Eight Jolly Brewers, Gainsborough

A particular favourite of mine, this pub is that rare beast, a beer exhibition that is well used by locals. There's a plethora of hand pumps, but the turnover must be quite something here, despite the pub's small size, because I've never had a tired beer when I've made the trip out to Gainsborough. This week's visit, not for the first time, was the end of a cycle ride from Sheffield, but I've also been here on the train, the Lea Road station being a brisk 20 minute walk away. Outwardly, the pub is unprepossessing, being an adapted brick-built warehouse with the toilets, in an extension added to the front, hardly adding to the visual appeal. Inside there's just the fairly cramped single room downstairs, with a smallish bar - I've sat in the upstairs room in the past, but that seems to be discouraged these days. There's always a good atmosphere, in my experience, with regular customers coming and going, and looking to involve strangers in the banter and invective which masquerades as conversation. There's a Monday afternoon tradition of someone amongst the regulars bringing a random food offering - this week some Wasabi peas and nuts, a platter of M&S cheese and some crackers - to share with whoever turns up. There were a couple of beers from Oxfordshire Brewery, their Marshmellow being particularly interesting, a couple from Elgoods, and some others that I cannot now recall. Most were around or just under £3 a pint, but the Elgood Black Eagle imperial stout, at 8.7%, was £2 for a half. Worth every penny, though.

8 JB'S Has had a face lift and is a lot cleaner now. The owner still treats the upstairs as his own personal front room. The pub does have a good array of beers and there is UPTO 8 beers on if anyone can be bothered to change a barrel when one sells out. The main problem is that they like to charge city prices in a town pub and they get away withit.

Look any pub selling Bucking Fastard has to get my vote,and this is a real gem of an ale house.Great variety of constantly changing beers most from microbreweries ,well kept with friendly service and very reasonable prices this is the place to drink in Gainsborough.The interior is a little worn and this conversion of a wharehouse has only limited views over the nearby Trent but ale is the priority here,even when the folk musicians are plucking away on Thursdays.