The Briton's Protection, Manchester

Visited following the departure of the previous governor to find the inside unchanged as far as I could tell. However at the bar, five of the eight hand pulls were in service and only one of those offered a local beer - Mancunian Blonde - with the rest all big nationals eg Marstons Pedigree, Wainwright, St Austell Tribute, and something by Theakston. There was a rather unpleasant smell of vomit and sweat in the front bar, both the back rooms were full, so we retreated to the unlit beer garden. The interior would give it an extra point for me but the nasty smell in the front knocks a point off, so 6/10 for me based on this visit. Unless the ale selection improves, I won't be seeking this out again in a hurry.

Terrific old-school boozer close to the G-Mex (I understand it has a new name since my last visit to the city). I entered from the back, so came through several rooms to get to the front bar, which mostly featured cask ales from Mancunian brewers Beartown & Squawk. Unbelievably, Star/Heineken are threatening to remove the leaseholder and presumably close or "upgrade" it to something less interesting, so I'm glad I was able to get there and enjoy the pub in its current incarnation. Hopefully a future visit will find it little changed.

Facebook page of The Briton's Protection - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Briton's Protection - www.facebook.com

The Briton’s Protection has a thin front bar that runs across the front of the pub. The counter supports eight handpumps, five of which were on during a visit last Wednesday evening. There is also a standard and premium keg range. This pub proudly boasts of having the UK’s biggest collection of Jack Daniels and the North West’s biggest whisky collection. A tiled corridor leads to the rear where there are another two rooms. Out the back is a good sized beer yard with lots of seating. I found the service to be very friendly and I will make sure I visit here again.