The Market Inn (Chesterfield)

I’ve been up in Chesterfield for work this week and I had two nights on my own in town.  I had asked the owner of the B&B where I should go for dinner and he suggested that if I wanted to go to a pub then I couldn’t go wrong with ‘the Market’. 

I took a wander down to the pub which is easy to find and unsurprisingly located in the market.  I did ask one lad on the way there if he knew of it but he’d never heard of it so I’m guessing it’s not overly popular with the younger drinking crowd in town.  However I’m not surprised by this as on my last visit to the town I noticed that there was a huge number of pubs in the town centre.  I think I saw every mainstream pub/club/bar chain that I know of!  They were all vying for the attention of the putters with 2 for 1 deals and free shots, not exactly where you would want to spend a nice evening.  My colleague had mentioned that Chesterfield in only second to Newcastle in terms of pubs per head in the town.  Having seen the pubs I was admittedly a bit sceptical about going to any of them. 

(not my pic)

Also being from the south coming up North is always a bit interesting.  I’d already been addressed as ‘Arright Duck’ that day so just wanted to get back to normality and hopefully have a good pint.  I was in for a treat!!

 

Upon entering the Market Inn I was greeted by the glorious site of 9, yes 9, handpumps on the bar.   Looking around the atmosphere was convivial with most of the tables full even though it was a Monday night.  I got a pint of the Sheffield Porter which was a decent porter, if a little to malty for my tastes.  I also ordered some food which I was just in time for as they stop orders at 7.30 (which seems quite early to me).  As soon as I ordered and sat down the bloke opposite me started telling me how good the food is and what I could look forward to so I was certainly hungry when it arrived.  I had the pie of the day, minced beef and onion with homemade chips and veg.  It was so so good!  The mince was real chunks of meat, shredded and was so soft and delicious.  The pie crust was also really good with the just the right level of crisp to soft and golden brown in colour.  If I had to be picky and I do as a reviewer, I’d question if the gravy was homemade, if it was fair play but I thought it was a bit rich for the pie in question.  This was overall a great dinner.  I washed it down with a pint of the Absolution from Abbeydale Brewery which was a nice one to finish on for desert as it was quite sweet. 

Having enjoyed my evening there I went back again on the Tuesday night.  There were still 7 taps I’d not had yet, Timothy Taylor, Abbott Ale, Darkstar Hophead, Ossain from Inveralmond Brewery in Scotland, Easy Rider from Kelham Brewery, Bullion from Nottingham Brewery and Westons Cider.  I chose the Bullion to start with and was really impressed by it.  It is a golden ale which was easy to drink and just the right amount of hops to give a nice aroma and slight bitter finish.  I’ll certainly look out for that again in the future.  Fish and chips were on the menu with mushy peas so decided to go for that.  It’s a good pub staple that when done right is very good.  The fish and chips was excellent!  Their chef, Paul did a really good job both in terms of taste and presentation.  The batter on the chips was perfect, as good as I’ve had anywhere and the chips were clearly homemade and very tasty.  The only recommendation I’d make would be to suggest homemade tartar sauce. 

I’ve eaten in a lot of pubs this year and had some good meals.  The best pub in terms of food probably being the Lord Poulett Arms which was the Dining pub of the year 2009.  The food at the Market Inn was exactly the kind of food I think should be served in pubs.  They have absolutely nailed the balance between good, locally produced food that is simple and put together very well at a reasonable cost.  I was so pleased to have found a pub doing food like this.  They are proof that simple pub menus with pub staples like sausage and mash, fish and chips and pies can be amazing food.  There is a real skill involved in this and I tip my cap to the chefs as they have done an outstanding job.

The beer was all very well kept and I enjoyed a few more pints there of the Darkstar and the Ossain. 

Lastly the pub in general seemed to be a good community pub and meeting place which was nice to see.  They won the regional CAMRA award for ‘Town pub of the year’ this year and I can see why.  I’d like to go back on a busier night to see what it is like.  I noticed they run all sorts of events such as music nights and food nights to attract customers which is always a good thing.  Check out their website blog or facebook for news. 

Overall I’m now looking forward to my next trip up to Chesterfield so I can go back!  

The Harp and The Lord Moon of the Mall

Making the most of the long Easter break I had the pleasure of meeting up a mate of mine from university, Dr Alex Beaton.  Meeting up with the Dr was cool because it reminded me how sociable visiting pubs was and how my little quest was allowing me to see friends who are not always that available. 

I lived with Alex for three years so we know each other pretty well, plus both being from London originally and both enjoying pubs and real ale I knew it was going to be a good evening.  We did the usual meet up at Charring Cross and went down to the Princess of Wales for a pint before deciding where to go first.  I never realised how often I go to the Princess of Wales before till I started this blog!   

On arrival Alex announced that he had brought with him two bottles of the home brew he had brewed.  My initial thought was I hope I liked it because I wouldn’t want to be rude and have to pretend to like it if it was no good.  But my fears were unfounded, the double fermented beer was really good.  Alex had been aiming for a dark winter warmer type beer and had well and truly succeeded.  The strength of the beer around 6%ABV was perfect for a cold winters evening.  The chocolate, molasses flavours with hints of raspberry and oranges finished off with a subtle bitterness made for a thoroughly drinkable pint and by far the best home brew I’d ever had.  It was as yet unnamed (Alex let me know if you have named it yet).  We drank the beer sitting in Trafalgar Square and moved on down into Whitechapel to the The Lord Moon of the Mall.  

Alex and his home brew

I’d been talking up this beer trip over the evening and telling Alex about some of the good pubs I’ve been to so far this year so I may have got his hopes up quite a bit.  As we approached the Lord Moon we started to notice subtle signs that set the alarm bells ringing.  The writing seemed familiar and we jokingly said ‘I hope its not a Weatherspoons’.  No signs outside advertised the Spoons brand but as we entered Alex spotted the J.D.W initials on the door frame.  I immediately received the justified comment from Alex ‘I’ve come all the way up to London to go to a fucking Weathersoons?’.  There was not much I could do other than apologies and get a round in.  The building which used to be a bank has been given the usual Spoons decoration.  I felt it was looking a bit tired when we were there, its a big space and with the few groups in there it felt pretty empty and lacking in atmosphere.  The usual Spoons smell of poor people and gravy pervades the pub.  

Lord Moon of the Mall

Turning our attention to the bar we looked over the list of beers on tap (the only saving grace).  At least Spoons pubs have a decent number of ales on tap.  The beer was decent and I stuck to my self made rule of having a minimum of two pints in each of the pubs on my list.  We spent most of the time discussing how bad Spoons pubs can be and how we did not feel the need for the ‘double up for £1.50’ signs plastered around the pub.  Needless to say we didn’t stay long and swiftly made an exit, I would not recommend this pub at all.  There are better pubs around and to prove it we took a five minute walk back over the otherside of Trafalgar Square to the The Harp.  

The Harp (not my pic)

The Harp is a pub I had been looking forward to visiting for a while and I’m glad we went there second on the day as it more than made up for the terrible Spoons.  The Harp is an outstanding central London pub.  It currently holds the very high accolade of CAMRA National Pub of the Year 2010\2011.  The accolade is well deserved, as soon as we entered we knew we were in for a good evening.  We had both been to the pub before a few years previously when the Harp was the London Cider Pub of the Year so we knew roughly what to expect, even those expectations were surpassed. Entering we found ourselves in a pub with a convivial relaxed atmosphere decorated with fine art and hand pump labels around the bar.  I like pubs where they use the handpump labels as decoration.  The other pub I know that does that is the Market Porter in Borough Market.  Pump labels are art in themselves and displayed together are interesting collages.  

The bar

The pub, on the evening we were there was perfect for what we were looking for, the eight ales on tap added to the experience and we wasted no time in getting stuck in.  There is not much point listing the beers they have as they have such a broad range with some regulars such as Sambrooks, Dark Star, Harveys and Twickenham Ales (plus I forgot to write them all down).  We got a seat at the small bench tables just past the bar and soaked up the atmosphere, whilst sampling all the beers they had on offer.  I recognised the bar man as having worked in The Chandos  just up the road he’s not moved far but has definitely gone up in the world.  All the staff in there were quick to serve and most importantly knowlegable about their products! 

This pub is the complete antithesis of the other pub we had been to and I would highly recommend this pub to anyone. This pub is perfect for anyone who loves good pubs, good beer, good conversation. Alex and I both very much enjoyed The Harp and will certainly be going back someday.

West End Drinking

Hopped on the train from South East London was an uneventful journey with the usual mix of weekend shoppers and people speaking loudly about their personal lives on their phones.  I happened to be sitting next to a man dressed like a spy!  

Definitely a spy!

I wandered out of Charring Cross and into the Princess of Wales the usual meeting place.  As always they were supplying a good selection I had a very nice pint of Gunpowder Mild from the Coach House Brewing Company.  It was in my opinion one on the best milds I’d had for a while.  It was such a nice refreshing easy to drink pint with the right amount of flavour and hoppy notes.  I bought the Stoat a pint of White Horse Village Idiot just so I could say when he arrived that I got him a pint that reminded me of him.  

 

We headed up into the heart of Covent Garden, tourist central for London.  Making our way through the crowds we finally reached the Lamb and Flag.    

Lamb and Flag

We arrived at about 3pm and it was already filling up.  There is a decent selection on tap with Dark Star, Adnams and Youngs all being represented.  We both went for the Dark Star Best.  Being in the centre of Covent Garden I cannot imagine there is a quiet time at this pub so if you come be prepared to have to stand up.  We managed to get some bar stools near the entrance and chatted to lots of people who were coming in on some form of pub based history quiz competition.  We were sitting right by the notice which gives the history of the pub.  It’s certainly been around for a long time and it shows with some interesting pub design elements.  It’s always fascinating to visit pubs that have such an interesting history and famous visitors such as Dickens.   We did have a look upstairs where they have some food which looked to be a mini carvery.  It didn’t smell great, bit like that horrible sprouts smell you get in a Toby Carvery.  But we didn’t try it so won’t comment on it more than to say you can get some food there but remember you are in Covent Garden where there are numerous other restaurants.  Talking of other smells I broke a rule of mine and had a look at some other reviews before writing mine and I noticed they often mentioned a wiff about the place like toilets!  I did notice this and it’s not the first time I’ve noticed it in a pub in London, one of the worst I’d been in for that was the Market Porter in Borough Market.  However I did like the Lamb and Flag but I wasn’t blown away by any means.  I would see it as a decent place for a pint in Covent Garden but not somewhere I’d make a special effort to go to.  It does have the history but it’s not really backed up with any other outstanding features like a wide beer selection, interesting decor or good food.  They probably don’t need to make too much effort to keep going as they get enough foot traffic from passers by who drop in for a beer.  

Bar at the Lamb - it's not that small that lady is just really tall!!

Next pub on the list for today was The Salisbury.  This is a pub that I have been visiting for years.  I have always loved visiting this pub and I had my first pint of Doom Bar here.  From the first moment you enter you realise there is something special about the place by the amazing etched glass all around the pub.  It is the classic ‘gin palace’ style pub.  The Salisbury always has a busy bustling atmosphere due to its theatre district location.  The staff have always been top notch when I’ve been there and service is usually swift even if the bar is busy.  They have a similar range of beer to the Lamb with Sharps Doom Bar, Youngs and St Austell Tribute.  I hope the Doom Bar will always be as good as the first time I visited now that it has been bought out by the beer giant Molson Coors!  We met a few more mates in there and most of us went for the Doom Bar with the exception of Hoody who I’ve not managed to convince to drink ale yet and don’t hold out much hope of ever doing so.   I’m not sure what it is about The Salisbury but it always has that cozy relaxed pub feel to it.  It is a pub that is bursting with character and charm, with good beers and good service it has to be a top contender for best pub in the west end.  

The Salisbury

Some randoms and the etched glass

Overall a good day out at two good west end pubs.  After some consideration (about 6 pints worth) I’d always visit The Salisbury over the Lamb and Flag even though they have a similar beer range and beer snacks The Salisbury has that extra edge that makes a great pub. 

The FIRST pub

Of all 59 excellent sounding pubs how could I choose which pub should start my year long journey.  I was thinking about this for a long time reading reviews, researching histories, thinking I could start with the newest and finish with the oldest but in the end I decided to go start with the Greenwich Union.  The decision was simple, its my nearest 'good pub guide pub'.  I'd been to 'the union' on a number of occasions and even celebrated my 25th birthday there.

The pub is in such a fantastic location being close to Greenwich Park and Greenwich Market it was nice to have a short stroll through the park first to work up an appetite.  The pub is always popular and can be tricky to get a table but we managed to get one fairly quickly.  The place is clearly popular with the young professionals of Greenwich who have young children.  Even though I'm only 26 I have been known to be a bit of an old man when it comes to children in pubs.  I personally don't find it conducive to have chat with my friends and enjoy a nice beer with lots of children screaming around me.  Also breastfeeding just freaks me out.  However I guess being 26 and not having any kids I may change my mind when I want a pint if I ever had any.  The crowd changed after lunch and so did the atmosphere, what I would call a more usual pub atmosphere took over.  The pub is well set out for a pub of that size.  There is a garden which is great in summer.

Being aligned with the Meantime brewery means that the selection of beers is exemplary.  The staff also seemed knowledgeable and even if they weren't the beer menu is probably the best I've ever seen with great descriptions of types of beer.  They've even added in their own inventions for new types of beer like their London Lager described as 'a brand new style  created by Meantime' (there I've mentioned lager).  The pub also stocks a great range of beers from across the world that are good examples of different beer styles.  On the day I enjoyed a nice pint of Brugge Zot from the Halve Maan Brewery in Bruge (which incidentally offers a really good tour if you can ever find your way over the channel).

I couldn't visit a Meantime pub and not have any of the well tended Meantime beers.  Starting off with the London Stout was very enjoyable and a great pint for a cold winters day.  The London Pale ale however was a slight disappointment and did not have as much flavour or bitter finish as some of the better English Pale Ales out there such as a the Marston's EPA.  Not a problem though as it was more than made up for by the Meantime Winter Ale at 5.4% with great colour aroma and taste.

As mentioned I'm a big fan of real ale and have been a member of CAMRA since I was 18.  So I moved on to see how well kept the beer on tap was.  I had two excellent pints, the first, keeping with the London theme a pint of Sambrooks Junction followed by Dark Star Hophead which was my favourite of the day.  It went very well with the Alfred Stubbs pork scratchings they serve behind the bar.

The pub design is modern and my friends and I were lucky enough to get the window seats at the front.  The Union is located next door to the Richard I pub which has a more classic pub style if that is what you are looking for.  Personally I find the Richard I a better pub for general pub outings, its a Youngs pub and have well kept beers on tap.

The food at the Union was pretty good too.  We tried some of their burgers and the fish and chips which were all good, better than most pub food and priced fairly reasonably for London.  

Overall if you are looking for a great choice of beers then the Union is the place for you.  I love beer more than most so I have to say I was very pleased with the choices and quality of the pints.  However I still feel like the Union is lacking something in terms of character.  With great beer a  good location and good food this pub will continue to flourish so if you are ever over in Greenwich pop in and try some of the locally brewed beers.