Mr Grundy's Tavern, Derby

Mr Grundy’s was busy with mostly afterwork trades during a recent Tuesday evening visit. Part of the Georgian House Hotel, there’s lots of interesting stuff to look at on the walls, much like a museum. Six of the seven hand pumps were in operation drawing Mr Grundy’s own Cliffords and Blighty alongside Black hole Brewery’s Cosmic and GK Abbot Ale as well as Sting Cider’s Tipsy Marion and Old Rosie. Food is available, the burger is £12, but I think I’d leave this place to just having a beer. Out the back is a large picnic seating area. A quirky pub that is well worth a look.

A bit of fun to start - I have no idea who Mr Grundy was but 34 Ashbourne Rd (assuming it is the same property and not renumbered) was, in 1911, the home of Ralph Peyton Sadler (and family). Sadler (funny, there is a Sadler's brewery) had become a lieutenant in 1893 and a captain in 1898, serving and being wounded in South Africa (Diamond Hill), then afterward in India. He would, in 1914, become a temporary Lt Colonel, taking charge of the newly formed 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters. The place has veterans coming out of its ears, it seems! Anyway, the regimented Georgian exterior of this hotel and brewery tap, with columned porch, sort of suits the military theme of the brewery beer names and, indeed, the one time inhabitants. There is a great beer garden area that has an attached pizzeria. The interior has a few rooms, which over the past couple of years, I have visited a few times - and they are stuffed, as previous reviewers have said, with eclectic fun - from butterflies to old film star pictures and an array of hats. The TV is a little incongruous, but it was on silent. They do food but we didnt eat. The service is fine and a friendly mixed clientele populates. The beer had three Grundy ones (Pip, Squeak n Wilfred.. Sniper and one I failed to note), all served without a head, but decent enough, with a guest, Pugin Bicentenary Ale (Peakstones) that was also decent. There was a real cider, too. Always a nice visit.

Interesting public bar attached to a Grade II listed hotel that has its own micro brewery. It takes its name from a WWI veteran who lived in the property before it became a hotel. A fair amount of internal character with plenty of brewing memorabilia and a section of film memorabilia of black and white photos and any pub that incorporates a red phone box scores an extra point from me. The bar had four of the brewery beers on and the Mr Grundy first world war theme carries through to the beer names with 1914, No Mans Land, Flipping Best and Vampyr being available and my half of the 1914 stout was perfectly passable. And then there were a few guests as reported below It was quite dead when we arrived and the small tele blasting out some music video channel seemed to be for the benefit of the bar staff and was out of keeping with the ambience of the bar. As a bar I liked it here and wouldn’t hesitate to return, as long as they kill the tele next time.