The Hop, Wakefield

Rather hidden away in a side street and quite basic inside (as you would expect from a live music venue with a small stage in one corner). Rear lounge and upstairs room (neither open when I visited). Also joined to The Jam Inn next door, with the connection open at weekends. Some patio seating out in the entrance courtyard. As an Ossett house, the nine handpumps feature four of their own beers (including Pridewood Progress, £2.60), two from Acorn and one each from Rat Brewery, 4T's and Whitstable.

The courtyard entrance was being monitored by doormen,but this was a hot Saturday night and as things transpired the pub interior was not as rammed as the outside seating.A band were setting up to one side of the tap room off the courtyard,and there was no sign of the promised coverage of the World Cup.However the friendly barmaid directed us to the rear of the building where there is a charming back lounge with it's own wood burner,away from the action,but with it's own bar access and some interesting features such as carved wood among the exposed brick.The whole of this pub's interior is surprisingly large and to one side is another bar area with a VW camper van converted to a freestanding bar with a single handpump.Another section exists upstairs.Ossett own the pub and three of their ales were on together with Rat White Rat,Acorn Gorlovka Imperial Stout,Partners Triple Hop,Saltaire Raspberry Blonde (tip top),Kirkstall Dissolution IPA and Fullers London Pride.A very impressive line up. Although popular with the younger drinker,the discreet areas work well and the live music does not impinge on the other rooms to any great extend.Yet another Wakefield winner,I would certainly pop back if that ale line up is likely to be repeated in future.

The Hop is a relatively new multipurpose enterprise that operates as a live music and comedy venue, dance studio and, perhaps most importantly, real ale pub. Located at the end of a cobbled side street in a large Georgian building, the smart, modern interior initially feels a little incongruous, having not yet achieved that 'lived-in' look that might give it more character. The main bar is dominated by bare brick walls and has a mix of flagstone and wooden flooring. There are some banquettes opposite the bar counter on the right hand side of the room, with regular tables and chairs throughout the rest of the space. The left hand side of the room has a stage at the far end, underneath huge portraits of Johnny Rotten, Ian Curtis and Tom Waits - inspiration perhaps for the roster of local bands that play here most Friday and Saturday nights. Heading out though the door between the stage and bar, a large portrait of the band 'Embrace' hangs in the corridor and acts as a reminder that the venue is partly the brainchild of the band's drummer, Mike Heaton. Stairs here lead up to the main venue, which has already hosted a good number of up and coming and well established acts in its short lifespan. For those arriving on a music night, but wanting a place of refuge, there is a rear room on the ground floor, with some banquette seating, a fireplace containing an old range and generally smart decor including a large circular mirror above the fireplace. Additional seating is also available in a fair sized courtyard at the front of the building. The venue has been backed by Ossett Brewery, so there was no surprise to find a number of their beers on the bar - Yorkshire Blonde, Silver King, Excelsior and Riverhead Easy River Pale - but these were supplemented by a healthy guest selection of Oldershaw Blonde Voluptua, Burton Bridge Sovereign Gold, Fullers London Pride and Titanic Iceberg, with those sampled being in good condition. This place seems an unlikely source of good beer, but there is no doubt that it's one of the town's top ale houses. It's refreshing to see a live music venue take such an interest in its beer policy and I can only hope they make a great success of it and that the model is taken up by other such venues around the country.