The Golden Fleece, Nottingham

Facebook page of The Golden Fleece - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Golden Fleece - www.facebook.com

A craft beer bar, lighter and more airy inside than the somewhat forbidding exterior seems to promise. There are 10 keg taps on the bar back, with four regulars - three from Beavertown (including Neck Oil) and Camden Hells - and up to six guests; plus seven more taps on the bar; and three hand pumps. Only one real ale on at the time of my visit, a very good pale brewed with Olicana hops by local Black Iris brewery. I was the first customer through the door at 3pm, though the pub was not empty when I left half an hour later. There's a bit of an alternative vibe, with some quirky art on the walls. The road at the side of the pub has quite a slope to it, and this is reflected inside the pub where there are a couple of changes of level going back towards the toilets and the beer garden, which is almost at roof level. Date of visit: 22nd June 2022

The Golden Fleece Is Located on the Busy Mansfield Road into Nottingham and is a three minute walk from the central Victoria Shopping Centre. Housed on the corner of a terrace of shops you enter at an angle and are confronted with the bar bends in a l shape that is surrounded by tables and high comfy bench seating. Towards the back of the pub is a set of steps that lead up to another drinking area and a stage were live music of frequently played. This pub has seen fair bit of investment over the last couple of years and the most recent refurb has seen it get completely new fresh/ modern look but in tasteful manner that has kept the darker colour scheme were most these days seem to go with bright whites and greys which I hate so I need to commend them on the, I still prefer traditional decor but this is one of the better investments I have seen. This pub has been in a bit of a seesaw ride of owner over the last couple of months with the acquisition by the pub people company being quickly bought by the Flipside brewery of cowlick who installed loads of hand pumps but relinquished responsibility of the pub after only a few months because they “couldn’t make it work” . My visit saw me at the pub with what looked to me like a couple from a holding company so the pubs direction is certainly not set in stone as of yet. Having not visited in its flipside era I cannot compare it to then but the number of hand pulls has been reduced from then to now only have six on the bar, still a good selection. The bar lady was very friendly and allowed us to have one last drink when stumbling in very close to closing time. The selection on our visit consisted of Shipstons Original (£3.20), Adnams Shingle Shells, St Austell Tribute Extra, Bootleg Brewery’s urban fox and Hobgoblin with the last pump unclipped, a fairly decent selection in my book. We opted for a pint of the Shipstons that was fine and drinkable but a little flat and under conditioned in my book, definitely not the best pint of it I have had but nothing to complain about. I Think this pub will have a continued change over period in the coming future as it adapts to what it should be offering as it cannot compete with the choice and quality of the Lincolnshire poacher a few doors up. It is located in such a central position on the main road into Nottingham from the north and has a great level of potential. If it can tweak a few things and get the beer into a top class state this pub can succeed as it has all the tools and all the right qualities going for it. Still no bad to pop into for a beer but it could be so so much better, hopefully it can get its act together.