The George Inn (JD Wetherspoon), Sandbach

Re-visited on Tuesday evening. Two banks of six, duplicated as they had been on my previous visit. The three usuals featured plus Old Speckled Hen, Great Newsome Holderness Dark and Wobbly Bob labelled as "up next" - so there was only one real option. Guest ales at £2.10 a pint. I went for the Holderness Dark which was a pleasant dark mild and in good condition. Quite a few people in at the time of my visit without being overly busy. This was presumably a pub before becoming a Wetherspoons, so feels more pub-like in terms of layout than some of their conversions do. Still has the small beer garden to the rear and the toilets are still upstairs. Not bad but only one real ale of interest at the time of my visit so some room for improvement there.

The reviews from 2016 noted that despite having two banks of six hand pulls, these are just duplicates of each other. I visited yesterday and can confirm that this is still the case. In addition to the standard Doom Bar, Ruddles and Abbot Ale were Shanakee Stout by Wickwar, Madog by Purple Moose and Wobbly Bob by Phoenix. I had the Shanakee at £2.29 for a pint, although this was after a delay being served as there was just nobody at the bar. However I was the only one waiting so it wasn't too frustrating once somebody arrived. The place itself has modern décor and fairly open plan but feels split into sections (if that makes sense). There is a small beer garden out the back. Toilets are upstairs (naturally) and the gents were large with walls between the urinals (similar to the Navigator in Liverpool). A shame there were not more guest ales, but perhaps the turnover does not justify it at this venue. I was only staying for one and the Shanakee was in good nick.

This is a JDW that was an original pub that had been closed for a while before they took it over in 2013. It's certainly recognisable as an original pub externally but inside it's been modernised and revamped to death so could have been any building. It's split into areas with low seating in two areas at the front and the bar area at the rear, an arrangement that seems to be common in most of their more recent outlets. The fixtures and fittings are a bit better than their older outlets. Although the bar has twelve hand pumps the beers are doubled up on each so the six beers consisted of the JDW Trio Of Doom, Weetwood Cheshire Cat, Black Hole Cosmic and Phoenix Wobbly Bob. I went for the Cosmic (£2.35) and the Wobbly Bob (£2.65). The Cosmic was in excellent condition but the Wobbly Bob not too clear but tasted fine. Someone needs to learn the lesson that stronger beers need longer to settle. Overall this is a slightly above average Spoons but the beer doubling up and cloudy Wobbly Bob let it down.