The Regent (JD Wetherspoon), Sutton-In-Ashfield

A better-than-average Spoons in a cinema, retaining some nice art deco touches. The front of the former circle is visible above and the acoustics were still working quite well, i.e. it wasn't too noisy. Guest ales on were Falstaff Dark Side and Fistful of Hops, and East London Cowcatcher, and that sampled was in good order.

Wetherspoon's in a former cinema at a busy interstection in Kirkby-in-Ashfield. As I've come to expect from a 'spoon's, it was fairly busy on a Saturday afternoon with a real mix of people. There were elderly people, families with kids, young scantily clad girls who didn't look old enough to drink and even a couple of young cyclists who came in with their bikes! There is a comfortable front room, which I assume used the be the cinema foyer and a much more spacious rear room with a high ceiling, that contains the bar at the rear. I assume this was the auditorium. TVs were showing the latest news. The usual triumvirate of Greene King Abbot, Ruddles Best & Sharp's Doom Bar were stocked, along with 2 guest beers. These were Titanic White Star & Critters Sleepy Badger. Unusually for a Wetherspoon's, the real cider was Broadoak Moonshine, which I gladly ordered.

A respectable Spoons this one with friendly staff and good service on our visit. You enter the pub via a corner door entrance, where you encounter some seating in this lobby area. There is a choice of two entrances into the main room, or what was once the main screen of the Cinema. The bar was positioned along the facing back wall as you enter. Above the bar is a large 3D sign reading the Regent which was illuminated with some purple and blue lighting. The bar front had an illuminated black and amber grill and large artisan lampshades hung down over the booth seating, which ran along the side walls. Two banks of five handpumps, with a choice of nine ales and one cider, we went for the Lincoln Green Tuck and Marion, there was also a beer from Falstaff Brewery which looked worth considering.

As you would expect from the name this is a cinema conversion but not one of their more impressive ones. The majority of the room has a false ceiling which hides most of the original structure. The furnishings are a bit better than average. It wasn't that busy on my late Saturday afternoon visit. The two sets of five hand pumps had two available soon, the JDW Trio Of Doom doubled, Everard's Ascalon and Jenning's Snecklifter. I went for the Snecklifter (£2.09) which was in fine nick and had another after ordering some food which was OK. I wasn't impressed with this one although the food and service were fine. It was let down by a pathetic beer choice.

The Regent is a Wetherspoons which is housed in an old cinema. Once inside there is a front area which is iregular in shape and of slight different levels,the bar and main room is to the rear,this is a very large square shaped room with a very high ceiling,there are no dividers to split the room up. The choice of real ales on the bar was a bit dissapointing,i had a drink of Lincoln Green Tuck,which went down well,the other guest beer was Dukeries Gun Smoke,the other beers were Spoons regulars,Doom Bar x 2,GK Abbot x 2 and Ruddles best,there were two unclipped pumps. The pub was very busy on my Saturday dinner visit,but then again there is no much competition in this town. Pub visited 26/8/2015