The Burnt Pig, Ilkeston

Corner micro pub, probably not originally one but it’s a GBG listed don’t miss place in Ilkeston. The front room is fairly compact with a pew along one wall, Britannia tables with stools by the front door and side wall. Usual micro pub décor of pump clips on the ceiling with a fair amount of breweriana on the walls. The counter is to the right on entering and has six pulls with six keg taps on the back wall and three more on a low T-bar to the side, Staropremen and Madri are on counter mounted solos. Cask beers today came from Shiny, Black Iris, Little Brewing Company, Castle Rock and Thornbridge, naturally that will change frequently. There is a large fridge in corner with soft drinks, Belgian beers, wines and pies and cheeses. There also spirits and eggs for sale. To the right is a short corridor leading to a back room with more clips and more eclectic decor plus another room beyond the toilets. There’s more clips and breweriana décor through here.

Another Ilkeston pub that I've neglected reviewing, probably because of being here on crawls and not being compos mentis enough to remember what it was like. Today I was on my way to the football and was a bit short of time, as my train had two instead of four carriages and was consequently very late. Just time for a pint of Bass (see photos for other beers from Little Critters, Neepsend, Ludlow and Thornbridge x Titanic) , which was in very good condition, as was the welcome and the service. I really must come here more often - but it turns out that Ilkeston Town have Glad All Over by the Dave Clark Five as their kick-off record, so I'll only be back for beer-related reasons.

A micropub down a town centre sidestreet, but with a three room interior, every inch of which was needed on a packed Sunday afternoon. You enter into the main bar area - a tiny room with the servery in the front right corner and limited perimeter seating to the rear and left. The servery has quite a nice counter with the keg taps on the bar back and an amazing fridge full of delicious looking pork pies and other such bar snacks to one side. Most strikingly, the ceiling has been completely covered with pump clips, whilst the walls are liberally covered with various CAMRA certificates and other beer-related awards, clippings and the like. This room was unbearably packed, with a sizable queue at the bar, so I moved on through to the next room - a kind of central lounge area with comfy seating around three sides and loads more breweriana on display - but things weren’t much better here either and I eventually found myself in the small back room. This is a compact, wooden floored space which was also rammed, but had one lone, unoccupied chair which I quickly pinched. The ceiling in here is also covered in pump clips and old brewery signs and mirror cover the walls, whilst to the rear, a dartboard has been rather optimistically hung and there was a leather sofa to one side, offering a comfy alternative to the basic tables and chairs that filled the room. The room was packed with a great many very loud blokes, so a peaceful Sunday afternoon pint was definitely not on the cards. The ale range here is one of the strongest in town, with options on this visit amounting to Thornbridge Jaipur and Cortado, Draught Bass, Leatherbritches Stouter, Castle Rock Our House and Falstaff Stinson. I took a pint of the Stouter, which was in outstanding shape and went down very well after a bit of a wait to get served by one of the efficient and friendly bar team. I really liked this place and thought it was a clear standout pub from those I visited in Ilkeston. The great beer, lively atmosphere, friendly staff and separate drinking areas all combined to make this a great visit and I suppose the only question mark is whether the place is a victim of its own success or whether there are times in which you can actually properly settle down and enjoy a more relaxed pint. This was a great success in my book, regardless of how busy it was, and would be my first port of call if I were ever back in town again.

A cracking little pub. Two roomed with the servery in the front room. On the big side for a micro as the rear room is slightly larger than the front. Loads of pump clips displayed along the walls and ceilings tell you that this is going to be a decent pub. 5 handpulls with beers I hadn't tried before, which like all the pubs I went into in Long Eaton and here I forgot to note. Anyway its a must visit place if in Ilkeston.

A fine pub with one room as you come in and another tucked away round the back. Five or six hand pumps including Jaipur which was our choice. Quite full but one to return to if back in the rea.