The Ostrich, Peterborough

A lovely traditional backstreet pub , horseshoe shaped interior and central bar upon which are found six handpumps offering five beers of interest along with a cider, my castle Rock Just Like Heaven was a decent drop. The kind of pub I really like and as such a revisit is on the cards.

This back-street pub was my first new visit of a busy day - don't know how it missed it previously as it is close to the city centre. Anyway, it has a reversed U-shape bar with the counter unusually facing the back, with all parts traditionally furnished and decorated and all the regular amenities such as pool, darts and regular live music. A modernised yard beer garden car also be found at the back. With all six handpumps in use, we found Pennine's Hair of the Dog (£1.90, half), other beers from Ossett, Tiny Rebel, Castle Rock and Rudgate, and Thundering Molly cider (with a couple of Seacider clips also displayed).

Locals’ music and ale pub behind the shopping centre. Opened-out with an island bar (though service is only at the rear) and decorated in Rasta colours. Tidy rear patio garden. GBG listed; six ales with an eclectic set, sadly neither of mine convinced and both were below GBG standard - St Ives Zennor NBSS 2 and Fauna Meadow Maker NBSS 1.5. Amusement provided by the barmaid negotiating the purchase of 2nd hand sofa with one of the regulars, she wouldn’t survive long in a souk. I’m assured that this place is supposedly one of Peterborough’s best, but I left thoroughly unconvinced of that claim. 5.5

Official site of The Ostrich - www.ostrichinnpeterborough.com

Official site of The Ostrich - www.ostrichinnpeterborough.com

The Ostrich is a U-shaped pub with beer shelves and high stools up the right and standard seating the left were a television sits on the front wall. The central bar counter faces the rear where a door leads to a well-tended beer garden full of benches and plentiful greenery. In the front right window is a stage area and regular live music is advertised. This isn’t the biggest place, so I bet it gets very cosy in here at the weekend. The walls are busy with framed pictures and posters and there’s a small exposed HVAC unit on the ceiling, I imagine to extract the weekend sweat clouds. The five cask ales available were a very nice Titanic Cherry Porter alongside Tydd Steam Brewery’s Snake Eyes, Woodforde’s Wherry, Stewart’s 80 Shilling and Rooster’s Echo Chamber. A choice of premium and craft keg lagers and ciders were also available. There was only a handful of people in late afternoon, but there was a good atmosphere. I would have no issues revisiting here when next in Peterborough.

Nice old building a bit messed about inside but not without some charm, there are various spaces and the counter is sort of back to front, 6 pulls with one for cider, with beers from far and wide, they had a bit of a Yorkshire thing with North Riding and Saltaire in evidence on my visit, the beer mats were from Ilkley and the beer engines from Angram. Good number of interesting kegs as well. Fairly raucous clientele but fortunately the back garden attracted the noisier element but sadly left some bar blockers in situ. Beer ok but I had a poor mild so maybe that's not popular in these parts, and perhaps it does deserve its GBG entry.