Exploring the Other Side of Derby

Our hotel was close to the rail station, and the advice that I had gotten was that there were plenty of pubs and restaurants nearby. That was true, but there were two pubs recommended by the Good Beer Guide that were on the other side of town. And knowing that I liked variety, Len offered to drive over to the other side of town to check them out.

But first, Len was on a quest for a coffee maker (we were lacking “real” coffee in the RR office) so we stopped at a local grocery store. When I travel, I like to check out local stores for unique bottled beers so that I can extend my trip by bringing some brews home with me. Sainsbury’s didn’t disappoint, providing about a dozen beers to go that included some variations on the classics (Wychwood Green Goblin cider, Morland Old Crafty Hen) and some list in the MJ Pocket Guide to Beer (Theakston XB, Robinson’s Old Tom). The beers transported well in my suitcase when packed properly (i.e., stuffed in my dirty socks).

We went to the Olde Dolphin Inne for dinner, a nice pub located near the Gothic tower of the Derby cathedral. I had a vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie (a surprisingly good combination of vegetables, mashed potatoes and cheese) with a Bass ale on cask. Bass is the classic English Pale Ale, brewed down the road in Burton-upon-Trent using the special water from the area. The company has been bought and sold several times recently, and I didn’t get the feeling that it inspired the locals the way it does us Americans. However, regardless on who owns the company, Bass was excellent on cask. Len enjoyed a Timothy Taylor Landlord. The pub had been restored recently, and it had the proper food, beer, and “Feel” of a classic English pub.

Afterwards we waltzed down the street to the Flower Pot, home of the Headless Brewery. I had the King Street Ale, a well-made English mild, while Len tried their First Bloom, a spring seasonal that had a hint of citrus. Both ales were excellent. The Flower Pot was the local CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Pub of the Year in 2007 and had ~20 ales on cask.

I can’t say it was a slow day, but I did enjoy slowing down for an evening appreciating the local sights. - 5086

"A meal of bread, cheese and beer constitutes the perfect food." - Queen Elizabeth I