Queens Head Inn, Hinckley

Absolutely stunning place hidden behind a fairly modest facade, described in depth below. Tl;dr – multi-roomed, traditional comfy place with lots to catch the eye. It’s a refurb n’ reclamation job by the current owners, so don’t think you’re necessarily sitting in an original timewarp, think BCA on steroids. Four or five cask on the go usually, I’ve Bass’d it here a couple of times since my first visit and the cask is always GBG condition. The downside is the ‘late in the day’ opening on weekdays so make sure you build in enough time. Roast tatties at the bar on a Sunday afternoon. My favourite in this underrated pub town.

Facebook page of The Queens Head Inn - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Queens Head Inn - www.facebook.com

The Queen's Head was certainly one of the highlights of our visit to Hinckley. Whilst the Elbow Room and the Pestle & Mortar offered the best beer and cider selections respectively, the Queen's Head has the finest interior of the pubs we visited. The entranceway has some lovely tiling and a large Tetley's lamp. There are rooms off to the left and right, both with open coal fires and wallpaper. The one to the left was lit, but not the one on the right. The entranceway gives way to a corridor as you move past the bar with successive rooms on gradually increasing levels up to another corridor containing the toilets. On the bar were complimentary cheese and pickles for New Year's Eve. Draught Bass is the regular cask ale. Guests were Abbeydale Winter & Doctor Morton's Proper Gander & Pennine Amber Necker. Beavertown Neck Oil was on keg. The cider was Carling Black Fruit. There was a TV above the bar, which slightly spoiled the decor. Deservedly featured in the Good Beer Guide, this is a lovely example of a Victorian pub.

Very attractive old pub, perhaps altered to some extent but retaining plenty of charm in the multi-room layout. The main bar at the front lies to the left of the entrance corridor, with a smaller lounge on the other side and two further seating / dining areas further back behind the servery. Plenty of interesting features remain, complemented by various items of breweriana and local history photographs. Three of four handpumps in use, dispensing the regular Bass plus Elsie Mo from Castle Rock and Oakham's Mandarina Bavaria. Theakston's Smooth Dark also noted among the various keg options.