Boons, Wakefield

I may have been here before with Ale & Hearty many years ago but it’s a nice place to return to. Flag floor, old furniture, red and cream colour scheme and eight pulls with a good variety of beers. I’ll pass on the exposed brick and stone. Decorated with cricket and rugby league team photos, there’s a couple of bookcases mostly with “buy by the yard” books but also a decent sized collection of GBGs, the pub is a long term entry after all and deservedly so. Older gents as customers and sadly noisy building work was in progress, it’ll be nice when it’s finished.

Facebook page of Boons - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Boons - www.facebook.com

Well decribed by a&h below although there are 9 handpumps, with one being hidden towards the rear serving a real cider. Loads of bric-a-brac around the place, including pump clips, trophies and books bought by the yard. It's a very comfortable pub and one I'd certainly call in again if I was ever in the area.

Lively and friendly town centre pub, owned by Clark’s brewery, originally an eighteenth century coaching inn. Internally, it’s medium sized and open plan, with a central bar opposite the main entrance. There are low ceilings with exposed beams (reclaimed vs original?), exposed brick walls and high bookcases, plus a good collection of sporting photos, many featuring local rugby team Wakefield Trinity. Scores of pump clips from previously featured beers are to be found tacked to the beams. Behind the bar is a pool table and beyond that the entrance to the large enclosed yard, for fair weather drinking. A couple of overhead screens provide coverage of live sport. Overall, the pub feels quite dark, but that only adds to the sense of enveloping cosiness. At the bar there are eight hand pumps and pleasingly all were in use during my visit. Normally, two Clark’s beers feature along with six guests. On this occasion they included Coastal ‘Hop Monster’, Thornbridge ‘Kipling’, Jarrow ‘Rivet Catcher’ and Orkney ‘Dragonhead’. All were in good condition. Service from the young barmaid was warm and welcoming. A good mellow atmosphere when I called late on a Friday afternoon, though the pub does get very busy at peak times. I have to say, I really like Boon’s and couldn’t imagine a visit to the town without calling in. As a friendly, traditional local it takes some beating. Potential visitors to Horbury should note it’s worth doing as a double header, with The Cricketers over the road, although the two are very different in feel. Despite dipping in and out of the Good Beer Guide down the years, it’s encouraging to see it included once again, in 2015. Visited 11.07.14