Red Lion Hotel, Spalding

Now open again. Three hand pulls with St Austell Cornish Best and Draught Bass on when visited. The Bass was in excellent nick. Very busy in the bar situated at the front of the building but three bar staff working as a team behind the bar meant service was prompt. Well worth a visit.

This is a town centre hotel with a bar open to all and on my Saturday afternoon visit there were a group of locals around the bar. It's a single carpeted room with the bar in the left corner as you enter. This bar has four hand pumps which on my visit had one unused and three very dull mainstream beers, Abbot, Bass and Bombardier. I gritted my teeth and ordered an Abbot (£3.30) which was about as good as it ever gets. This is a GBG regular and the unused pump should have had a rotating guest. It's a pleasant enough place but with the current beer selection I wouldn't return.