Husk, Harrogate

Located a short distance from Harrogate station, this is a small, shop converted micro pub pitched more at the craft beer drinker than the real ale aficionado. You enter into a simple room with modern floorboards throughout, dark painted walls and a glass-screened staircase to the left of the entrance. Rickety, mismatched chairs serve half a dozen tables, with low stools and a padded bench in support. The small, tile fronted servery occupies the rear left corner and has a simple bar back and helpful beer boards to one side. Beer fridges stand next to the bar and there are loads of bottles and cans on shelves in the basement room down the aforementioned staircase, which all gives the place a bit of a bottle shop vibe – perhaps a good idea given their proximity to the station. The basement also offers a single table with stools and a table football game, but it’s too detached from the rest of the pub to be a pleasant spot to spend an evening in. The walls are decorated with abstract modern art and there's an ever-growing pump clip collection spreading beneath the ceiling. Our late-night visit was accompanied by a decent indie soundtrack and I noticed a small pavement seating area offering a bit more overspill space. Only Two by Two Tallus Crush was available on cask, as one other ale was being taken off just as we arrived. The main focus is on the craft stuff though, with no less that ten craft and continental keg options to choose from. I tried the Vault City Mini Mars Stout (£6.65 for two thirds) which I have to say was a pretty stunning brew. The barman was very nice but there were barely any other punters on a cold Sunday night, so it all felt a bit flat. This is the sort of bar that every town could do with, offering a space that should work equally well for traditionalists and occasional pub goers and providing a handy bottle shop option for folk fresh off the train, wanting to take something home for the evening. It thankfully felt more like a bar than a shop to me, and I can imagine that with a few more punters in, I would’ve enjoyed my time here even more. Date of visit - 10th November 2024

Husk was the last visit of an extensive crawl of Harrogate so I was pretty battered and thankful of a quiet bar to rest and take stock of the day’s shenanigans. Open plan with some seating, the bar counter runs across the rear wall of this craft bar. I counted ten craft fonts, and the two hand pumps were drawing Track Brewery’s Sonoma and Northern Monk’s A Little Faith. There is more seating advertised for downstairs, as is table football. I found the two barmaids to be very friendly and I enjoyed my visit, although one of our group took issue with his “old wishy washy” pint. I was too pissed to find issue so was happy to slosh it back. I’d pop in again if passing.

Official site of Husk - husk-beer.mybigcommerce.com

Official site of Husk - husk-beer.mybigcommerce.com

Facebook page of Husk - www.facebook.com

Facebook page of Husk - www.facebook.com

An ex shop converted into a small bar with a bottle/can outlet below. Several of the seats in here are from a school, so it's not one of the most comfortable places to sit. Having said that it's a very friendly place. Several keg taps, but sadly no real ale. We'd happily call in again for one again though.