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Disappointment of the week with Tris39
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Detail Pages
The Malt Shovel Tavern, Northampton
Northampton
NN1 1NS
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Malt Shovel Tavern
This is an absolutely classic alehouse, ironically located directly opposite the massive Carlsberg brewing plant over the road. The pub essentially has a single room layout, set out across a long yet relatively narrow space, with the servery running along the right-hand wall, although there’s enough partitioning to ensure it feels a bit more broken up and cosy than such a description would normally imply. The room is carpeted throughout, with low panelled walls, cream painted uppers and a decent bar counter with some nice etched glasswork in the gantry above. There is plenty of bench and chair seating in all parts of the pub, some in spots with a limited view of the bar or other seating spaces, ensuring a degree of privacy. The whole pub has been extensively decorated in true alehouse fashion, with breweriana pretty much appearing everywhere you look. The collection includes collections of old branded beer trays, brewery mirrors, old enamel advertisements, beer bottles, a few immaculate brewery posters and some old beer engines, whilst all manner of tankards and jugs hang from the ceiling beams. I also spotted a few curios including one of those old West Country Ales ceramic signs, earthenware in the window sills, soda dispensers, old pub signs, brewery merchandise, malt shovels (obviously) and even an old Part Seven tin. The entrance has a nice modern etched glass pane depicting hops and a malt shovel, whilst the windows have stained glass upper sections and obscured lower panes which blur out the view of the aforementioned mega-brewery. Old 50’s and 60’s tunes were playing quietly in the background and there was a notably older clientele in attendance on my early Friday afternoon visit.
The handpulls were dispensing a good selection of varied ales - Oakham Citra and JHB, Vale Black Beauty Porter, Draught Bass, Lincoln Imperial, Pennine Fright Night, Woodfords Nog and 7 Brothers Red Ale. A friendly barmaid sold me an excellent pint of the Porter for £3.90 and I seriously considered ditching part of my crawl so I could come back and try more of their beer.
I thought this was an outstanding pub - a great start to a truncated day of pub crawling around Northampton. There’s so much to see here that the place practically demands repeat visits whilst the range and quality of the ales mean that you’re unlikely to struggle to find something you’ll enjoy. Great stuff - this’ll be my first port of call the next time I’m back in town.
On 29th December 2022
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about The Malt Shovel Tavern
Nice real ale pub just out of the main town, there was a beer festival on at the time of my visit and the place was very well attended, unfortunately my pint of Thornbridge Wild Swan was on the cusp of its use by date, that aside this seems to be a cracking pub.
On 8th May 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1871 recommendations about 1844 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Malt Shovel Tavern
In south end of town on a busy road but worth seeking out. Old signage on the walls, jugs hanging from the ceiling, cosy neat interior, lots of good ales, good service and a fine pub
On 8th November 2017
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Malt Shovel Tavern
Top-of-the-range real ale pub, with a partially opened-out interior but crammed full of breweriana and reinvigorated with plenty of character (and naturally, as a result, customers). Mix of seating areas on three sides of the bar - with almost all seats taken on an otherwise ordinary Wednesday evening. Great choice of real ales from most of the 14 handpumps, with the others being changed over in quick time. I went for the Nethergate Mild (£2.80), but there was a wide range of beer styles from mostly local breweries on offer. Excellent!
On 18th December 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Malt Shovel Tavern
For many years Northampton’s only nationally-renowned pub. A pain to find from the immediate town centre but boy it’s worth it. An unprepossessing looking place sitting in splendid isolation from the industrial decay and the Carlsberg megakeggary surrounding it. A quality interior, a long room that narrows in the middle then opens out again. Exposed brick, fake beams, wood floor, plenty of breweriana - general alehouse stylings. A small basic rear garden. Live music advertised, with a Wednesday Blues club noted. Screens on for the Wales v Slovakia match though I’m told that much like the Nags Head in Reading, noise and use is well-managed and certainly the fans watching the game were of the more laid-back and amiable persuasion (much like the pub, really). A plethora of pumps and too many for me to note as I was engrossed in the match but a range of micros and small regionals represented along with a welcome interloper in GK XX Mild, which I enjoyed, as I also did Phipps and Oakham JHB. As to be expected, there is also an impressive bottled range. A mention of the hot pasties, which tasted divine and I ended up scoffing two. Perhaps one slight black mark was that the female staff on duty seemed more interested in chatting to each other than interacting with the punters. But overall this is a corker and an absolute bona fide reason to do a session in Northampton. 9.5
On 13th August 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5072 recommendations about 5055 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Malt Shovel
A well deserved ten this one, superb range of ales, good and friendly service. There were 11 ales and 1 cider on our visit. I went for the Pot Belly Best and Merrimen Be Merry, both were excellent. I would be very happy to spend longer here on a next visit. Note during the week the pub shuts at 3pm and reopens again at 5pm.
On 3rd March 2015
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about The Malt Shovel
The Malt Shovel is, arguably, Northamptons longest established real ale emporium with the current owners having taken over in 1996. It is the Great Oakley brewery tap.
It shows as the pub is an extremely comfortable place to be with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere and a broad range of, predominantly local, real ales. The various features are described well below and all I would add is that they come together well to create a harmonious whole which is appreciated by a mixed clientele which ranges from students to pensioners with a smattering of middle aged men quaffing ale in between.
In addition to the wide range of Belgian beers available, regular real ales are: Great Oakley Gobble, Harpers and Wots Occuring, Pride and Frog Island Natterjack. Guests on our visit were: Oakham Bishops Farewell and Mompessons Gold, Tring Sapper, Elland Bargee, Frog Island Fire Bellied Toad, Mill Town Mild and Whittlebury Blue Eyed Dragon. That's an extensive range across styles and strengths and six of the 12 available are from Northamptonshire. An admirable commitment to local breweries. Everything we tried was not only in good condition but was also very good ale so there really isn't a policy of sourcing beers inferior to the owning brewery's.
Service was friendly and efficient and we didn't wait long to be served despite it being a busy Saturday night.
A very comfortable place in which to sample excellent ale. The best pub I've been to in Northampton.
On 28th November 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Malt Shovel
Directly opposite the vast chemical works that is the Carlsberg Brewery,the Malt Shovel is a wonderful real ale pub,cosy and friendly.The interior is carpeted and open plan but with different sections,towards the front are fitted benches and wooden furniture around a Victorian fireplace with a coal affect gas fire,very effective on a cold wet night.At the rear is a larger square area with a flat screen for terrestrial sport,but only switched on when there is a major event to be seen.The bar is in the middle of the pub along the righthand wall.There is breweriania all over the interior including a good collection of beer trays,and there are stained glass NBC windows lights.
There are helpful blackboard at both ends of the bar showing five regular ales of which three will be from Great Oakley as this pub is their brewery tap.There are a further eight guests,many from the region and Oakham's fine ales always seem to feature on the guest list.There is a wide variety of both strenghts and styles and every pint sampled by the crew was in excellent shape.There was also two Timmerman's kegged lagers which were proving popular ,and it was good to see a wide mix of customers from students to young women,couples, real ale fans and pensioners.
The service was both welcoming and efficient even when the pub is busy,so no long wait at the bar.It is worth noting that the gents is small and only has a urinal,you will need to use the disabled facilities if you want to park your breakfast.
Food is served between 12 and 2,there are general knowledge and music quizzes and Wednesday is Blues night,so there is lots going on.
The pub has the feel of a friendly lounge,it may be in an unpromosing part of town but it would be my first port of call when in Northampton.A true gem.
On 25th November 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roy Collins left this review about The Malt Shovel
Excellent real ale pub with an old NBC sign outside to welcome you.Inside there is a wealth of photos and memorabilia from old pubs and breweries.Very cosy surroundings with living fires. There were four ales from Great Oakley and about 10 other beers.Well worth a visit.
On 19th December 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 124 recommendations about 121 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
michael furn left this review about The Malt Shovel
this real ale pub, has 13 different real ales on.
It is the brewery tap for Great oakley.
It also features R & B bands on a Wednesday night, and a monthly quiz night.
Lunches are available Monday to Saturday also special board at £5.75p
On 22nd January 2009
- rating: 10
[User has posted 38 recommendations about 37 pubs]