The Crossing, Burton On Trent Town, Burton on Trent

The Crossing has an L-shaped wooden floored bar area with a pool table to the right and across the front left windows banquettes run from the entrance to a fireplace on the left-hand wall. Standard seating then runs up the left, faced by a serving counter with tiled flooring around. In the rear is a laminate floored extension that feels like a dining area and out the back is a large patio garden with picnic tables. Standard and premium keg options were available alongside Neck Oil and four of the seven hand pumps were in use drawing TT Landlord, Butcombe, Pedigree and a Lilley’s cider. I was the only customer on a recent Wednesday evening so I’m not sure what the atmosphere is like in here when it’s busy, however it does feel very food orientated so I’m not sure I’ll be rushing back.

The Crossing was one of the few Burton pubs open on a midweek afternoon. So, I headed here early before other pubs opened either late afternoon or early evening. I walked into a fairly empty pub. There is a nicely decorated L-shaped room, with a separate dining room beyond. What customers were there were in the dining area finishing their late lunches. The ale range looked good. Dancing Duck Ay Up & Dark Drake are regular ales. Their Abduction was a guest, alongside Marston's Pedigree and a couple of Lilley's ciders - Mango & Tropical. I ordered the Abduction and a pack of crisps to go with it. The young barmaid struggled to find the Abduction on the till and eventually settled on hitting another button which she said would be cheaper, if anything. My half of Abduction with a small pack of crisps came to £4.30. After contemplating this for a while, I queried the price, in case she'd charged for a pint. The crisps were an unbelievable £1.80 a pack, which also makes a beer £5 a pint here. Whilst I'm used to paying in excess of £5 a pint in London, I wasn't expected to pay that much in Burton. To compare prices, I'd only paid £4.05 for a pint in the Dog and £2.05 (admittedly with a CAMRA voucher) in the Lord Burton. And £1.80 for a pack of crisps!! I enjoyed the Abduction, but it was now apparent why this pub was empty apart from the diners.

Unusually for a High Street location, this is a detached pub with quite an elaborate Brewers Tudor facade. Modernised inside the L-shaped interior, with a fake fire being the most notable feature. Pedigree, three real ales from Dancing Duck - Ay Up, Abduction and Dark Drake (£2.05, half) - and a pair of Lilley's ciders from six of the seven handpumps.