The William Chester, Market Drayton

A nicely done conversion of a very attractive former shop, with the look and feel of a proper pub. The bar is on the right on entering, with four hand pumps. At the time of my visit these had a perry, and three beers from the east of England: Elgood Black Dog (NBSS 3) and two from Brentwood. I found the background music a little on the loud and intrusive end of the "background" spectrum, and it was a little disappointing that the large and very handsome Only Bass mirror was being a little economical with the truth. Date of visit: 18th September 2022

A tastefully done, semi-traditional shop conversion with a least two small seating areas beyond the compact bar at the front. Good atmosphere later on a Friday evening, albeit with a mostly older clientele. A varying selection is also a feature here on the four handpumps, with White Rat from Ossett, a pair from Storm Brewing - Bosley Cloud (£3.40) and Tornado - and Lilley's Rhubarb cider available on my visit (with all sorts of previous offerings reflected by the clips on display.

A shop conversion to a bar rather than micropub,a lot of money has been spent here on a varied interior.The large shop windows give a lot of natural light to the front section with bench seating to the left,the bar to the right and a drinking shelf along a front window with bar stools.Sadly these same bar stools are moved by bar blockers in front of the handpumps which is annoying. In a mid building section there is an intimate darts throw,well lit while a back lounge has comfortable fitted benches in brown leather ,brittania tables,a real fireplace in modern pine and all sorts of traditional pub ephemera such as toby jugs,copper vessels,old photos and the like.This lounge is carpeted and given all the small nic nacs the area does have a discrete cctv camera to spot pilfering. There is a corridor to a rear courtyard which is a good suntrap.However the muzak inside was an awful 80's funk track ,surely Micheal Jackson is non PC these days yet the barmaid was singing along,minus one mark. There were 4 handpumps offering on my trip Winckle Wibbly Wallaby,St Austell Sunshine,Front Row Crafty Flanker and a very decent Salopian Oracle at £3. If you want to avoid the Joules pubs with their awful beer and the cheap and nasty 'spoons ,this is probably your best bet for ale in Market Drayton.A wider selection of beer style and higher ABV in their ale choice,together with a more acceptable and quieter muzak would have given this place a far higher score.