The Swan, Stafford

This is a brilliant traditional country pub which is a privately owned free house, although the owners have chosen to align the pub with Holden’s Brewery. Parts of the building date from around 1590 but it was largely rebuilt in the early 1700’s after a fire. The main entrance is at the back of the building leading from the car park into a short hallway with an old terracotta tiled floor. As Soup Dragon states the pub is well balanced and caters for all tastes as there are two rooms at the end of the hall, if you turn left there is a dining lounge with a small bar made of old wooden barrels on the right, a central double sided fireplace with a cast iron log burning stove and an extension round the corner on the left which is laid out specifically for dining. Alternatively if you turn right at the end of the hall you will find a nice small public bar which has a pool table straight ahead, a small bar round the corner on the left, a dartboard on the left hand wall, a lovely inglenook fire place on the right and an old TV in the right hand corner opposite the dartboard. The Inglenook fire place has a tiny booth built into its left hand side which barely seats two people. At the end of the car park is a large grass area with picnic tables, a children’s play area, an aviary and other pet animals. Regular ales are Holden’s Mild and Bitter with two changing guest beers from small breweries in Staffordshire and the neighbouring counties. On my last visit these were Shires (All Nations, Shropshire) Best Bitter and Gold (GBG 2010). I’ve spoken to the lad who orders and keeps the beer, he is quite young but he takes great care and does a fine job. A fantastic traditional pub with loads of character and good beer. The menu is small and all the meals are freshly home cooked. The pub is remotely situated (Whiston is just a couple of farms and houses, blink and you miss it) but is definitely worth the effort to search it out. I try to visit every couple of months, if this place has a fault then it is that it is not close enough to my house!