The Hop Emporium, Warrington

Located in the new Warrington Market complex. If you enter via the far entrance (like I did) it isn’t easy to find, my advice is to navigate to Costellos where you find the main entrance opposite; head over through the doors and it's then on your immediate left. What we have is essentially a concession stall and you take your drink to the communal long tables along with everyone else who has ordered from the other outlets. Crafttkeg and can focussed though four cask are available and at competitive prices – at 4 quid it’s about the same price as the rest of town. A mix of Northern micros and regionals with a range of styles. My Pentrich Yuletide Throwdown was in great shape (NBSS 4) and of course this is GBG 24 listed. You can never love these kind of places but you can at least enjoy a good quality cask, which in Warrington isn’t easily guaranteed. Note that opening hours are restricted to those of Warrington Market's Cookhouse hospitality area.

Well, it’s not a pub but a market stand selling beer. But whereas a lot of these things stick to expensive craft keg, this one offers four real ales at very reasonable prices (£3.40 - £3.70). Service is professional and the beer quality very good in a range of styles. Today their own bitter was on alongside Tiny Rebel Peloton Pale, Empire What A View and S’more Porter. Hard to rate as it lacks character or atmosphere (as does the market itself), but it’s a good example of the concept and I will be interested to see if it maintains the high standards.

Four cask ales available at the time of my visit a few weeks ago, plus 13 keg options made up of two fonts and a couple of separate taps. Cask beers at the time were Franc in Stein (Flip Brewery), Peach Melbear (Beartown), a House Bitter and Coffee Porter (Black River). Ordering is possible at the bar, or table service using the shared online ordering process that a number of the food and drink outlets in the market use - QR codes are on the tables. Seating is shared with the other food and drink traders which means you can get your beers in from the Hop Emporium then order food from elsewhere. It's a nice setup and one I will definitely seek out again when in Warrington.

One of many food and drink stalls inside the rebuilt Warrington Market, this bar can be found in one corner of the glazed main frontage. Unlike many others of this ilk, the building interior feels really spacious and there is plenty of additional seating outside in the square if the weather permits. With four potentially interesting real ales in different styles available on handpump, I opted for the Woah Man from the Manning Brewers (£3.20).