Cross Keys, Burton on Trent

Good Beer Guide pub, slightly out from the centre of town but certainly worth the short walk. The main side entrance initially leads to a rear bar (deserted when I visited) but there were plenty of customers in the slightly split-level side seating area and main bar. All three parts are lightly decorated in a semi-traditional way. Three cask ales on handpump: a splendid Bass (£3.70) plus beers from Fyne and Dancing Duck.

The Cross Keys was probably the best of 3 pubs we visited in Tutbury on a Sunday afternoon. It's a traditional pub slightly uphill from the village centre on the road to Burton. There are a couple of small rooms at the front of the pub, with a lounge on the left-hand side and a busy bar on the right-hand side. With a larger dining room busy with those eating Sunday lunch to the rear and an equally busy outdoor patio beyond that, the pub was doing a roaring trade. Burton Bridge Draught Burton Ale is the regular beer. Bass was also on alongside Duration Bliss. Ciders were Old Rosie & Gladiator.

Great review from Aqualung. This is a Victorian pub at heart, but saw neighbouring buildings demolished and the pub site expanded in the mid c20th. The pub has a patio and rear beer garden. The interior has 3 areas. A bench and cushioned bar, with TV (Sport). This is separated by a brick stove feature from the sofa area where water colours decorated the walls. At the back there is the dining area in green, with Vettriano prints on the walls. Service was fine and a few locals were in. We ate here and the food was very good. 4 ales were on, The Burton Bridge Ale and the Tollgate Porter were very good. A delight to visit.

This is on the face of it a small pub perched on the hill above Tutbury but seems to have been considerably extended to provide a new dining area at the rear. There is a large car park on the left and what looked like a good sized garden in the distance behind it. The main bar area is still at the front as you enter and the lounge down a step to the left is more like a snug. There is a TV in the main bar area which was off when I entered but turned on later by the landlady. It's no longer a tied or pubco house but appears to be a genuine free house. Although there are a total of seven hand pumps in the three different bar areas there were just four beers available. These were the permanent Burton Bridge Burton Ale, Elliswood Royal Standard, Stancill Black Gold and Magpie Thieving Rogue. The Burton Ale is an attempt to create the Ind Coope Burton Ale which way back in the 1970s did so much to push Real Ale into the mainstream. I tried it (£3.20) and thought it was excellent but it's too many years since I had the original to say whether it's an exact copy. I also tried the Black Gold (£3.30) which was in excellent condition. I thought this was a great pub and it gets a strong 8. It's a fine example of how to get the balance right between food & drink and is GBG 2018 listed.