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Detail Pages
The Swan, Stafford
Whiston
Postal town: Stafford
ST19 5QH
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 9 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ale Monster left this review about The Swan
This is a brilliant traditional country pub which is a privately owned free house, although the owners have chosen to align the pub with Holden’s Brewery. Parts of the building date from around 1590 but it was largely rebuilt in the early 1700’s after a fire. The main entrance is at the back of the building leading from the car park into a short hallway with an old terracotta tiled floor. As Soup Dragon states the pub is well balanced and caters for all tastes as there are two rooms at the end of the hall, if you turn left there is a dining lounge with a small bar made of old wooden barrels on the right, a central double sided fireplace with a cast iron log burning stove and an extension round the corner on the left which is laid out specifically for dining. Alternatively if you turn right at the end of the hall you will find a nice small public bar which has a pool table straight ahead, a small bar round the corner on the left, a dartboard on the left hand wall, a lovely inglenook fire place on the right and an old TV in the right hand corner opposite the dartboard. The Inglenook fire place has a tiny booth built into its left hand side which barely seats two people. At the end of the car park is a large grass area with picnic tables, a children’s play area, an aviary and other pet animals.
Regular ales are Holden’s Mild and Bitter with two changing guest beers from small breweries in Staffordshire and the neighbouring counties. On my last visit these were Shires (All Nations, Shropshire) Best Bitter and Gold (GBG 2010). I’ve spoken to the lad who orders and keeps the beer, he is quite young but he takes great care and does a fine job.
A fantastic traditional pub with loads of character and good beer. The menu is small and all the meals are freshly home cooked. The pub is remotely situated (Whiston is just a couple of farms and houses, blink and you miss it) but is definitely worth the effort to search it out. I try to visit every couple of months, if this place has a fault then it is that it is not close enough to my house!
On 2nd August 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 199 recommendations about 199 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about The Swan
Excellent family pub and eatery. A great place to drive or cycle to.
The outside looks everything like a country pub should, with a nice beer garden and play area for the kids. The interior is a fair mix for diners and those just wishing an ale. Separate rooms, with a pool area. All well decorated. The staff were friendly.
There were four handpulls in the bar; Holdens bitter, Titanic Look-Out, Jennings Cocker Hoop and Jennings MILD. The MILD was lovely, but didnt quite make up for the fact that Holden's MILD wasn't on.
There is no way on earth i will not come back here either with family, or stopping off when cycling
On 8th September 2009
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]