COPPULL’S WHEATSHEAF, ONE OF “THOSE PUBS THAT DON’T GET IN THE BEER GUIDE ANYMORE”

More ticking in Central Lancs, home of Ale Cry and also some of our greatest pub men.

But had Matthew ever been to the Wheatsheaf in Coppull, I wonder ?

No reason to, it’s an unassuming local’s pub in an unassuming village south of micro made Chorley.

Coppull seems mad on takeaways. And music listings with the barest of information.

I like the sound of Hippo. But they’re not on Spotify (or Tidal, which I’ve just joined). Interestingly, they’re playing “My Girl” by Madness when my foot goes through the door, so I wouldn’t expect Kangaroo Air Force Ventilator covers in the Wheatsheaf.

It’s as busy as I’ve seen a pub at 6pm midweek, with a mix of village life.

But why’s it in the GBG, you wonder, when the beer is Sharp’s (Atlantic, not Doom Bar, sadly), and Hobgoblin.

Er, because the beer is gorgeous. Rich, cool, tasty (NBSS 3.5+). Better than the slow-moving stuff from unknown microbreweries in some pubs put on to gain credibility.

With it cheery welcome, laughter and life and boring brown beer it’s exactly the sort of pub that I’m always told will never make the GBG because CAMRA branches vote for quantity, their mates and discounts.

That’s not my finding. I’ve hardly had a duff pint this year anywhere in the Guide, and several ordinary (to you, not them) boozers have made the GBG. (See : Runcorn, Pinchbeck and Caerleon in January alone.)

Long may it continue.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

16 thoughts on “COPPULL’S WHEATSHEAF, ONE OF “THOSE PUBS THAT DON’T GET IN THE BEER GUIDE ANYMORE””

  1. WhatPub says “There are three hand-pumps serve a changing selection of real ales with a focus on supporting local micro breweries; beers from Prospect, Bank Top and Blackedge often featuring.”

    Dare I suggest if it had just been serving Sharp’s and Hobgoblin in Autumn 2020 (because the pubs were shut when the actual selection took place) it wouldn’t have been included?

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    1. You might very well think that, I couldn’t possibly comment.

      Good spot. The phrase “supporting locals micro breweries” – ugh ! What’s wrong with supporting great national brewers ?

      NB : It doesn’t LOOK like a pub with a focus on micro breweries !

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      1. They should randomize beer buying. No beer clips and the server randomly selects the hand pull. Shake us out of our narrow prejudices about beer types and brands. Beer roulette.

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      2. Wow ! What a fantastic idea. So the Marston dining pub gets Doom Bar, a Saison and Jarl randomly allocated, and the customer randomly gets one of those 3. I’m up for that; others not so much I guess.

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      7. Working for the man – as the Americans would say. National brewers, the very organisations CAMRA set out to fight against, which in a way, reinforces your point about GBG selection.

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      8. Except they’re not national breweries, they’re foreign breweries.

        Which means that every pint you buy from them makes the US and Denmark a little bit richer, and the UK a little bit poorer, taking out a few pence that would otherwise circulate in the UK economy. Repeat billions of times and you start talking serious money.

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