The Boat Inn, Stafford

A decent Marston’s canal side pub as described by Soupy, below. It’s a great traditional waterside boozer which does good food too, traditional pub grub from a laminated menu, at a reasonable price. The staff and locals were all vey amiable, and we were made to feel at home straight away. The beer was also good – Banks’s Amber, Wainwright Gold, Director’s and Titanic Anchor (which went down well). I’d be very happy to come back here when passing.

Official site of The Boat Inn - www.boatinngnosall.com

Official site of The Boat Inn - www.boatinngnosall.com

This is a detached Marston's pub and eatery in white render with black paint work that sits alongside the canal. There is a patio. The interior is open plan but divided into three areas and forms a T-shape. There is a small drinking area at the serving bar itself, which is in cream patterned wallpaper and red wood panel. There is a wood fire and a collection of hanging jugs, along with canal ephemera on the walls. The other parts are dining areas. One part of the two dining areas is in the same decor, with a bay window. Th other is in red, with mustard wood panel and grey upper walls, with a brick fire that was a copper canopy. There is also a TV here (not on) and a dart board. We ate here and the food was fine. The service was fine and the clientele seemed mainly to be maturer couples and groups. Beer; tap stuff with a decent Banks's MILD, bitter and Ringwood Showman's Tipple on handpull, there was also the untried Pedigree and Burton Bitter. This is a decent pub, along with the Navigation and well worth a visit. It is in the GBG 2010.