The Beartown Tap, Congleton

Well I totally agree with Mr Boots’ dual carriageway rant but I rather liked the pub, a real thriving brewery tap with a largely young clientele on a Friday night enjoying the ales. Plenty of Beartown cask in a modern pub on three levels, and the beer garden was quite comfortable even on a cold January night and had a burger kitchen in operation. Plus my pint was gorgeous.

Facebook page of The Beartown Tap - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Beartown Tap - www.facebook.com

Pleasant pub slightly out of the town centre, but well worth the effort to cross the main road. At the time of my visit in March, six hand pulls offering Beartown beers (Kodiak, Literate, Peach Melbear, Glacier and Creme Bearlee, with one pump off). The Creme Bearlee set me back £1.75 for a half. There was also a separate pull offering Lilley's mango cider. I also spotted 9 keg taps on the back wall behind the bar. Pizzas are available on Tuesdays, but I am unsure of the offerings on other days. Dogs are welcome, a beer garden was signed, and children are permitted until 8pm. There is a wood burning stove. Overall a friendly feeling place and one I would be happy to return to.

In common with many places the unweilding hand of town planning has dumped a dual carriageway between the town centre and the less central bits resulting in a shiteey wall of tarmac between the middle and outer bits of the town centre. It’s a monumental pain in the arse for people who walk but not as bad as some examples of the ridiculous thinking of the 1950s & 60s that some places are blighted by. Anyhoo, once you navigate the shite dual carriageway it’s a brewery tap but in what could be an old pub but probably isn’t. Personally I don’t think Beartown beers are much to write home about and a visit to their brewery tap didn’t change but rather reinforced that view. As a pub? Well yeah it’s better than ok , bland decor, over-weaning but well meaning staff, mediocre beer, noisy music but hell some people love that, I’ll leave ‘em to it.