Joiners Arms, Stafford

A small, house style, end terrace pub in cream render with red paintwork. There is a rear patio area. The interior is, overall a U-shape around the bar. There is a small side room, with a fireplace when you enter through the main door, then you follow the serving bar around and the pub opens up into a larger area, where there is a pool table, dart board and TV, with Sky Sports News on. The decor is red and that nictine stained yellowy colour, with coffee coloured ceilings. There are a number of plates, as well as arty and these tree/landscapey pictures that also seem to be springing up in lots of places. The service was fine and the clientele mixed and it was very busy, with general background music at a decent level. Beer; tap stuff, with a decent enough M&B MILD. England's Pride and Bombardier were on handpull. A great pub, sadly let down slightly by a common beer choice, but saying that, many will be more than happy with it. The Marston Rd area has 3-4 good places and this is one of them, worth doing on its own or as a mini-crawl.

The Joiners Arms is one of Stafford's best kept secrets, and I still don't understand why. It's hidden away in the back streets near the prison, but is easy to find - so one wonders why Stafford CAMRA has omitted it from GBG. The barman is knowledgable, friendly and welcoming, but at the same time tolerates no nonsense. The beer is excellent, the atmosphere pleasant and the conversation agreeable. I had a pint of Well's Bombardier, an excellent pint and much needed. I have no hesitation recommending this pub, one of Stafford's best locals, for a quick pint and for inclusion in a city crawl.