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The Blue Stoops, Dronfield
Dronfield
S18 1PX
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Will Larter left this review about The Blue Stoops
It's hard to judge a pub's interior at this time of year, and the Xmas baubles have been liberally hung from every exposed beam. There's a lot of fake stuff, as far as I can tell (happy to withdraw that remark on proof of authenticity) but the stone fire place looks much as I remember from a previous visit, and the fire is definitely fake: real woodburners are not normally connected to the supply.
The four hand pumps on the corner of the bar, with high chairs conveniently placed for bar blockers to discourage anyone from asking for cask beers, have a retro look about them. The beers are national brands (Hophead, Pedigree and London Pride) and according to the friendly young lass who served me, these are the only beers they serve. There's a bit of a smell, reminiscent of creosote, which I recall from a few years ago when staying in a hostel that had suffered a spillage of fuel oil. Given the effect on my olfactory equipment it's perhaps unfair to say how well kept the beer might be, but I'm happy to say it's not below NBSS 3, and at £4.80/pint it's not particularly expensive for the area. I don't normally eat in pubs, and having seen someone's plates being cleared from their table, with a leftover chip sitting all forlorn in the flowerpot in which it and its fellows had presumably been brought to table, I have made a mental note never to eat here.
On 13th December 2025
- rating: 5
[User has posted 4531 recommendations about 4152 pubs]
Old Boots left this review about The Blue Stoops
The main bar is located at the front left hand end of this old stone building but beyond that is a maze of rooms so I guess the cliche “rambling” could be applied here. The only entrance appears to be from the car park which should give you a hint of what awaits. More a restaurant than a pub it has four pulls on the corner of the counter, a lacklustre Hophead and London Pride, one blank and one reversed. I noticed they were using the old Hophead pump clip stating 3.8% ABV when it is now a watered down 3.4%. There’s a medium sized pipe with 14 kegs of various types. The various rooms are set up for dining, decor is limited to painted slogans on the cream walls. There’s a second counter in the rear left room with no taps, another in the right most room with just a medium pipe of kegs and a fourth in the front room without taps. An odd place and very much not to my taste. Card only.
On 22nd March 2025
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3793 recommendations about 3462 pubs]
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Blue Stoops
The bar faces you as you enter and the front of the bar is constructed using old railway sleepers. There was a long polished brass keg key bar dispensing various craft beers and lagers with each tap displaying the name of the beer on a handwritten piece of card. Four handpumps with only two in use serving Marstons Pedigree and Hophead Dark Star. Nice looking sandstone fireplace on the left hand side of the bar.
On 2nd March 2025
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3725 recommendations about 3725 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Blue Stoops
Now run by Chilled Pubs, the place still benefits from True North's 2016 rescue mission, with a modernised multi-room interior that still retains a traditional look. Food is obviously a big part of the offer, but there is plenty of general seating in the two bar areas. Disappointingly though, the three real ales available from the bank of four handpumps were far from local, being Pedigree, London Pride and Dark Star's Hophead (£4.20).
On 1st November 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8958 recommendations about 8958 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Will Larter left this review about The Blue Stoops
After a period of closure, the Blue Stoops was bought by True North brewery and reopened in the autumn of 2016. It's a multi-roomed pub that gives the impression of having been rearranged and added to at various times, but it's been sympathetically done. The bar has fielded panelling below, which has been painted blue, but a normal plain wood top, which is striking (see photos). There's a nice stone fireplace beside the bar, but the fire itself is a fake.
There are four beers on offer, with some hand pumps duplicated: two of their own, plus Bradfield Belgian Blue and Great Heck Mt Hood at the time of my visit. I had the True North Bitter, which my contemporaneous notes say was "very good", but at this distance in time I cannot recall what was good about it.
Date of visit: 11th December 2017
On 5th April 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 4531 recommendations about 4152 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Blue Stoops
Is as tired inside as the outside suggests. Populated mainly by young punters who oddly did what the old men usually do and sniffed me out as a non-local the moment I entered. It’s a two-room affair, seemingly undecorated since 1965 with a dingy, cream-cum-nicotine stain feel. No ale available on a forlorn handpump, which was being used to advertise a music night. Decided not to hang around based on the evidence before me. Still, an excellently named pub if nothing else.
On 20th August 2012
- rating: 4
[User has posted 5891 recommendations about 5871 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Blue Stoops
The Blue Stoops is a decent looking stone built pub that is in Dronfields small shopping area.
Once inside this pub had a few seperate rooms,there was a smart lounge to the left which was carpeted with normal tables and chairs,i went in the right side this took me into a pool room and bar area there was a larger room off this which went to the back of the pub,most of the rooms were wood pannelled and carpeted but some areas were bare boards,the larger room had two TVs at either end showing sports.
There was one unused handpump on the bar and the only keg option was John Smiths smooth crap which i tried to see if it was still crap it was.
This is a really nice pub that is let down badly by having no real ales on.
Pub visited 24/3/2012
On 24th March 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]