The Portland Hotel (JD Wetherspoon), Chesterfield

An above-average Spoons in a nice, large building and with a bit of life to it. All the usual elements but somehow it comes together and feels like a proper pub. Guest ales were from Beermats, Belhaven and Gadds.

This large hotel was busy on my Saturday morning visit with mostly people in for breakfasts. It's a wide room split into various areas. The bar has two sets of five hand pumps the first of which had the JDW Trio Of Doom and a couple of ciders. The other had one available soon, Dukeries Ray Of Sunshine, Grafton Lady Julia, the Everard's / JDW Defender and Oakham Bishop's Farewell. I went for the Lady Julia (£2.15) and the Bishop's Farewell (£2.30). Both were in first class condition but the Oakham beer was outstanding. Remarkably this quite opulent Spoons has cheaper beer than the other one in town.