The Parcel Yard, Leicester

The Parcel Yard is a large pub adjacent to Leicester Railway Station, so it wasn’t surprising to see a screen with train departure times by the entrance where there are also a few tables. Past this seating some steps lead down to a large floorboarded bar area with a long serving counter along the right-hand wall. Booth seating runs under the windows along the left wall and at the rear is a tiled seating area where a shuffleboard table and three dart boards can be found. The bar supports premium keg, an offering from Beavertown and Carling. Four of the six hand pumps were in operation drawing Steamin’ Billy Brewing’s Billy, Hollow Stone Brewing’s Pale Ale and two Rosie’s Pig ciders. The service was polite and I enjoyed my late afternoon midweek visit, but it may not be as comfortable when busy, on say match days or at the weekend. I wouldn’t go out of my way to return, but the location dictates that another visit is probably on the cards at some point in the future.

We were staying in the Premier Inn very close to this bar yet completely missed it walking from the railway station next door. We only spotted the bar walking back to the station on the Sunday morning but luckily this place opens at 10am for breakfast, so a quick drink before catching our train gave us the chance to sample this interesting place. A good range of ales on plus some rather eclectic foreign beers including two American craft beers. One beer we didn't recognize but nor did the bar staff but hey, thats what the internet is for! Definitely a place to return to even if you only have half hour between trains.

Recently converted from a cocktail bar called ‘Time’, this station side bar shares several architectural characteristics with its namesake at London Kings Cross, which suggests that its name reflects the building’s former use. The pub is laid out over a number of different levels with access from London Road and Station Street, but not from within the station itself. The main London Road entrance takes you into a raised seating area with a large window and smart comfortable chairs before dropping to an intermediate level where a few more seats can be found. The main part of the pub however, is to the rear where a large open space with bare floorboards and walls painted in neutral colours plus the occasional bit of bare brickwork, provides ample space for vertical drinking. The bar is on the right, with a row of padded banquette booths opposite and the odd table and chairs dotted here and there. At the rear there is a dimly lit space with some nice chairs around tables that were laid for diners, although this space was empty on my lunchtime visit, with punters preferring to eat in and around the main bar area. An eclectic mix of décor can be found throughout, including deer heads, farm tools and suitcases, but perhaps the most notable features are the various light fittings which include lamps made from top hats, champagne bottles and clusters of antlers. A large skylight above the servery provides additional light for a part of the pub that would otherwise be starved of natural light. The pub has been reopened by the local Steamin’ Billy brewery and three of their beers were available – Tipsy Fisherman (£3.30), Bitter and 1485. The Tipsy Fisherman seemed like a decent session beer and was a good start to an extended tour of the city. The barman who served me seemed very personable and we chatted about some of the other pubs worth seeing in Leicester. Some excellent station bars have opened across the country in recent years, and whilst this one doesn’t quite reach the levels of these, it still provides a good option for those wanting a swift one before catching their train and is doubtless an improvement on its former incarnation.