The Old Silk Mill, Derby

I don't know what this was like before the refurbishment, but it all seems a bit trendy now. Why it is necessary to have lit candles in a pub on a rainy Saturday afternoon is beyond me. The beer range was OK though, 6 beers and Bass from cask plus four ciders. I'm not sure about the Bass, 35 years ago it may have been an attraction but not really today. The other six beers available were Welbeck Abbey Portland Black, Leeds Midnight Bell, Dancing Duck 22, Purity UBU, Burton Bridge Stairway to Heaven and a Black Hole Super Nova that had just gone. I went for the Leeds Midnight Bell (£3.30) which was in great condition. I'm not sure if I would come back here as there are so many decent pubs in Derby. It's definitely worth a look if you haven't already been here, but I do have an issue with the candles.

An attractive building (with a massive mural on one of the side walls) that gives way to a newly-decorated interior. This is a fairly basic, knocked-through affair that is in good decorative order, with a nice dark wooden bar. A wide variety of ale was available from some excellent smaller breweries (from the likes of Blue Monkey, Purity, York, Oakham and, er, Sharps Doom Bar plus Bass from a jug) and two ciders (Westons and the not-so-real Addlestones) though choices were swiftly whittled down to five after three went off during the first round. All those I tried were in excellent shape, best-kept of the day for my money. I did note there were some barrels racked up elsewhere though these were not drawing. Staff were very friendly and knew their stuff. Food was not available though apparently you are welcome to bring in your own and they’ll provide crockery and cutlery. Unusually for this sort of pub, reggae was the background music of choice. Perhaps lacking a bit of character but it’s a good bet if you’re an ale fan.

Not my favourite pub in Derby, but a good one all the same. Great selection of beers on the bar, but the place always seems a bit sterile at lunch times. I know it gets rammed at night and probably has more atmosphere so in my opinion, it is struggling to find a balance. Good pub to stick on a crawl, a traditional favourite with Derby drinkers.