Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Furley and Co

  • Hull – Furley and Co (Second Visit)

    Hull – Furley and Co (Second Visit)

    This is my second visit to this Good Beer Guide listed pub in Hull, having already visited here in late 2019. I liked the laid-back atmosphere and felt that it was a suitable place to return to. The welcome given on entry was polite and helpful, with our pre-booked table being ready on the first floor.

    Two photos of the first-floor dining room, which remained empty until just as we were leaving. I think it was going to be a relatively busy lunch-time for them though, it was just that some customers had reserved tables for a little later on.

    How lovely. The ordering process works by ticking boxes on a piece of paper and then going back down to the bar to order. This was fine, although I wasn’t entirely thrilled at having to carry the tray of three drinks and a bottle up to the first floor, not out of laziness, but through being concerned that I might drop the bloody thing. I did hint that I wasn’t entirely delighted at this arrangement, but, fortunately, all went well.

    To be honest, this air conditioning unit looks like I’ve fitted it. But, that also means that I was entirely happy with how it looked jutting out as it does.

    And my meal, I went for a lighter snack of salt and pepper chicken wrap and this was sufficiently well presented. I’m not a big fan of smaller plates as there’s less room to cut things (and one of my fries fell off the plate onto the floor when the waitress placed it down), but the meal was more substantial than it looked when served. The chicken was tender and the fries were very moreish, although I find that they generally are. The others ordered the boar burger, which was apparently also entirely satisfactory which was very pleasing.

    The beer, which I didn’t photograph as I think I needed a rest after carrying the tray up the stairs, was Port Out from Half Moon Brewery. They’re a micro-brewery from Ellerton, which isn’t a huge distance from Hull, with the beer being rich and having a pleasant chocolatey finish to it. It seems that the pub are making a real effort to source beers locally, a plan which should be applauded.

    Everything was well managed in the pub and the range of beers was well measured with a variety of different styles available. I also like that their on-line booking system allows customers to choose their own seating in the pub, so that they can sit wherever they like without that being chosen for them by the staff. On that theme, the staff were friendly and this was a comfortable place to spend an hour. All very lovely.

  • Hull – Furley and Co

    Hull – Furley and Co

    I would have been unlikely to have gone into this cross between a cafe, restaurant and bar if it hadn’t been listed in the Good Beer Guide. But, it’s in, so therefore, so was I (in the pub I mean, I’m not in the Good Beer Guide).

    What a lovely thing to see on the bar when entering a pub…..

    They had one of my favourite beers on (Turning Point’s Lucid Dream Cookie Cream Stout), but I’d had it the previous evening in the Head of Steam, and as variety is the spice of life (other than with Greggs, I don’t need variety there, I’m happy with chicken bakes every time) I asked if they had any other dark beers. They did, the Ridge Way by Raven Hill, a brand which likes to promote outdoor walking, so how ideal. Incidentally, the staff member was knowledgeable and seemed really keen to offer assistance. Oh, and, the beer selection was brilliant, they’d actually made some effort selecting some interesting and decent craft beers rather than rely on generic options.

    And as to my normal TripAdvisor reviews, even I’m bemused by a review this place got last week:

    “Craft beer menu has decreased steadily over the last few months and tonight was told they don’t do cocktails any more.”

    And of course a 1/5 rating. If this place is a 1/5 rated place for its craft beer, goodness only knows what it’d have to do to get a five star rating.

    I was also quite amused to read a review the pub had responded to with “thanks for your comments and hope you have now calmed down”. The reviewer had seemed to be absolutely livid that the pub didn’t offer table service.

    The Ridge Way is an oatmeal stout which I haven’t had before, and it was excellent, although that head is a little too large and I can’t recall (or more precisely, I forgot to check) whether that was a lined glass so I won’t overly criticise here in case it is. Rich and smooth, with a creamy taste, it was very drinkable. Prices are a little higher than other pubs in the area, but not dramatically so.

    I had accidentally ordered a sausage roll and I hadn’t quite expected them to do this much with the presentation of it. Above average and I was give the choice of having it heated up, which I did, although that did make it slightly greasy (but I’ll give them that, pastry does do that as I’ve discovered many times from reheating Greggs chicken bakes that somehow made it home without being eaten). Anyway, it went well with the oatmeal stout and full marks for the presentation.

    It was mostly busier than this when I visited, but I hadn’t taken a photo as there were children sitting in those seats.

    More of the internal decor, which was all on-trend, modern and contemporary.

    Another plus point is that the pub had decided to put a history of the buildings on their menu, a feature which I always admire. In short, Furley & Co is a name of a previous freight business which operated here before it closed in 1971, with the building then being used as the first Calor Gas showroom in the city. The building was also once the home to Newton Bros, founded by Sir Alfred James Newton, who was also the first chairman of Harrods and also the Lord Mayor of London in 1899.

    And this is yet another pub that I think absolutely deserves to be in the Good Beer Guide, there’s an element of class to it without it being too upmarket. And I don’t really do upmarket. Although if Greggs opened a Posh Greggs outlet, I expect that I’d be right in there. One more thing, this pub currently have Yorkshire Pudding Wraps, with choices including oven roasted chicken and sausage & red onion. Now, that’s the classy type of food that I can get right behind.