The Star & Garter, Stafford

The Star & Garter is an L-shaped pub with a central L-shaped bar counter that supports standard and premium keg alongside four hand pumps, one of which was in operation drawing Sharp’s Doom Bar. For some reason the names of the keg products are written along the font handles, so small that nobody can read them. So they’ve had to put labels on the back bar so that customers know what is available. To the left of the bar counter is banquette seating in a comfortable area with a burner in a raised fireplace. In the right rear is a dartboard and pool table. Televisions are found throughout, Champions League was being shown via BT Sport during my Wednesday evening visit last week. Out the back is a split level patio area with seating. The service was polite and the pub was busy, but the lack of a decent ale will put some off. Being the most southerly of the town centre pubs with a below par neighbouring pub means that I doubt I’ll ever visit here again.

I called in for a swift half towards the end of our afternoon tour of Stafford, with train time looming. The Star & Garter is an attractive building on the way into the town centre with bay windows and portico painted white. It was quite pleasant inside too, though I dodn't take any detailed notes of features. There were two hand pumps with Doom Bar turned around and Pedigree should have been, as it was frothy and banana-ish. This may simply have been a consequence of being at the end of the barrel, but the person who served me, although friendly and welcoming, had not seemingly received any training with regard to faults in real ale and what to do about them.

A very good pub away from the town centre. 4 cask ales and 2 real ciders available (3 handpumps directly as you enter and 3 at the side). Outside seating at the front of the pub. Pleasant inside.

Official site of Star & Garter - www.the-star-and-garter.co.uk

Substantial old building with main entrance located up several steps. Opened out inside to form a 'J'-shaped bar. Refurbished with semi-traditional but bland furniture and decor. Various silent TV screens. Radio style background music feed. Pool table to the rear. Small front terrace. Reasonably busy on a Sunday evening, which is a good sign. Four of six handpumps in use, with real ales including Rev James, Mansfield England's Pride and Adnam's Old (£3.00).

Official site of Star & Garter - www.the-star-and-garter.co.uk