The Auld Chimp, Urmston, Manchester

Facebook page of The Auld Chimp - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of The Auld Chimp - www.facebook.com

The Steamhouse is in an old railway building that runs adjacent to Urmston Railway Station. Inside an exposed brick bar counter with wooden top faces the entrance and to the left is a fireplace with burner. On the other side of the chimney breast is a games area with pool table and dartboard. To the right are a couple of seating areas, the furthest being out of bounds due to being used as a storage area for steel food serving stations. I didn’t see any food advertised, so maybe the kitchen was closed during my recent midweek evening visit. The windows along the rear wall look onto the Train platform, but there is no direct access from the pub. Standard and premium keg were available and one of the two hand pumps was in operation drawing Westgate Brewery’s Classic Blonde. I’d use this pub if I commuted from the station, but I wouldn’t go out of my way.

Visited Saturday before last, during the afternoon. Only two cask ales on at the time - Oakham Citra and Cross Bay Hope & Glory. They were both possibly a bit on the warm side, and didn't settle as clear as you would expect. That said, both pints slipped down very nicely after doing a bit of shopping nearby. In terms of COVID, not much has changed, there are signs asking you to sign the register on the bar or email your contact details to the pub with your date/time of visit. Nobody seemed to be actively policing this and there was nobody at the door, it was up to the bar to order and find yourself a seat like usual. Currently offering a reduced food menu. There's a decent amount of seating inside and out and it's very handy for the train station.

Re-visited on Saturday night, finishing a crawl of Urmston before getting the train back home. Six cask ales at the bar. Fairly busy, plenty of atmosphere, but we managed to find a table. My Raspberry Wheat Bear by Milestone was pretty good, the Phoenix Snowbound that followed it less so. They also do a couple of German lagers on keg, in addition to more mainstream options. Something for everyone here. Always a reliable option when in Urmston.

I don't think the Steamhouse does its own beers anymore; at least I haven't seen any sign of this on my visits over the past year or so. They have recently changed the menu, according to signs outside, but before this I had been in and had tasty food at fairly reasonable prices. I will have to go and investigate the new menu. There is usually a good selection of real ale at the bar, though a couple of times I have noticed that Marstons stuff can dominate. Quality is usually good and the service has always been friendly. Would recommend. The play area mentioned previously is at the very left hand side as you enter the pub, and is quite small and geared at toddlers really. I've been a few times at lunch time and only seen it in use once. It didn't seem intrusive, though perhaps it is different at weekends! It's not really the kind of play area you would dump your kids in and let them run feral, more of a means to pass the time with a bored baby or toddler while waiting for your meal.