Next stop, Bingley, the poor man’s Saltaire, the rich man’s Keighley. And the only town named after an internet search engine, apparently.
But always a lively town, full of those things us Southerners come to The North for.
Plenty of pubs, though it seems that the Proper Pubs in the Guide like the Brown Cow have been eased out in favour of square boxes of late (Repeat after me: The Beer Guide is about BEER).
But appearances can be deceptive, and some of the oldies appear to have gone gastro.
Meanwhile the centre contains the following;
- Rail Yard
- Library Tap
- Fire Pit
- Foundry Hill
- Bingley Tavern
- Martinez Wine Shop
- Platform 1 & 3/4
- Myrtle Grove
- Potting Shed
and now Chip n Ern, the GBG newbie.
What’s wrong with proper pub names like No.37 or Chime ?
The What Pub description of Chip n Ern says simply “Micro pub“. Sometimes, less is more.
But. But. But.
The welcome was friendly. The Bridgehouse beer was cool and frothy and cheap (£3 a pint). So bitter it could have been Holts, and I gave it NBSS 4+, so obviously the GBG gets it right again.
And it all felt very pubby, says my notes. Perhaps because the conversation was about real things (betting, TV, domestic issues) rather than beer.
If you wondered where all the customers were, you just needed to look in the Spoons.
retiredmartin 
Anywhere is better than Keighley, surely?
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Keighley is better than half the towns down south and all of west London.
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You sure you been to the right place? The only decent thing in Keighley is the road out. Can tell you some right stories, but not in public!
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Does in Northampton count as not “in public”?
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At least it has bench seating!
I once saw someone order Landlord and blackcurrent in the Brown Cow in Bingley.
Some class reading matter in your first photo 🙂
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Yes, there’s a distinct difference in feel between the micro with tables round the walls where you stare at other lone middle-aged men (a Kent specialty), and those with bench seating or similar that just make it feel like a small pub.
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I assume youll be showing off your Damart thermals in forthcoming posts?
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Is it turning into “that” sort of blog?
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The GBG is about neither good pubs nor good beer, its about consistently satisfactory conditioning and dispense. It should really be called the CSCDG
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I can’t believe the stick so many southerners give the north. Plenty of great boozers and reasonable prices as I see it. Never been to Bingley myself, I tend to shun any place that is associated with Bradford.
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Most southerners really have never been north, bar the odd trip to the Dales, Peaks or cathedral cities. Bradford is great, give it another go.
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I loved everything about this review -the photos made me wish to pay Bingley a visit (even though I lived reasonably close we rarely visited -tended to go North to posh places -York ,’Arrygate ,Boston Spa….etc ) & as for the reading matter -ViZ & Classic Rock mags -I would never leave the pub & there would be loud guffaws from us both as we enjoyed excellent Yorkshire hospitality
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Thanks Pauline. Rather like Saltaire, Bingley has got smarter over the years (though the High Street is a bit polluted by traffic. A bit like Bridport, in fact. You’d like that micro, I sense.
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Just imagine what it was like before the bypass was built!
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Grief. Forgot that. Shipley/Saltaire equally busy but at least best streets off the main road.
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Is the library tap a new micro? You get a book to drink with your pint? It could work! Favourite Viz character is big Vern or Roger Mellie but undoubtedly the letters page is the real highlight…
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Twop Twips for me…
Library Tap sounds micro. oddly it’s an amber tavern, a cheapo Ember Inn.
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I still reckon that book malarkey could take off…a book and a pint…Brian Sewell would have loved it!
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“I still reckon that book malarkey could take off…a book and a pint”
Ahem:
https://preview.tinyurl.com/ydyex9ge
Cheers! 🙂
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Well done Russ.
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I thought it was a legal requirement for every micro to have a shelf full of old GBGs?
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“I still reckon that book malarkey could take off…a book and a pint” – yes, and maybe a book about pints or even a book listing pubs selling good beer, and with maps for colouring in pink ?
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Ah, a bit like What’s Brewing then.
And the Real Ale Twats is more realistic and up to date than Kegbuster.
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I love the pine-scented Johnny Fartpants car air freshener on the Viz magazine in the second photo. 🙂
“And the only town named after an internet search engine, apparently.”
While not towns we do have two lakes over on this side named after search engines; Duck Lake in Saskatchewan and Yahoo Lake in Washington State. 😉
“Towers”
Oh they have those in the south. In fact, there’s a hamlet full of them. (LOL)
“Micro beer range at micro prices”
Does that mean they’re cheap or just the opposite?
“Micro flowers”
That’s only because they haven’t bloomed yet. 🙂
“The Bridgehouse beer was cool and frothy and cheap ”
That answers my question above. 🙂
Cheers
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Best pub in Bingley is of course the Star!
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Never been, but Tets and Pedi – my sort of pub !
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Wow, I reckon that’s the most pubby micro I’ve seen yet. Hats off to them, putting such time and effort into the seating and decor.
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