The Dog & Doublet, Stafford

Official site of The Dog & Doublet - www.doganddoubletsandon.co.uk

Official site of The Dog & Doublet - www.doganddoubletsandon.co.uk

A detached country village pub/eatery with patio. The building has some charater, being in undressed brick and cream render, with part wood beam effect. The interior is an L-shape, but not around the serving bar. The area to the right on entry looks as if it were a stable block and this is the dining area. Straight ahead on entry is the lounge area, with a TV, that was showing Sky Sports News. The decor is walls of white, purple, green and some wood panel and undressed brick - along with a wood floor. It is sterile and the odd art deco lamp and old fire grate can not take away the feeling that the place still isn't finished - i half expected to see price tags on some things, as it was like a tour around IKEA. I didn't eat so cant comment on that, but the service was fne and there was a mixed clientele. Beer; tap stuff with Peroni. On handpull, the only one on was Slater's Why Not? I had pop. Does the crime of murder extend to building interiors? I can't see myself returning here.

From the exterior this pub looks to have started life in the 1930's as a M&B roadhouse ,mock tudor and built on a main road along with hundreds of other in the Midlands .These sort of pubs can be interesting in their original incarnation.Once inside however ,the minimalist makeover is quite disturbing with pine flooring with bare walls and little in the way of atmosphere.Free wifi is no consolation but indicates what the owners think is important in a pub.Beer quality was indifferent and the food was not memorable.There are better pubs within a few miles.

My word this place desperately needs some atmosphere. It's a large, roadside pub which has been recently renovated with added pine furniture, floors and fake beams leaving a large open space which feels rather like being in a school gym after lessons have finished. Service was friendly and attentive and the food was fine but no more. Only one real ale offered which I assume rotates but was Joseph Holt's Humdinger on our visit. This was well kept but is too sweet to be imbibed truly freely, a fact recognised by the landlord so I suspect it's stay will be a short one. There was an Adnams clip behind the Humdinger so maybe this is the default option. Not a destination boozer for real ale and not one I'll be returning to.

Shame that neither picture sign is there now to tell the story of a dog that retrieved his murdered master's blood-stained doublet. The dog then led the villagers to where the body lay.