Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar, Stalybridge

The Stalybridge Buffet has been on my radar for more than twenty years and on a recent Saturday morning I finally managed to visit it. There's not much to say about it that hasn't already been said but I did find out that it's run by the same company as the Dewsbury one on the wrong side of the Pennines. There are ten hand pumps which had two ciders, Dark Star APA, RAT Nosferatu, Millstone Vale Mill & Stout, Beartown Ursa Minor & Black Bear, Landlord and Redwillow Directionless. Before my train arrived I had time for a Nosferatu (£3.50) and Dark Star APA (£3.10) both of which went down a treat. I was here around midday and there were already a couple of groups of younger folk presumably doing the Ale Trail. I suspect this place may be best on a weekday but I would return anytime and will do so as rather pathetically I failed to find Bridge Beers on the return journey!

Lovely railway related rooms on east bound platform. Good choice of beers

This is a wonderful place and makes waiting for a train extremely enjoyable.

A super place for a beer and the first I'd head to in Stalybridge. There isn't much which hasn't been said below but there is a quiz night on Mondays which is enthusiastically attended and certainly does the job of filling the place on an otherwise slow night. The conservatory area has been refurbished since my last visit and now feels more a part of the main building with a new pine ceiling, half walls and its own entrance which is used by those slipping out for a smoke. It's popular with the regulars this area. The welcome on this, and every other, visit was warm with suggestions happily given as to which beers are going well and tasters offered freely. Beers on were: Ossett Citra, Millstone True Grit, TT Landlord, Sportsman Quaff and Darker Shade of Ale, Abbeydale Absolution, Brightside Our Town Pale Ale and Pheonix Monkeytown Mild as well as 2 real ciders. A good selection and everything we tried was in great nick. There's always a Millstone on here, although the True Grit ran out while we were there as well as TT Landlord. A great place.

Well described by JB below, so I won't bother. It was reasonably busy on my Friday afternoon visit, when I called in before meeting a friend in the town. A couple of the handpumps were off and there was only one beer I hadn't had on the others, so I only stayed for one. My pint was in good condition though and the 10% CAMRA discount made it very reasonablly priced. I'll be calling in again next time I'm in Stalybridge.

iTS a must if you're into real Ale can not add to what's been said about this place

On Platform 1 of Stalybridge B R Station is The Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar which, according to the Famous Grouse 100 plaque, is “one of the few remaining refreshment rooms from the golden age of steam”. It dates back to 1885. On an outside wall, a plaque pays tribute to one Fred Wood who, in 1907, averted a tragedy by turning the points and diverting a runaway train from causing carnage. The main room features a marble topped bar counter and a veritable treasure trove of railway memorabilia – photographs of old steam trains, old station signs, route maps etc. Some Art Nouveau decorative leaded windows, banquettes and lace curtains contribute to a fine traditional Victorian ambience. As well as the railway memorabilia, there’s various brewery posters and mirrors, including an old J & J Morisons Pale Ales of Edinburgh mirror. Local photographs include one of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visiting Stalybridge Station shortly after the war. Several interesting framed newspaper cuttings record, for posterity, how British Rail’s attempts to close this Buffet Bar were successfully resisted. The pub is listed in CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. A hexagonal shaped conservatory provides additional seating. This conservatory is clearly an extension to the main bar, which is housed in the original station building, and features a tiled floor and padded banquette seating around the room’s perimeter. A door from the conservatory leads to a few outside seats, positioned in what appears to be the station car park. The Buffet Bar is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular and, based on my visits, clearly focuses on local micros. My latest visit ( March 2012 ) found beers from Cottage, Millstone, Nook, Greenfield, Hornbeam and Phoenix amongst others on the two banks of four handpumps each. Both beers sampled by me – Phoenix Spotland Gold and Greenfield Brewery Dobcross – were in good nick. A range of basic snacks includes the local delicacy – black peas, served in a cup, 90p. There’s a certain similarity to the Refreshment Rooms at Dewsbury Station – both establishments clearly have a solid core of loyal customers who are evidently not waiting for trains, but who clearly appreciate the range of ales and traditional atmosphere. Stalybridge Station is easily accessible by train from Manchester Victoria ( approx £ 3 for a cheap day return ). If you’re in the area, and you’ve done Manchester’s main pubs, it’s well worth the short train journey to get here.