The Silk Trader, Macclesfield

A Robbies pub with the modernised grey interior (Yawn). Multiple rooms, one large one and a couple of smaller ones. Unicorn and Dizzy on the bar, but my pint of Dizzy had definitely gone. Changed with good grace after the barmaid called the landlady, so I ended up with a Unicorn which was in good nick. It's a pleasant enough pub.

A little out of the town up the hill over the River Bollin and a main road, it’s apparently on the “Silk Road”, it’s a Robinsons pub that has been modernised so don’t expect interesting features. It’s a multi space offering with almost a separate room to the right on entering with the counter ahead and left where there’s a drinking area with a screen and a couple of tables plus a big one with space for 8 to 10 to get round it while watching darts players. At the back there’s a space with a pool table, everywhere seems to have a screen and possibly a machine as well. Crazy tiled floor in the front left, laminate elsewhere. There’s a nod here and there to the town’s former silk industry in the decor, mainly in the form of bobbins. Four handpulls with Unicorn and Cumbrian Way on, one reversed Old Tom and the other reversed Dizzy Blonde, two low T-Bars offer a rudimentary keg choice, Carling, Madri, Guinness, Stella, Coors and some version of Strongbow. A trio of more interesting kegs sits in the middle. Nice barmaid knew she needed to pull off a bit of Unicorn as she hadn’t sold any yet that afternoon.

A modernised, some would say over-modernised, corner pub. It's been hugely opened out, with modern random-patterned tiles on the floors, plenty of grey paint (my favourite!) and low wattage light bulbs in the room away from the bar. My friends and I, nearing the end of our tour of Macclesfield pubs, asked if it was possible to turn the wattage up a little, but the staff either did not know how to do it or thought it was hilarious for a group of 60-something men to sit in the semi-dark, or both. This is a Robinsons pub and they are well known for doing what is right for the pub rather than preserving features that have stood the test of time, and of course they are always right. Bearing this in mind, I had decided that it was about time I tried their well-known Trooper, a beer developed in consultation with a heavy metal band and featured heavily (see what I did there?) on the cover of this year's Good Beer Guide. I must admit I hadn't realised it was 4.7%, a strength I usually try to avoid when on a pub crawl. It was actually in OK condition (NBSS 3.5) but I'm not sure I will be making a habit of drinking it.

Official site of The Silk Trader - www.robinsonsbrewery.com

Official site of The Silk Trader - www.robinsonsbrewery.com

The Silk Trader has a bar counter on the left rear wall that faces high tables and a dartboard at the front. This area was busy during a recent mid evening visit, I imagine it was Monday night darts league. There is a pool table in the right rear and a seating area in the front right that was empty. Muted football via Sky Sports was on the televisions. Standard and premium keg was available alongside Brixton Lager. This is a Robinson’s pub so the four hand pumps were drawing Trooper, Unicorn and Big Sur. This place was forgettable to the point that the only memory I have of visiting are my notes.

A Robbies pub they've vandalised. There's still a genuine multi-room layout but the gloomy lighting and snot green paint job (including the wood) is appalling. Three of theirs on, including a rare sighting of Old Tom which was a little flat but fine (NBSS 3). Of amusement value was the barman using the redundant handpump as a blue roll dispenser. The presence of a decent OT pushes it to 6.