Beer Box, Preston

Basic micro-pub, with three high, six-seater tables and a few stools along the front window - all separated by crude but effective temporary screens to help maintain capacity in these difficult times. Also has a few small metal tables out on the wide pavement at the front. Five real ales on handpump, with a pair each from Brass Castle and Bad Seed plus Jacob's Juice from Northern Monkey (£3.00) that had just replaced one of the others as I arrived.

The Beer Box was not originally on my hitlist for Lancashire. But I thought I'd add it to my crawl whilst in the area. It's Bamber Bridge's second micropub and I was really glad I went in, as it was my favourite pub of the day. Seating is on long tables and benches, with screens in place between each as Covid measures. With all benches taken, I was fearing I would be seated outside in the rain. But the friendly barman directed me to one end of a bench, where I could be kept apart from the 2 women at the other end - probably just as well! The atmosphere was lively. There was a good selection of both ales and ciders - Bad Seed Grid Code, Lancaster Blonde, Bewdley Baldwin IPA, Reedley Hallows New Zealand Pale & Wishbone The Black Imp were the ales. The latter was listed as 10.2%. So, I had to give it a try. Very nice it was too. Ciders were Snail's Bank Fruit Bat, Mango Cider & Rhubarb Cider & Hartland's Medium Farmhouse. I could have quite happily spent a long session in here. But I had other pubs I was aiming for. Excellent micropub.