September 2026. Chesterfield.
Having spent at least a tenner getting to the outer edge of Chesterfield for that Beer Guide newbie, and with the next nearest GBG tick a) an hour away or b) not open till Friday I decided to try an old favourite at random.
One of the things you notice each September when the Guide drops (ugh) is just how many perennial entries you have no recollection of, and Brampton Brewery’s Rose & Crown on the diminished Brampton Mile jumped out today.
That’s more than two dozen pubs marked, the grey ones closed, the red ones in the Guide.
Remarkably (as I’d long forgotten it) the Rose & Crown might be the very best of the lot.
It’s one of those sprawling corner pubs, very inner ring road Derby in style, and at 3pm on Monday it’s busy with gentlefolk drinkers.
“What sells fastest here ?” I ask the barmaid.
“Golden Bud” she says, without hesitation. Makes a change from “Depends what style you like“.
It’s immaculate service at the bar, and an immaculate pint (VERY GOOD/EXCELLENT). Lacings may occasionally lie, but it’s a beautiful lie.
My Dad (never a great hat wearer like his own father) seemed to have acquired another resident’s hat when I visited his care home yesterday; I should get him one like this;
Comfy bench seating, top snackage (please don’t tell me the calorie count on those cheese snacks),
and a general sense of peace with the world.
OK, a mile away you’ve got the very similar Chesterfield Arms with Bass, but if you think I’m detouring a mile with my leg you’ve another think coming.
NB On the bus a lady was shocked to discover her “South Yorkshire Saunterer” ticker wasn’t valid on account of Chesterfield not being in South Yorkshire, which should tell you why borders of all sorts are A Bad Thing.
