Preston Pubs

When my pals from Friends of Highgate Brewery got in touch, inviting me to join them for drinks round Preston today, I readily accepted. You may recall I enjoyed a tour of Preston by my fanzine counterpart back in January, so I knew the pubs – and the people – there to be good. Today again involved no planning on my part – with the exception of finding myself a hearty breakfast to soak up the beers (this was where I fell down last time).

Eastbound

I strolled to Blackpool North station (my exercise for the day), armed with a rucksack containing a book (not much reading time today, but enough to finish Fractured by Karin Slaughter), a bottle of water (to hydrate me on the way there and the way home), an umbrella (just in case) and a charging brick (to ensure my phone didn’t die so I could keep taking photos and notes for you, dear reader).

I boarded the York train, which was pretty busy. My carriage was dominated by Coventry City fans on their way to the early kick off match at Deepdale. I love that Blackpool attracts fans that are also up here for matches at Preston (and Fleetwood). I’m not sure that I’d go so far as wanting Preston to succeed so that Blackpool gets more visitors, though. I was torn between reading my book (I really was nearly finished) and earwigging on the Cov fans for anecdotes for this blog. I managed to find a happy medium.

‘You need a drink to watch this lot.’

‘I’m immune to it now.’

‘See it. Say it. Sorted. Well we see it every week and we say it like it is but it never gets sorted.’

I sat there shaking my head and wondering why we put ourselves through this non-enjoyment every week. I feel enlightened, having found my way out of the habit. That’s not to say I’ll never go back, more that I feel that going to football is more of a choice than a compulsion now.

We collectively disembarked at Preston and I strolled down Fishergate, enjoying the first signs of autumn.

And Christmas…

First stop: breakfast.

Tea House Preston

This place came recommended by Chris (who we met in this blog). I followed up his recommendation with some online research. I do like to select what I’m eating before I head anywhere for two reasons:

1. So I can select something healthy, ideally; and
2. Because I can easily spend a good 15 minutes pondering over a menu and this eats into my, er, eating time. Also, as you will be aware from my inability to read beer boards (often missing things I would have loved to try – more of this later), I somehow lose my ability to read menus when I’m actually in the venue itself. I feel some kind of pressure in these situations.

Anyway, I couldn’t find a menu online for this place. Indeed it is listed in some places online as ‘Mystery Tea House’. Was their menu a secret? I decided to head down there anyway, as I was intrigued – plus I trusted Chris’s recommendations.

What I HAD seen online, however, was a shot of their tea menu. I love an interesting tea – and knew I would be spoiled for choice here. On arrival – after a quick comfort break downstairs – my first job was to ponder the tea menu. Where on earth to start with this lot?!

Irish Cherry – yes, I’ll have that one. Ooh Pumpkin Pie… I need to stop reading now, as I’ll only confuse myself even further. Oh Amarette!

I headed to the counter still undecided, realising I needed the pressure of actually having to order to come to a decision.

‘I want ALL of the teas! I can’t decide!’

‘Well can I recommend this one, which is very popular with our customers.’

Ooh yes please!

As for the food? Well there was a choice to be made here too. This was a Polish cafe so I felt I really ought to try the Polish cuisine.

I could happily have eaten anything off this menu – perhaps with the exception of the Chicken Gizzard Goulash (I’ve just Googled what a gizzard is and wished I hadn’t). However, it was breakfast time (well 1100), which seemed too early for anything too heavy. I toyed with the Potato Pancake with Beef Goulash – which sounded the most breakfasty – but decided against it. I needed something I would definitely be able to eat and this still sounded a bit heavy for breakfast. I reluctantly turned to the traditional English breakfast menu and chose from there instead, resolving to be back another time (later?) to have a Polish option.

My tea was delivered first, together with a basket of condiments and cutlery which also included a little card with the WiFi code on it (lovely touch).

I was a bit confused with the above. Was that butter in that little pot? Closer inspection revealed it was lemon, together with a little jug of honey. I have been taking honey in my Earl Grey of late (try it) but have never thought to try it with a fruit tea. My first cup of tea was taken neat and it was bloody delicious. However I thought I’d try honey in my second cup. It was a different experience but it was also bloody delicious. This is a revelation. Can ALL tea be taken with honey? I am looking forward to experimenting with this. I am also looking forward to returning to this cafe and trying more of their lush teas.

Let me show you around.

Ooh my breakfast has arrived!

This was a good breakfast and it did exactly the job I wanted it to. There was a good balance of moist (beans) and things to mop it up with (toast and hash brown). The bean juice was rich. The toast might look anaemic but it was crunchy and still better cooked than the toast I had on holiday in Turkey recently – even after it had been through the toaster three times. (Why no blog about Turkey? I can include it here, if you like, in the form of a microblog: ‘Efes, Tuborg.’) The sausage had a good and interesting flavour, with a surprising consistency.

I have never before understood how and why writers come to cafes to write, when pubs are a thing. But today, here, for the first time, as I finished reading my book and sat gazing around at my surroundings, completely relaxed, I got it. Had I not arranged to meet my pals anon, I could have very happily sat here for hours, working my way through the tea menu, Taylor Swift playing quietly in the background, working on my book, looking up occasionally to observe other customers, contemplating cake, maybe staying long enough to have some goulash for tea later on. This cafe has SOMETHING that made me want to just stay there. This was my happy place. I was content and relaxed. I already wanted to come back. I COULD imagine sitting here for hours writing. I poured another cup of tea, added honey and scrolled through my emails.

It was with some reluctance that I rose to leave this blissful sanctuary (even the road it was on was peaceful and delightful). But I had friends to meet, pubs to visit, beers to drink – and readers to indulge. So off I trotted, in a mentally calm and happy place. To the pub!

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Black Horse

I had been in the pub on my last visit but was a little worse for wear by that point, so I was determined to do it more justice this time.

As explained above, I was here today to meet up with pals from the Friends of Highgate Brewery. You can read all about them via this link. I used to live within sniffing distance of Highgate Brewery in Walsall back in the day. The brewery once had several pubs dotted around the area. And of course it was famed for its lush Dark Mild. The Friends of Highgate Brewery meet up every month and, when I joined them back in 2008, we’d meet every other month in the brewery itself, where we’d pay a nominal fee on the way in for some raffle tickets and basically drink as much beer as we liked for a couple of hours. Those were the halcyon days! The raffles are famous for having some, erm, interesting prizes. My favourite was a unicorn horn for cats. Nowadays, FOHB still meet up monthly in the pubs of Walsall and continue to run social trips to breweries and beer towns.

On arrival at the Black Horse today, I was greeted warmly by Gaz:

‘You look thin. It’s not because you’re ill, is it?’

I reassured him that I wasn’t and accepted the compliment. I hadn’t seen Gaz since I left Walsall five years ago so it’s good to know Paddington has been successful in his ongoing mission to keep my weight under control.

Loving the beer blurbs and colour samples here. What more could you ask for? I went for the Ashover Liquorice, despite it being a higher ABV than I would have liked to start the day.

Other FOHBers trickled into the pub and it was lovely to see everyone.

I enquired as to the itinerary for today. I planned to be in ‘follow mode’ and would just head wherever they were heading. There was an official trail of pubs, with a map provided (which I forgot to procure or photograph), as well as a printed list of GBG pubs to go at.

My companions were keen to find out more about this pub and, as someone headed off to have a proper look round, I realised that was a good idea (why do I rarely do this?). Here are some photographs of this wonderful pub.

Well that was a great start to the day! The group had now splintered off into various sub-groups to follow different routes around the town centre. I headed onwards with fellow blogger Evo (who you’ve met before), Bob (who you’ve also met before if you’re an eagle-eyed reader) and Steve (old friend but new to the blog).

We headed towards a pub that was not yet open before continuing down Friargate to hunt for another one, which we almost walked past.

Plau

We were greeted by the coolest barman I’ve ever seen in my life. He looked like he should be in a band. He wore a suit with the sleeves rolled up and had tattoos up his neck. But lets refocus as we’re here for the beer.

I went for the Arbor Frambo.

We took a seat in the window at the front – joining Dennis and Keith – and this was my view looking into the pub/bar/tapas restaurant/bistro/whatever this place is (oh, it’s a ‘gin and beer house’, it says on the front).

The conversation turned to tv shows we watched as youngsters and someone suggested that, in Dennis’s day, it was probably the Wooden Tops and Muffin the Mule. Dennis said he remembered watching Hank The Cowboy who we hadn’t even heard of.

Steve comprehensively answered questions I had on what a ‘party line’ was (where households shared a single telephone line with a neighbour). He went into far more technical detail than I needed but did throw in an amusing anecdote about a relative who was terrified that there were gremlins on the line.

Despite resolving that we wouldn’t get onto politics, we somehow did, and I was recommended to watch ‘Strike: An Uncivil War’ and ‘Sherwood’ to gain a fuller picture of the miners’ strike, which I was too young to really understand at the time.

We moved on, passing this along the way.

Chain House Brewing Co & Taproom

This was one of those modern brewery places that remind me of Twisted Barrel in Cov and those ones in Stirchley

I’ve known Bob for the best part of 20 years but it was only today I noticed that his eyes were different colours (a la David Bowie). I put this observation down to the fact that I can actually see now I’m wearing my glasses full-time (after my stressful experience in Grimsby).

It was here that Steve pointed out that six out of seven dwarves aren’t happy.

The one pub on the list that Evo really wanted to visit was Vinyl Tap. It was just up the road but we had heard it wasn’t open at the advertised time of 1300. Another online source said it was due to open at 1400. It was coming up to that time now, but Steve didn’t want to risk heading there and it being shut. He kept calling them and they kept not answering. Seeing that Evo was so keen to visit, we formed a splinter group, with me, Evo and Bob heading off on a recce, promising to report back to Steve, who stayed put for another pint.

Just as we approached the Vinyl Tap, some others from our group met with us and advised that the pub was shut. Ok then – Plan B?

We forgot to update Steve on the outcome of our mission (oops) and he ended up calling us for an update.

Plug & Taps

Now I visited this wonderful micropub on my most recent visit to Preston, on my way to get a bus home from Wigan Beer Festival. That had only been a flying visit and I was determined to do it more justice this time around.

I know you’re ready for a good #LooReview by now, so here’s some things spotted in the cubicle here.

There was further signage in the pub proper.

I spent some time loitering whilst waiting for someone to visit the loo before we left. This worked out well as there was SO much to see by the door.

Right. Now it was time to visit another old favourite.

The Orchard

Can’t visit here without snapping Preston’s favourite sons.

‘What’s the Soul Doughnut?’

‘It’s a caramel custard doughnut milk stout.’

‘Er, yes please!’

Steve seemed leathered by this point (not sure what happened when we left him at Chain House) but this made for some brilliant anecdotes so we were all for it.

The bus was heading back to Walsall within the hour so we headed to our final pub of the day.

Guild Ale House

I went for the Lancaster Black. I was only recently discussing with someone that Lancaster beers used to be everywhere in Blackpool but you rarely see them now (which isn’t a bad thing, as there’s so much more choice now).

As is tradition on a pub crawl spanning an afternoon, I like to eat at the last stop of the day. I spied some Lancashire Crisps so decided that would do nicely. Evo went for the Black Pudding & Mustard and for some reason I decided I had to have something different, despite those being my favourites. So I went for these.

I scanned the room for a free table but couldn’t see any. I enquired at the bar if there was seating upstairs and happily there was, so up we trotted, joining Dennis and Keith at their table.

Here we got chatting about CAMRA for a bit before it was sadly time to head our separate ways. It had been lovely to catch up with my old pals from Walsall and I hope to join them on another trip soon.

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But I wasn’t done with exploring, taking photos or eating yet!

I was intrigued by this place, as there had been a big queue there when I had passed it earlier – and again now – so it must be good. I had visions of hot roast sandwiches and was cross with myself for having those crisps because I wasn’t hungry now. I did manage to stick my nose in when the queue had gone down and it looked like a predominantly fried chicken place. Here’s the menu.

I simply HAD to go back and photograph a stunning building that had caught my eye earlier on during the crawl.

Sadly the building was closed for renovations but I plan to come back and visit when it reopens. Seems like there’s quite a bit of art and culture in Preston, according to this website.

Westbound

Now it was time to take the train home. Preston station was a hubbub of football fans as is the norm on a Saturday.

‘Barrow get battered / Everywhere they go.’

Not sure who those fans were! Surely Barrow isn’t near enough to anywhere to have a local rival? Carlisle, maybe? Morecambe?

I boarded the train to Blackpool North and was just about to take my favourite seat when…

‘Excuse me. Don’t sit there – it’s soaking wet.’

‘Ooh thanks for the tip!’

I sat elsewhere and started reading a book on my Kindle (because reading on trains is what I do by default), despite this not being a great idea, as I rarely retain anything I’ve read after more than one pint.

Back in Blackpool, I checked out the new Raleside pub opposite the station (I’ll update my Best Blackpool Boozers blog, rather than reviewing it here) before heading for food at somewhere I’d spotted in Preston that’s recently opened a place in Blackpool.

Eat Indian

Right, what to have?

First to the easy decision of what to drink.

I went with my host’s recommendation of what to eat (they don’t have a set menu, you get what you get, which I love). I said I wanted something hot but not phaal hot. He offered me a taster (a taster! love this!) of the Garlic Chilli Chicken and I nodded vigorously. As I sat down with my can of pop, a rush of heat burned my mouth and I wondered if I’d made the right decision.

For some reason it wasn’t as hot when it was heated up but it did the job very nicely. I probably shouldn’t have eaten the whole thing (on top of those crisps) but I wanted to soak up the beer I was still yet to have at Rhythm & Brew Room, who had yet more exciting beers I simply HAD to try. I mean, just look at their Facebook page.

Happily, I bumped into Kerry here, who facilitated safe transportation home.

What a brill day out with pals and pubs and great beer that had been. More of this sort of thing to follow. Also: get down to Preston because the pubs are ace.

You can read Evo’s blog of the day here.

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