The Swan, Kidderminster

Proper Town Centre pub which is handy for the bus station. The infrequent bus services to Bewdley are my usual reason for popping in as I often have half an hour to kill! Always a couple of ales on. Ghost Ship and Beartown Skinful on my last visit. The Skinful was excellent. Usually a few locals in. Well worth a visit.

Facebook page of The Swan - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Swan - www.facebook.com

The Swan has a U-shaped serving counter that supports standard and premium keg alongside Neck Oil and two banks of three hand pumps that were drawing Wye Valley’s Butty Bach, St Austell’s Proper Job and a Stan’s cider from Thatchers. This was the last pub of an extensive crawl of the town so I decided to finish off with a pint of Proper Job that was well served by the polite barperson. The pub was very quiet late on a recent Thursday so I didn’t really venture out of the front area where high tables run across the windows and a beer shelf runs up the right-and wall opposite the counter. There was some background music playing and muted Sky Sports was on the televisions. This isn’t somewhere I’d go out of my way to revisit, but its central location means that it’s worth popping in for a beer.

Centrally located opposite the Town Hall and close to the bus station, the inside has been roughed up by some PubCo thugs. Inside is an L shape with the counter dead ahead as you enter, there’s a long room down the right hand side furnished with tables and chairs. Laminate floors, pallet wood instead of Tongue and Groove, dodgy stone wall patterned wallpaper and a brick and stone counter make it a design nightmare. Having moaned about the decor, I had a pint of Proper Job and it was excellent (NBSS 4), the only other cask choice was Trooper across the six pulls in two banks of three. Usual suspects on keg and oddly a beer board listed the kegs and their strengths and origins; possibly charmingly, perhaps disingenuous or maybe taking the piss out of CAMRA pubs; Carling was listed as from Canada, not sure which bit of Burton upon Trent that is. Amstel was shown as Netherlands, I think it’s Tadcaster brewed and Fosters is down as Australia, good grief. John Smiths Smooth crap is definitely Taddy brewed and definitely avoid at all costs, it only said England as a source. Screens, machines and piped music of course, it also does a Full English from £3.95, Mondays to Saturdays up to 1pm.

Probably the most prominent of the town-centre pubs, being located across the square from the town hall. With a curved frontage but a 'L'-shaped counter, the refurbished interior is an odd shape and seating is at a premium. Bath Ales Gem, Betty Stogs (£3.50) and a cider available from a total of six handpumps.