The Orchard, Preston

A small, even for a micro, micro on a corner of the indoor market with a door on the outside. Square with one wooden wall, two large windows and the woody servery forming the sides, two hand pulls with a Wishbone on one, a Nightjar on the other, there are 10 keg taps on the back wall. A number of clips suggest, Ossett, Saltaire, Anarchy and North Riding are also popular here. Tall seating and tables, good micro pub staff and atmosphere. There is also an outside drinking area with old casks as tables and a few more on the pavement.

In the covered market. There are 3 handpulls but only 2 were on on my visit. As noted it is owned by the Guild Hall Ale House. I didn't mind it in here and would happily call in again.

Sister pub to the Guild Ale (both in the 2023 GBG). This was small and attached to the end of the covered market - a weird place, with pipe music coming from somewhere. No toilets on site - and a local directed me to the public ones around the corner, which requires code access. Of course, he could have been playing a tourist up. Good selection of craft ales - Deya Steady Rolling Man enjoyed. Not particularly memorable and there is a lot of choice in Preston - including Micro pub choice.

Modern (plate glass windows, plank wood walling, tile floor, tall stools) micropub - and really is micro - located in the covered market complex. You are welcome to purchase snacks from there and bring them in to have with your beer (which I took advantage of - lovely samosa!). Three pumps with two on, my North Riding Mosaic was in good shape (NBSS 3.5); the emphasis is mainly on the craft side of things, alongside the odd cider. One of the best bar staff encountered on the day’s crawling. Worth a quick stop if you’re casking, might well have a crack at the keg stuff next time. Word of warning – the door to the bogs actually opens-out into the market – you are using the communal lavs off to the left. Sister pub of the Guild Ale House.

A totally modern micropub thats maybe to everyones taste but I quite liked it. A couple of handpumps and ten keg taps, I went cask with a pint of Only With Love High Fives. Certainly a pub worth throwing into the mix.

Micropub with glass windows on three of the sides, so you can watch the world go by and they can watch you as well. By the time we arrived here the rest of the PuG crawl had already arrived, so we kind of took over the place. Friendly enough (even out lot) and my pint was in good condition. I'd happily call in for one again.

The Orchard is a small glass fronted bar on the edge of an open air market. The bar counter (if you can call it that) in the left corner supports a couple of handpumps and there are ten fonts in the back bar for pouring craft keg. The furniture is high tables and stools. On the path out the front, either side of the entrance, are a couple of picnic tables and to the side is a covered seating area. There was some background music playing and the service was friendly. This is the sort of place I’d pop into for a pint when passing, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit.

Interesting small square unit bolted into Preston’s undercover market but with the advantage of being open when the market is closed. Aimed at appealing to the craft beer drinker with a row of 10 craft keg taps at the back of the small serving area and a couple of real ale hand pumps on the front of the bar to attract the CAMRA card carrying types, which it succeeded in doing in this instant. The two ales were North Riding Mosaic Pale and Only with Love High Fives and the Mosaic Pale was served well. Some interesting brews and a good mixture of styles on the keg taps including a Pilsner, a sour, a DIPA, a Cherry Lambic, a Pale and a mild, mostly served In schooners, with one of these for the Boxcar double dark mild at 6.3% setting you back £5.20 for example. Couldn’t see myself coming here for an evening, but a good option as a bolt hole when the other half drags you into town for shopping.

As reviewed below, the other drinkers in here evacuated upon our crawl's arrival, me opting for a half of the Only with Love's High Fives, described in my notes as 'nice'.

A strange little modern unit inserted in the covered market, alongside the stalls in the food court area (which are handy for a snack). There is an indoor room and a half-outdoor area beyond, all glass and steel. Beers as previous review and some ciders claimed also, presumably in boxes but not visible.