Dog & Partridge, Burton on Trent

A fine-looking old inn, featuring a 'black and white' facade on the original building and with various extensions to the left and rear added over the centuries. The main entrance is at the back, handy for the car park but not for pedestrians. This leads to the bar which has had a rather unsympathetic refurbishment but there is more residual character left in some of the dining areas. Managed under Greene King's Chef & Brewer brand, the expected 'house' Brewer's Pale Ale was on one of the four handpumps, along with Abbot and a poor Deuchars IPA (£5.65).

A substantial old small town hotel with some nice half-timbering on the outside. Sadly the interior has been Chef & Brewered with the corporate tackiness that you might expect. Despite that there are some nice areas in the rambling layout, although much is aimed at diners. Abbot and London Glory on handpump, the latter in pretty good condition at least.

A very attractive looking former coaching inn with parts of the building dating back to the 14th Century. The interior was in keeping with the building and had a good few rooms to choose from. The staff were pleasant and very efficient. Two GK beers on handpump so I went for the Abbott ale which I haven't tried for a good few years and it was decent enough, apart from the staggering price of £5.50 a pint.

No longer "Ye Olde" Dog & Partridge, it seems. The building looks traditional, but the interior has been re-imagined, to put it kindly. Chef & Brewer are seemingly aiming for the top end of the dining pub market, which I often find a bit intimidating, but my notes made at the time say that I was made welcome. There are multiple rooms on several different levels, with most tables set for dining, but I was able to find somewhere to sit with my beer. The cask beers were all from Greene King and friends, with Abbot and IPA, plus St Austell Tribute and (as it was December) Rocking Rudolf. My half of Tribute was in "top condition", my notes tell me, though priced at £4.60/pint in 2021 it certainly should have been. Date of visit: 9th December 2021