Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Good Beer Guide

  • 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.

  • 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.