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Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Malt Shovel, Ilkley
Menston
Postal town: Ilkley
LS29 6LL
Pub Type
Punch TavernsReviews (Current Rating Average: 5 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Malt Shovel
Another stone built pub in the pretty bit of Menston, very modernised inside and a bit of a contrast to Sam Smiths’ Menston Arms almost next door. Inside it’s an L shape with the main bar and counter face running across the width of the building and a seating area running at right angles towards the rear. There might be a garden out there but I didn’t look. Tartan carpet with a touch of laminate round the counter, mostly cream walls with stuff painted on and bits of grey woodwork, old photos decor. Light brown banquette seating at rectangular wooden tables with wooden armchairs or stools, a few high stools at the back. Four pulls with Tetleys Bitter, Ilkley Mary Jane, Dark Horse Hetton and Taylor’s Boltmaker plus a couple of quad T-bars of national favourites, with Taylor’s Hoptical Storm on a solo. My Dark Horse was barely drinkable, not returnable but very poor. There’s a screen showing sport in each arm of the L, two in the long side. Dog and child friendly in another contrast to the Smith’s pub, the dogs were well behaved the children less so.
On 28th April 2024
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3599 recommendations about 3279 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Malt Shovel
The sign on the front of this typical Yorkshire stone building says Bass Yorkshire, and the A-board promises four cask ales. Inside there are four hand pumps OK, but when I called in on a quiet Saturday afternoon they were only serving Black Sheep and Tetleys bitter.
The furniture was mostly dining tables and chairs, there was a miscellany of pictures on the walls, including a fine action shot of Istabraq winning one of his three Champion Hurdles. A collection of mugs, jugs and tankards of many types adorned one of the walls and there was a back door to the garden. A rather persistent smell of cooking fat didn't add anything to my enjoyment of the Tetleys, which was not as good as I have had elsewhere.
On 27th February 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]