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ONE PUB ONLY?
The Barrels
CRAWLING FROM RAILWAY STATION TO THE GROUND?
Trek to the Volunteer and then to the Victory and on to the Barrels
SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT?
The Victory
|  |  Barrels
69 St Owens St HR1 2JQ Telephone 01432 274968 w www.wyevalleybrewery.co.uk
G Peter Amor and Phil Price
Food: none, bring your own
MP P D
Smoking: new provision outside in stunning space borrowing from the history of the building.
Games: quiz league Suns, in brewery bar separate outside.
Music: Sat nights periodically – emphasis on quality. Jazz first Monday
O 11 -11.30 Mon – Thu, 11-12 Fri & Sat, 12-11.30 Sun
Hereford are back and the best thing about that fact is that fans can now visit two brewery taps within one minutes walk of each other. The Wye Valley version is the Barrels, a pub so good that it would make any guide, in any town. It was highly recommended by the local fans on their website forum. “The ex Landlord” and his mates certainly have a great pub for a pre - match pint or three.
I spent my lunch time chatting with Phil in the large beer garden that later in the day was heaving with post work Friday night un-winders. The pub has five very different areas and really does cater for a wide range of regulars. One half has a pool room and lounge. These rooms appear to be the home for the younger drinkers, those arty students who like to stand and chat. The other half is a more traditional tap room style bar. It is brick - walled with stone floors that encourage the regulars to stand at the bar and chat, while the more elderly retire to the kitchen tables in the rear of the bar. The common thread that combines the two halves is the pub mantra that that Peter invites all regulars “to his front room.” All customers are of the chilled out variety, the banter being calm and gentle. The Brewery may have long since moved out to the country but this makes more space in the courtyard for an August bank holiday beer festival that has 15 live bands and SIBA’s regional competition. It seems a long year since my pre - season visit to the Barrels, welcome back Hereford.
BWV 2.6.06: Wye Valley Bitter, Butty Bach, HPA, Dorothy Goodbody Wholesome Stout
UPDATE
I met Gareth, manager alongside Peter the landlord and Phil general manager.
Excellent ladies toilets, as in new football stadia, said Gareth. This is a community, real ale, pub, always busy, the previous separate rooms fused a continuous space, replacing the Comanche and Old Man’s bars. The outside space is well worth enjoying – old walls and cobbles as diversions.
The Barrels also supports local endeavours: a beer festival is held at August Bank Holiday for charity. You can sit quietly and read – there’s a book exchange system in this excellent pub, worth trying at different times – in our case Sunday evening and Monday afternoon.
BWV 22/11/09: always - Wye Valley Bitter, Butty Bach, HPA and Dorothy Goodbody’s Golden Ale
Guest – Wye Valley OT and Dorothy Goodbody’s Oatmeal Stout
Mick Escott | |  Courtyard Café Bar
Edgar Street, Hereford HR4 9JR Tel: 01432 346525, email: catering@courtyard.org.uk, website: www.courtyard.org.uk
Licensee: Tommy Eagle
Food: Home cooked, locally sourced 12-2.30, 5.30-7.45 Tues - Sat
Parking: car park - paying.
Rail: Hereford 15 mins walk
Taxi: ask staff
TV: none
Music: Sat live jazz 9, not Xmas), most Sats – see website
Pub games: n/a
Disabled: good
Smoking: no seats but bins outside
Open: 10-11 Mon - Sat
This is a modern arts centre (full title Courtyard Centre for the Arts) directly opposite the Edgar Street ground’s away stand (Floors 2 Go, aka Len Weston). It’s recommended owing to the convenience factor and because the Butty Bach, while solitary, is a very good pint. Not many punters think of patronizing such an establishment on a footy occasion, but the Courtyard offers a genuine welcome to away supporters as well as tasty, promptly-served dishes in the same space, the ground level bar. Also bear in mind that the other recommended inns are some distance away from the ground.
I met Tommy, Bar Manager (Everton), Ed, Second Chef (Nottingham Forest) and Jo, Catering Manager (let’s say a Bulls fan), interrupting their meeting in the bright, open café . There is also Penny, Assistant Bar Manager, a Villa fan, therefore deserving a mention. Interest was expressed in the goings on over the road. You can mix football with art! Advance orders by phone are encouraged – parties are also the bread and butter of the Courtyard – think coachloads of panto kids, and of adults from far and wide for everything from Country and Western to the Rat Pack to opera. The Courtyard won the Flavours of Herefordshire award, 2009.
Patrons regularly include business people and is very mixed, aided no doubt by the design and location of the building – open and obvious on the A49 northbound.
BWV 23/11/09: Wye Valley Butty Bach
PHOTO FROM THEIR WEBSITE | |  Lichfield Vaults
Address: 11 Church Street, Hereford HR2 2LR Tel: 01432 266821, email: acloizou@btconnect.com
Licensee: Andy and Lesley Loizou
Food: pub food and Greek dishes 12-3 Mon – Sat, 12-3 Sun (roast)
Parking: difficult in city centre – Widemarsh Street and the Cattlemarket suggested – near the ground
TV: terrestrial
Music: cds; live blues, jazz last Sun night of month
Pub games: quiz nights Sun (league) and 2 Weds per month for a gallon of beer, darts team Mon, Crib Tues
Disabled: good, updated with garden facility
Open: 10.30-12 Mon to Thurs, Sun; 10.30-2 Fri, Sat
In the same area as St Owens St for the Barrels and Victory, this lies close to the city centre. Church Street leads down to the cathedral, which should be visited, especially for the fabulous Mappa Mundi.
The pub was taken over by Andy in 2009 and has been turned around to the approbation of rival publicans. It was suggested by Gareth at the Barrels, and deservedly so. We caught the Sunday night quiz league encounter, and enjoyed surplus sandwiches, chatting to Kim, behind the bar, about the doings of Herefordshire. Hereford isn’t big, but has a substantial catchment area. The Lichfield Vaults is an hospitable place in a u-shape, which effectively separates two rooms. The outside area boasts more floor space than the building itself and is shaped in a contorted manner to give several spaces. It seems to work well.
Clientele varies a lot - ‘really nice’ said Andy, after the quiz (Q: Who was the first monarch to occupy Buckingham Palace? A: Victoria). The long opening hours may play a part, as well as the standard as well as Greek food – Andy is a Greek Cypriot. The majority of customers are real ale drinkers. The tavern has a long history in an enclave of old buildings, with specialist shops as neighbours - good for a wander. It was formerly called the Dog Inn (mentioned as such in 1752; the current name explained by its being owned by the Lichfield Brewing Co in 1914).
On matchdays a few locals are in evidence and French and Greek platters are provided. It’s a direct, brisk walk to the ground from the Vaults, say 15 minutes.
BWV 22/11/09: (always) Marston’s Draught Bass, Caledonian Deuchars IPA, Adnams Broadside; (guest) Caledonian 80/-.
Mick Escott | |  Victory
88 St Owens St HR1 2QD Telephone 01432 274998 W www.spinningdogbrewery.co.uk
G Jim Kenyon
F only Sun 12-4 roasts
Music: regular live music – consult website
Games: 2 darts leagues, pool
SP SK JB P D
O 3-12 Mon – Fri, 11-12 Sat, 12-11 Sun
The Victory is the brew house for the Spinning Dog Brewery and, unlike the Barrels, the plant is on the site and easily accessible to any who care to look to the bottom of the garden. This pub has been the subject of many a description, story and is the pub of real ale legends.
The Jolly Roger theme of twenty years ago lives on in the interior architecture. The bar is a Galleon complete with prow, curved bar walls and a captain’s log room. The whole pub is the interior of a ship including the long galley / skittle alley and exterior dockside garden. It is the beer and company; however, that draws folk to the pub. It is a true community local and Jim, the rugby playing landlord and brewer, runs his crew in a way that is instantly welcoming to a wide variety of regulars. The pub offers the full range of Spinning Dog ales and, as recognised in the “Good Cider Guide,” several different ciders and perry. Brewery awards are found throughout the pub, testament to the quality of the ale. Should groups wish to tour the Brewery one needs only to ask, obviously in advance if you have a larger group. Live music is held once a week, as is a very popular curry and quiz night.
BWV 2.6.06: Spinning Dog, HLA, Mutley’s Dark, Oatmeal Stout, Organic Bitter, Owd Bull, Top Dog. Ridge Hill Farm Old Knob Crippler Cider, Weston’s 1st. Quality, Vintage Ciders, Country Perry,
UPDATE
There’s now a substantial smoking shelter. A warm welcome is extended to away supporters. Met Matt and Jody, friendly and informative, and a group of jovial darts players.
BWV 22/11/09: always - Spinning Dog Herefordshire Owd Bull, Top Dog, Oatmeal Stout, Gamekeeper’s Bitter
Guest - Northumberland Wor Bobby
Westons 1st Quality Cider, Old Rosie’s Scrumpy, Vintage Oeganic Still Cider, Herefordshire County Perry.
Mick Escott | |  Volunteer Inn
21 Harold St HR1 2QU Telephone 01432 276189
G Sion Booton
F Permanent pub food menu, plus daily specials 12-3 Mon-Fri. Sunday roasts and nut roast. Curry and pint Weds 12-5 except Friday
SP TV B P
Pub games: quiz Mons,
D New ramp added for access via the rear of the pub
O 11-12 daily
Jim from the Victory introduced me to the charming Emma, one half of the successful team running the Volunteer in a back - street of Bartonsham. Emma has now left to have a child while Jo continues to be the chef. The pub is truly a “friendly local with rustic charms,” a proper local that offers the best that a British pub can give to the community in which it is found.
Sion has taken care to enhance the pub while keeping its traditions. Joanna has a reputation for good food and this is a real attraction for those who want a meal before the game. The locals of “the Village in the City” are a fine mix of long term residents and those professionals who choose to live in this attractive near town suburb. Perhaps the best recommendation is that the Environmental Health Department use the pub for their celebration events. The beer includes regularly changing guest ale. The pub has two rooms. The larger front bar has exposed brick walls and wooden floors with large tables and barrels to stand around.
To the rear is a long beer garden and joy of joys an outside loo block to remind oneself on Primary school japes. This garden has been really smartened up and is a very attractive feature fpor this puff addict. One gets the feeling that the atmosphere will get bubbly in the evenings. It will not be busy on a matchday, the pub really is off the main pub crawl route and this makes it all the more attractive to those who like to drink in a real local’s local.
BWV 2.6.06: Adnams Best, Bass Draught, Brain’s Rev James, Greene King Abbot
BWV 28.7.09 Adnams Bitter, Deuchars IPA, Greene \King Abbot, York Constantine
UPDATE
This is certainly a pub to treasure – a good welcoming atmosphere, the layout being conducive to contact and conversation. There has been some investment here and business has increased, as was evidenced in the lunchtime trade during our visit. Punters ranged from business to tourist to retired, such as Robert, who was reading a Biggles book and enjoying some Adnams.
We spoke to Amanda, very helpful and efficient behind the bar, and briefly to gaffer Sion. Jo remains in the kitchen, in between darting to and fro with the delicious platefuls, for us very reasonably priced specials. There is a plan for monthly live entertainment: given them a call and find out. An extensive outside space has been built at the back, seemingly bigger than the pub itself. On the left lies a skittle alley.
The beers were worth a visit on their own, and this could well be a stop on the way to Edgar Street, being the furthest out of the recommended pubs. You could even park nearby and walk, perhaps having placed an advance food order – this is welcomed for individuals or parties.
BWV 24/11/09: always – Greene King Abbot Ale, Adnams Bitter
Guest – St Austell Proper Job, Hook Norton Old Hooky | | | HEREFORDSHIRE CAMRA | | 
At the ground
RADFORD's BAR No Real Ale
Away fans are welcome to use the bar at the ground but it . At the end of the main stand it has views over the pitch at ground level. Sky Sportsis available in a trendy dark pined room, the bar is welcoming and of course has a massive blown up photo of "that celebration"Other suggestion: further up Edgar Street lies the a Brains managed pub. Large, offering two or three ales and serving good pub grub. | | 
LOCAL BREWERY
Wye Valley Brewery
Stoke Lacy
T 01885 490505 | | WETHERSPOONS
The Kings Fee 49-53 Commercial Road Hereford HR1 2BJ Opening Times: Mon-Sun 9am-midnight
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