White Swan, Chesterfieldback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
This pub as re-opened and is now called the Pig & Pump, there were 12 handpumps with 10 ales on, pleasant pub with friendly barmaid; I indulged in Burton Bridge Brewery 'Stairway to Heaven' [what else :-)], a decent pint at a decent price [£2.30 a pint].
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The White Swan is currently closed. No sign of life. But the signage is still there.
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Good ale pub, efficient & friendly staff, smoking area to side of building. During our recent visit I had Jonah Pale Ale, refreshing &tasty; Lincoln Green 'Tuck', tasty with a sharp aftertaste; Ashover 'Milk Stout', smooth rich & tasty very nice; Yeovil Ales 'Lynx Wildcat', a smooth pint; and Ashover 'Font' which I found a bit insipid. This establishment is worth a visit if in Chesterfield.
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I needed to find somewhere in Chesterfield near to the station to wait for about half an hour before I met my brother. Found this place in the Good Beer Guide – and am very glad I chose it !
Up the hill from the station, turn left at the top and it’s directly opposite the famous crooked spire. A substantial building which wouldn’t obviously be a pub if it didn’t have the sign outside. The interior is a lot more modernistic that you would expect from the outside, but none the worse for that.
The bar is at the far end, and the rest of the space is divided into three roughly equal portions. Nearest the bar the seating is all high stools and small high tables, with plenty of space for standing by the bar. Further away from the bar, are some normal sized chairs and tables. These have been set out for dining (though every table has a menu). Finally, nearest the entrance / main road, there are some comfy sofas.
There is also a fourth area – but it’s outside ! A terrace with a great panoramic view, that was pretty popular when I was there.
The main attraction though is the beer. There are no less than 12 handpumps. For the unadventurous there was Greene King Abbot Ale, and Caledonian Edinburgh Castle. The rest of the beers were all from small local breweries. The pub serves as the Raw brewery tap so there were three of their beers available, also a couple from Blue monkey, and Barlow. For a change I didn’t have a dark beer, but instead chose Mitchell’s Hop house (from Sheffield) Dennis Pale Ale. Not my cup of tea normally, but it was quite nice.
There was an extensive menu, but it was too early to eat. I remember a huge range of burgers and the usual suspects in the pub grub section. I will certainly consider eating there in future, but I know what the previous poster means about the square plates !
The only downside I could see is that the pub is in danger of becoming a victim of its own success. IT was more or less empty when I arrived shortly after it opened (12), but by the time I left 30 minutes later it was pretty much full – virtually standing room only.
8/10 – this is my kind of pub
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12 real ales on. Bouncers on Door. Busy, with an eclectic crowd of all ages, race and sex.
Could spend all evening here, but there's plenty to explore.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2kZxkq7
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Totally agree with lezford, an excellent real ale exhibition where we were spoilt for choice and wish we had longer but our steam train to London wasn't going to wait for us. The beer was top condition. Less than 10 minutes walk of the station.
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I waited patiently to visit the White Swan as earlier in the day I got here before opening, I'm extremely pleased I did make the effort to come back.
The windows to the front are etched at the top with Swan emblems and are coloured. I'm unsure of the history of this pub but its obviously been transformed recently as its open plan now & attracts a different crowd to the Spa Lane Vaults. The pub is managed by the Raw Brewing Co.
Now to the real reason I'm here, which are the ales! 12 cask hand pumps that had 11 different ales on. 8 Northern breweries represented, 10 of the 11 are from smaller breweries with only Greene King represented as a National brewery in the form of Abbot Ale. With such a choice I worked through a few of the smaller breweries with my choices being Instant Karma Brewing Company Nirvana Cascade @ 4.9%, Raw Brewing Company @ Grey Ghost IPA @ 5.9% an excellent beer and Yeovil Ales Glory @ 3.8%. In addition to the cask ales there's 5 traditional ciders and several keg ales along with an impressive range of bottled ales.
A cracker of a boozer made even better by the amusing bar staff. The Swan is a must visit in my opinion and somewhere I have earmarked to return to.
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Ok sort of pub, high tables and stools with a few sofa's. Quite a few locals at the bar and people meeting before a function upstairs. Food was decent, but i would rather it did not come on a board. What has happened to plates?
Good selection of beers on tap.
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A brilliant find... Well desereved being chosen as one of 6 for pubs in the area for pub of the year in Chesterfield. We tried many of the beers. Moo was for me the best. Glad to see beer of the week, Raw are indeed doing something right. Lovely setting, fantastic beers. Kepp up the good work.
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Excellent pub, surprised it's not already been discovered by BITE reviewers. Housed in a previous licensed premises opposite the famous crooked spire church, it has more recently served as a Chinese restaurant before reopening as a pub in July 2012. It has no fewer than twelve handpumps majoring in microbreweries, and does a good line in food, pitched more at the bar snacks market than anything particularly gastro - a decent burger and chips is £5.95 for instance. A clean environment, friendly staff together with the beer and food makes this one a must if you are in Chesterfield and like your real ale.
PhilR - 20 Apr 2013 19:46 |
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