No. 13 Bonny Street, Blackpool

At time of my July 2023 visit the drinks on draught are Carling, Asahi, Amstel, Peroni, Strongbow, Strongbow Dark Fruits & John Smiths. A couple of odd ones not having heard off, but here they are Easy Livin’ Pale Ale & CLWB Tropicana Tropical IPA both from Tiny Rebel. The colours of the Tiny Rebel ones make it look like is for kids, but they have 3.5% plus alcohol. Ales on the pumps are, The Blonde & Spectrum Bitter from the Cross Bay Brewing Company.

I was recommended this place by a friend who remembered it as the Pump & Truncheon from match going days, it’s opposite the former police station hence that name. After negotiating the nicotine bouncers I entered, a square room with the counter to your left, seating high and low plus a pool table to the right. Three pulls with a choice (?) of Black Sheep Bitter or Cross Bay The Blonde, nowt on middle stump. T-Bars of the usual stuff. The beer scraped a 3 as I don’t do halves :-)). A very woody interior in a golden / honey colour, the light fittings are pineapple inspired, there’s some machines, constant music, a smaller screen. oh how amusing and different, the urinals are old kegs; it’s ok.

My first visit today following the rebrand to No. 13 Bonny Street (formerly the Pump & Truncheon). It's had a paint job outside and the inside consists of stripped back wood, bare floor boards and a stone flagged section. It seems to have lost the police theme since its Pump & Truncheon days. There is a real fire, not going at the time of my visit but there was the smell of burnt wood indicating it had been in use recently. At the bar are four hand pulls (I think reduced from the Pump & Truncheon days) offering Mad Cat Jet Black Stout, Cross Bay Blonde Sunset and Cross Bay Witching Hour, leaving one pump unclipped. My Jet Black Stout set me back £1.80 for a half and was a decent enough beer in decent nick. Service was neither rude nor friendly. Food is advertised and whereas the Pump & Truncheon just used to do pizzas, No. 13 seems to offer a more comprehensive food menu. There was a TV on showing Loose Women, thankfully muted, and music was playing. Dog friendly and kid friendly until 7pm. The gents now have urinals made from barrels and although the gents have been refurbished they are not really up to the high standard of the rest of the pub interior.

Friendly pub tucked away off the main drag well described below , pretty busy at 11-30 on a Saturday morning mostly with visiting Shrewsbury fans , Blackpool is probally the only place in the country where 20 people wearing an eye watering selection of hawaian shirts , swimwear and carrying a varied collection of inflatable animals entering a pub doesnt raise an eyebrow . Several real ales on and a large selection of boxed ciders and perrys , i had a Stout(Snowhill?) for breakfast and a couple of pints of a Cross Bay Omega which was excellent. A decent pub