Hello,
I was in the Punchbowl last night, on Crookes here in sunny Sheffield. It reopens to the public on Saturday but in the meantime people were invited to try out the free food last night, and some to the VIP event tonight. This is the work of Andy Stephens and his Reet Ale Pubs company here in Sheffield. They took on the Punchbowl on Bank Holiday Monday and have refurbished it in under three weeks. So what is it like?
Well, the first thing is, its size. The three pubs already run by Andrew Inns, which is what I call them, are quite small in comparison - the Rutland is largest in terms of building size, but the seating areas are virtually the same - the Punchbowl is much larger. There are three different seating areas, one near the pizza oven, one on the left, and one split area near the back.
The pub is set out in a mix of traditional and modern styles - as a lover of pub architecture, I don't mind what has been done - the bar remains in the same place and following extensive brutal and clumsy remodeling previously, nothing remains of the 1930's roadhouse design other than the frontage. The bar has a simple tile floor in front of it and to the right is the pizza oven and preparation section - near this is further seating and, I understand, the opportunity to watch the pizzas being made. The raised section at the back is plain but comfortable and there are views from here over Sheffield. The rest of the furniture is a mix of high and low tables and chairs.
The food menu is mostly pizzas - and as last night was a free tasting night me and Tash had one each. She had Yorkshire Goats Cheese with beetroot and mushrooms and olives, and I had the pulled pork in cider pizza. It was, I have to say, delicious - I would happily pay £9.95 to eat that any day of the week. As long as that day was at the beginning of the month of course...
Beer wise there are 8 handpumps and 5 keg lines. There are also a number of interesting bottled ales from Kernel and Mikkeller and others. Last night I started on a pint of Shankar IPA from Great Heck, whilst Tash had the excellent Blue Bee Ginger Beer - after this, we both moved on to having pints of that. This was followed by a pint each of the Magic Rock Grapefruit High Wire on keg. Its 5.5% and £4.50 a pint - so basically a pound more than on cask. Which is what I would expect. We finished on a half of the excellent, hoppy, Shankar to share between us.
It will be interesting to see what the regulars make of the pub. It had a very long and sorry period as a Mr Q's. during which time I never went in, and then reopened following a refurbishment as a slightly more traditional pub with a couple of real ales. Tash thought it was a brave move - opening a pub relying so strongly on its pizza, across the road from a pizza shop, but that doesn't sell real ale and is fr take out. I don't think they will compete with each other (and I suspect the Punchbowl pizzas are better...?).
The pub also forms part of a slightly longer Crookes Valley Crawl - encompassing the Closed Shop, and depending on the route you take, potentially finishing at the Three Tuns.
Tonight is a VIP night by invite only and the pub reopens to the public fully on Saturday. I don't know if they have a website or FB page yet but am sure one will appear soon. Meanwhile, I wish Andy and his staff all the best for their latest pub venture in Sheffield.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
Showing posts with label Crookes real ale pubs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crookes real ale pubs. Show all posts
Friday, 18 September 2015
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Happenings and openings
Hulloo
As I career aimlessly towards my dotage (I'll be 80 in just 40 odd years) I find that remembering stuff is quite difficult. Especially important pub related stuff, and more so, when one is distracted by celebratory events like Christmas and birthdays and New Year. A few of those events played a part in my weekend, as Alibob Jack and Miss N celebrated their recent milestones on the same night. And continuing last night's theme, as the damp cloth of sobriety falls over my head, I've ended up remembering some long out of date pub and beer sorta news that I was supposed to share with you. Probably.
Saturday I was dutifully up at the hospital thinking about how I'd like to walk back down Rock Street to photograph the long closed Rock Inn before it falls down, and how since the Bay Horse at Pitsmoor sold Wentworth WPA about twelve years ago, it had to be worth popping in now to see if they still did. These are the sort of beery thoughts that preoccupy me on the soul destroying public transport marathon to and from the hospital but all these noble plans were dashed by Wee Keefy giving me a lift to DAda. Later I would be seeing WK in our childhood environs of Crookes. Well, the pub environs of our...um...childhood environs. I know I ought to cut short this bit but I can't. Anyway....
After meeting Miss N for a coffee and no beer at Sellers Wheel we spent some time acquiring a taste for beer (it took no sips) at the Rutland, before both heading to Crookes for pints and a meal. The Crookes clan all met up in the Princess Royal but they had it easy. They only need to walk out their front doors and they're virtually there. We had yet another bus trek to undertake. So we met them in The Ball instead.
A few good guests adorned the bar and we both went for pints of Rudgate Ruby Mild at £2.90 a pint. This was in very good nick and was proving popular, although I'm sure the Kelham Island guest was selling at pace as well. We were meeting here for food and it was good to have them serve until 22.00. A lot of pubs stop selling food at 20.00 or earlier but that's just daft. At one stage I recall the Bridge Inn at Ford served food until 19.00 - for who!?! The sensible timings meant we could meet for drinks first and still get a few in the pub with our meals, which we did.
The Ball might be a Greedy King pub and the pub food is very much standard fare but you know, it was two for a tenner, its still a locals pub, and you get to sit in an area at the back away from the busiest spots and actually, the food aint bad. Especially when washed down with more excellent Ruby Mild. Its the first time I've had it for a while and it was a really enjoyable change.
As time was getting on we decamped, as is the tradition when Paddington, Jack, Jambon and the like meet up, to the Noahs Ark. This pub has changed management again in the last 6 months, at an educated guess that's probably the 8th time in a few years, but you can't bloody tell - and I mean that as a compliment. One of the slippery slopes that pubs get onto is the revolving door of landlords who all bring their own ideas, plans, misgivings and regulars to a pub that never establishes an identity. The lack of continuity and the inconsistent quality attached usually spells the end for a pub but somehow the Noahs seems to consistently be the place to go if you want one or two inexpensive real ales in a proper boozer, open late, with terrible, yet somehow brilliant, karaoke.
And so it was that we sat in our usual place (ish) with the karaoke music list whilst the long standing Karaoke compere introduced the songs in her highly individual style, and we supped inexpensive pints of real ale in a thronging pub. On this occasion, both myself and Miss N were on Jennings Cumberland at £2.50 a pint and it was in perfectly good nick. The proof of my appreciation was in the fact that I normally loathe karaoke but somehow, and it must be down to dark arts, I don;t mind it at the Noah's. Long may it continue to be the case.
Whilst celebrating the delights of my former haunts its time to reflect on two pub changes coming up soon. Firstly, and I'm not sure if this is a secret, but I found out on the 3rd January that the Devonshire Cat had been bought by a brewery and everything. That's all I know. Or am willing to tell. Its too late to text "them"and check its not a secret after all. Lets just hope it improves is all I can say!
Lastly, Barlow brewery what make nice beer are opening a venue on Chatsworth Road in Chesterfield called the Tap House in soon. Their unofficial brewery Tap is the Hare and Hounds at Barlow Commonside which is a pub I really rate. Yet even I have to concede that a pub in he beer centre of Chesterfield would provide a higher profile for Barlow's wares. The Tap House are on Facebook as of last week, here is their page, however that seems to be about it at the mo. If my "legendary" sleuthing is to be believed, the Tap House will be where the Brampton Ale House used to be, based on the Post Code, but am once again already out of info on this one. I would keep looking at their facebook page for updates.
What this shows, along with the Buxton Tap House (which, in a disappointing theme, I have also neglected to visit) is that some notable local breweries are opening dedicated outlets for their real ales. If you take the examples of Spire, Brampton and Acorn, to name but a few, I would suggest this is another positive development for the wider area.
It also justify's, as if that were needed, the selection of Sheffield as a top beer destination by the New York Times. Clearly chaps with their heads screwed on, and a love of eclectic public transport links....
Wee Beefy.
As I career aimlessly towards my dotage (I'll be 80 in just 40 odd years) I find that remembering stuff is quite difficult. Especially important pub related stuff, and more so, when one is distracted by celebratory events like Christmas and birthdays and New Year. A few of those events played a part in my weekend, as Alibob Jack and Miss N celebrated their recent milestones on the same night. And continuing last night's theme, as the damp cloth of sobriety falls over my head, I've ended up remembering some long out of date pub and beer sorta news that I was supposed to share with you. Probably.
Saturday I was dutifully up at the hospital thinking about how I'd like to walk back down Rock Street to photograph the long closed Rock Inn before it falls down, and how since the Bay Horse at Pitsmoor sold Wentworth WPA about twelve years ago, it had to be worth popping in now to see if they still did. These are the sort of beery thoughts that preoccupy me on the soul destroying public transport marathon to and from the hospital but all these noble plans were dashed by Wee Keefy giving me a lift to DAda. Later I would be seeing WK in our childhood environs of Crookes. Well, the pub environs of our...um...childhood environs. I know I ought to cut short this bit but I can't. Anyway....
After meeting Miss N for a coffee and no beer at Sellers Wheel we spent some time acquiring a taste for beer (it took no sips) at the Rutland, before both heading to Crookes for pints and a meal. The Crookes clan all met up in the Princess Royal but they had it easy. They only need to walk out their front doors and they're virtually there. We had yet another bus trek to undertake. So we met them in The Ball instead.
A few good guests adorned the bar and we both went for pints of Rudgate Ruby Mild at £2.90 a pint. This was in very good nick and was proving popular, although I'm sure the Kelham Island guest was selling at pace as well. We were meeting here for food and it was good to have them serve until 22.00. A lot of pubs stop selling food at 20.00 or earlier but that's just daft. At one stage I recall the Bridge Inn at Ford served food until 19.00 - for who!?! The sensible timings meant we could meet for drinks first and still get a few in the pub with our meals, which we did.
The Ball might be a Greedy King pub and the pub food is very much standard fare but you know, it was two for a tenner, its still a locals pub, and you get to sit in an area at the back away from the busiest spots and actually, the food aint bad. Especially when washed down with more excellent Ruby Mild. Its the first time I've had it for a while and it was a really enjoyable change.
As time was getting on we decamped, as is the tradition when Paddington, Jack, Jambon and the like meet up, to the Noahs Ark. This pub has changed management again in the last 6 months, at an educated guess that's probably the 8th time in a few years, but you can't bloody tell - and I mean that as a compliment. One of the slippery slopes that pubs get onto is the revolving door of landlords who all bring their own ideas, plans, misgivings and regulars to a pub that never establishes an identity. The lack of continuity and the inconsistent quality attached usually spells the end for a pub but somehow the Noahs seems to consistently be the place to go if you want one or two inexpensive real ales in a proper boozer, open late, with terrible, yet somehow brilliant, karaoke.
And so it was that we sat in our usual place (ish) with the karaoke music list whilst the long standing Karaoke compere introduced the songs in her highly individual style, and we supped inexpensive pints of real ale in a thronging pub. On this occasion, both myself and Miss N were on Jennings Cumberland at £2.50 a pint and it was in perfectly good nick. The proof of my appreciation was in the fact that I normally loathe karaoke but somehow, and it must be down to dark arts, I don;t mind it at the Noah's. Long may it continue to be the case.
Whilst celebrating the delights of my former haunts its time to reflect on two pub changes coming up soon. Firstly, and I'm not sure if this is a secret, but I found out on the 3rd January that the Devonshire Cat had been bought by a brewery and everything. That's all I know. Or am willing to tell. Its too late to text "them"and check its not a secret after all. Lets just hope it improves is all I can say!
Lastly, Barlow brewery what make nice beer are opening a venue on Chatsworth Road in Chesterfield called the Tap House in soon. Their unofficial brewery Tap is the Hare and Hounds at Barlow Commonside which is a pub I really rate. Yet even I have to concede that a pub in he beer centre of Chesterfield would provide a higher profile for Barlow's wares. The Tap House are on Facebook as of last week, here is their page, however that seems to be about it at the mo. If my "legendary" sleuthing is to be believed, the Tap House will be where the Brampton Ale House used to be, based on the Post Code, but am once again already out of info on this one. I would keep looking at their facebook page for updates.
What this shows, along with the Buxton Tap House (which, in a disappointing theme, I have also neglected to visit) is that some notable local breweries are opening dedicated outlets for their real ales. If you take the examples of Spire, Brampton and Acorn, to name but a few, I would suggest this is another positive development for the wider area.
It also justify's, as if that were needed, the selection of Sheffield as a top beer destination by the New York Times. Clearly chaps with their heads screwed on, and a love of eclectic public transport links....
Wee Beefy.
Saturday, 28 December 2013
Crookes Ale House joins Crookes Valley Crawl
Hello,
yesterday I was meeting up with Carlos for our Christmas drink. My initial plan was to meet him at Toyne Towers and then whisk him away to the Closed Shop, but as you may have heard already there was a new kid in town. A pop up ale house was opening on Crookes at 12.30. It would have been rude not to have gone, so I started there.
The Crookes Ale House is part pub, part market research exercise to see if there is enough of a call for opening a micro pub in Sheffield, most likely in the Crookes or Walkley area. Personally I think Crookes has fared pretty well having only lost two pubs (assuming you count Matlock Road as Crookes) in the last 20 years whereas as Walkley as been somewhat decimated. So that suggests Walkley maybe in more need of such a venue. That said, I'd prefer a micro pub in Handsworth. Where I live. Irrespective of any research or potential for "success". But I digress...
The Crookes Ale House is at 170 Crookes Road near the Ball and is housed in the former Mr Ben's fancy dress ship. It has an eye catching pink frontage with a large window showing the name Crookes Ale House so that you know its a pub. It has a yellow painted interior with a tiny bar at the back where three casks are stillaged, and tables set out across the front part of the shop. There were three real ales on, Sheffield Brewing Co Porter, First Gold and Magic Rock Ringmaster NZ, which I am reliably informed is the new name for their Curious pale ale. All real ales are £2.50 a pint and mulled cider, which I understand has "other ingredients" in it, is £3.00 a mug. There are a small range of bottles including Ampleforth Abbey Belgian ale and Franziskaner,along with Brooklyn and Budvar Dark lager.
Alas this is not a permanent fixture on the crawl but it is an enjoyable addition. Two and a half pints of eminently quaffable Ringmaster were supped, and, in an event that I'm welling up just thinking about, I can report that I was the FIRST CUSTOMER to use the toilet.
This, is journalism, ladies and gentleman. Journalism at its most raw. Defined by firsts...
Up the road and down Sackville and the Jennel you come to the Cobden View. Arriving at about 15.00 on a Friday there was absolutely no-one in - so me and Carlos set about playing pool, the lack of customers affording us the kind of time two rusty players need to complete a few games whilst lacking the requisite skill to bring them to a close. In the end, as Carlos noted, pool won. To accompany our potting I had a pint of the Sheffield Brew Co First Gold and Carlos some Stella in a glass egg cup. And having got settled and realised they took card payments, we stopped for another - more egg lager for Carlos and a delicious pint of Bradfield Belgian Blue for me.
Out onto School road the crawl took on a familiar look and we arrived at The Closed Shop in need of food. Alas their card machine was broken so it was only ever going to be chip butties - but they are rather fab in the shop. To accompany the nosh I had a reckless but delicious pint of the excellent Acorn Gorlovka, and noticing that we'd done nothing but sup Carlos sensibly invested in another chip butty. It was quiet in the shop but the days between Boxing Day and New Years Eve are a puzzling enigma where no-one seems to want to venture out and you can't expect to take much.
Across the road the Hallamshire House had the Thornbridge Kacho rum porter on so it was a given that I would have that. Sat in the main room we were soon joined by some of my colleagues from work but had already decided we needed a walk to sober up. The Kacho was very tasty but a little more rummy that I had hoped for but was nevertheless enjoyable.
We decided against going to the Blake only because it was nowhere near a bus home for either of us, and our early start was contributing to our feeling a trifle refreshed. So we walked down past Shamesbury's who have now opened their "vital" new supermarket at the expense of the Hadfield pub, in a frankly embarrassing charade where the pubco pretended that after having received an offer from the supermarket, they were ever going to do anything but sell the pub off.
Onto West Street we headed for the Bath Hotel where there was, given this was our last stop, a frustratingly good range of beers to be had. Burning Sky Aurora, as recommended by Mr Ed, was indeed rather brilliant, but had I had more time I could easily have supped a pint of their Saison. Also available, on cask, was an aged Thornbridge Raven (note it wasn't wild raven...) which I had to have a half of. Both beers were in excellent nick and it was just a shame that my mind was wandering to thoughts of home and cheese on toast.
As well as being a great catch up with Carlos this was an enjoyable take on the Crookes Valley Crawl and it will be interesting to see what the research at the Crookes Ale House tells them about the potential for opening a micro pub permanently in the area. Does Sheffield need a micro pub? Why not. Could it be sighted in Crookes or Walkley. No. It needs to be in Handsworth like I said...
For now though, its a great starting point on a crawl that throws up a handful of traditional pubs with a varied range of real ales along the way.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy.
yesterday I was meeting up with Carlos for our Christmas drink. My initial plan was to meet him at Toyne Towers and then whisk him away to the Closed Shop, but as you may have heard already there was a new kid in town. A pop up ale house was opening on Crookes at 12.30. It would have been rude not to have gone, so I started there.
The Crookes Ale House is part pub, part market research exercise to see if there is enough of a call for opening a micro pub in Sheffield, most likely in the Crookes or Walkley area. Personally I think Crookes has fared pretty well having only lost two pubs (assuming you count Matlock Road as Crookes) in the last 20 years whereas as Walkley as been somewhat decimated. So that suggests Walkley maybe in more need of such a venue. That said, I'd prefer a micro pub in Handsworth. Where I live. Irrespective of any research or potential for "success". But I digress...
The Crookes Ale House is at 170 Crookes Road near the Ball and is housed in the former Mr Ben's fancy dress ship. It has an eye catching pink frontage with a large window showing the name Crookes Ale House so that you know its a pub. It has a yellow painted interior with a tiny bar at the back where three casks are stillaged, and tables set out across the front part of the shop. There were three real ales on, Sheffield Brewing Co Porter, First Gold and Magic Rock Ringmaster NZ, which I am reliably informed is the new name for their Curious pale ale. All real ales are £2.50 a pint and mulled cider, which I understand has "other ingredients" in it, is £3.00 a mug. There are a small range of bottles including Ampleforth Abbey Belgian ale and Franziskaner,along with Brooklyn and Budvar Dark lager.
Alas this is not a permanent fixture on the crawl but it is an enjoyable addition. Two and a half pints of eminently quaffable Ringmaster were supped, and, in an event that I'm welling up just thinking about, I can report that I was the FIRST CUSTOMER to use the toilet.
This, is journalism, ladies and gentleman. Journalism at its most raw. Defined by firsts...
Up the road and down Sackville and the Jennel you come to the Cobden View. Arriving at about 15.00 on a Friday there was absolutely no-one in - so me and Carlos set about playing pool, the lack of customers affording us the kind of time two rusty players need to complete a few games whilst lacking the requisite skill to bring them to a close. In the end, as Carlos noted, pool won. To accompany our potting I had a pint of the Sheffield Brew Co First Gold and Carlos some Stella in a glass egg cup. And having got settled and realised they took card payments, we stopped for another - more egg lager for Carlos and a delicious pint of Bradfield Belgian Blue for me.
Out onto School road the crawl took on a familiar look and we arrived at The Closed Shop in need of food. Alas their card machine was broken so it was only ever going to be chip butties - but they are rather fab in the shop. To accompany the nosh I had a reckless but delicious pint of the excellent Acorn Gorlovka, and noticing that we'd done nothing but sup Carlos sensibly invested in another chip butty. It was quiet in the shop but the days between Boxing Day and New Years Eve are a puzzling enigma where no-one seems to want to venture out and you can't expect to take much.
Across the road the Hallamshire House had the Thornbridge Kacho rum porter on so it was a given that I would have that. Sat in the main room we were soon joined by some of my colleagues from work but had already decided we needed a walk to sober up. The Kacho was very tasty but a little more rummy that I had hoped for but was nevertheless enjoyable.
We decided against going to the Blake only because it was nowhere near a bus home for either of us, and our early start was contributing to our feeling a trifle refreshed. So we walked down past Shamesbury's who have now opened their "vital" new supermarket at the expense of the Hadfield pub, in a frankly embarrassing charade where the pubco pretended that after having received an offer from the supermarket, they were ever going to do anything but sell the pub off.
Onto West Street we headed for the Bath Hotel where there was, given this was our last stop, a frustratingly good range of beers to be had. Burning Sky Aurora, as recommended by Mr Ed, was indeed rather brilliant, but had I had more time I could easily have supped a pint of their Saison. Also available, on cask, was an aged Thornbridge Raven (note it wasn't wild raven...) which I had to have a half of. Both beers were in excellent nick and it was just a shame that my mind was wandering to thoughts of home and cheese on toast.
As well as being a great catch up with Carlos this was an enjoyable take on the Crookes Valley Crawl and it will be interesting to see what the research at the Crookes Ale House tells them about the potential for opening a micro pub permanently in the area. Does Sheffield need a micro pub? Why not. Could it be sighted in Crookes or Walkley. No. It needs to be in Handsworth like I said...
For now though, its a great starting point on a crawl that throws up a handful of traditional pubs with a varied range of real ales along the way.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy.
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Crookespool
Now then,
having grown up on the main road in Crookes, and earned my drinking stripes in the now sadly lost Olde Heavygate Inn, its nice to get back over there to catch up with Wee Keefy and others, and to go drinking in "the old places". Here's what I've found on a couple of visits of late.
Me and Wee Keefy went to the Sportsman in Crosspool for a meal yesterday, and, erm, due to my legendary memory, a fruitless anticipation of a meal on Friday.
We walked over to Crosspool, and within 15 minutes were at the Sportsman. The Sportsman is now an Ember Inns pub, but used to be a traditional watering hole, in the sense of being a pub selling real ale as well as food, the beer being Stones, Bass and at some point I probably spotted a guest.
The thing is Crosspool is an area that basically doesn't do, and never did, wet led boozers. The Crosspool Tavern is somewhere that used to sell Bass, but I haven't graced its doors for twenty years. The Kings Head was a more regular destination for family meals (possibly a Beefeater?) but that was demolished, to much anger, many years ago and the spot is now residential buildings.
The Hallamshire on Lydgate Lane was also flattened in the last few years (and still hasn't been replaced, although work is ongoing) and the Bell Hagg was abandoned around the turn of the century. So against that backdrop, the Sportsman is the only pub in the area. And it pains me to say this about an Ember Inns pub - it isn't that bad.
Obviously there is the irritation of branding and needlessly chunky furniture in the internal decor, but overcome that and there are treats. There is a range of real ales, up to 6, consisting of a core of Tetleys and Abbeydale Moonshine. Confusingly those handpumps facing you when you walk in are beers that are on - but the other 6 round the other side are merely advertising whats to come on. To be fair the staff seem to be keen on making that clear, so that removes potential annoyance.
I had a pint of Green Jack Trawler Boys and WK a pint of Itchen Valley Dana. I think this came to £4.80. To be honest, any pub selling two unusual for the area real ales at under a fiver has really got the right idea. And, on both visits, the beer was in excellent condition, accompanied by Taylor Landlord, and the Tetley and Abbeydale Moonshine. The food aint bad as well.
Heading back along Lydgate Lane brings you to the Grindstone in Crookes. Previously a traditional Wards pub with an interesting history regarding its beer, long ago opened out but for many years retaining a separate snooker room, this pub has seen quite a lot of changes. An ill thought through stint as a Sports Bar nearly resulted in its closure but its reopened as a pub selling real ale and food, and it was busy, when we visited on Friday.
Last time I was in the interesting Brains and Nottingham Brewery guests were not ready, but at least there was the chance of a guest beer. Now, I wonder if it might have changed hands again, although still in the grip of Greedy King, as it sells three real ales form them - IPA, Abbot and St Edmunds. We went for the latter since its not that often you see it, but even then its not that different from any other Greedy King beers - as bemoaned by Wee Keefy.
Its strange to consider that the two pubs on that side of Crookes Road are both large Greene King pubs selling food, yet only one has guests. Is the lack of choice harming one pub or the other? Well , next stop, the Ball was a good illustration of which might be the case. On both Friday and Saturday night it was heaving. The food side at the Ball seems to be quite a new thing so it was an admirably wet led boozer for many many years. The branch out to nosh doesn't seemed to have impacted on its beer sales.
There's three handpumps of Greedy King beers as you enter then 4 handpumps of guests round the corner. WK, with his maltier palate, was on pints of Hooky best both times, and both times I was on the excellent Abbeydale Ships Biscuits. Both times we managed to find a seat (tip - there is a love of perpendicular drinking in the Ball, so always try and go past the swathes round the bar, you usually find a space) and enjoyed a couple of well kept pints in a busy but not overly crushed pub.
Crookes is an interesting contrast to Crosspool, not only because very few pubs have closed, but also that many still thrive on wet sales - The Cobden and Princess Royal being great examples (as well as great pubs). Its a shame that just a mile away in the leafier suburbs you have to drink in an eatery, or not at all, when Crookes has such a lot of drinking pubs, but that mainly serves as a great advert for drinking in Crookes.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
having grown up on the main road in Crookes, and earned my drinking stripes in the now sadly lost Olde Heavygate Inn, its nice to get back over there to catch up with Wee Keefy and others, and to go drinking in "the old places". Here's what I've found on a couple of visits of late.
Me and Wee Keefy went to the Sportsman in Crosspool for a meal yesterday, and, erm, due to my legendary memory, a fruitless anticipation of a meal on Friday.
We walked over to Crosspool, and within 15 minutes were at the Sportsman. The Sportsman is now an Ember Inns pub, but used to be a traditional watering hole, in the sense of being a pub selling real ale as well as food, the beer being Stones, Bass and at some point I probably spotted a guest.
The thing is Crosspool is an area that basically doesn't do, and never did, wet led boozers. The Crosspool Tavern is somewhere that used to sell Bass, but I haven't graced its doors for twenty years. The Kings Head was a more regular destination for family meals (possibly a Beefeater?) but that was demolished, to much anger, many years ago and the spot is now residential buildings.
The Hallamshire on Lydgate Lane was also flattened in the last few years (and still hasn't been replaced, although work is ongoing) and the Bell Hagg was abandoned around the turn of the century. So against that backdrop, the Sportsman is the only pub in the area. And it pains me to say this about an Ember Inns pub - it isn't that bad.
Obviously there is the irritation of branding and needlessly chunky furniture in the internal decor, but overcome that and there are treats. There is a range of real ales, up to 6, consisting of a core of Tetleys and Abbeydale Moonshine. Confusingly those handpumps facing you when you walk in are beers that are on - but the other 6 round the other side are merely advertising whats to come on. To be fair the staff seem to be keen on making that clear, so that removes potential annoyance.
I had a pint of Green Jack Trawler Boys and WK a pint of Itchen Valley Dana. I think this came to £4.80. To be honest, any pub selling two unusual for the area real ales at under a fiver has really got the right idea. And, on both visits, the beer was in excellent condition, accompanied by Taylor Landlord, and the Tetley and Abbeydale Moonshine. The food aint bad as well.
Heading back along Lydgate Lane brings you to the Grindstone in Crookes. Previously a traditional Wards pub with an interesting history regarding its beer, long ago opened out but for many years retaining a separate snooker room, this pub has seen quite a lot of changes. An ill thought through stint as a Sports Bar nearly resulted in its closure but its reopened as a pub selling real ale and food, and it was busy, when we visited on Friday.
Last time I was in the interesting Brains and Nottingham Brewery guests were not ready, but at least there was the chance of a guest beer. Now, I wonder if it might have changed hands again, although still in the grip of Greedy King, as it sells three real ales form them - IPA, Abbot and St Edmunds. We went for the latter since its not that often you see it, but even then its not that different from any other Greedy King beers - as bemoaned by Wee Keefy.
Its strange to consider that the two pubs on that side of Crookes Road are both large Greene King pubs selling food, yet only one has guests. Is the lack of choice harming one pub or the other? Well , next stop, the Ball was a good illustration of which might be the case. On both Friday and Saturday night it was heaving. The food side at the Ball seems to be quite a new thing so it was an admirably wet led boozer for many many years. The branch out to nosh doesn't seemed to have impacted on its beer sales.
There's three handpumps of Greedy King beers as you enter then 4 handpumps of guests round the corner. WK, with his maltier palate, was on pints of Hooky best both times, and both times I was on the excellent Abbeydale Ships Biscuits. Both times we managed to find a seat (tip - there is a love of perpendicular drinking in the Ball, so always try and go past the swathes round the bar, you usually find a space) and enjoyed a couple of well kept pints in a busy but not overly crushed pub.
Crookes is an interesting contrast to Crosspool, not only because very few pubs have closed, but also that many still thrive on wet sales - The Cobden and Princess Royal being great examples (as well as great pubs). Its a shame that just a mile away in the leafier suburbs you have to drink in an eatery, or not at all, when Crookes has such a lot of drinking pubs, but that mainly serves as a great advert for drinking in Crookes.
Cheers!
Wee Beefy
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