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Coopers Tavern, Burton On Trent Town, Burton on Trent
Burton on Trent
DE14 1EG
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Coopers Tavern
The Coopers Tavern is located just off the main Station Road on a side street. It is another pub that doesn't open during the day in the week. However, it was worth the wait for its 5pm opening time.
I arrived just before 5 to become the first customer of the evening, earning me a place in the tiny tap room at the far end. Another couple soon arrived and shortly after we were joined by another guy who filled us in with some more details of the axe-laden woman who had run amok in the centre earlier that morning, smashing lots of windows!
The Coopers Tavern is full of character and is clearly the highlight of any trip to Burton. Before reaching the tap room at the rear of the pub, there is a lounge at the front of the pub and a corridor with a few other rooms either side. I do love a pub with lots of different rooms, as you can have a different drinking experience on each visit. Sadly I live too far away to make this place a regular haunt.
If there is a negative, it is probably the fact that this is a Joule's pub. Whilst I have nothing against Joule's, it does limit the beer range a little. Joule's Pale Ale & Slumbering Monk are the regular beers, as is Bass. Their Calcutta 1757 & Mosaic Pale were also available, along with 2 guests - Dancing Duck Ay Up & Kelham Island Pale Rider. Beers are served either by handpull or gravity. Boxed ciders were Lilley's Mango Cider, Broadoak Sloe Gin Cider, Healey's Rattler & Abrahall's AM.
My Mosaic Pale was a decent drop and I think that I arrived at just the right time to grab the best seat in the house. Had I not had more pubs and a football match to visit, I could have happily stayed here all evening and soaked up the atmosphere.
On 29th September 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Pub SignMan left this review about Coopers Tavern
Originally a residential premises for brewers from the neighbouring Bass Brewery, before becoming a storehouse and eventually the Bass Brewery tap, this characterful pub is now operated by the Joules Brewery. The pub is a classic British alehouse, with an unusual multi-room interior and a bar-less servery. An entrance porch leads you into a terracotta tile floored room, with a similar room through a doorway to the left, flanked by some excellent old etched glass Bass panes. Both rooms host the bulk of the pub’s seating options, mainly in the form of padded benches and low stools, but with a few fixed benches and high stools to be found as well. Walls are whitewashed throughout and liberally decorated with all manner of Bass and Joules breweriana. Fireplaces stand on both end walls, with at least one of these lit on a chilly Winter’s evening. Moving through the pub, you reach a short corridor with a disused serving hatch, beyond which is a rear room with limited seating along the right wall and a makeshift servery which punters were queuing out of the room for. The beers are all listed on a board on the back wall, which is handy, as you can study it and change your mind numerous times as you wait to get served. The servery, for what it’s worth, comprises a few handpulls along a low shelf that would presumably act as a bar counter of sorts had the aforementioned hatch been open. It’s a strange set-up and the queues suggested that it wasn’t really working all that well and it definitely put me off the idea of staying for a second pint.
The cask options were Joules Slumbering Monk, Pale Ale and Green Monkey, Castle rock Harvest Pale, Blythe Dark Horse Stout, Bristol Beer Factory Disco Park and of course, Draught Bass. My pint of the Pale Ale was in great shape and the staff were very friendly in the face of relentless demand thanks to a good Friday night turnout.
This is a cracking little pub that should be visited by anyone interested in pub history or looking for some well-kept cask ale. The quaint idea of a bar-less bar backfires somewhat at busier times, as the long queue to get served was pretty dispiriting and probably stopped this from being the pick of the various pubs I visited around Burton, but I can imagine at quieter times this is an irresistible draw and I’d definitely like to give it another go some time in the future.
On 11th July 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Coopers Tavern
Excellent heritage pub with an unspoilt interior featuring various small rooms, a snug and a modest patio area. Being now owned by Joule's, it looks and feels very traditional, with furniture ranging from the basic to slightly smarter, depending on where you sit. Five brewery beers - including the Moon Madness mild (£1.85, half) - and two guests, dispensed by a mixture of handpumps and gravity from casks on a bar-back stillage. Also has two more of their beers from a row of keg taps plus seven Lilley's boxed ciders and a perry.
On 3rd November 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Coopers Tavern
There are some very good traditional pubs still remaining in Burton ( The Elms, the Burton Bridge Inn, the Roebuck for example), but this was the pick of the bunch for me.
A traditional old school multi room set up with a small bar room at the back that has four ale hand pumps and then several other beers from the barrel behind the bar. Have to queue to get served at busy times but that is a small price to pay for the impressive beer lineup.
Although it’s a Joules Brewery pub, it’s one of the very few allowed guest ales and for my visit, alongside Joules Pure Blonde, Pale Ale, Slumbering Monk and Moon Madness Mild on the four pumps there was Oakham Ales Relativity, Salopian Golden Thread and Bass straight from the cask.
Food comes in the form of large cobs ( as I believe they are referred to in these parts) sizeable pork pies and enormous scotch eggs. I went for a black pudding scotch egg and it was just the stomach liner to soak up an excellent pint of the Moon Madness Mild.
No juke box, no TV, just great beer and convivial conversation.
On 29th October 2022
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2110 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tris C left this review about Coopers Tavern
This started out as storage for Bass by 1826, with a licence granted in 1858. Today it’s a Joule’s pub and features on CAMRA’s list of pubs with interiors of historic importance, this being of National Importance.
The interior is very fine, featuring some good examples of Bass etched windows. The cob sandwiches and pork pies were vast, though none were sampled.
I went for a half of Joule’s Stone Ale (£2.25), a great introduction to the beers to come; a must-visit pub.
On 16th October 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1985 recommendations about 1951 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about Coopers Tavern
An absolutely cracking traditional backstreet pub, with numerous rooms, tiled floors, etched glass and alleyways and yards at the back. In the middle somewhere is the servery with a few pumps and a stillage of barrels. As mentioned below, the main range is from Joules, plus Bass and guests. 'Proper' snacks in the shape of cobs, pork pies etc round it off nicely. A must do.
On 16th October 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Coopers Tavern
ORIGINAL REVIEW May 2011
An outstandingly traditional early Victorian pub ,now owned by Joules Brewery.The original layout has been retained with a seperate room to the left of the entrance,another room to the right both with original fireplaces .At the rear of the pub is the tap room ,with some settle seating and barrels on stillage with a few ales handpumped.A great range was advertised on the chalk board and my Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild and Thornbridge Jaipur IPA were excellent.
There is a good curry house next door without a drinks licence,so the pub are happy for you to take a pint over there as long as the glass is returned after your meal.
This pub deserves to be included on any tour of the town,a true must visit and one of the best examples of it's kind in the country.I hope it is listed both externally and internally by the local authority and CAMRA .
A joy to drink in,I endorse all the positive comments below.
October 2014.
The main body of the pub now has a lot of Joules signage and ephemera,with several rather silly slogans on wooden tablets.Fortunately the rear tap room has been left alone and this is the best place to drink,friendly and full of regulars who know their ales.Few were sampling the three permanent Joules beers ,which I find very indifferent.Thornbridge Jaipur IPA only available on keg was disappointing.Although it's still has a lovely layout,there is just a hint of tourist marketing by Joules.
UPDATE
The ale choice is now all on stillage with four regulars from Joules and two guests (one always Bass) .My Oakham White Dwarf was in good nick (NBSS 3.5) but served no head flat,it needed aggitation.One of the guests will be a strong option on Fridays,so you might get Thornbridge Jaipur IPA then on cask.Great interior but Joules ales leave me cold,so Coopers has it's limitations.It was quiet on my Thursday evening visit.
On 13th May 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Coopers Tavern
As previously described , a classic unspoilt pub, got in at first knockings but with Burton playing Gillingham in the footy it soon became very populated and loud with the away teams supporters. 11 beers by way of pump and barrel, I went for a couple of Joules, Bob On and Pure Blonde, not the best beers I've ever had to my particular taste, but nice enough and well looked after.
On 6th October 2021
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Coopers Tavern
Burton’s nationally-renowned pub. This is a classic multi-roomed gem which hosts a servery rather than bar. The exterior has the classic Bass livery though nowadays the place is run by Joules, who sensibly have retained Bass on stillage alongside their own beers. I popped in a couple of times for a Bass, which was stillage-like (NBSS 3). As noted below the original layout is retained with rooms either side of the entrance and a tap room to the rear; there’s no bar, just a small counter and an unusual raised seating area right next to it, allowing you to look down on proceedings. I think there may have been at least one other room tucked away somewhere too. There’s plenty of breweriana to see and plenty of locals to chat to (I spent 15 minutes chatting to a former mayor of the town) – this is a convivial pub with a nice atmosphere, aided by the coal fires and the smoky, sooty feel. A proper destination pub, make sure you seek it out. 8.5
On 5th March 2020
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5089 recommendations about 5072 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about Coopers Tavern
I'm following the Good Beer Guide 2018 and this isn't listed. It was however in an older Camra book detailing 50 great pub crawls.
Next to a couple of other GBG entries and this was pub of the day. There are some very good pubs in Burton.
Lovely interior and great Bass.
Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2O9rRfy
On 23rd July 2018
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]