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Beer of the Week (w/e 15th June 2025) with Tris39
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Detail Pages
Organ Grinder, Loughborough
Loughborough
LE11 2TY
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Strongers . left this review about Organ Grinder
The Organ Grinder is a Blue Monkey Brewery pub so it wasn’t surprising to see seven of the nine hand pumps drawing their ales. Available from the last two hand pumps were Round Corner Brewing’s Common Ground and Abbeydale’s Deception, but I went for the BG Sips which was on good form and was served by a friendly barman. With wooden flooring throughout, the bar area is found to the right of the entrance where banquettes run under the front windows to the counter on the right-hand wall and a beer shelf with stools runs under a large drinks board on the rear wall, although the options on the board didn’t actually tally with what was available. To the left of the entrance another banquette runs under the front window and there’s an exposed brick fireplace on the left-hand wall next to a bookcase that is packed with board games. Behind the counter is a separate square room with overspill seating and out the back is some covered seating and a small outhouse with some seating and an old sink. In the rear is a fenced in beer garden full of picnic tables. I didn’t venture upstairs, but I did note an advertisement for the Hayloft Bar that is used for events and is available for hire as a function room. I liked the atmosphere in here and could see why this is a popular town centre pub.
On 3rd June 2025
- rating: 9
[User has posted 6133 recommendations about 6099 pubs]
Old Boots left this review about Organ Grinder
I’m a fan of Blue Monkey beers and their pubs, this is a good one with the shabby alehouse look and it’s GBG 2025 listed. One room at the front, one at the back and a garden outside. As usual mostly Blue Monkey beers with guests Dark Mild from Left Handed Giant and Rev James, the last of nine pulls was blank. A horseshoe has the usual suspects. The previously separate room to the front left has a selection of bored games, a sofa and CAMRA awards, while the longer right hand side has bench seating and Britannia etc tables with an expanse of vertical drinking space. It is also an excessively dog friendly venue, at least five shitehounds were in attendance barking at each other. There’s an events space upstairs called the Hayloft and in the big garden is some sort of old stables that might be used occasionally.
On 25th April 2025
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3648 recommendations about 3327 pubs]
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Organ Grinder
Deservedly award-winning Blue Monkey pub with a very traditional, if opened out, L-shaped alehouse interior. That aside, most people are here for the beer, and there was a wide choice from eight of the nine handpumps. Apart from the NBC Phipps and Abbeydale guests, the brewery's own beers covered a wide range of styles, including my Mild Monkey (£8.40 with a cheese, ham and pickle cob).
On 14th July 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8733 recommendations about 8733 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Organ Grinder
This is a smart looking bar, operated by the popular Blue Monkey Brewery from just up the M1 in Giltbrook. Much like their Nottingham branch, the beer is the star here, and the two-room interior, whilst tidy enough, lacks a little in character. The main bar area is a bare boarded room, set across two sides, with the servery squeezed into the rear right corner and plenty of seating opposite and over in the cosy left-hand part of the room. Banquettes run down the right-hand wall with lots of low stools in support, whilst the left side is furnished in more of a lounge style, with sofas, armchairs and the like. Walls are either bare brick or else painted in plain shades, with bookcases housing a good selection of board games, helpful beer boards and eclectic décor filling up much of the wall space. The bar has a wood panel counter front and bold mirrored bar back with pump clips along the top. A corridor connects this room to the rear Stable Bar, and has a pleasant, tiled floor. The Stable Bar doesn’t actually have a bar of its own, but instead offers three seating booths in a terracotta tile floored space with hard benches and low stool seating. The room has been done out in a vague stable style, with lots of horse-riding items dotted around and horse racing photos on the walls. Crates full of books and board games stood to one side next to a rack that was being used to dry bar towels and there was a good chamber pop/indie soundtrack playing, but sadly no other customers were using the room, so I retreated to the main bar instead.
A comprehensive selection of Blue Monkey beers can be found of handpull, with the options on this visit running to Infinity, Infinity +1, Guerrilla, BG Sips, Colours, Serenity and 4am. Ten real ciders were also listed on a blackboard behind the bar and I got the impression that the vast majority of customers were either of the cask or the cider. My pint of the BG Sips was in great shape, and I got chatting to some of the friendly locals who were happy for me to perch at the end of their table on a busy mid-week evening.
This is possibly the pick of the Loughborough pub scene – somewhere that has a good atmosphere, plenty of well-kept beer and a friendly welcome – but it lacks that little something to nudge it into the top tier from my perspective. I think the place probably lacks a bit of character and I left feeling only partially satisfied after coming in with high expectations. It’s still a great pub though and I’m sure if I’m ever back in town, this will end up being my first port of call.
On 31st May 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3361 recommendations about 3361 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Organ Grinder
Nice feel inside though the area in front of the bar is open and presumably gets busy with people standing at busier times. Good beer
On 11th February 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1556 recommendations about 1533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Organ Grinder
Blue Monkey place with their usual decor and feel; dark blue and grey. Fairly opened-out interior with seating based around the perimeter. Nice rear garden and a selection of papers. Macavity barman. Indie chin stroker soundtrack. Six ales over eight pumps, all BM with a Goffs guest. My BG Sips had a very slight note of diacetyl (NBSS 2). WiFi broken. One other customer and no atmosphere so I shoved off. Maybe I came at the wrong time but I didn’t get the positive vibes from the reviews below. GBG’22 listed.
On 19th November 2022
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5589 recommendations about 5570 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about Organ Grinder
Decent Monkey pub which was quite busy which meant I could not get a seat. Seven hand pumps but nothing above 4.9% ABV. I would return to this place to see if the ales change at all
On 26th March 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Organ Grinder
The pub dates back to the 1700's and was originally a coaching house. The terracotta tiled floor in the back lobby adjacent to the bar entrance and the snug were an added bonus, along with the full range of Blue Monkey beers. Allow some time when visiting, as it is a difficult one to leave. My favourite beer on the day was the Blue Monkey Infinity.
On 11th April 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3684 recommendations about 3684 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Mark Davey left this review about Organ Grinder
Not quite 10, for no good reason, but very close. the Organ Grinder sells the full range of Blue Monkey brews, all in excellent condition. Between the 4 of us, we managed all of them on our visit and were not disappointed. Excellent addition to the fleet of BM pubs and very much one of the best pubs in Loughborough.
On 1st March 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 292 recommendations about 276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about Organ Grinder
As the Old Pack Horse this was originally a Hardy & Hanson pub which gave the pub a GBG status long before Blue Monkey came along. I have to confess I don't recall anything about it from those days but now it's a clean and tidy wooden floored open plan room with no attempt to make it a carbon-copy pretentious "craft" house.
The bar greets you with eight handpumps most of which had clips with a smiling chimp staring out. The Bateman's XB looked a bit lost amongst all this monkey business but I was told it sells at £2.70 which is only 35p dearer than the nearby Spoons. The Blue Monkey beers were Infinity, BG Sips, 99 Red Baboons, Guerrilla, Sanctuary, Ape Ale and Marmoset. I had the last pint of the Ape Ale (£3.20) and it was slightly below par. It was very quickly changed for their Infinity + 1. The other three tried were Infinity (£2.90), Guerrilla (£3.00) and Infinity + 1 (£3.30) all of which were truly outstanding.
It was the target pub for my day in Loughborough as the two Blue Monkey beers I had tried in London had not met expectations. The beers here certainly exceeded them and I now rate Blue Monkey as a really top brewer. I'll keep the rating at the level it deserves.
On 22nd September 2014
- rating: 10
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]