Fox & Newt, Leeds

Relatively basic pub, located some distance west of the city centre, but home to the Burley Street Brewery. Three of its own brews available on handpump, together with guests including Hop Studio Porter (£3.30) and a cider. Only had time for a flying visit, but will make the effort to return.

A relatively short walk to the west of the city centre, the Fox and Newt is a warm and welcoming brewpub, housing the Burley Street Brewery in its cellars. The pub is a fairly straightforward affair with the main bar in the mid section, opposite the front door. The servery runs along the back wall with a stained glass canopy and a brewery sign on the bar back designed to look like a road name sign. There are a couple of tables with low stools opposite the bar, but the room opens out a lot to the left where more comfortable seating options, mostly tub chairs, can be found. There was also a large projector screen at this end, a juke box and a TV screen which was showing rolling news on my late Saturday evening visit. A few reproduction adverts for various drinks are dotted around the walls and the beams have been decorated with a fine collection of pump clips, carefully ordered by brewery. The right hand side of the pub is raised and has more comfy seating focussed around an attractive fireplace. A large board details the pub's bottled beer options and I noticed boards elsewhere listing food which included 'exotic' burgers using unusual meats such as crocodile, llama, springbok and kangaroo. Another seating area can be found upstairs in a room that seems to have a separate performance area, perhaps used for the live music I noticed promoted throughout the pub. A decent indie soundtrack was playing at quite a loud volume throughout my stay, but it wasn't loud enough to prevent conversation with the friendly locals. There were three Burley Street beers on handpull - The Brickyard, Laguna Seca and Spa Francorchamps - supported by Acorn Golden Embers and Fox Glove Slightly Foxed, with Hop Studio Porter not quite ready to come on. One real cider was also available. I gave the Laguna Seca a try, which I enjoyed very much and was also able to squeeze in a pint of the Spa Francorchamps before time was called, which turned out to be even better. The staff were a friendly bunch, considering the late hour, and didn't rush us out as we polished off the last of our drinks. This is a great pub that really should be included on any crawl around Leeds. It's position outside the ring road makes it seem a bit isolated, but it's only a five or so minute walk from the likes of Veritas, so is easily incorporated into a walking tour of the city. Thoroughly recommended and a fitting end to a day filled with excellent pub visits.

A student-oriented pub just outside the City’s ring-road. Do not despair though, as it is also home to the Burley Street brewery and three of their beers are available from the bar alongside some other Northern breweries – six in total on my visit (over eight pumps), reasonably priced too. I tried two of the home brews and found them to be fairly good and in decent shape; there were also beers from Moorhouse and Roosters available. Service was friendly and the heavily-tattooed barmaid was certainly a good ambassador for the pub. The interior is a fairly unremarkable open-plan affair, though the small red-painted raised area to the right with a pretty fireplace, nice dado and modern leather banquettes is worthy of note, as are the stained glass panels above the bar. A range of burgers are served. A tidy place and worth the extra few minutes’ walk to sample.

In the time since Old Boots reviewed this venue, things have improved immeasurably (not that there was a bad review given). The beer has been spot on. Their Burley Street Brewhouse is pumping out some excellent beers and I truly recommend the Laguna Seca, which is only available here. Food is very good too. I would suggest coming here for a few pints as the beer is good and contribute to a pub which is on the edge of town staying open.