You can bank on Stourbridge. Another year, another excellent new GBG entry to add to the classic Batham’s pubs in the town’s suburbs. Perhaps it lacks an absolute classic like the Cooper’s or Great Western, but I can’t think of many towns with the same consistency. Just pray it doesn’t get completely overrun by brewery taps.
I feel like I’ve done the town to death, but here’s the sturdy town hall, anyway.
I must have walked past the Old Bank a dozen times the last few years, never once seeing a place with Guide potential. What Duncan, Simon and I need is something on the CAMRA Dark Web to tell us about these definite pre-emptives before they’re even opened.
Now, it all looks so obvious. Beautifully refurbished, spacious and inviting with proper seating, a range of well-kept local beers, and craft gin and prosecco to bring in the sophisticates. Plusa pool table in the middle. How can it fail ?
It really can’t, even if it feels a lot like the Red House Boutique down the High Street.
Showing rare common sense, they’ve even scaled down food operations to focus on pub grub, including some authentic looking £2 cobs/baps/rolls which I resisted.
I also resisted the lure of the Wye Valley, seen more often round here than Doom Bar, and had the Enville Ale from up the road.
Lovely cool rich beer, an easy NBSS 3.5, even if I don’t like honey in my beer (whither Waggledance ?). Heart FM were playing Ariana Grande’s song about multiple pubgoing, and all was well with the world (or at least the Black Country).
By 11.30 in the morning there were eight folk in, all in couples, Old Boys and Young lasses. It was like a Spoons without the mixed grills and detritus.
Even served me a half in a branded glass, and what lovely branding too.
retiredmartin 
“authentic looking £2 cobs/baps/rolls” is all you need really – or maybe also pie or sausage and mash.
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Agree. Something hot and homecooked to complement the cold cobs. Stew always a good bet.
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Ah, yes, like that beef stew for £2 in the Stile last April.
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Mmmmmm, stew.
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You can’t do Stourbridge too much for some of us. Keep it up.
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Last time I was down there The Enville was 15/- cheaper in the Red House, and they do Scotch eggs. 😋
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Well, that’s a clincher…
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EL. must be DC from “The Albion”. First visited the place just after Rick Sheppard had signed the visitor book.
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I managed The Albion for Dave and Su for a while, went past there just before Christmas, now a bar cum fish and chip restaurant called The Virgin Queen and doesn’t open until 5pm Monday to Friday. 🙄
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From what I see ‘spoons seem to have overcome the detritus problem, certainly in the ones I’ve been in.
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You make a fair point, Richard. Spoons have well-trained staff and although not perfect they’re certainly cleaner than they were 5 years ago.
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Yes, and not having heard of a rodent infestation for several weeks must be a good omen.
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Definitely, they were a real mess a few years ago with uncleared tables being the norm.
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Stourbridge is as upmarket as it gets – aside from Tividale of course! Enville usually deliver great beer. What a cracking looking pub.
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Assuming it’s still there, did you spot the old orange safe perched precariously just inside the front door Martin? Would make a good challenge for anyone who fancies staging a heist after their pint (provided they have some stepladders handy). The Black Country Ales place in Bearwood (the Midland) also makes a feature of a former safe door, I sense the beginnings of a safe-cracking crawl…
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That’ll be the Old Orange Not Very Safe, then.
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Oh, I’ve gone anonymous!
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I did ! Forgot to take a photo, And yes, the Bearwood safe is something else !
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