Another nail in the coffin of the British pub

[Northern Eel]

There are some bars that operate on a kind of ‘stock exchange’ model of fluctuating prices. When demand for a certain drink rises, so does the price. This in turn means that other less popular drinks reduce in price. All prices are displayed on a screen. Anyone been to any of these?

[Wolford6]

7 minutes ago, Northern Eel said:

You pay a bit more at the Record Cafe, but I’ve never had a bad pint there. That’s worth the brass. 

I won't go there. It's a really good pub but you can only pay by credit card. I only ever pay cash.

[Northern Eel]

2 minutes ago, Wolford6 said:

I won't go there. It's a really good pub but you can only pay by credit card. I only ever pay cash.

What’s the Sparrow like over the road? They’re all Kirkstall Brewary ales IIRC?

[Wolford6]

The Sparrow has been closed for about three months since the brewery pulled out. It was never a patch on its earlier incarnation when it was the first shop-based bar on the street. Pity it closed though.

There are still seven bars on the street.

Worked out for the next-door bar ... my favourite ... the Boar and Fable. They can now also put tables and chairs on the pavement outside both bars. The street has been narrowed to a single carriageway to increase pavement space.

The B& F and the Peacock (Sikh) work together and you can get Indian streetfood in each. Though small, the B&F puts on live acts every few weeks.

It was the annual North Parade Street Party on August Bank Holiday. The street was closed to traffic and two stages set up for live acts.

Edited September 14, 2023 by Wolford6

[graveyard johnny]

back to the zero per cent drinks in pubs - eg , Sunday evening (having work on Monday) I would happily take the wife and a couple of friends in the car for a ride round some different pubs rather than our local and give them our custom, maybe seek out a quiz for instance  - in fact it would make a nice change BUT with the price of 0% beers up there with the rest then what's the incentive?  there isn't one - when its a quid a bottle in the supermarket a 300% mark up is disgusting - so will just stay in the local and have 3 or 4 pints and keep giving them our money 

[Northern Eel]

1 hour ago, Wolford6 said:

The Sparrow has been closed for about three months since the brewery pulled out. It was never a patch on its earlier incarnation when it was the first shop-based bar on the street. Pity it closed though.

There are still seven bars on the street.

Worked out for the next-door bar ... my favourite ... the Boar and Fable. They can now also put tables and chairs on the pavement outside both bars. The street has been narrowed to a single carriageway to increase pavement space.

The B& F and the Peacock (Sikh) work together and you can get Indian streetfood in each. Though small, the B&F puts on live acts every few weeks.

It was the annual North Parade Street Party on August Bank Holiday. The street was closed to traffic and two stages set up for live acts.

I didn't know of the B&F, so will give that a try. Thanks for the info.

I gather some of the local council policies have put additional strain on those businesses on North Parade, with parking fees over extended hours and the low emissions zone. It sounds like it has so much potential as a rejuvenated area of town.

[Ullman]

On 14/09/2023 at 13:59, Padge said:

If you went in a Green King pub you were brave. Oh hang for two lagers and a Guinness, not beer.

The Marine is still a nice place to sit on a day like today but it was a whole lot better before Greene King took it over.

[Ullman]

On 14/09/2023 at 14:28, Wolford6 said:

Sam Smiths is an acquired taste, though I quite like it. Unlike John Smith's which is, for me, a  never-acquired taste.

I had a girlfriend who used to there every week, saying it was authentic Bradford. I thought it looked like many of the regulars may not have had a wash before coming out.

Mind you, she lived in Saltaire Village ... two bedroom terraces with a tiny yard and fronting onto the street now cost well over £200,000. { For jealous Southerers, a "typical" price for a two bedroom stone terrace elsewhere in a decent part of Bradford itself would be about £130,000 to £150,000]

The only time I ever go in the Shoulder of Mutton these days is:

• on Armistice Day, when we have a fantastic Parade in the City Centre. The pub is always full of veterans, including a few that I know. *
• On a hot Summers day ... it has a hidden, and great, beer garden surrounded by tall buildings.

I have heard that it is not as cheap as it was. I'm guessing that the cheap beer is electric.

* One thing I've previously thought about for struggling pubs is targeting ex-military clients. I know quite a few people who left school and joined up. Plenty of photos, flags and badges and flags can be bought at local auctions and flea markets.

Sam Smiths do some superb bottled beers but I've always found their cask Old Brewery Bitter to be too hit and miss. So much so that I don't risk it anymore.

John Smiths cask used to be really good but I'm going back many years. The keg and canned stuff you get now I find revolting and bears very little resemblance to it.

[graveyard johnny]

12 hours ago, Ullman said:

Sam Smiths do some superb bottled beers but I've always found their cask Old Brewery Bitter to be too hit and miss. So much so that I don't risk it anymore.

John Smiths cask used to be really good but I'm going back many years. The keg and canned stuff you get now I find revolting and bears very little resemblance to it.

tetleys -john smiths - websters and stones pubs all used to do some cracking hand pulled stuff- but that was 30+ years ago - usual thing more money for less product quality these days 

Edited September 16, 2023 by graveyard johnny

[Futtocks]

4 hours ago, Ullman said:

Sam Smiths do some superb bottled beers

Once in a while, I shell out for a case of their 'Yorkshire Stingo', which is aged for about a year in wooden casks (and consequently quite pricey). Nice for a treat - if you like Innis & Gunn's 'Blood Red Sky', it is in the same territory.

[Ullman]

Just now, Futtocks said:

Once in a while, I shell out for a case of their 'Yorkshire Stingo', which is aged for about a year in wooden casks (and consequently quite pricey). Nice for a treat - if you like Innis & Gunn's 'Blood Red Sky', it is in the same territory.

Can be hard to track down but it's a bloomin' lovely beer. House of Trembling Madness in York usually have it in.

[Futtocks]

Just now, Ullman said:

Can be hard to track down but it's a bloomin' lovely beer. House of Trembling Madness in York usually have it in.

I get it from The Real Ale Store, who sell direct and also via Amazon.

https://realalestore.co.uk

[EggFace]

On 13/09/2023 at 18:41, The Masked Poster said:

In the Sam Smith's pub in Bradford city centre 'The Shoulder of Mutton', you can get 4 pints of bitter or lager for less than £10! I haven't been in for some years and I have no idea what that beer in question is like but that's cheap!

Sam Smiths lost a few puns and a lot of customers when they put the price of a pint up by £1 after the Covid male genitals yet you get it cheaper in some clubs by 50p...miss my local Sam Smiths as a pint of Cask OBB £2 or pint of the excellent Stout and better then Guinness was £2.40 plus a Toastie £1.50.

Me and my mates just go to Spoons as Real has went up 4 times within a year but it's still £2.55 for guest's and never have a bad pint.

[EggFace]

On 13/09/2023 at 10:50, Vambo said:

One thing about Weatherspoons is that the prices are always attractive.

Strangely enough though the two local to me have different prices for some stuff IE Guinness in Accy is £3.11 whilst it's £3.32 in Blackburn.

Guinness in the nearest pub to me is £5.20 but in the Social Club it's £3.70 and the Club is doing very good business as Real Ale is £3.20 and lot's young people are coming for the cheap Gin and Wine alongside bands etc but the 2 Weatherspoons I go to Guinness is £3.11 and £2.99.

Was in a Amber Taverns pub I go to in South Shields and they have raised the price as low as they could but you get Mirpheys Stout which pisses over Gunness and it's still £2.20

[Stirlin]

19 hours ago, Ullman said:

Can be hard to track down but it's a bloomin' lovely beer. House of Trembling Madness in York usually have it in.

Which one ?. 

[Ullman]

18 minutes ago, Stirlin said:

Which one ?. 

Good point 

The original one with the shop downstairs.

But you knew that  

[Derwent]

Was in the ROI on business last week and had Kilkenny Red for the first time. Absolutely lovely, very moreish.

[EggFace]

On 18/09/2023 at 16:48, Derwent said:

Was in the ROI on business last week and had Kilkenny Red for the first time. Absolutely lovely, very moreish.

I loved Beamish but you can't get now only in ROI.

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

£18.10 for a bottle of Erdinger and a large white wine in a pub in Wimbledon last weekend.

[Futtocks]

13 minutes ago, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

£18.10 for a bottle of Erdinger and a large white wine in a pub in Wimbledon last weekend.

Yikes! Decent "name" white wine or house plonk?

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

Just now, Futtocks said:

Yikes! Decent "name" white wine or house plonk?

No idea, she said she'd had better though.

[Futtocks]

35 minutes ago, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

No idea, she said she'd had better though.

Mind you, the sour taste in her mouth may have come from the price, not the grape.

[Mumby Magic]

As a Bradford lad I can say I've not been in Bradford for a session in a few years. The Sparrow was great initially. Got pug off when ironically North Parade became trendy. Did York for other half's birthday and was paying nigh on £12 for 2 pints. Ironically I was aiming to jo yo Bratislava where its 1.50 a pint but it was weighing up accessibility than flying. 

Halifax is 2 mile from me and has z good mix of pubs.

[Northern Eel]

1 hour ago, Mumby Magic said:

As a Bradford lad I can say I've not been in Bradford for a session in a few years. The Sparrow was great initially. Got pug off when ironically North Parade became trendy. Did York for other half's birthday and was paying nigh on £12 for 2 pints. Ironically I was aiming to jo yo Bratislava where its 1.50 a pint but it was weighing up accessibility than flying. 

Halifax is 2 mile from me and has z good mix of pubs.

I was always a Fighting ####* lad for my real ale fix in the 90s.

*Won't get that past the swear filter!

Edited September 19, 2023 by Northern Eel

[Bedford Roughyed]

Given the number of pubs are brewery's going under, I don't think they are the ones raking it in at £5 a pint.