Earl Grey Inn, Leek

A neat, red brick backstreet locals pub, just around the corner from the Premier Inn. Three room layout with a fire and a dartboard in the front room, a TV and a jukebox in the bar area and a rear room with a couple of machines. Pleasant welcome from the landlord and the one local in the place at around 3:30 on a Thursday. Three handpumps on the bar with two Whim beers and Draught Bass. I had a pint of the Bass which was in good nick and MS CAMRA also had half of the Bass which was a surprise. It's a good solid pub.

The Earl Grey Inn has street-level seating across the front before a step up to the bar area with a counter up the left and seating to the right that sits under a television that was playing the Chase which was being watched by the governor and both locals during a recent Tuesday early evening visit. There are another couple of tables at the rear opposite the toilets, this isn’t a big pub. There’s not a huge draught selection with Carling, Camden’s Eazy, Madri and Stowford Press Cider being the keg options alongside three hand pumps. The Bass was on good form, but I didn’t note the other two options because the extremely welcoming governor wouldn’t stop talking to me and involving me in the conversation. I’ve never been here before, but I feel if I went back in any time soon I’d feel like a local.

Reopened again fairly recently, but seemingly a shadow of its former self as described in previous reports. The traditional, multi-room interior appears to remain unchanged, but the place was almost empty on a Thursday evening. However, the real ale choice is much reduced, with just three handpumps offering a rather dull selection of Pedigree, Wainwright and Bass (£3.70, but only in middling form).