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Category: Good Beer Guide

Paignton – Henry’s Bar

Ross wanted to relive his youth or something similar, so we bravely walked to Paignton (and back again) from Torquay and I hadn’t given much thought to the lunch options. I had a look at Google Reviews and Henry’s Bar was very well reviewed and I was craving fish and chips, so I opted for that. I was surprised and delighted to discover that it’s the only pub in Paignton which is listed in the Good Beer Guide, so that’s another one ticked off.

It’s not a new venue, the Torbay Express wrote an article about the new venue in November 1984:

“The cheerful bright red of Henry’s Bar heralds a new type of place to eat and drink in Torbay.

This upmarket combination of wine bar plus traditional beer-selling free house is the idea of Mr Ray Shermon.

“It is a really nice place for people to meet friends,” says Mr Shermon of his bar in Paignton’s Torbay Road.

Henry’s Bar, with its wide variety of food and drink, is certainly family-fun. Mr Shermon’s wife, Gerry, daughter Maxine, 18, and James, 14, are all involved in the business.

Even the name – Henry’s Bar, has family connotations. Henry was the name of Mrs Shermon’s late father.

Mr Shermon is not new to the food and drink trade. He bought Henry’s Bar, then La Taverna, having sold The Patio Restaurant across the road.

He and his wife have run La Taverna since July, but, after a total refurbishment taking three weeks, the old restaurant is unrecognisable.

The colour, inside and out, is a welcoming red, with red cushioned seating round the walls and padded stools of various heights.

There is a curving bar, a traditional style of carpet and attractive touches such as old-style lighting, a fan and mirrors, not to mention modern central heating.

This, combined with unusual arches, makes for a smart but comfortable atmosphere in a bar which would be ideal as a starting place for a late night outing.

Mr Shermon, who opens in normal pub hours, is aiming for an all-year and not just seasonal trade, and Henry’s Bar should attract people not only in the evening, but also at lunchtimes.

“It is a place not only for youngsters, but for everybody,” says Mr Shermon.

Henry’s Bar serves a good range of drinks, beers, a variety of wines and spirits. Mr Shermon also has a number of coolers to offer, including peach, cherry and apricot flavours.

Food is served until half-an-hour from closing time, and there is certainly something for everyone on the menu.

There are basket meals including chicken, pot meals ranging from curry to beef stew, and Sunday lunchtimes would be a good time to visit Henry’s Bar.”

There was another article in 1987 which mentioned that Tetley’s Bitter was 60p a pint and Castlemaine 4X was 70p a pint, although they were special prices as there had been a refurbishment. Steak & kidney pie was available for £1.95, pizzas were from £1.75 and a jacket potato was 75p.

Later that year there the venue was put up for sale at an asking price of £395,000 which seems high to me, I’m not sure that they’d get much more than that now, nearly 40 years later.

The interior which I felt had plenty of character and atmosphere. It was relatively quiet when we visited, but I can imagine that this gets very busy during the warmer summer months. There seemed to be some party of dog owners when we visited, but the pub does welcome dogs but has some sensible rules about they shouldn’t bark, they shouldn’t be on seats and they shouldn’t disturb other customers, which is all very reasonable. Not that this stops some customers complaining when they’re told not to let their dog on the seating, which is a selfish thing to do in any regard in my view, but the venue responded professionally:

“I can only apologise for the way that this situation was handled. We do love the dogs visiting us, but you must appreciate, that not everyone does. That, coupled with the fact that we have just been re-upholstered, has made us request that all dogs “paws stay on the floors”. This signage is scattered throughout the pub, but obviously not on the front doors, as you have highlighted . I have arranged for a new sign to be placed here too.”

This is part of the reason why companies such as JD Wetherspoon just ban dogs entirely….

The beer selection, I’m not much of a fan of Doom Bar from Sharp’s Brewery, but it is a sort of local beer given that it’s from Cornwall. I went for the Sea Dog from Teignmouth Brewery, it was malty and smooth, rather agreeable. There’s normally a wider range than just two real ales, but it felt sufficient for a quiet weekday afternoon in February. The service was efficient, polite and prompt, so I felt that we were made welcome.

The fish and chips which was served with mushy peas, all nicely presented and at the appropriate temperature. The chips were firm on the exterior and fluffy on the interior, with the tartare sauce portion being generous (this is important to me, I have a slight obsession with tartare sauce and I can’t be doing with silly little pots). The batter was crispy and had a depth of flavour and the fish itself was of a reasonable quality, so all good.

I was very pleased with the whole arrangement given that the beer choice was reasonable, the food was rather lovely, the service was friendly and the environment was comfortable. And that was 100% of all Good Beer Guide pubs in Paignton visited in one go.

February 26, 2025
Torquay – Hole in the Wall

These photos from the dying days of my last phone really are terrible, but there we go….. This pub has received some national attention recently as it’s Good Beer Guide listed, but as things stand, it’s going to close in a few weeks. We were told by a customer in the previous pub that this was its last night of opening, but that appears to have rather jumped the gun somewhat as it doesn’t close until April. They put on Facebook:

“As many of you are already aware, the pub has been going through some financial difficulties recently, putting us at serious risk of closure. We have been given until mid April to get our affairs in order so we will hopefully, at the very least, be trading as normal until then. Many thanks for your patience and understanding, we hope to see you soon!”

One of the issues perhaps linked to that is that the venue can only take cash payments at the moment, but they helpfully alerted us to that on the front door which led to a trek around Torquay looking for cash machines. Unfortunately, the big bank buildings we walked by to return to the main street have mostly closed which made this into more of an expedition than we had anticipated.

Some of the offers are visible and this is a large venue with a separate restaurant and bar area. Although the Devon Arms next door has a different opinion, it’s thought that this is the oldest pub in Torquay and it’s in the heart of the old harbour area. The pub give themselves an opening date of around 1540, although there’s not any factual evidence to prove this exact date, but it is definitely quite old.

In June 1905, the Torquay Times noted:

“In Exeter, within living memory, there was a public house called “The Hole in the Wall” as we have here in Torquay. Our local inn, bearing this quaint name, dates from a very ancient time, as did the one at Exeter, and Torquay people know its position, on the left of the steps running to Park Street from the Queen’s Hotel. It is evident that there were other taverns dignified with the same title, and how a tavern received such a peculiar sign-board, may be gathered from a quotation from Bishop’s “Brighton in the Olden Time,” with reference to an old inn which was called “The King and Queen.” a peculiarity of which was, that it possessed a “hole in the wall.” Bishop, in the work just quoted, says: “The King and Queen” was never a soldiers’ house; but it is probable that in the early part of the century it took more money from soldiers than any other house in the town. ‘Stolen kisses’ are said to be the sweetest, and, on the same principle, the connection between soldiery and ‘The King and Queen’ being a secret, libations were, probably, the more indulged in. The fact is, there was a small “hole in the wall” which separated the barracks yard (formerly at the bottom of Church Street) from the back of the ‘King and Queen!’ and though this, on a given signal, liquor used to be passed in any quantity. The hole had been there from time immemorial. It was about ten inches square, and on ‘The King and Queen’ side was covered by an iron door, and is said to be seen, even now (1902), in the present pantry of the hotel, which was formerly the ‘tap’ cellar. The hole doubtless owed its origin to some thirsty inventive genius. There was only a wall between him and his beer, and, happy thought! if he could not get the latter over the wall, he, at least, might get some through it! But ‘the best laid schemes o’ mice and men gang aft angley.’ Whether the secret was “blown,” or other causes militated against the hole in the wall, at least on the barracks side, was effectually closed some time previous to the barracks being removed.”

Even in 1905 they thought that the name was quaint.

The front yard, no doubt a pleasant seating area in the warmer summer months.

The service was friendly and immediate, with the team member alerting us in advance that they were only accepting cash, although their signage was evident to minimise any issues. There were three real ales available, the Ferryman from Exeter Brewery and the Dartmoor IPA and Jail Ale from Dartmoor Brewery. There were also pickled onions on the bar, something which should be more commonplace in pubs.

Vaping, not dancing…. As can be noted from this video, there was some live music going on when we were there and although that doesn’t normally excite me, it seems to be in keeping with the pub’s character and atmosphere. The pub was busy when we visited and we were lucky to slide into this table, and slide was what I had to do to get in. There was plenty of decoration on the walls, including some guns, as is visible in the above photo. There are tales of smugglers using this pub over the centuries and it had that feel of a traditional coaching inn where exactly that sort of behaviour would have taken place.

Ross went for Staropramen, which was one of his more sensible decisions, and I went for the Dartmoor IPA from Dartmoor Brewery. This was a rather decent beer, smooth and full bodied, with a depth of flavour.

The menu and the prices were reasonable given the location that we were in.

I liked this pub with its cobbled floors and it had the most traditional feel of any of the pubs that we visited, the only one which actually felt like an authentic coastal pub as some of the other venues were just generic sports bars that could have been located anywhere. Its presence in the Good Beer Guide seems most justified to me and it’s concerning for the residents of Torquay, and indeed on a much wider basis, that this pub might be closing soon.

February 24, 2025
Torquay – TQ Beerworks Taphouse

This is the best pub in Torquay. End of discussion as far as I’m concerned, but I suppose I should justify this. The beer list surprised and delighted me, but going back to the start, the welcome was warm, immediate and friendly. Mind you, the signs for this were positive as it’s not only listed in the Good Beer Guide, but it’s also Untappd verified and that combination is a joy to behold.

Looking beautiful to me and Ross had two decent lagers to choose from and he loved it so much he insisted that we stay for a quite a while. Bearing in mind it was pouring down outside, this was quite an easy decision to make.

The Yakima from Wilful Beer, a hoppy, tropical beer with some grapefruit flavours and not too much twig.

The pub’s beer list, and my check-ins, on display. On reflection, I should have probably tried one of the TQ Beerworks beers, but they only had one real ale from their brewery. However, they did list all of the Wilful Beers as their own which confused me, but they must be some tie-up with them.

The Budgie Smuggler from Bullhouse Brew Co, which was quite tart but it was smooth with lingering fruit flavours.

The Tetra from Wilful Beer, which was punchy, dry, hoppy and fluffy.

And to end the evening, the Cascadian from Wilful Beer. Lots of flavours of dark chocolate, some coffee, a bit of treacle and some hedge.

The beer fridge with its numerous tempting options, although I managed to avoid any take-off temptation. There is another floor to the venue where they hold events, but the downstairs is relatively spacious in itself. There’s an on-trend feel to the arrangements and the service throughout the visit was personable and warm. The on-line reviews are broadly very positive and the venue is clean, comfortable and had a warm atmosphere. It’s listing in the Good Beer Guide seems more than justified to me.

February 22, 2025
Sheffield – Shakespeares Ale & Cider House

Back on my little expedition around Good Beer Guide listed pubs, I have visited this one before with friends back on 2 November 2019 when I was suitably impressed by the Milky Joe milk stout from Ridgeside Brewing Co, which sadly closed last year. The pub was built as a coaching inn in the 1830s, but Punch acquired it and then managed to have it closed down before it reopened under independent owners in 2011.

The team member was writing this up when I went in, so this might not be entirely complete. There’s a mostly cask option, but numerous craft keg beers to choose from as well.

Quirky and atmospheric and my first beer was the Crimes in Riwaka from Pentrich Brewing Co (Riwaka are a hop from New Zealand) which was punchy and dank, with stonefruit and zestiness to it. It’s not the brightest of pubs in terms of the decor, but I suspect that it would have felt rather more charismatic when customers started to come in. The pub feels old fashioned, but that’s what it’s meant to do, this is a traditional pub with a well curated selection of beers.

The second half pint was the Espresso Stout from Cross Borders Brewing Co, a pleasant tasting stout with a roast coffee flavour, although it was a little thin for the 5.3% ABV.

There are hundreds of beer mats decorating the venue and it’s won numerous awards over the years, both from organisations such as CAMRA and direct from the denizens of Sheffield.

How lovely. It wasn’t very busy when I got there, but it was a wet weekday afternoon and they’d just opened for the day, but the welcome was friendly and personable. A nice pub, although I think matters could be improved with a bar billiards table. Although, I think that, I suspect it’s me thinking about my playing in the World Championships in Sudbury (I mean, where else?) in late March…..

January 28, 2025
Maltby – The Queens Hotel

I spent the morning in Maltby and this is an imposing and impressive building, now operated by JD Wetherspoon. I came out of my way to come here as it’s listed in the Good Beer Guide, such is my commitment to my challenge of visiting as many as I can. There’s an old photo of the building at https://www.old-rotherham.co.uk/QueensMaltby.php?i=1. In 1933, an application for an alcohol licence for a new venue on Muglet Lane was rejected, despite many local miners saying they couldn’t get to the Queens before it closed. It was mentioned in the article that the Queens had a “monopoly value for £9,000” which I had to look up and this means:

“Monopoly value is the difference in value between premises with a licence and premises without a licence. That, of course, may be a very considerable sum. Therefore, in those cases it is provided that where the new licence has been issued and the old licence surrendered, the amount which must be paid is the difference between the two licences. In other words, if there is a public house and the beer licence is surrendered and a hotel business is being obtained, obviously it is only right and proper that the beer licence which is surrendered should be taken into account in assessing the amount.”

The staff might have wished that this new venue had been given a licence, as it was reported in 1935:

“At Rotherham West Riding Court on Monday, Patrick Higgins (42), a miner from Maltby, was bound over for twelve months for assaulting George William Emery, barman at the Queens Hotel”.

By 1972, the hotel was advertising that they had topless go-go girls with a light show. I suspect that the more traditional had somewhat died away by this point.

Um, well I suppose that’s a claim to fame.

Some history about the building.

Another traditional breakfast and unlimited coffee, coming to a total of £4.18. Egg was a bit hard and the toast was cold, but I can’t much complain given the price. The new area manager was in the pub today, one of the customers wanted to ask her about beer mats but didn’t dare. I decided not to get involved. Service at the pub was friendly and everything seemed clean and tidy, although the temperature was quite cold (although just right for me) and they had some customers huddling around the real fires.

It’s a large building, actually perhaps a little bit too big and the furniture feels all a bit over the place.

This half pint of Kismat from Beermats Brewing Co cost just 90p and was quite a complex porter, with tastes of coffee, dark chocolate and a roasty flavour.

The on-line reviews, which I feel a compulsive need to check, are around average for a JD Wetherspoon outlet, although there are a heap of angry customers who have been charged £75 for parking in the car park without registering their details.

“Very rude customer service by the bar staff 🙄 I was served food that had a dead slug in the salad and then told I couldn’t go in for a month just because I sent the salad back and we also had to wait half an hour just for a desert”

I want to hear the other side to this one….

“When dealing with a small matter the staff came with 4 members and were very rude and completely dismissive. They were passive aggressive and what could have been dealt with easily they were very much on a power trip and totally uncalled for.”

And this one. Often “a small matter” is that a customer has smashed up a table or similar.

“After coming here since I was 13years old with just my friends for tea it has now been said we can no longer come without an adult after showing us a policy that is situated hidden behind condiments (which is not clearly visible) and apparently this policy has always been in place but isn’t clearly shown around the pub ie at the bar or on the walls , in toilets etc but we have always been served at the bar without question, never asked if we were with adults ever and so have been asked to leave which we have (bearing in mind we were served by “assistant manager “) but I’m sure the manager will have a shock when head office gets proof of the pub serving 17 year old girls with alcohol after he had been warned his staff were serving under age , he clearly likes to turn a blind eye when it suits !”

I doubt head office were much concerned…..

“The chicken was more like cat and the egg was a joke rubber egg thank God for plenty of mayonnaise and sauces”

I’m not sure that I know what cat tastes like.

“Bar staff to slow takes u half an hour to get served I no I run pubs for green king”

Greene.

“This is a basic bakery it’s supposed to be a truck stop the food and facilities on site for hgv drivers are for food very poor showers are dated and some are broken it’s a hard stand parking but security is a source of concern and it’s quite noisy as well would only stop as a last resort”

And a review for some other venue to add to the mix, but I like the idea of a Wetherspoon pub being a truck stop.

On another matter, the local CAMRA group seems obsessed with leaving comments such as this:

“The cider is no longer classed as real by CAMRA”

I know there are some CAMRA groups that would really rather comments like this weren’t listed and I don’t much like it as it seems to be making an argument when one isn’t needed. They’re referring to cider manufacturers such as Snails Bank and the like, which, to be honest, are still ciders and so most people (and many CAMRA people) consider as real. For anyone interested, CAMRA have got their purist list at https://camra.org.uk/promotional-campaigns/promoting-real-cider-and-perry/map, but it’s rare for a branch to mark this all over the Whatpub pages and I can’t see what point they’re trying to prove.

It’s an impressive building, I suspect that it would be hard for many other operators to make a venue of this size to work, so they’re fortunate to have JD Wetherspoon take over. There were six real ales on, all keenly priced and they seemed well curated. Definitely a decent addition to the Good Beer Guide.

January 27, 2025
Stafford : Sun Inn

At the end of December, I had a spare hour in Stafford and was able to tick off another Titanic pub which is conveniently also a Good Beer Guide listed pub. Previously known as the Tequila Red and O’Neill’s, the Titanic Brewery took this existing, albeit closed, pub over in 2010 and they’ve been able to develop it into a popular community venue.

Every community needs a Titanic pub.

There’s Cherry Porter, my favourite of the mainstream Titanic beers.

Ooooh, and a decent selection of crisps.

The beer board and the prices all seem reasonable to me.

I found space in a little snug. It was a busy venue and they were serving out a fair amount of food, so I was pleased to find anywhere to sit.

Here we go, my delicious, rich, smooth Cherry Porter alongside some agreeable mature cheddar and red onion crisps.

The reviews on-line are nearly all positive, other than a recent one which gave 1 star and commented “I do not recommend this pub as the prices are excessive and had no entertainment”. The prices are excessive only in comparison to Wetherspoons and perhaps they should lay on a dancing band…. Anyway, most people seem happy and I was for what that’s worth.

The pub created a comfortable, almost sophisticated, atmosphere, with the Titanic beers of course being something of a plus.

January 26, 2025
Stockport : Angel Inn

Next on my tour of Good Beer Guide pubs in Stockport was the Angel Inn and I’m not sure that I would have noticed it if I had just been walking by, the scaffolding is quite dominant here.

The beer list, there was a decent mixture of cask and keg.

I’m a big fan of Tiny Rebel so it was a little bit of a treat to see two of their beers on cask.

The interior is functional rather than jazzy. It was early January when I visited, hence the Christmas tree. More on the history in a moment, but its change of uses over the last few decades have led to some of the traditional feel perhaps being a little lost.

The first beer was half of the Sertified Simcoe from Tiny Rebel, which was a punchy, hoppy and juicy little number. Acceptable crisps too.

More interior. It was a welcoming environment with friendly service and warm surroundings.

This was, as far as I’m concerned, about as good as cask gets. It’s half a pint of the EWA from Tiny Rebel, well rounded with a suitable amount of sweetness. It was creamy and tasted of cookies and Twix, really rather decadent.

This whole set-up is interesting as I just assumed it had been a pub for centuries and it did indeed have a long history, but it stopped being a pub in the 1950s and turned instead into a retail outlet. However, 57 years on, it was reopened as a pub and that seems like a really good idea to me. In terms of the building, it dates from the 1500s and has a wattle and daub construction, having first been turned into a pub in the early nineteenth century. Always a positive thing to see a pub being reborn, especially one in such an historic building and the wide range of cask and keg options added to the excitement. Thanks to the Good Beer Guide for directing me here.

January 19, 2025
Stockport : Petersgate Tap

Back on my tour of Good Beer Guide pubs around the country, this two storey pub is located in what was formerly a betting shop. There’s now a mix of craft and real ale going on, alongside numerous real ciders and a bottle shop area upstairs.

The beer selection and they’re also listed on Untappd.

The bar arrangement and there was a friendly welcome from the staff member.

I had two half pints, the first was the Barncliffe Bitter from Small World Beers. A clean and hoppy beer with a rather lingering bitterness, but pleasant.

I had high hopes for the Black Forest from Vibrant Forest Brewery, but there was little chocolate, just some oats and not much else. The beer tasted a little tired, not much vibrancy going on here.

Anyway, a rather nice bar and I can see why this has found itself in the Good Beer Guide. It’s a relatively small independent venue, so it has that micropub vibe, with no loud music going on. The on-line reviews are positive other than one nonsensical one star review that there was only one dark beer available on the bar, which is not unreasonable in a small pub. The angry customer went marching off to Wetherspoons, although I know that even they sometimes only have one dark beer available and it’s not even really fair to compare a large national chain with a small micropub. The prices were towards the lower end of the scale for what I’m used to, although the cost of beer in Stockport is lower than the national average. All really rather lovely.

January 18, 2025
Stockport : Swan With Two Necks (Good Beer Guide)

The next pub in my tour of Good Beer Guide pubs in Stockport was the Swan with Two Necks, owned by the local Robinsons Brewery. Robinsons started brewing at the Unicorn Inn in Stockport in 1849 and they’re still going, now owning over 260 pubs and inns in the north-west of England and north Wales.

It’s not common to see a pub now which still has outdoor toilets, but I thought it added to the authenticity of the place. Who needs expensive renovations? There has been a pub with this name since the late eighteenth century, but the brewery notes that it was rebuilt in 1926 which makes it an interesting inter-war survival. CAMRA are able to provide a useful background to the heritage of the pub:

“A long, narrow pub which has changed little since its rebuilding in 1926, just before it was bought by local brewers Robinsons. The interior is simply organised and the extensive use of wall panelling is typical of inter-war pubs. To the left of the tiled and panelled entrance lobby is the vault, with plentiful panelling, although much of it was actually added as recently as about 2009 (and now covers over a fireplace). The other door from the entrance leads into a drinking lobby, which is essentially an expansion of the corridor and faces the servery. Beyond this is the delightful smoke room which, with its Tudor-style fireplace and oak panelling, has a particularly warm and comfortable atmosphere. From the central lobby one can see the unusual feature of roller shutters which can be brought down to safeguard the contents of the bar-back shelves and, above the servery entrance, a notice saying ‘waiters’ from the days when waiter service was a regular feature in north-western pubs. A small room at the back came into pub use during the 1960s.”

As for the pub name, it’s all about swans. The historical significance of swans in England is closely tied to the monarchy and, for centuries, unmarked swans in open waters were considered the property of the King or Queen. This ownership was formalised through a practice called ‘swan upping’ where young swans were marked with notches on their beaks to indicate ownership. In the sixteenth century, Queen Elizabeth I granted ownership of some swans to two organisations, namely the Worshipful Company of Vintners and the Worshipful Company of Dyers. To keep track of ownership, these organisations marked the beaks of their swans. The Dyers’ Company marked their swans with one nick on the beak, while the Vintners’ Company used two nicks to identify their birds. Over time, the term ‘two nicks’ was misinterpreted and mispronounced as ‘two necks’. And that’s how a pub name was born…

The real ale selection. There were two staff members, both of whom were friendly and welcoming. A customer later on asked for a gluten free beer and there was rather a debate with the publican suggesting that the customer was wrong on numerous matters, it was an exciting conversation to listen to.

My first half was the Unicorn from Robinsons Brewery, which is better than the reviews on Untappd suggested. A traditional beer with a malty edge and some caramel flavour, actually rather decent.

My second half was the Old Tom Original, also from Robinsons Brewery. I liked this, a complex beer which was boozy, rich, slightly sweet and a chocolate edge. It had a fruit flavour that I couldn’t identify and it felt like a well-rounded beer.

The separate front bar has remained, a survivor of how pubs have been opened up over recent decades.

Wood panelling, I had this room to myself. There was another room at the rear with a couple of people in, but it was a quiet pub when I visited. Anyway, I enjoyed this pub and I liked how it hadn’t been knocked around and ‘modernised’. It feels old fashioned, but that’s to the good as not every pub needs to be modern and shiny.

January 9, 2025
Stockport : The Magnet (Good Beer Guide)

Whilst in Stockport, I thought that I would have a little meander around some of the Good Beer Guide venues, with this being the first one.

The pub was opened in 1840 and was used as a coaching inn given its location to the Heaton Norris railway station, which closed in the 1960s. There’s a traditional feel to the decor and I like that there are numerous rooms with different seating and design styles. There’s an article in the newspaper from 1841 which notes:

“John Newton, of Stockport, will wrestle any person whose weight does not exceed his (5 and a half score) for £5 a side. He may be heard of at the Magnet Inn in Stockport.”

I suppose that was a handy guy to have as a doorman…. I have no idea what that weight means, the nearest that AI could get was that a northern measure of weight was a score which was 20 pounds, but that would make for a very light wrestler.

The Magnet is the ‘inn’ by Andrew Street, showing how near the railway station was. It has lost that railway station link now and it had some troubled years, being closed and starting to become derelict for a short while. However, it has been turned around over recent years and it has become something of a destination venue.

It was reasonably busy on the evening that I was there, with the service being friendly and welcoming.

The beer selection is substantial and they use Untappd for their beer menus. They have around 14 cask beers and 12 kegs to choose from, with the selection being well curated with most beer styles represented. The beer prices are also all towards the lower end of the scale.

My first beer was the Bright & Early from Wakey Wakey Brew Co and after trying it, I was surprised at its low rating on Untappd. Lots of toffee evident in the flavour, along with orange peel. The staff member pro-actively mentioned that they use lined glasses for their half pints, something which I personally think is a rather good policy.

Second beer was the Whiskey in the Jar from Liquid Light Brew Co. It was rather sweet and a little boozy with a taste of dark chocolate, really quite punchy.

I can absolutely see why this pub is in the Good Beer Guide as it’s welcoming, clean and has lots of beer which seems to be in very good condition. The reviews on-line are very positive and just about as high as a busy pub can reasonably get. They’ve never picked up a one star review on Google which is an achievement in itself. The food option is pizzas which are freshly made, with the non-beer drinks choice also being wide. The National Geographic also published an article last year, which I think is badly written for numerous reasons, but it mentions the pub as one of the twelve best pubs in the UK which must have been a pleasant little boost for them. And this was a positive start to my visit of pubs in Stockport, friendly and hospitable, so all rather lovely.

January 7, 2025