The Penny Black (JD Wetherspoon), Northwich

Branch of Wetherspoon's in a Grade II listed former post office building. The exterior is far more impressive than the interior. You enter into a front room with side rooms either side. Beyond that is the main room with the bar on the right-hand side and a raised seating area to the left. A couple of large pictures of the Penny Black stamp dominate the rear wall, next to where a short corridor leads to the ground floor (yes, ground floor!) toilets. It's quite bright inside, helped by some skylights. The usual carpets are in place. Games machines can be found in the middle of the main room, whilst there was at least one TV showing the news on mute. Children are allowed in. The usual JD Wetherspoon cask ales were available - Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best & Sharp's Doom Bar. With the 'spoon's beer festival in full swing, guest beers on cask were Redemption Yard Work, Birrificio Italiano Nigredo, Salem Coastal Confusion, Elgood's Shug Monkey & Brains Crimson Legend. The cider was Gwynt y Ddraig Black Dragon. After an initial drink and some food, we returned here for a second drink after finding another pub we wanted to visit in the town closed. Service from a female member of staff the first time around was good. The second time we walked in, a male member of staff was rushed off his feet with a couple of women (not sure if one was the one who served us before) chatting to one another without any attempt to help the guy. A fairly unremarkable Wetherspoon's. The festival beers I tried were not to my taste. But in a town with very few decent pubs, this one is probably still a highlight for the locals. Apparently there is a car park behind the pub but being a Sunday, we could park on the street for free.

The Penny Black is a Wetherspoons with a raised front seating area to the right before the bar counter that runs up the right-hand wall. High tables down the centre of the pub and standard furniture at the rear all sit under a V-shaped roof with big skylights. Out the back is a decked seating area. The bar supports standard and premium keg and the two duplicate banks of six hand pumps were drawing Ruddles, Sharp’s Doom Bar, GK Abbot Ale, Grainstore’s Ten Fifty, Acorn Brewery’s Endeavour IPA and Mobberley’s Sidekick. The Grainstore was OK, but I had to ask for my drink to be topped up, as did the customer before me. I wasn’t very impressed with this place.

This Spoons is unusual as initially it looks like an old coaching inn but as noted below that's a mirage as it's a former post office dating fron 1914. Inside the truth dawns since apart from the sorting office beams being wooden instead of iron it has the same old layout as all the other JDW former post offices. The low ceilinged front section includes a room off to the right then behind this is the barn like former sorting office with the bar on the right. This doesn't stop it being a good Spoons as it had the best beer choice I've seen for some time with one available soon, the JDW Trio Of Doom with Abbot doubled, Abbot Reserve, Orkney Red Macgregor, Moorhouse First Cut & Pendle Witches Brew, Slater's Top Totty, Beartown Kodak Gold and Dunscar Black IPA. I went for the Abbot Reserve (£2.09) which was in good nick. Despite the sorting office barn I thought this was a good Spoons.

Official site of The Penny Black (JD Wetherspoon) - www.jdwetherspoon.com

Official site of The Penny Black (JD Wetherspoon) - www.jdwetherspoon.com

An impressive looking Wethers from the outside. Inside is fairly standard Wethers and it is quite nice. Its mainly open plan with various areas to sit. 12 handpumps on the bar and a quite decent selection on this visit.