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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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Shrewsbury Arms, Stafford
Stafford
ST16 2NG
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about Shrewsbury Arms
Four Black Country beers are on a section of the bar in the room near the front door, with two banks of three for guest beers in the next room. I went for Salopian Bauhaus 4.2% and Stonehenge 40 Summers 4.0% which averaged NBSS 3.75 between them. It's good to see this pub in the Good Beer Guide and serving beer of the appropriate quality.
On 4th July 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Pub SignMan left this review about Shrewsbury Arms
This is a traditional town centre pub run by the ever reliable Black Country Ales chain. You enter into a small front bar with a few tables and chairs in a bare boarded space, under whitewashed walls. There is a short stretch of bar counter to one side and TV screens were showing muted motor racing at one end of the room and a list of the full cask ale range at the other end. From here, you pass through a narrow front space with high tables and stools squeezed along the front wall, opposite the dark wood bar counter with a matching bar back that boasts some fine modern etched glass and an extensive pump clip collection. At the right-hand end of the bar, a step takes you up to the rear lounge, with a lit fireplace on the back wall and some button backed banquettes around the rest of the perimeter, with chairs in support. A nice leaded, obscured glass screen separates this from a cosy front seating area with comfy banquette and chair options, that was packed with vociferous locals on my visit. Beyond, is some sort of extended seating area out the back in a half gabled room, but I didnt fully explore.
The usual wide ale range associated with this chain was present and correct, with the options amounting to Black Country Ales BFG and Fireside, Listers Limehouse Porter, Monty's Mischief, Salopian Firkin Freezing and one real cider. Six more handpulls were out of action, hinting at an even wider selection back in the day. There was a good midweek crowd in attendance without the pub feeling too busy, thanks to the multiple room layout.
I thought this was a pretty good pub, but perhaps not quite up to the standard of other BCA houses I've visited in the past. The place felt a little scruffy and the staff were a bit brusque, so for all the good beer and convivial atmosphere, I never quite felt properly settled. The ale range is the big draw and I would still say it's well worth adding to any crawl around town.
Date of visit - 18th January 2024
On 17th June 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Shrewsbury Arms
A solid corner backstreet boozer, this is a BCA pub and surprisingly close to their other pub the Bird in the Hand which is only a few minutes walk from here. This pub had a very inviting corner lounge as you enter, which leads into the central bar area. Beyond this was a corner seating area to watch some sport on the TV. A further good sized lounge was behind this and a good sized dining area or meeting room lead out to a rear patio area.
Three regular BCA beers along with Salopian Lemon Dream, Brentwood Gold, Fixed Wheel Blackheath Stout, Kinver Noble and 4T'S Passion Story a passion fruit pale ale. I went for the Black Country BFG and the Fixed Wheel Stout, which was excellent. I suppose if you're into trying lots of different beers, between here and the Bird in Hand, you would be spoiled for choice.
On 29th March 2024
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about Shrewsbury Arms
I'd arranged to meet two friends here at the start of my first ever visit to Stafford, but my late train meant that I arrived just as they were leaving. I did pop my head around the door, but their account of some rather poor quality beer deterred me from having just a quick half. Our later experience at the other BCA pub in Stafford tended to confirm that this pub chain tends to have too many beers on for the trade they are getting, and if they continue to use their customers as quality assessors, they are going to have fewer of them in future.
On 28th November 2021
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about Shrewsbury Arms
Well described below, the pub had an excellent selection of Black Country Ales on – 10 different ales in total – which were well complemented by the fresh pork pies and crusty rolls. Today’s papers were available, the beer was in excellent condition, the atmosphere was highly convivial. Very much worth seeking out and a definite for a crawl.
On 13th May 2019
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3516 recommendations about 3480 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Shrewsbury Arms
Refurbished by Black Country Ales and now a well presented traditional pub with various seating / dining areas on three sides of the central servery. Plainly but attractively furnished and decorated, but the main draw is the selection of real ales and ciders from up to 13 handpumps. On this visit I found six of the former (including Sonnet 43's The Raven at £3.20 as one of the guests, and three of the brewery's own beers) and two of the latter (plus a couple more being dispensed from boxes on the bar-back).
On 2nd December 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about Shrewsbury Arms
This is now a Black Country Ales pubs so by definition must be miles better than the dross it was before. It's a single room wrapped around the bar. There's an old public bar area at the front with a new wood laminate floor. Going along the bar it's carpeted with a tatty looking dart board around the corner and behind the bar a conservatory area with a small patio beyond. I got here early on a Thursday afternoon so it wasn't busy but the people I noticed were drinking the ales.
The public area has four hand pumps then there are six in the middle and three devoted to cider further on. Beers available were the usual 3 BCA offerings, Branscombe Vale Summa This & Festive Frolics, Ticketybrew Fuggles Gold & East India Porter, Intrepid Single Hop Pale, Bude Haven and Hop Studio Blonde. I went for the Intrepid Single Hop Pale (£3.20) and the East India Porter (£3.30) both of which were excellent. In fact the Porter was so good I stayed for a second one.
I thought this was an excellent addition to the BCA estate and would definitely return.
On 24th December 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Shrewsbury Arms
A proper locals place, no middle class posers or students here. Now owned by Black Country Ales (Sept 2016) and is sometimes apparent in their outlets there were more ales on than looked likely to shift given the punter demographic; 10 ales in total with 3 of theirs and 3 ciders in addition. I went for a Swan Brewery Black Swan which was ok though I wonder if some aspirators are on the go downstairs as there was a distinct zombie-like feel to it. The left area has some nice bottle green leather button-back seating, frosted windows and laminate floor. The right side dog-legs and has pub carpet, fireplace, darts and feels very 1976 which I quite liked, actually. Service with a smile from the friendly mature bar lady. I liked the vibe of this place but I would worry about the quality of the beer I might get as a casual visitor. 6.5
On 14th December 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5552 recommendations about 5533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about The Shrewsbury Arms
Good pub with Black Country Ales on. I had Fireside which was spot on. Definitely worth a revisit.
On 2nd January 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Shrewsbury Arms
Its not great but its ok. If there's ever a fight in here make sure you're on the barman's side. He was friggin huge!
On 21st August 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]