Ring O Bells Hotel, Warrington

Chef & Brewer pub/restaurant in the village of Daresbury. We were hoping to eat here early Sunday evening, but were soon told that they were fully booked despite there being multiple free tables in the main bar area and in the separate dining area. So, that didn't set us off on the best footing. Greene King IPA is the regular beer here. The 2 guest beers were Theakston Old Peculier & Weetwood Cheshire Cat. I had the Cheshire Cat, which was a bit lifeless, whilst my wife ordered a sloe gin. The gin order completely confused the young barman who intuitively thought I was ordering a slow gin! Speed of service was never in doubt here. Slow was certainly the operative word, as after pointing out the bottle of sloe gin and the dawning realisation that there really was such a thing as a sloe/slow gin, it took an eternity to locate said gin on the electronic till! The only consolation was that he was another Everton fan like myself! I was surprised that a Chef & Brewer would find its way into the latest Good Beer Guide and after this visit I can honestly say that I'm still confused. It's not a welcoming establishment, the beer range is fairly average and dining is only possible with a prior reservation.