May 2025. Derby. The BIG unofficial Derby pub crawl went off-course immediately on leaving the Brunswick, our group deciding that no, they couldn’t wait 13 minutes for the Alex to open, so over the Derwent, looking all pastoral and romantic, until Paul brings my attention to the abandoned shopping trolleys on the left. This crawl,… Continue reading THE BIG DERBY “CURATED PUB SURVEY”. No. 2 – THE SMITHFIELD
THE BIG DERBY “CURATED PUB SURVEY”. No. 1 – THE BRUNSWICK INN
May 2025. Derby. Well, disappointment for my readers hoping for dumplings, feminist pop and stained glass, but joy for those who like short posts focusing only on pubs. In dystopian 2025 there are two distinct types of permitted activity involving the visiting of a number of public houses for the purpose of consuming beer and… Continue reading THE BIG DERBY “CURATED PUB SURVEY”. No. 1 – THE BRUNSWICK INN
MAY ’25 STOCKTAKE + JUNE PREVIEW
A quick summary of a low-key month where the highlight was another country tick pin as we ventured into the Caucasus. A dozen bars in Georgia, and thirty-eight different pubs (a very different beast) spread across the usual North-West to South-East route. A culinary month, from the artisanal salads of Reddish, to the robust dumplings… Continue reading MAY ’25 STOCKTAKE + JUNE PREVIEW
ROOSTERS AND CHICKEN WINGS
May 2025. Sheffield. And so we leave Georgia, the capital’s airport so comfortable we arrived there over 3 hours early and still nearly missed Last Call. Great name for a bar; but with Staropramen at a tenner I gave it a miss. Back home in Sheffield I lasted almost a day before sneaking out up… Continue reading ROOSTERS AND CHICKEN WINGS
A RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA. YOUR TBILISI CRAFT BEER GUIDE
May 2025. Tblisi. Georgia. Your final post of holiday snaps; I’ll skip over the Vardzia cave network, and return to good ol’ English BBB tomorrow. I had to squeeze Randy in here somewhere; she’s a big fan of the Caucasus craft scene, particularly tomato gose. Due to Independence Day our Uber into Tbilisi had to… Continue reading A RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA. YOUR TBILISI CRAFT BEER GUIDE
KURIOUS KUTAISI
May 2025. Kutaisi. Georgia. It might be (possibly) the Oldest City in the World, but Kutaisi’s Old Town lacks the medieval sparkle implied by the painting in our disastrous restaurant, and in general Georgia will, surprisingly, appeal more to fans of Manchester than York or Ghent. But it doesn’t lack character, or art, and the… Continue reading KURIOUS KUTAISI
YOUR KUTAISI HEALTH WARNING
May 2025. Kutaisi. Georgia. Our third and final Georgian stop, following Tbilisi the capital and Batumi the beach resort with Kutaisi, the ancient city with an “Oldest Inhabited City in the World” claim. It really ought to better known for having the worst restaurant in the world. Having taken the early bus from Batumi (see… Continue reading YOUR KUTAISI HEALTH WARNING
MIDNIGHT TRAIN THROUGH GEORGIA. A BED IN BATUMI FOR £12.50
May 2025. Batumi. Georgia. More random Top Tips for all you aspiring pub bloggers hoping to be the next Retired Martin, BRAPA or Pubmeister. DON’T accept the sponsorship deal with Pipers, they never pay up. AVOID all references to modern music; your audience hates your music choices. ALWAYS include the name of the pub you’re… Continue reading MIDNIGHT TRAIN THROUGH GEORGIA. A BED IN BATUMI FOR £12.50
DYNAMOS IN TBILISI
May 2025. Tbilisi. Georgia. We started and ended our Georgian week in the capital, a place best known in the UK as the home of the Russian team that routed the Reds in ’79. Press PLAY; Dynamo Tbilisi were every 14 year old boy’s favourite Soviet soccer team back then. Not much love for the… Continue reading DYNAMOS IN TBILISI
THE GOOD GRUB GUIDE TO GEORGIA
May 2025. Georgia. Yes, some themed blogging for you, as I struggle to cope with putting 466 photos into posts. Come back, oooh, June and you might be able to read about Bass and Derby instead of this foreign muck. Back in 2023 it was a final Lithuanian meal in Kaunas that added Georgia to… Continue reading THE GOOD GRUB GUIDE TO GEORGIA
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