Idle Valley Tap, Retford

Facebook page of Idle Valley Tap - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Idle Valley Tap - www.facebook.com

A good and lively local with an eclectic range of furniture and a splendid range of beers. Just the one extended room and decorations seemed to be largely based on road signs. It was something of a relief to find a busy pub where you actually had to look to find a seat, so a good buzz going on and plenty of chatty locals. I felt obliged to try the Welbeck Abbey house ales, despite the call of the Titanic Grand Reserve Plum Porter on the end pump!

Not a brewery tap but opposite the canal basin, eight pulls but a lot devoted to Bradfield, two beers badged as Idle Valley beers and one from Welbeck Abbey were on; Welbeck Abbey is where Idle Valley beers are brewed. Decent but unexciting would sum up the Idle Valley beer. It’s a large, squarish, bland, white room although with a pool table and fridge magnets stuck to RSJs, I don’t suppose people come here for the décor. There’s a large open space to the rear/side which leads across to the Ship.

When is a tap no a tap? The brewery is no longer brewing! Traditional pub with some benches outside. Nice staff - who in a first, actually ask you to check the machine to make sure the value is correct before doing contactless.

Traditional pub on the way into town from the station (unless you know one of the non-obvious shortcuts over the canal). Unremarkable interior, doing reasonable early evening business shortly after indoor reopening as the coronavirus restrictions ease. Not longer a genuine tap, but six different real ales were available from the two banks of four handpumps, including two from Welbeck Abbey: Idle Valley Pale (£2.85) and Cavendish.