Ye Olde Rose & Crown, Stafford

A Joules pub, done up in traditional style. The brewery generally tends not to quote the ABV on their pump clips and the brief descriptions chalked up in the back bar also omitted this useful information. Style also has to be inferred. There are 4 of the host brewery's ales on offer and at very reasonable prices (£3.80 for the Blonde, for example). Background music tended towards classic rock and the live music seemed to be mostly in a similar style from what I could make out. I first encountered this brewery and their ales a couple of months ago and I much preferred their Tamworth outlet for both cosiness and beer quality. Ye Olde Rose and Crown worked for brief visit, but unfortunately I didn't feel inclined to stick around, though old folk playing noisy videos on their phones definitely had me knocking back my pint more quickly than originally planned.

Official site of Ye Olde Rose & Crown - www.joulesbrewery.co.uk

Official site of Ye Olde Rose & Crown - www.joulesbrewery.co.uk

Official site of Ye Olde Rose & Crown - www.joulesbrewery.co.uk

This is a cracking multiple room pub that acts as a flagship venue in the town for the Joules brewery. You enter via a corridor which leads to the front bar, through a doorway to the left, or to an open seating area straight ahead. The front bar is a tidy little space with some nice etched glass panes, a large Joules mirror, ample chair and low stool seating and a smart brick fireplace on the end wall. The rear room extends a long way back, through a stone floored space with lots of high tables and stools as well as several more comfortable, lounge-style options. Timber clad walls have been decorated with lots of nice breweriana, making this a pleasant spot to settle down in, and a lit fire on the back wall made it all the more appealing, so I was a bit surprised to find the room entirely empty, with all customers clustered around the bar area for the evening's quiz. To the left is a rear bar, with a brick floor, low wood panelled walls with red and white uppers, some great enamel adverts and a big Joules pub sign. The servery is to one side and has a simple counter with a high shelf bar back unit. Some sort of sheltered garden space can be found to the rear, but I didn't bother to properly explore in the freezing temperatures, preferring to keep close to the fireplace instead, but from what I could see, it looked to have lots of extra seating. There were four Joules ales on handpull - Pure Blonde, Slumbering Monk, Pale Ale and Penny Pincher. The staff all seemed very pleasant, albeit they were as wrapped up in the pub quiz as their punters. Either way, I got a decent pint of the Pale Ale and enjoyed watching the locals fret over questions that I knew the answers to! I was really impressed with this place and perhaps my only regret is that I didn't see it in full flow - the whole pub was in deep concentration for the quiz, do the atmosphere was a bit stilted. It felt like a great pub to settle down in for a few pints, with a number of well put together seating areas, and I would definitely use it a lot if I was a local. A must do for anyone visiting Stafford. Date of visit - 18th January 2024

Some people express dismay at the way Joules "restore" their pubs, and I must admit to having shuddered at the Shakespeare in Bridgnorth, but I quite liked the way this one is presented; my Stafford friend, who remembers how it was before, dissents from this view. Whatever, I found it a pleasant place despite the slightly "off" screens near the table where we sat, and I enjoyed the beer even more. I didn't get a full list or photo of the Joules beers available: suffice to say that I went for the Pale and my friends both had the No.6 winter warmer (which I'd already tried in Tamworth on my way here). We all agreed the beers were in excellent condition, and I thought the service was friendly.