retiredmartin

Is Selby the new Ely ? Or the new Southwell ? Or the new Selby ?

That’s the question on my mind as I make my long-awaited return to the irritating place that gets stuck on a little insert box on the North Yorks page of the GBG.

Looking at that map with all those Yorkshire gastro pubs near BRAPA still to do is depressing, isn’t it ?

If Richard Coldwell was still with us he’d be horrified at the love I’m giving Selby of late.

£1 pints, scantily dressed blokes, decaying industry. Sounds great, heh ? Towns like that often have the best pubs in my experience. Ask BRAPA.

Last Sunday, on a rare day the sun didn’t shine on me, Selby still sparkled.

As Chris De Burgh sang, I’d never seen Selby look so lovely, or its pubs so busy. Sadly its best pub still awaits new managers,

no doubt Sir Humphrey is going through best HR processes as we speak.

Some innovative attempts to keep me dry as I headed for the new Beer Guide tick,

and some innovative cultural events imported from Pontefract as the liquorice craze takes hold. You can trust someone who underlines the word “TALKS” and can spell lickorish correctly.

I actually walked past the Doghouse last summer when it was already a guaranteed pre-emptive. It wasn’t open though, just like their Castleford outlet defeated me last month.

I was expecting something dull and crafty aimed at Beer Twitter. What I got was bright and cheery and aimed at an upmarket Selby crowd (yes, it seems to exist).

Smart, but not TOO smart. Beer focused, but not TOO beery. Mums and toddlers, lone drinkers, pashminas and Prosecco. It was great.

All the tables seemed to be taken or Reserved. “But you can have that one by the window till 6.” That’ll do.

“Do you know what you’re drinking ?” Well, not when the pumps are hidden behind the glasses and you can’t approach the bar, no. #TableServiceUgh

The cheery barperson, hopefully not called a Dog Handler (a la the Wight Bear), was one of a young team who actually seemed to be really enjoying their work, in contrast to another canine-named pub earlier that week.

“Good choice !” he said when I picked the North Brewing Sputnik, served in a lovely chunky glass. If I’m honest, it was a degree or so above perfect but the lacings tell a positive take.

Superbly run, and if it’s full inside you’ve got the UK’s most attractive beer garden to fall back on;

Selby. Not past its sell by date. Si can have that one for free.