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Beer of the Week (w/e 5th May 2024) with aleandhearty
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Old Spot Inn, Dursley
Dursley
GL11 4JQ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Old Spot Inn
Tucked away just off Dursley’s pedestrianised shopping street, this pub has previously been Camra’s Pub of the Year, as well as winning numerous other accolades, and has been on my “to do” list for some time. A small and slightly run down looking town does seem a slightly odd place for such a nationally acclaimed pub, but nonetheless I had high expectations.
Internally it consist of three rooms, a larger central one with the bar counter and two smaller ones off to each side. Décor wise, it’s quite rustic with quarry style tiles on the floor, pine wood panelling on the lower part of the walls and a couple of thick old beams on the ceiling that had been plastered with various photographs and magazine articles. Paintwork was a mixture of cream and salmon colours, with a mustard shade on the ceiling and there were numerous old brewery mirrors on the walls. Seating was a mixture of upright bench style seats as well as regular tables and chairs. The curved wooden bar counter had a selection of old bottles up above it. An stone chimney breast and fireplace was off to the left. The smaller room to the left was broadly similar in décor, but perhaps more of a farmhouse kitchen style with a burnt orange ceiling and more a selection of pine furniture, whilst the room to the right included another stone fireplace and wood burning stove.
Beer choice was extensive as might be expected, and on this occasion consisted of Uley Old Ric, Otter Bitter, St Austell Chester, Goffs Black Knight, Tiny Rebel Cwtch, Bath’s Forest Hare and Bristol Beer Factory’s Independence. Ciders too were well represented with a trio of both sparkling and still options – Thatcher’s Gold, Thatcher’s Haze, Bath’s Bounders, Pagget’s Golden Slipper, Kingston Buck and Kingston Farmhouse. All in all I thought this was a very pleasant pub, but if I’m honest, nothing outstanding and I came away feeling slightly confused as to why it had garnered so much praise. Not that I’m saying it’s not very good and worth going to, but for a Pub of the Year I had somehow expected a little more.
On 31st October 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1953 recommendations about 1866 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Old Spot Inn
The quiet market town of Dursley probably doesn't appear on many people's itineraries when staying in the area, but we pencilled it in for a Sunday afternoon visit, just so we could spend a bit of time in this fantastic pub. The place has certainly built up an excellent reputation which drew us here, having been crowned CAMRA National Pub of the Year in 2007 and reaching the final four again in 2013. The ale range on our visit was plentiful and varied, offering Plain Ales Innspiration, Severn Vale Dursley Steam Bitter, Cotleigh Seahawk, Kinver Khyber IPA, Cotswold Spring Old Sodbury Mild, Wentworth Choc and Chilli Stout and Uley Old Ric - a house beer named in honour of former landlord Ric Sainty. I tried the Innspiration which was pretty good and the Mild which was outstanding, whilst my father happily sank a couple of pints of the Steam Bitter. My other half, who never normally drinks beer, couldn't resist giving the Choc and Chilli Stout a try and she seemed to enjoy it as it didn't stay in the glass for long. We also ate here, taking advantage of the Sunday roast menu and we all thoroughly enjoyed the generous portions we were given. The staff were all charming, offering the kind of genuinely friendly customer service that is so rare nowadays.
The pub itself is a typical town centre local's pub, with several individual areas serving various purposes. You enter into a tiled floor room with lots of dark beams and the bar directly opposite. There are loads of pump clips on the walls, as you might expect, and all sorts of photos and newspaper clippings cover the beams, providing plenty of visual distraction whilst you're waiting at the bar. The pub has a pig theme, as per the name, so you can see all sorts of porcine related items throughout, as well as more typical collections of breweriana. To the right is an area called 'The Swill', which seems to be the main dining area with bench, pew and standard seating. There is a large fireplace on the end wall next to a few shelves filled with old editions of the Good Beer Guide and other such books. The beams here display a fine collection of porcelain jugs which helps accentuate the pub's traditional feel, as does the huge sign for Butler's Ales which covers most of the ceiling. To the rear there is a cosy snug called 'The Farrowing Hut' and beyond this is another room which seemed to be reserved on this visit, so I didn't get a proper look at it. Over to the left of the bar, there is one final room, empty on this visit, but quite cosy looking, with some nice decorative bench seating. Beyond this room, you eventually reach the garden, passing an old pub sign on the way. The pub is dog friendly and ours was afforded quite a welcome, being given a chew by the bar staff and getting fussed over by the jovial group of local's stood at the bar.
It's rare that we go out as a family group and unanimously approve of the choice of venue, but this excellent pub ensured agreement all round and much lamentation about the fact that there are no pubs this good near where we live. This is a brilliantly run operation and fully deserves to be recognised as one of the finest pubs in the country.
On 17th May 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Old Spot Inn
In the Gloucestershire town of Dursley, on the Cotswold Way, is The Old Spot, a multi award winning well known real ale free house.
It’s a former farm house dating back to 1776. It occupies a rather uninspiring position, hidden away behind Dursley Bus Station and close to a rather hideous modern looking glass fronted library. There’s a largish free car park directly opposite the pub.
As we approach the pub, we see the pub sign showing the breed of Gloucestershire pig after which the pub is named and a sign proclaiming, as if we didn’t already know, “a traditional pub”. We also see the now familiar ( if you’re on holiday in the area) “West Country Ales 1760 – Best in the West” ceramic tile logo featuring a castle.
It’s deceptively large inside with a number of adjoining areas, all decorated with a fine and varied collection of brewery memorabilia. The main bar area has a slate tiled floor and behind us we see a fine picture of Ric Sainty, the larger than life looking owner and former landlord. Behind the bar here, we see a collection of CAMRA certificates – the pub was CAMRA Gloucester Pub of the Year 2006-2009 and CAMRA National Pub of the Year 2007.
Furniture consists mainly of wooden benches, settles and chairs throughout the different areas. Despite the absence of carpeting, log fires at either end contribute towards a homely, welcoming and traditional feel. Several large enamel signs on the ceiling advertise the wares of Butlers Ales and Stout Birmingham and Godsell and Sons Fine Ales and Stout.
The end room – The Farrowing Hut – has a sloping roof, some pictures of pigs and a collection of pump clips on the beams. A room on the right has some framed prints of wildlife on Jura and a collection of beer bottles on a shelf high up.
A larger room – The Swill – has a fine collection of whisky jugs hanging from beams.
The friendly barman told me how the pub has had reluctantly to make changes to cope with its increasing popularity since becoming CAMRA National Pub of the Year – for instance the former billiards room on the left has lost its table and has been converted to provide additional seating.
In the passageway, leading to the partly covered garden is the old pub sign from its former Whitbread days when it was The Fox and Hounds. In the gents toilets, we see some rather non – PC posters of the obviously well endowed farmer’s daughter seductively telling us how much she likes a Bishops Finger.
The pub is popular with walkers, but evidently retains a solid core of loyal regulars. A good range of pub food is offered. Pleasingly, no areas are specifically set aside for diners and, although there appears to be a brisk and healthy food trade, it’s first and foremost a drinkers pub and one that doesn’t need to resort to TV’s or fruit machines etc.
On my recent visit, the pub was advertising that Severn Vale Brewery were due to launch a new beer at the pub on Saturday 24 September ( coincidentally, the next day ) and a BBQ was planned.
7-8 beers were on including Moles Tap and Old Ric, the latter brewed specially for the pub by the nearby Uley Brewery. There was also a rare sighting of Orkney Dark Island. Other beers on were mainly from local micros.
The pub website is one of the best I’ve ever seen and includes details of local walks, inter alia and bus times. Pleasingly the Pubs Galore website gets a mention.
This pub ticks most, if not all, of the boxes as far as I’m concerned and you should try to get here sometime
On 18th October 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Old Spot Inn
Where to begin? An excellent range of well-kept ales (I almost died and went to heaven when I spotted Sarah Hughes dark Ruby Mild on the go), served excellently. A warm welcome and a good selection of nice food. Lots of paraphernalia around the walls - old clips, ceramic drinking mugs, old signs and adverts etc. No pool table, fruit machine, juke box or background music. One fault I would pick is that the outside patio heaters seem to be permanently on. I'm no Swampy, but that really is a waste of electricity - get one of those push-button timer systems in and do your bit to save the planet!
Otherwise, near-perfect. Well done.
On 27th August 2008
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5125 recommendations about 5108 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
john mcgraw left this review about The Old Spot Inn
Has now just become CAMRA National pub of the year.
On 10th March 2008
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2044 recommendations about 2025 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Richard Morton left this review about The Old Spot Inn
Award winning Gloucestershire pub of the year, many times over. This offers real ales (around 6 at any time) all very well kept. The reputation of this pub has grown from local real ale den to a more well rounded eatery and hostelry, with a small garden with boules! The bar and lounge are cozy and very popular. This pub has been my local (of and on) for many years and the atmosphere can be really great. The core remains (real ale) and is worth a visit for this alone. The best pub I know of is, The Old Spot
On 17th November 2006
- rating: 10
[User has posted 4 recommendations about 4 pubs]