The Boat, Stafford

The Boat has been recently refurbished and some work was still going on outside when we visited. The pub is well located by the canal and it's a nice place to enjoy a pint on a fine day. Inside it's a modern one roomed affair with an obvious focus on food and many were already eating on an early Thursday lunchtime. Three handpumps offered Abbott, Black Sheep and Bombardier and the sight of this unholy trinity was enough for us and we moved on. A shame as there are some top quality breweries close by in both Staffordshire and the West Midlands. A decent stop if you're happy with the unimaginative ale selection.

Old pub, allegedly dating back to the 1770s and the building of the canal on which it stands. There is a seating area outside, by the canal, which is nice in summer. The interior is split between a smaller dining area, a little cluttered with tables and chairs and a more spacious open plan area, more for drinking, where there is a TV and pool table. The floors are wooden and overall the decor fine, even if the music was a little louder. The service was friendly, the clientele mixed, though it felt like it was aimed at the younger element, more seemed to be of the maturer class like me! The beer was a tad disappointing for me, as it was Banks's MILD on smooth, with the usual stuff. There were three handpulls; again. like the Railway, suffering from the common, as they were Wells Bombardier, Abbots (again) and Spitfire, which I personally dislike. Again, i will drop in on another day