The Flowerpot, Derby

Update – November 2013 Still very much a live music orientated pub, with an apparent emphasis on tribute bands for groups, some of whom even I have heard of – eg The Who, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Slade Headless no longer brew on site ( brewing is now done by Black Iris ) , but otherwise my earlier review below is still current and the pub continues to offer a good range of real ale which, on my visit, included Whim Hartington IPA ( very moreish ), Blue Monkey, Hobgoblin, Pedigree, Liverpool Organic, Oakham Bishops Farewell and, from the on site brewery, Black Iris Sunflower. It's a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular. Still worth a look in when in town, irrespective of whether you’re a music fan or not. It’s only a short walk from Ye Olde Dolphin, which is on most people’s list to do. ORIGINAL REVIEW - APRIL 2009 The Flowerpot is Derby CAMRA's pub of the year for 2007 and is situated on the edge of a busy road junction in the City Centre. The deceptively small frontage belies a much expanded interior inside. The pub is the home of the Headless Brewery and rows of beer casks can be viewed through an unusual glass screen in a bar at the back. Immediately on the right as you enter the pub is an area that looks like it could be part of the original pub. Here are some pictures and framed prints, including one detailing Derby County's football fixtures in 1914/15 when such teams as Glossop, Clapton Orient and Woolwich provided the mouth watering opposition. Also look out for an amusing framed caricature in another part of the pub of everybody's idea, apparently, of the archetypal "beer ticker". Regular live music is featured in another room towards the back of the pub. The pub is a keen supporter of local micros as well as its own on site beers. The imaginatively named King Street Ale brewed on site was a good tasty pint. In conclusion, unless you're a big fan of live music, The Flowerpot does not strike me as a particularly memorable or inspiring pub, as a pub in itself, but it is certainly worth making the effort to seek out for its splendid beer range

Great pub, full of great beer. There is a little beer garden out the back, which just catches the late sun in summer. What more do you need?

This 2013 Good Beer Guide pub has always been on my list of pubs to visit when in Derby and has improved over the last year or two. The interlinking rooms give plenty of seating choice, and the massive glass wall to the stillages of beers is a great feature. Home to Black Iris brewery we enjoyed Black Iris Sunflower. What I love about this pub is that it also serves a great range of ales from other micro breweries, and we stayed awhile to enjoy Bays Spooky Ale, Blue Bee Shake Rattle and Roll, Revolutions EP, and Wood Street Devil Wood too.