Bear & Pheasant, Stafford

The Bear & Pheasant is a backstreet local that was very quiet during a Wednesday evening visit, in fact I think the other customer may have been the barmaids boyfriend. The short bar counter on the right wall supports five hand pumps, but only one was in operation drawing Sharp’s Doom Bar. I plotted at one of the tables in the centre of the pub, shielding myself from bombs coming out of the horse brass laden fireplace in the left hand wall. I think the logs, stored in a second fireplace on the rear wall may have been a bit damp. Also in the rear is a dartboard and a pool table under a ceiling lined with football scarves. The service was polite, and the pub was OK so I’m not sure why it was so quiet.

This back street local is a convenient distance from the station for a last beer before leaving Stafford. Towards the end of a mid-week December afternoon it was reasonably busy, but as with many pubs on our circuit of Stafford, there were very few real ale drinkers. And only one real ale on the bar, despite the continuing presence of four hand pumps. As with the previous review, it was Greene King Abbot Ale, which was one of the first beers that I drank regularly when I discovered real ale back in the 1970s - I even sent off for a T-shirt with the slogan "Please keep upright - Abbot drinker". I rarely drink it these days, and the beer I had here was in good enough condition but not so impressive as to get me drinking Abbot with any frequency in future.

Traditional back-street boozer, with the partly opened-out interior subject to a rather plain refurbishment at some stage. Also, just Abbot (£3.80) available from a total of five handpumps, but this was fine, and it was good to see this place busy with locals on a Friday evening.