Wednesday morning meant “Le Grande Tour“.
A designated heritage trip through east Cheshire, with only a small Branson Premium applied as it manages to bypass Stoke.
I resisted the craft beer options on Crewe Station.
Yes, my Big Day In Stafford with Paul (t’other) Mudge and Quosh, a first time out for this particular trio. Most of the pre-match betting was on Paul due to home advantage.
Those two made an early start in Stone, a mythical place I have read about in yellowing GBGs of yore.
So I had the glories of the county town to myself; it looked stunning.
I was going to walk the 45 minutes both ways to bod, the Titanic cafe bar in the well known suburb of Weeping Cross.
But frankly I’d missed breakfast and didn’t want to pass out in Baswich.
So, despite what I said about buses yesterday, I hopped on the 826 just past the “closed for refurb” park.
The least exciting 15 minute bus journey in the UK, and the row of business making up the mysterious “SHOPS” were only rescued from blandness by the butchers being nearly named Motorhead.
So what’s Titanic doing plonking a café here in the middle of a quiet Stafford suburb ?
Making loads of money by the look of it.
I counted two dozen on a Wednesday lunchtime, all eating, which if not quite Spoons is good going for a family brewer.
OK, only half a dozen weren’t drinking lattes, and six pumps is a bit ambitious.
But the proof is in the slurping. A thick, chunky Plum Porter was a 3.5, possibly a tad behind the version being drunk by Quosh at that precise moment in the Royal Exchange 10 miles up the road.
Yes, those nachos were my breakfast.
Nothing happened, I wished I was in Stone, and a coffee drinker bagged the table with a phone charging point to annoy me.
Only the sexist toilets are worthy of your attention.
But the Plum Porter; wow, it never fails.
My head was clear by now, so I walked back, entertained only by the flooded banks and the view of the once-famous Spittal Brook.
Time to meet the Pub Professionals…
retiredmartin 
I didn’t realize Titanic had its own pubs in addition to the brewery. Have you been to others besides this one?
I’m glad you confessed to the nachos breakfast. I mean come on, we’ve all had utterly inappropriate things for breakfast at one time or another, surely. I was in some far off town one time and the only reasonable breakfast option I could find at that hour was a hot dog at a gas station. 🙂
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About a dozen including those bod cafes, pretty much one traditionally named pub in every North Staffordshire town.
My Robbie Williams Post from 17 is set in the Boars Head, the tap.
All in the GBG, too. I think Simon has done a few recently. They’re a bit like Joules I guess.
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Not “about a dozen” but exactly a dozen the landlady of the Royal Exchange told Quosh and myself.
There’s eight Proper Titanic Pubs and four Bods, on Bodmin Avenue and Stoke railway station and recent openings – possibly in time for the 2021 GBG – in Trentham and Newport.
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Hot Dogs for breakfast is pretty much compulsory in Tupelo, isn’t it?
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Titanic was actually founded as a pub brewery, in 1985 in Burslem (part of Stoke-on-Trent). The pub was the Travellers Rest and I think is still going. The brewery name refers to Captain Smith of Titanic ‘fame’ who was born locally. Their beer listing (see website) includes a wheat beer called ‘Iceberg’ – perhaps a missed opportunity to do a lettuce brew?
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Sadly (or happily), Ian, the Traveller’s Rest in now a curry house. Plenty of pubs left in Burslem though.
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Best breakfast – leftover curry on toast with a fried egg on top. Nachos a close second!
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Don’t tell me, you’ve used the Corby trouser press in hotel rooms for reheating last night’s chapatti or naan too?
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Don’t be silly, no one has ever actually used a Corby trouser press!
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Sounds my sort of breakfast!
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Hi Martin, I see you’ve had your first ‘bod’ experience! I’m a bit undecided on them myself, preferring Titanic’s more traditional pubs to the cafe-style template. Saying that, I did enjoy my visit to the Weeping Cross one and it does fill a gap after the Lynton Tavern over the road got replaced by a Co-op. I’ve been in the one on Stoke Station too, definitely worth a look as a pre-emptive if you find yourself in the Potteries. Cheers, Paul
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Thanks Paul.
The Stoke bod is on my To Do list (it’s new in GBG).
I prefer the pub, but some folk will prefer the bid for their coffee and cake, so it’s a winner.
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Our go to place in Weeping Cross is, of course, the Radford Bank…but only because it’s by the canal. It’s the sort of place to find Britain Beermat and not any of the assortment of GBG tickers!
We have ventured into Stafford on a couple of occasions…well worth the trip!
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Pete,
I pass the Radford Bank, as the Trumpet has been renamed, on my way to Penkridge. I would use it if it wasn’t only partially open, for breakfasts but not beer.
I’m sure you will welcome the reopening of the canal properly into Stafford town centre soon.
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Oh yes, that’ll be great if/when they do it!
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Walked past that Pete. Wasn’t tempted in 😊
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Quelle surprise!!
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I lived in Stone for three years and a mighty fine pub town it is….highlight was heckling Alan price at Granville’s after he insisted on silence whilst playing his set!
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Mrs TSM and I were in the Trentham Bod this afternoon. I hadn’t realised that they didn’t serve beer before noon but that didn’t matter as we arrived at 3pm.
Then it was a pint of Draught Bass in the Railway on our way home, that’s the Railway Quosh and I were in while you were on your way to Crewe ! .
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