White House, Hockley, Birmingham

Official site of White House - www.holdensthewhitehousehockley.co.uk

Official site of White House - www.holdensthewhitehousehockley.co.uk

Traditional - if now geographically isolated - two-bar pub, with just a slightly widened opening between the two parts being the only obvious layout change. Smaller and busier public bar at the front and a slightly more spacious lounge further back. Basic furniture and decor on both sides. Disappointingly, just Holden's Mild (£2.10) available from the three handpumps, and that ran out part-way through the pour, but the resulting fresh pint was well worth the wait.

This detached building is Holden's most easterly outlet and the closest one to Birmingham itself. It's an odd place as it seems to be completely isolated from any housing other than some blocks of flats some way past the main road, As I approached it at around 11:30 on a Saturday Morning I felt sure it was not going to be open but it was and the landlady told me that they were open from 09:00am until 02:00am on a Saturday! Inside it's something of a time warp with a long narrow lino clad public bar and a carpeted saloon behind dominated by a pool table. The public bar has the leaded windows all along it and there were a few old boys in with cloth caps adding to the time warp impression. On the bar there were two hand pumps clipped with Holden's Mild and Bitter. Surprisingly the Bitter was not available so I went for the Mild (£2.10). This was a trifle on the warm side but fine apart from that. It is 50p a pint cheaper than their flagship Great Western in Wolverhampton. Despite the limited beer choice this place is well worth a visit just to see what many pubs used to be like.

The White House is a stand alone black and white pub that is situated in a no mans land between two traffic islands. Once inside the pub had two rooms the bar area was to the front,this was a small narrow room with bench seating and small stools facing the bar,i had a drink in this room,there was a TV showing horse racing,the rear area is larger and more like a lounge,it was carpeted and had a large screen showing live football. This pub is an Holdens tied house and there were two real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Holdens mild which was a very nice drink and only £1.05 for a half,the other beer was Holdens bitter. The pub was fairly busy in the small bar area. I really liked this pub and the Holdens beers. This one is well worth the short walk from the more trendy Hockley area. Pub visited 17/8/2013

A detached Holden's pub, in white and black. The lower half seems Victorian, with the upper half in a mock-Georgian style. With a rear patio, leaded windows and iron railings - it looks a delight. The interior is a U-shaped room around the central serving bar. The decor is white, with black fake beams and wood panel, with blue seats; as Andy Ven says, so 80s, in a nice way. There are a few bits of brass ephemera and old photos on the walls. There is a pool table and a large pull down screen is available (though not on when we were there). The service was fine, the locals were very friendly, chatting away and making me feel very welcome. The music was general and a decent level. Beer; tap stuff, with Holden's Bitter and an excellent MILD on handpull - had to have more than one - and £1.80! It is a locals pub, but the beer is Holdens and well kept and the people are friendly - as both of the previous reviers have said - a nice feel about the place. This will become a regular for us when en route between the Black Eagle and Hockley - class.