Old Spot Inn, Dursley

Tucked away just off Dursley’s pedestrianised shopping street, this pub has previously been Camra’s Pub of the Year, as well as winning numerous other accolades, and has been on my “to do” list for some time. A small and slightly run down looking town does seem a slightly odd place for such a nationally acclaimed pub, but nonetheless I had high expectations. Internally it consist of three rooms, a larger central one with the bar counter and two smaller ones off to each side. Décor wise, it’s quite rustic with quarry style tiles on the floor, pine wood panelling on the lower part of the walls and a couple of thick old beams on the ceiling that had been plastered with various photographs and magazine articles. Paintwork was a mixture of cream and salmon colours, with a mustard shade on the ceiling and there were numerous old brewery mirrors on the walls. Seating was a mixture of upright bench style seats as well as regular tables and chairs. The curved wooden bar counter had a selection of old bottles up above it. An stone chimney breast and fireplace was off to the left. The smaller room to the left was broadly similar in décor, but perhaps more of a farmhouse kitchen style with a burnt orange ceiling and more a selection of pine furniture, whilst the room to the right included another stone fireplace and wood burning stove. Beer choice was extensive as might be expected, and on this occasion consisted of Uley Old Ric, Otter Bitter, St Austell Chester, Goffs Black Knight, Tiny Rebel Cwtch, Bath’s Forest Hare and Bristol Beer Factory’s Independence. Ciders too were well represented with a trio of both sparkling and still options – Thatcher’s Gold, Thatcher’s Haze, Bath’s Bounders, Pagget’s Golden Slipper, Kingston Buck and Kingston Farmhouse. All in all I thought this was a very pleasant pub, but if I’m honest, nothing outstanding and I came away feeling slightly confused as to why it had garnered so much praise. Not that I’m saying it’s not very good and worth going to, but for a Pub of the Year I had somehow expected a little more.

The quiet market town of Dursley probably doesn't appear on many people's itineraries when staying in the area, but we pencilled it in for a Sunday afternoon visit, just so we could spend a bit of time in this fantastic pub. The place has certainly built up an excellent reputation which drew us here, having been crowned CAMRA National Pub of the Year in 2007 and reaching the final four again in 2013. The ale range on our visit was plentiful and varied, offering Plain Ales Innspiration, Severn Vale Dursley Steam Bitter, Cotleigh Seahawk, Kinver Khyber IPA, Cotswold Spring Old Sodbury Mild, Wentworth Choc and Chilli Stout and Uley Old Ric - a house beer named in honour of former landlord Ric Sainty. I tried the Innspiration which was pretty good and the Mild which was outstanding, whilst my father happily sank a couple of pints of the Steam Bitter. My other half, who never normally drinks beer, couldn't resist giving the Choc and Chilli Stout a try and she seemed to enjoy it as it didn't stay in the glass for long. We also ate here, taking advantage of the Sunday roast menu and we all thoroughly enjoyed the generous portions we were given. The staff were all charming, offering the kind of genuinely friendly customer service that is so rare nowadays. The pub itself is a typical town centre local's pub, with several individual areas serving various purposes. You enter into a tiled floor room with lots of dark beams and the bar directly opposite. There are loads of pump clips on the walls, as you might expect, and all sorts of photos and newspaper clippings cover the beams, providing plenty of visual distraction whilst you're waiting at the bar. The pub has a pig theme, as per the name, so you can see all sorts of porcine related items throughout, as well as more typical collections of breweriana. To the right is an area called 'The Swill', which seems to be the main dining area with bench, pew and standard seating. There is a large fireplace on the end wall next to a few shelves filled with old editions of the Good Beer Guide and other such books. The beams here display a fine collection of porcelain jugs which helps accentuate the pub's traditional feel, as does the huge sign for Butler's Ales which covers most of the ceiling. To the rear there is a cosy snug called 'The Farrowing Hut' and beyond this is another room which seemed to be reserved on this visit, so I didn't get a proper look at it. Over to the left of the bar, there is one final room, empty on this visit, but quite cosy looking, with some nice decorative bench seating. Beyond this room, you eventually reach the garden, passing an old pub sign on the way. The pub is dog friendly and ours was afforded quite a welcome, being given a chew by the bar staff and getting fussed over by the jovial group of local's stood at the bar. It's rare that we go out as a family group and unanimously approve of the choice of venue, but this excellent pub ensured agreement all round and much lamentation about the fact that there are no pubs this good near where we live. This is a brilliantly run operation and fully deserves to be recognised as one of the finest pubs in the country.