Wheatsheaf, Walsallback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
The Wheatsheaf is situated a little way out of town next to two schools. It doesn't open until 4pm during the week. I arrived to find just two other customers and a cat in the centre of the bar. One turned out to be the landlord (not the cat). The ale range is fairly decent - Oakham Citra, Holdens Golden Glow & Wye Valley Butty Bach were the regular ales. 2 guests were also on - AJ's Stuck In the Mud & Beowulf Dark Raven. I quite enjoyed my Stuck In The Mud. But unfortunately there was no real cider. No CAMRA discount was offered either. The interior is L-shaped, creating two separate drinking areas. A fairly decent option when in Walsall.
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Now closed - just a couple of weeks after featuring in the new GBG. Strange.
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I�m very pleased to say that the Wheatsheaf changed hands 6 months ago, and is now an altogether more welcoming pub. Gone are the chilly temperature & smell of bleach! The new owners have even installed a coal fire in one seating area, which combined with the comfy sofas, completes the �Living Room� ambience which the previous owners had let down with a few niggles.
The beer selection now includes Taylor�s Landlord, which we found to be in perfect condition. We didn�t get around to trying the others (Black Sheep Bitter, Doombar) such was the quality of the Taylor�s Landlord.
The friendly new owners seem to have the right attitude to make this attractive pub succeed. Its location, a few minutes walk from Ablewell Street in Walsall, is easily accessible via local buses, but just quiet enough not to be spoilt. We had planned to move on to the nearby White Lion, but couldn�t imagine what better it could offer. If they can keep or even improve the real ale range, I think the Wheatsheaf could easily become one of the most promising pubs in Walsall.
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The temperature is certainly rising in this pub! I'm glad to report that the heating is on and it is now warm.
The food is tasty, with good portions and reasonable prices. Best of all, there is a range of ales which seem to suit my palate, particularly the Timothy Taylor Landlord, but all are interesting and kept to a high standard by an enthusiastic publican.
Friendly staff and management, who are prepared to go that extra mile. We have twice called in outside "normal times" for food, and been gratified with good service as well as a good meal.
Finally, for a bit of harmless fun, I can also recommend the monthly quiz night
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Only one ale on Sharp's Doombar which was good but for a CAMRA rated pub I expected more. Friendly bar-bloke though, who was advising another non-local of a decent curry-house nearby. Local knowledge always good and staff able to recommend other establishments without fear if also good.
I would return but I'd hope for more ales available.
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We first visited the Wheatsheaf a few times in 2008, and were interested in what seemed to be an interesting new real ale development. A lot of money seemed to have been spent, adding an adjoining property to extend the original Wheatsheaf pub. Exposed floorboards, comfy chairs and decorative additions created the impression of a pub designed to offer a living-room like ambience.
On our last visit in 2008, one Saturday afternoon, we had found the place distinctly chilly, and with recent mopping of the floor leaving an unpleasant bleach smell throughout. It didn't feel comfortable back then, and one way or another, it was a cold Saturday evening in November'09 before we returned to see how it had progressed, encouraged by a recent Camra award they had received.
Well, it was chilly and smelt of bleach throughout! The barmaid was sat on the steps smoking as we entered, but soon appeared to serve us. The hand pumps were mostly given over to a pretty uninspiring choice of ales: Bombardeer, Youngs, Adnams, with just one real/guest beer (Pride of Aston). We opted for the latter, but found it very uninspiring.
Whilst sitting shivering with our coats on (all customers had theirs on too, and the barmaid kept her fleece zipped up), the odour of bleach was overpowering the beer. It's commendable to keep your pub well scrubbed, but if you're serving food and drink, use something less offensive please.
Going to find the ladies toilet, my other half discovered that there was a portable gas fire in use just beyond the bar, in front of which was the landlady herself, crouched over a laptop. It beggars belief that the owner can choose to warm herself whilst leaving the rest of the pub's customers with zero heating, wearing their coats. And the sight of yet another modern day owner giving their attention to websites on a Saturday evening, not their customers, sends out a very bad message.
We left after our mediocre pint. Little has changed. If the Wheatsheaf is to flourish, and not just scrape by with a few loyal cronies, the landlady must address the issues of beer choice & quality, and heat the whole pub please, not just yourself.
Roy22 - 10 Nov 2009 21:51 |
An update: visited during a beer festival. Lots of good beer and cider, friendly staff. No students either :-)
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Time for an update: A nice, yet strange shaped buidling - like two Georgian houses pushed together, squashing a small building in between! The exterior has half white render and half cream. It looks neat. Local CAMRA pub of the year for 2008.
The interior is open plan, bar area (stools) gives way to a lounge area (sofas), then onto a dining area (tables and chairs). There are lots of bits of memorabilia dotted about on the plain coloured white and beigey (i think) coloured walls
Beer; Everard's Sunchaser, Bombardier and Hop Back Summer Lightning; i have tasted better Sunchaser.
It remains a decent enough place and does carry off the blend of older and modern. We pop in here on a semi-regular basis.
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Not a bad pub- good selection of excellent beer. A bit studenty ay times, but still good.
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I liked this pub. Had a pint of Hazy Daze, a refreshing wheat beer which just hit the spot on a hot day. The barmaid was lovely and the garden chess in the backyard was a nice way to spend a little time.
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A strange mix between barstools and sofas! A decent enough place that serves a number of real ales and have tried small beer festivals. Sadly, it no longer serves Mild, if only it did (hint)
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