On the home run in Staffs now, and still with one great pub to come (where great is a term loosely applied).
It’s not this one, though.
Yes, spot the GBG pub.
Sanctuary Ale House is the one with the smoker outside, of course. In the absence of signs with King’s Heads on them, or A-boards saying “man creche“, it’s actually tricky to spot a micropub. But I’m becoming an expert; hire me for £32.50 + VAT and I’ll point them out so you can avoid them.
Sanctuary Ale House – sounds like a specialist beer bar, doesn’t it ?
But the crowd, largely the bright young things of Hartshill (am not making this up), only had eyes for Flensburger and Gin (not same glass. Yet).
It’s so packed on a Sunday I have to stand at the bar, which makes me hate myself even more as I get in the way of folk stroking Stoke City shirts.
At least at the bar I can see up close the ultimate hipster bar feature.
I think the sliced bread might have been artisan, too.
Actually, the local Lymestone Stone the Crows was very decent (NBSS 3), so I can’t really complain about it just for being successful.
And how can you dislike a place that twins its loo ?
retiredmartin 
Loved the line about “I’ll point them out so you can avoid them.” Seeing young businessmen in suspenders makes me have even deeper appreciation for the clothing choices of old boys in flatcaps. 😉
This idea of having a toaster on the bar is new to me. Interesting that it has a hipster aspect to it when seen in a pub.
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We have cereal cafes in London, Mark, but I’m sure I read that all the hip toast café are on the West Coast of the US.
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“Seeing young businessmen in suspenders makes me have even deeper appreciation for the clothing choices of old boys in flatcaps. 😉”
Hey! I wear a flatcap* at times (but not braces; I draw the line at that).
* – sigh, I suppose I’m considered an ‘old boy’, but never a businessman! 🙂
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Scrape that toast boys…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJmKStqugMc
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Ah, Punk.
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It’s hipster toast if it’s with avocado.
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Or if it’s Quinoa bread.
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I’ve heard reliable reports of a Potteries delicacy being a local equivalent of casu marzu grilled on toast.
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Is Casu Marzu a Port Vale winger?
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Roberts bread is an authentic artisanal product of Cheshire. If there was a Locale scheme for bread it would qualify in Stoke.
This underlines how some micros are finding a niche as smart bars rather than hangouts of beer geeks.
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When “thick soft white” is the bread rather than the customers you know it’s a hipster’s bar rather than a Proper Potteries Pub with it’s North Staffordshire Oatcakes.
But the Potteries isn’t what it was. Even the Wrights pies are now baked in Cheshire.
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Alas, no, Paul. There aren’t many potteries there these days. According to Patrick Minford, Rees-Mogg’s and the ERG’s favourite – nay, only – economist, there perhaps won’t be any at all before long – if they get what they want.
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Etu,
The Stoke-on-Trent based British Ceramic Confederation, which looks after the interests of the ceramics industry, nearly three years ago said that the Leave referendum result was not what the majority of its members wanted as EU tariffs on tiles and tableware protect UK jobs.
But almost 70% of voters in Stoke-on-Trent voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum.
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Yes, indeed that 70% did, Paul. I wonder how many of them had family who worked in ceramics?
At least we know what Johnson thinks can happen to business for all he cares though, don’t we?
One thing’s for sure. People – here and abroad – who relish turning the UK into a Singapore-style tax haven won’t do much for the custom of Proper Pubs. Especially not in industrial, or in post-industrial parts of the country.
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Yes, there seemed to be a run of bars like this on the way into Newcastle-u-Lyne, all aimed squarely at young vertical drinkers. And nowt wrong with that.
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Nowt wrong with that as long as there’s still a few Proper Pubs about for when the young vertical drinkers are old and have wonky knees.
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The next one down the road is the Artisan Tap, which has a weird playlist and is decorated with vintage recording equipment. Then past the Greyhound you reach Castle proper and the Cask Bar on Andrew Place, which is made from conservatory fittings and always has Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild on for some reason.
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Matthew,
It,might have Sarah Hughes Ruby Mild on because everyone thereabouts is getting a bit tired of that ubiquitous Plum Porter, and it’s a good beer, a proper strengthed Mild.
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“(where great is a term loosely applied).”
Like some of the women I used to date.
(and here I’m referring to ‘loose’ rather than ‘great’) 🙂
“Looks more Newcastle than Stoke to me”
Very confusing indeed. They have London Road turning into Newcastle Road… on the way out of Newcastle!
“Yes, spot the GBG pub.”
The one where the mobility scooter should be?
“Sanctuary Ale House is the one with the smoker outside, of course.”
Crap. I was going to say that instead of the scooter comment.
“the bright young things of Hartshill (am not making this up)”
Of course you are. Bright young things in Hartshill? G’wan!
“as I get in the way of folk stroking Stoke City shirts.”
Say that three times fast. 🙂
“Scary font”
I think that’s her back (side), not her front. 😉
“Possibly twinned with Maidenhead Cons Club”
Well, if any place deserves to be sh*t on by elsewhere…
Cheers!
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How I’ve missed you.
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What with my sporadic commenting of late I’m becoming a bit like the bad penny that always turns up. 🙂
Cheers
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And what’s wrong with stroking Stoke shirts?
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Now you say it, perfectly reasonable.
But Villa shirts, different story.
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Absolutely!!! 👍
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