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The Blue Bell Inn (JD Wetherspoon), Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe
DN15 7PU
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Quinno _ left this review about The Blue Bell Inn (JD Wetherspoon)
Standard shop conversion Spoons, large and a bit gloomy. Décor is mid-market (via a 2019 refurb, older reviews indicate it was a classic Victoriana interior) and a point of interest is the wood burner situated in the middle of the room which looks like it gets used. Three guest cask, my Mauldon Black Adder was in good nick (NBSS 3.5) and the pub had clips saying it's been GBG for 25 years straight. An oddity was the mature barmaid asking what I wanted, taking my payment and then wandering off to another part of the bar to chat to some other punters! Let's hope it's not early onset dementia. Luckily another staff member saw my incredulous look and got the beer in. Scunthorpe isn’t exactly blessed with quality pubs, so this one had more of a local’s feel to it than the average town centre JDW. 5.5
On 24th May 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5197 recommendations about 5180 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Blue Bell Inn (JD Wetherspoon)
The Blue Bell Inn is a Wetherspoons located mid-terrace in old local shops that have been knocked through, therefore it is more wide than long. There is an L-shaped bar counter to the right rear where the usual standard and premium keg fonts surround two banks of six hand pumps. The usual Ruddles, Sharp’s Doom Bar and GK Abbot Ale were available alongside Acorn Brewery’s Darkness and Rooster Brewing’s Buckeye and Londinium. There is a mix of high tables and standard seating throughout, and in the left is some open plan seating adjacent to the food service area. The only real feature in here is a large chimney breast with a fireplace that was housing a basket. At the rear is a patio area with seating that backs onto a large car park. Upstairs is a roof terrace that overlooks the patio below and has much better view of the car park. This isn’t the greatest Wethers, but it is a welcome relief in a town that is swimming in mega-keg outlets.
On 25th May 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5304 recommendations about 5272 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about Blue Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
I found it very difficult wondering around Scunthorpe without sniggering as I permanently had going through my head a joke about the town from my school days which started "If Typhoo put the T in Britain".
To be a bit more serious this JDW seems to be a conversion of as many as four terraced shops. It's an old school outlet with old style signage and the usual JDW fixtures and fittings. It seemed to be full of beer drinkers on my Saturday afternoon visit so I found it almost embarrassing ordering some food after my first pint.
The bar has twelve hand pumps and although the JDW Trio Of Doom was there and four were being used to advertise festival ciders, the other five were all Locale beers. These were Rooster's Red Baron & Kushty Rye, Hop Studio Blush & Eau De Soleil and Kelham Island Imperial Stout. I went for the Red Baron (£2.60) and the KI Imperial (£2.75) with my food and both were excellent.
The standard guest price here is £2.45 which is relatively expensive but the Ruddles is just £1.55. I applaud this pricing as Scunthorpe is a town with severe industrial problems.
I really liked this one as it seemed to be more akin to the original JDW concept before they decided that food was equally or more important than just having a drink.
On 27th July 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Blue Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a typical town centre Wetherspoons pub, just off the High Street and a short walk from Scunthorpe train station. The pub has a wide L shaped layout, with the servery on the back wall. In front of the bar there are rows of standard tables and chairs, which on my recent visit, were full of people watching the early afternoon football match on a big pull-down screen on the right hand wall. The left hand side of the room runs past the servery and has a raised seating section which is partitioned from the rest of the pub. The usual Wetherspoons local information boards and photos were in evidence and overall I found the place quite civilised compared to other branches, especially given that it was filling up with football fans whilst I was there. The staff were also very polite and welcoming and I even gave the food a try, which was good value as ever, if a little uninspiring.
There are twelve hand pumps, split 50-50 along each side of the bar. Most of these were dispensing guest ales including three from Bradfield, although some of the regulars were doubled up. I tried a pint of Acorn Blonde for £2.15 and found it in good shape and ideal to wash down my meal.
Scunthorpe isn’t blessed with the greatest of pubs, so the Wetherspoons becomes an important part of the town’s pub scene. I thought the place was clean and welcoming and with more of a local’s feel to it than your average ‘Spoons outlet. I’d certainly return the next time I’m in town.
On 22nd May 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3126 recommendations about 3126 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ben Dover left this review about Blue Bell
Well it's big, and cheap, and a Wetherspoons, and beats all the other pubs hands down, but the staff have several issues, those being polite to the customers, available and willing to serve, and just generally being customer aware.
On 4th February 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6 recommendations about 6 pubs]