Bird In Hand, Staffordback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Two years on from my last review and what a transformation. The pub has been taken over by Black Country Ales and it now rivals the Floodgate as the best pub in Stafford. I was suitably impressed. The place has had a refurbishment without destroying any of its character. The loud music has gone and has been replaced by conversation. It was also much busier, with people no doubt attracted by the excellent ale and cider range. The 3 Black Country ales are BFG, Fireside & Pig On The Wall. Guest ales were Salopian Lemon Dream, Falstaff Smiling Assassin & Sandiway Chain Breaker. 2 ciders were Snail's Bank Appley Dappley & La Cantina Private Number. Really good pub.
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There was just enough time for me to try one last pub in Stafford town centre on Wednesday afternoon. I chose the Bird In Hand, but later wish I hadn't. Apparently this used to be a Joules pub and from experience, they tend to be well decorated, with the possible exception of the British Lion in Crewe. Other patrons were in a fairly characterless room at the front. This had doors open to a patio at the rear, with music playing. The front two rooms were much more traditional, but were unoccupied and looked as if they needed a little bit of attention. No cask ales were available. Just a keg selection of John Smiths Extra Smooth, Thatchers Gold, Carlsberg, Carling, Guinness, Strongbow & Tetleys Smoothflow. Locals seemed fairly friendly though. Disappointing.
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Re-opened again after yet another closure. Same people have got Chambers which should re-open later in the year. New management.
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I went in here for the first time since it reopened a few months ago. It seems pretty much the same as before, just different bar staff.
I only stayed for a pint of bombardier which tasted a bit off to be honest. They had 3 other ales on, two of which had hand drawn pump labels and the other I didn't recognise.
The same crowd of college aged drinkers still hang about the place and the furniture seemed to be in quite a state. Not to mention the abundance of pint glasses littered about the pub as the bar staff chose to stand around and chat.
Overall, apart from a new sign I don't see any improvement as of yet but I shall give it another try soon, later in the evening perhaps.
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Now reopened, but doesn't look promising from the outside. Advertising karaoke, DJs and pool. Does mention 4 cask ales though ...
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Closed abruptly in July/Aug 2011
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The beer has improved slightly but the pub was dead on a Friday night, not good for a pub like this, which used to be full. This pub could be so much more, if! and that seems a big if! for most publicans these days, if! it was run as a good, unpretentious English pub. Good beer, simple food of the ploughmans, beef and gravy school of though, check out Whitelocks in Leeds for a good example, and this could be a really successful pub.
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The first thing to say about this pub is to take the information on the outside of it with a pinch of salt ! It advertises �good home cooked food� � it doesn�t serve food ! The chalk board outside advertises beers by Slaters and Titanic � I�ve not seen them there.
Instead them normally have 4 beers on tap, usually Courage Best, Fullers London Pride, Timothy Taylors Landlord and Wells Bombardier. The beer is normally well kept.
Four is also the number of separate drinking areas in the pub. To the left of the main entrance is a small snug, to the right a public bar, further on on the right is a lounge with big screen TV (not always on), and ahead is a games room, which also has a stage for live music (about once a week). There is also a beer garden to the rear which is the largest area of all !
There is genuinely mixed clientele - sometimes the pub seems more welcoming when it's virtually empty ! You can tell the sort of people this pub attracts by the fact the beer garden is usually the busiest area - even when it's raining !!
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Not bad for a town centre pub in the middle of 'circuit' territory. Still pretty much a 'local pub' in a town cnetre which is a rarity these days.
anonymous - 4 Oct 2009 10:49 |
A great town pub, sadly out on its own becasue of so many closures. I had a very well kept pint of Bass Premium and an even better one of Wells's Bombardier.
This pub is well worth seeking out and I shall make a point of comign back here. Good luck to the new landlord.
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Not bad. I'd always avoided going in here, as it doesn't look very friendly from the outside, but it was in fact fine. A large pub with lots of different rooms - a couple at the front, one containing the main bar, a further room at the back leading onto the beer garden, and a games room at the very back. Three ales on tap, including a rare sighting of draft Courage - to my shame I didn't know this was available any more. Service was friendly.
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Friendly multi roomed town centre pub with traditional ales. A guest beer would have been a welcome sight, but the Wells and Youngs were enjoyable.
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Very pleasant traditional multi-roomer - decent Courage with old-style pumps
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