The New Continental, Preston

One of our party described the Continental as a food pub that happens to do good beer, and I would concur with that observation. The main modern decor bar area with the bar to the right and a seating area to the left. is bright and airy. Then there is further seating in the large conservatory section at the back and beyond that is a really impressive outside garden space which I can imagine is a great outside space for an alfresco pint in summer. Despite the space in front of the bar that is conducive to vertical drinking all of the inside spaces have a restaurant vibe with the exception of the lounge room to the right as you enter. This is very easy to miss, as I did and didn’t spot it until leaving. This room is apparently the original pub before all the modern bits got added on. The bar has six hand pumps but two of theses were double clipped providing a choice of seven ales plus a Sussex cider. These were Marble Beers Pint, Lacon's Legacy Pale Ale ,Farm Yard Ales Chaff session IPA, Handsome Blonde, Pictish Alchemist Ale, and two from Vocation, Vocation Bread & Butter pale ale and Naughty & Nice chocolate Stout. I went for the chocolate stout and it was really good. Not really a traditional pub experience ( with the exception of perhaps the small side room) but with the ale range available this is a fine pub to visit for a pint in the garden if and when walking the nearby river valley.

Well worth the walk down from the centre,this pub is on the banks of the tidal River Ribble and below the railway viaduct.It has a large interior with a series of seating booths to the right of the entrance,a large side lounge to the right and a conservatory beyond the bar.Food is popular here ,and it does have the feel of a restaurant in parts but drinking is clearly welcomed with an impressive array of handpumps.There is a regular house beer in the shape of Marble Continental Pint (NBSS 4,despite being last pint out),together with on my trip Lacon's Legacy,Vocation Naughty & Nice and Bread & Butter,Pictish Alchemist Ale,Farm Yard Chaff,Handsome Blonde and a Seacider.There were also craft beer taps. I enjoyed the crawl stop here and would spend longer on my next visit.Very solid pub,but the walk back through Avenham Park is quite hard work !