The Hugh Fitz-Baldric, Cottingham

The Hugh Fitz-Baldric sounds more like the name for a Wetherspoon's, but this micropub is a much different experience to that. The pub was busy on my Friday evening visit, with all but one table taken. Although being quite late, it was starting to empty out a little. The landlord was showing a young purple-haired girl the ropes. Somehow she didn't quite fit the profile of a micropub barmaid, but she seemed to be doing just fine. 5 real ales are served here. These were Timothy Taylor Golden Best, Phesantry Best Bitter, Fixed Wheel Blackheath Stout, Titanic White Star & Great Newsome Brimstone. There are a couple of fridges behind the bar, both containing boxed ciders from Lilley's - WooWoo, Raspberry Mojito & Pina Colada ciders in one fridge and the other containing Gladiator, Apple & Blackberry Cider, Elderflower Cider, Strawberry Cider, Pear & Raspberry Cider, Pineapple Cider, Peach Cider, Apples & Pears, Lemon & Lime Cider, Rhubarb Cider, Mango Cider, Cherries & Berries & Crazy Goat. A decent selection, but something other than Lilley's would have been preferable. I decided to stick with a beer and chose the enjoyable Brimstone. CAMRA discounts are offered, but only on pints. The pub seems to have a healthy band of regulars and the number of pumpclips on the walls attests to the sheer number and variety of beers they had on offer. Music was playing quite loudly in here, in common with many other Cottingham boozers. I'm not averse to music, but with plenty of other local establishments playing it loud, there must be a market for a quiet pub where conversation is king. The locals were quite happy to converse amongst themselves, making it feel a little cliquey. The music meant that strangers could not be included into any conversations. As Cottingham pubs go, this is probably just about the best. As micropubs go, it's a below average example in my opinion.