The Sugar Loaf (JD Wetherspoon), Market Harborough

From the outside this looks like a small Spoons but there is a wider front area then the bar is on the left and some booths are on the right. Further on again there is an open plan room that was more or less empty on my Wednesday morning visit. It has a bonus point that the toilets don't involve stairs. I thought it was fairly large for a town the size of Market Harborough and it seemed to be doing a good trade, mainly breakfasts. The bar has two sets of hand pumps, six at the front with the interesting stuff and eight at the back with the IPA variant on the JDW Trio of Doom doubled up and a couple of ciders. The interesting stuff was Springhead Sweet Lips & Willy's Wheatbeer, Wychwood (Brakspear) Oxford Gold, Oakham Inferno, Caledonian Ithaca Nut Brown and Lymestone Stonefish Mild. I had time to try the Inferno and the Wheat Beer (£2.39) both of which were in top condition. I thought this was a good Spoons well above the normal standard.

The Sugar Loaf is an attractive building on Market Harborough's High Street. It takes a good look to work out that it's a 'spoons. Once inside there's no doubting the pub's provenance although, aside from the ludicrous exposed framework and ducting at the back, it is one of the better appointed 'spoons I've visited. On our Sunday lunchtime visit the pub was very busy with people restoring the tissues after the local remembrance parade to the point where the wait for food was up to an hour at one stage. Despite this, the bar staff worked on stoically and although there was something of a wait for a drink, it was delivered efficiently and with a smile. Beers on were the usual Abbot and Ruddles Best alongside Everards Tiger Triple Gold, Maxim The Simcoe Kid, Tonya Cornett OG IPA and Hook Norton Chinook Gold. A couple of those were festival ales and, for a relatively small outlet in a small town, that isn't a bad selection and all that we tried was in decent shape. Surprisingly, given the number of town centre boozers it boasts, Market Harborough isn't a great town for real ale and, of those I've visited, The Sugar Loaf is the best by some way.

A small shop conversion 'spoons but always very popular the bar is at the rear where a two story building has been opened out but no prizes for the interior designer,just maroon ducting and supporting cross bar dominate the upper part.There are six handpumps with just two regular in Ruddles Bitter and GK Abbott and four festival ales in reasonable shape on my visit.The Sunday lunchtime meal deal was proving a big hit with pensioners and mobility scooter drivers,and although it is the usual 'spoons offering given the lack of decent real ale houses in the town centre,this by default is probably the best bet if you like real ale.

Sugar Loaf page at the Wetherspoon site - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

Sugar Loaf page at the Wetherspoon site - www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

Long rectangular bar with a lowish ceiling at the front but a higher extention further back. Booths along one side. Friendly barmaid, who sensibly offered a beer taster whilst making coffees for another customer. Six beers available from handpump: Ruddles, Abbot, Spitfire, Bonkers Conkers, Milestone American Pale Ale and Wooden Hand Cornish Gribben (£1.99). Overall, a bit dark inside perhaps but otherwise pretty good for a 'spoons (with extra effort illustrated by pub newsletter available on each table).