liked it here, evident as I stayed longer than expected. Other customers spoke to me, the barman was friendly and this was another pub which felt like somewhere that a newcomer moving to the area could visit and find friends. This is an essential factor in a decent community pub in my mind, somewhere which serves its locality and brings people together. Another really delightful entry into the Good Beer Guide and it’s unlikely that I’d have found it otherwise as it’s very slightly off the beaten track. All very lovely.

  • Leicester – Wygston’s House

    Leicester – Wygston’s House

    Our Good Beer Guide expedition around Leicester took us to this quite glorious building, which is the oldest residential property still standing in the city, dating back to the fifteenth century. This pub has a restaurant upstairs, so we decided to visit that for the full experience of the venue. I had made an advance booking and wasn’t quite sure where to go, but the staff member at the downstairs bar quickly acknowledged us and explained to amble up the stairs (I’ve added the word amble there, this is a place that shouldn’t be rushed).

    The upstairs grand hall of the property, which was built for Roger Wygston, although it’s not known why this building survived when so many others were taken down. Like many buildings of this age, it has gone through numerous transformations as shops, offices, residential accommodation and now as a pub.

    As for the drinks, I went for the tasting selection, which was one third of three different beers. I like these flights (three beers for me to list on Untappd and so more badges to collect, and I admit given that I need to get out more….) and the friendly staff member tried to tell me which each beer was, eventually willingly just leaving me with her scrawled note so that I didn’t forget. The beers were all enjoyable, although if I was being a bit picky, I would have preferred a wider range of beer styles. From left to right there’s the ‘What the Fox’s Hat’ from Church End Brewery, then ‘Blue Fox’ from Charnwood Brewery and then the ‘White Rat’ from Ossett Brewery. They were all well-kept and at the appropriate temperature, with the three drinks costing £3.90. I did like that the beers were from different breweries, not just a job lot from one place.

    I went for the fish and chips, which was well presented and the triple cooked chips were delicious with their fluffy interior and crispy exterior. The fish flaked away, all tender and the batter had a pleasant flavour to it. There were proper mushy peas, but there was a flavour that I couldn’t discern (that wasn’t pea I mean, I could identify that) and didn’t overly like, I think I’d rather have had a minty element to them. Much more excitingly I suspect that the tartare sauce was homemade, it was very moreish. I would have rather had a slightly larger portion of chips, there was a bit too much blank space for my liking on the plate, but it all tasted fine and there was an appropriately timed check back.

    The Eton mess, which was neatly presented again, or at least, as well as you can present a mess. I would have liked a bit more meringue because I’m greedy like that, but it was a suitable way to end the meal.

    The service was attentive and welcoming throughout, but the restaurant area remained relatively quiet during our Friday evening visit. As for the beers, there was a choice and they were well-kept, although there was perhaps nothing exceptional that I’d mention. I’m definitely pleased that this is in the Good Beer Guide as I don’t think that I would have gone in otherwise, and I would have missed the over 500 year history of this building. I’d recommend this pub to others, the dining environment particularly was comfortable and relaxing, I liked the laid-back atmosphere to the whole arrangement.

  • Leicester – My Favourite Three Good Beer Guide Pubs

    Leicester – My Favourite Three Good Beer Guide Pubs

    I don’t normally write blog posts in this manner (list type ones), but since I was asked, I’ll oblige. My friend Ross and I managed to visit every Good Beer Guide pub in central Leicester this week, and I’ll eventually write about them all on my little Good Beer Guide page.

    In reverse order (I like adding to the anticipation for my five readers)……

    3 – The Blue Boar – A winner of CAMRA’s Leicester pub of the year in 2018, 2019 and 2020, there was a friendly and immediate welcome from the staff member behind the bar even though they were busy. A clean and comfortable environment, but it was the quality of the beer options that really stood out. Helpful staff, excellent beers and a really well curated beer list.

    2 – The Real Ale Classroom – A bit of a walk outside of the city centre, but absolutely worth it. This is a micropub with quirky decoration themed around education, namely because the owners swapped a career as school teachers for running a bar. I thought that the beer options were some of the best curated that I’ve seen, I wanted to try most of the beers listed on the clearly displayed blackboard. Pro-active and enthusiastic staff, with a new beer garden to help deal with the number of customers who want to go here.

    1 – The Two-Tailed Lion – This was my stand out pub of the week, another with an Untappd screen with numerous interesting and intriguing beers. A clean environment, perfectly well-kept beers and an informal atmosphere. The customer service was excellent, close to the levels that are offered by the Hop & Vine in Hull (my benchmark of the perfect pub), with the barman here being conversational and engaging. I liked his genuine welcome and farewell to every customer and also his help in explaining which he thought the best pubs in Leicester were when I asked. It transpired that the ones he mentioned as the best were also the ones that I liked the most, and I’m grateful he recommended the trip out to the Real Ale Classroom. I can forgive a pub having faults if the staff make me feel really welcome, but this one didn’t have any faults. Quite wonderful.