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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
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Detail Pages
The Treacle Tap, Macclesfield
Macclesfield
SK11 6JL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Pub SignMan left this review about The Treacle Tap
This is a comfy little micropub with a good location just down the road from Macclesfield station. Inside, you find a smart, bare boarded room with plain painted walls and a small servery in the rear left corner. Comfy looking banquettes run down the right-hand wall, with regular tables and chairs down the left side. The walls have been decorated with large mirrors, various bits of breweriana, some photo montages and a few small, framed local photos with scrabble letters used as captions. There is a beer bottle, used as a vase for some flowers, on each table, and I noticed an upright piano to the rear right, with a bookcase above full of bar games and books, with a sheaf of wheat to one side. Framed beer mats on the opposite wall and some promotional pictures in the corridor leading to the toilets round out the decor. The bar has a rather plain counter front and the keg taps are mounted to one side of the modern bar back, with several nice brewery signs on the wall opposite. There was quite a chilled midweek vibe, although the atmosphere was somewhat diminished by the selection of crap pop tunes playing in the background.
I'm not aware of a tie to the Buxton Brewery, but their beer dominated the bar, with cask options amounting to Buxton Monsal Mild, Right To Roam and Spa, whilst a load of other Buxton brews were available on keg dispense. The staff were pretty friendly and my pint of the Right To Roam was in good nick.
I thought this might be the stand out pub from my time exploring Macclesfield, and whilst it still probably ranks in the top three, it didn't quite hits the heights I'd expected. Perhaps that was partly due to the Buxton beer range - a favourite brewery of mine, but I'd just visited two of their own bars in Buxton that afternoon, and was ready to try something else. It's still a fine micropub and well worth checking out though and I'm glad I managed to squeeze in a visit before I left.
Date of visit - 17th January 2024
On 3rd June 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Treacle Tap
ORIGINAL REVIEW October 2012
A micro pub that has sprung up in a former shop,it is small but perfectly formed.There are tables either side of the entrance with picture windows giving the interior a lot of natural light.There is a bar at the rear with a raised corridor leading to the lavs.There may not be enough room to swing a cat,but you should swing the bat at their ale selection from three handpumps,on my trip two from RedWillow and a very decent Quantum Pale Ale (£3).The collection of pump clips shows that Mallinson,Magic Rock and Marble beers have featured here which is a ringing endorsement , it's in the 2013 GBG and has won local CAMRA awards.There is also an extensive list of 50 bottled beers and lager together with three taps for kegged draught lager from Vedett,Liefman's and Flensburger.
There is a short well thought out menu of cold food,cheese and breads with a selection of pies with mash,peas and gravy if you want something hot.There is a quiz on Sundays and on successive Mondays conversational evenings in German,French and Italian,a Book Club and on any fifth Monday in the month a "Stitch and Bitch".
The clientele varied from hip craft beer fans,young ladies tippling the strong ale to CAMRA types,but on my Friday evening trip the younger element were in the majority,well behaved and enjoying the lively atmosphere.
This is an outstanding example of what can be achieved in a micro pub,and the young owners deserve serious credit.This would now be my first port of call when in Macc and although it wouldn't appeal to everyone,I thought it was a real gem.
UPDATE
Very quiet on a Thursday night,this micro has lost it's GBG listing and I can see why.Although the three handpumps offer some interesting ale from leading small scale brewers the condition of my Revolutions Marquee US IPA left a lot to be desired,too warm ,listless and with a faint vinegar tang despite being clearish.NBSS 2 .Maybe insufficient throughput ,maybe lack of care but the boat seems to have sailed from this former star of Macc.Large downgrade.
On 9th October 2021
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Treacle Tap
Stereotypical micro-pub, surprisingly (or worryingly) quiet later on a Saturday evening. Eight wooden tables of various types, with tea lights. Three real ales available on handpump: Rooster's Buckeye, Marble Bitter (£3.80) and Muesli from Manchester Brewing.
On 17th September 2021
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8679 recommendations about 8678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Treacle Tap
Standard Micro Pub. 3xCask, Several x Keg - all marked up on a chalk board at the far end of the shop.
Friendly bar staff. Free nuts with every order.
Visit blogged - http://bit.ly/2U9fMNa
On 26th March 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1563 recommendations about 1543 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Treacle Tap
A small frontage leads to a long corridor like interior in this micropub. We walked up to the bar area at the rear and waited, and waited, and waited. Eventually a 40ish, trying to look trendy and failing guy came out from the back where he had been doing "something". No apology or explanation was forthcoming and when we'd got our drinks he wandered off again, obviously not wanting to get into a conversation. It's a pleasant enough place, but loses a couple of marks for the disinterested staffing. We'll give it another try next time and hope for a better experience.
On 13th March 2018
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3286 recommendations about 3196 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Treacle Tap
We were first in on opening at noon on our Saturday crawl. The ale choice couldn't have been better, two from Anarchy and one from Weird Beard. Before serving the beers, the young barmaid poured off a half from each pump and poured them away. This was an excellent touch, as she explained, that the beer had been sitting in the pipes overnight. I went for the Anarchy Citra Star, what a good pint to start the day.
Defo can't be missed when visiting Treacle Town (aka Macclesfield).
On 9th August 2015
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about Treacle Tap
3 real ales were available on draught. Its not the best micropub I've been in but at least they are trying. Keep it up.
On 17th July 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about Treacle Tap
Although this is officially a micropub (it's number 7 on their list) it is far more like a small pub than some of the micropubs I've visited. It's long and narrow with a wooden floor and at the far end a small bar with three hand pumps. On an early Saturday evening it was easy to find a table. As well as the three ales they also have some bottles including Belgian beers but I didn't see where they were kept.
I didn't get to note all three beers as I saw the Siren Liquid Mistress and went straight for that, it was around the £3.50 mark, was in superb nick and went down a treat.
I would definitely return to this one.
On 26th January 2015
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about Treacle Tap
The Treacle Tap is exactly what a micro pub should be with a great atmosphere, varied clientele, a short but interesting food menu, a small number of well selected real ales and plenty going on.
During the day I imagine it feels like a coffee shop which serves good beer. On our visit the 3 handpumps had on Redwillow Shameless IPA, excellent at 5.9%, Quantum Pale Ale at 4.5% and Redwillow Endless at 3.8%. Not a bad range over just 3 beers and many present were thoroughly enjoying them.
Mr Fastard's review gives plenty of detail but it is worth noting that on the Friday evening when we visited the place was very busy and there were a number of very attractive young ladies around making it feel more like a bar than a traditional pub. No complaints from us there.
A great boozer.
On 23rd October 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 683 recommendations about 682 pubs]