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Real Ale
in Ashover with a Poetic Slant
A review of The Old Poets' Corner - Ashover.
 By
the time you read this some of us will have already made the trip to The Old
Poets’ Corner at Ashover and celebrated the opening weekend of this new trad
beer pub that has appeared on the circuit.
It is said that many years ago poetry and story telling actually took place
at this beautiful old building, which was formerly known as the Red Lion.
Quite coincidently the landlord’s previous pub also had poetic connections
and that is what led to the new name. On the 4th June the Old Poets’ was
launched as a ‘No compromise’ real ale drinker’s paradise.
Kim Beresford, former Bar & Cellar manager of ‘The Dead Poet’s Inn’ at
Holbrook (pre Everards), and festival co-ordinator / cellar man of the Rail
Ale Festival at Barrow Hill has, together with wife Jackie (who is an
experienced Abbot Ale drinker), taken on the pub completely free of tie.
Kim & Jackie have brought life back to this lovely old pub using the Dead
Poet’s relentless standards plus some of their own ideals. Kim’s cellar
philosophy is no nitro or keg bitters or naff fizzy ciders or insipid wines.
If the beer is not spot on it goes back to the brewer not to the customer
and he promises “You will always find something to suit your palate”.
 Always
available will be Abbot and Pedigree served from the jug for a fuller
flavour in the mouth. Two house ales will also be available: Ashover Gold at
3.6% and Old Poets’ Ale at 4.0% - both at a reasonable £1.80 per pint. Four
other hand pumps will carry rotating guests – one will always be dark beer,
one will be a ‘mainstream’ bitter and the other two will be beer from micro
breweries. Also on sale will be Fruit wines, Trad Ciders. Continental
bottled beers and single malts.
Already Woolley & Archer, Crossfire, Folk Nites and Poetry sessions have
livened the bar over the weekend from Fri. 4th June to Mon 7th and there are
promises of more treats to come in the future.
The pub also has an intimate restaurant and there are plans for Jackie to
launch the ‘Lion Bistro’ specialising in World Beer Cuisine.
This sounds like drinker’s heaven and should become a popular watering hole,
but the couple do realise that they need to hit the ground running pretty
quickly after the opening weekend to sustain this level of choice and will
not compromise quality for quantity. CAMRA feels that this place has the
potential to really make the grade, so get up there and drink the beer.
Don’t lose it, use it!
Opening hours are 12:00 to 2:30 & 5:00 to 11:00 Monday to Thursday and all
day Friday to Sunday. For more information, visit their new website at
www.oldpoets.co.uk
One Last Thing… The cellar is massive with four good-sized rooms. Says
Kim, “Wouldn’t it be nice to but a brewing plant in one of them”!!!
This webpage was last updated on
Sunday, 02 September 2007
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