Saturday 18 July 2015

Pub 52, Day 20 – The Castle Inn

By Andy

Continuing our tour of the Three Valleys Beer Festival, our next stop was The Castle Inn in Bradway.

The festival organisers had clearly lucked out with the day's weather – it was a scorcher. This suited The Castle Inn as it has a huge outside area – the sort of space that could be described as drab in winter; it was a veritable suntrap today. Having sat inside at the Coach & Horses, we took advantage of the opportunity to top up our tans.

The Castle had clearly made an effort for the festival coming to town. Picnic tables adorned the car park and a barbecue was smoking away in the corner. There was even an outside bar for those of us too lazy to venture indoors.

Despite having already eaten at the Coach & Horses, we were determined to sample all the festival had to offer. Besides, the scent of the barbecue was becoming impossible to resist.

Burgers and hot dogs were the fare of the day. I plumped for a chilli burger, with a cheese sauce so gooey they had to use a ladle. It was the sort of burger that ends up all over your face – needless to say I approved. Rob assures me the hot dogs were just as spectacular.

The choice of beers was also terrific. We picked Stainless by Stancill Brewery, an ideal golden ale for an ideal summer's day.

With a beer in my hand and cheese sauce on my chin, it dawned on me that everyone was a winner at beer festivals.

Punters get an array of extras to entice the crowds – barbecues, outside bars etc – and landlords are rewarded with sales far exceeding the norm.

For seasoned pub-tourers such as ourselves, it was a no-brainer to take in as much of the festival as possible.

With that in mind, we trundled back to the car in pursuit of our next destination.

Pub: The Castle Inn (1 Twentywell Road, S17 4PT)
Rating: 9/10
Pint: Stainless

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