The Blue Bell, Attenborough, Nottingham

Large GK (Flaming Grill sub-brand) pub very recently modernised in their current manner (mushroom shades have now taken over from the whacky colours in the corporate colour wheel). Surprised to see three ales, two of which were not theirs. Sadly my Stancil Barnsley Bitter was warm and tasted like GK (NBSS 1.5) and with few other punters in situ on a Thursday night I shoved off with plenty of time to get my train back.

Official site of The Bluebell - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

Official site of The Bluebell - www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk

The Bluebell is a large roadside pub on the long Nottingham road out of Beeston. A former Home Ales house it is now under the horrendous ownership of the Flaming Grill pub company. Aside from their dire bright orange colour scheme this is a pretty ugly post war brick building with very little in the way of appealing aesthetic features. As you enter there are rooms to the left and right. The right is all hard wooden floors and is a game room with darts and a centralised pool table with little seating. The left is more of the lounge/dining room, again square but this time with carpets and the most generic of generic chain pub furniture and plastic covered chairs. Further back is a much larger seating are with lots more tables and chairs. Being a flaming grill food is very big here and many cheap grub offers are available that many seemed to be going for. The bar is in the left hand side room and extends further into the back dining room. The usual Keg selection was present and a very bland choice of Doomabr and Greene King <London Glory from the two available hand pulls. We opted for The London Glory that was horrifically priced at £3.60 especially considering cooking lager was around £3 and Stella £3.45! We were astounded at such a high price for such a bland boring beer. We sat on some bench seating while the entirety not the room zoomed in on a Manchester united game. The beer was actually kept ok but a very bland and unimaginative brew from the brewer of the most bland and unimaginative beers ever. Overall a pretty poor pub full of boisterous teenage lads and less than enthusiastic locals. It has decently kept ale but all things considered the price, selection and the quality of the pub means id only ever come here out of desperation and not out of choice. Nothing top go out of your way for.

A Flaming Grill pub with their hellish colour scheme – imagine my horror when I saw the logo – approached through a large, empty car park. There were 2 ales on, Doombar and Black Sheep Bitter, both way too cold and overgassed. To be fair, there was free wifi which worked. Tacky fake rural décor, a deserted pool table and infernal wall prints mean that it feels like a post apocalyptic B&Q. Childish arcade games entertain the younger clientele (8 – 18). There is a horrible suburban feel to it, and the staff appear dull and generally characterless. This is a bland establishment which was probably more interesting as a building site. There were not many local customers, presumably because the residents of this area, like me, have no incentive to come back.

This pub has just been purchaced and "renovated" by the Flaming Grill Pub Co. They have painted the outside a lurid Tango shade of orange?? I'm afraid that this has put me right off the place and I won't be visiting again.

The Blue Bell is on the main road to Long Eaton when travelling from Beeston and this is the only pub in Attenborough. This pub used to be an Home Ales tied house with seperate rooms it has now been opened out into one room and is a food orientated pub with cheap offers on meals all day. I am not sure what beers are on the bar now as i did'nt go in here when the picture was taken.