The Chequers Inn (JD Wetherspoon), Stourbridge

A rather impressive upmarket Spoons. The star is the lovely island bar, which is set-off nicely by chandeliers, gilt framed mirrors and photos. The morning after the night before meant I couldn’t bring myself to try a token half, but I certainly enjoyed the surrounds whilst I had my breakfast. Unfortunately my order was misplaced (seemingly a local speciality as I had the same happen in Halesowen) but it got sorted quickly after I raised a staff member.

Called in while doing a couple of local pubs and the other Wetherspoon we had used before is now a renamed sport bar from the look of it. This was a decent pub with good central bar and we chose the Hawkshead Windermere Pale which was a decent ale.

Pretty typical small-town 'Spoon's although it does boast a fairly impressive central island bar. The downside to the high ceilings is that it is even further up to reach the toilets! Enville Ginger on, very well priced and in excellent form; worth going just for that.

Reasonable Spoons well described below. The Enville Ginger was off on my visit but still a decent choice of beers. The Exmoor Gold was in good shape.

The main part of the building is a proper pub, given the 'spoons treatment so substantially remodelled inside but still looking interesting from the street. The ground floor has been fully opened out to leave an island bar with additional seating / dining areas to one side and at the back in substantial modern extensions. Fairly modest selection of seven real ales from the two banks of five handpumps, but the local Enville Ginger (normally more expensive than the other ales, but part of the Curry Club deal) was in fine form. The same can't be said about the 'catalogue of errors' kitchen, but the duty manager sorted things out appropriately in the end...

This is a relatively new Spoons (May 2010) so is rather different to the "old school" shop conversions like the one over the road. There is a price to pay for this as the prices here are dearer than the Edward Rutland, Someone's got to pay for those chandeliers. However, it does tend to have a better atmosphere than some Spoons as the daytime brigade tend to congregate across the road. It didn't stop me coming here where I found a large high ceilinged room with an Island bar that was better designed than other ones I've come across as it was rectangular rather than square so there were just two serving areas not four. Each side had five pumps with London Pride and Purity Mad Goose doubled up, the two GK beers, Exmoor Gold, Adnam's Enraptured American Ale, Salopian Golden Thread and Byatt's Big Cat. I went for the Salopian Golden Thread (£2.35) which was in very good nick. It's not bad as Spoons go but having the Pride and Purity not doubled up would be an improvement.