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Early Doors, Daventry

Pub added by Thuck Phat
3 Prince William Walk
Daventry
NN11 4AB

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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) Add Review see review guidelines


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Bucking Fastard left this review about Early Doors

This is the place to drink real ale when in Daventry.The exterior seems small,but there is a decent amount of space inside.The bar is to the left ,behind which is a large chiller room with barrels on stillage.Around that side are drinking shelves,high tables and room for vertical drinking.The loo is on the otherside and has a black varnished door with a no. 10 ! This side of the interior has more traditional furniture.On my Wednesday evening visit everyone was very chatty and the young barman was full of good beer information.Advice on curry options from the regulars elicited some useful information.
There were 5 real ale on my trip Purple Moose Elderflower,Potbelly Early Doors,North Cotswold Hung Drawn & Portered (NBSS 2.5),Vale Red Kite (NBSS 4) and Dakota Green Duck which got a major thumbs up from a drinking colleague.Good to see a mix of styles and strength ,with a constant rotation you should always fine something interesting.For keg fans there was also Beavertown Neck Oil.
This should really by your first objective when in town and it will probably be your last.A very good micro.

On 27th February 2022 - rating: 8
[User has posted 2709 recommendations about 2709 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Real Ale Ray left this review about Early Doors

We met the landlady on our visit, who was very welcoming and chatty. She told us that she had owned this micropub for four years and was selling up and that the new owners were decent people, so there was no problem leaving her four year venture in good hands.
Six ales on stillage, Salopian Darwin's Original, Phipps IPA, North Cotswold Jumping Jack, Hopback Summer Lightning, Towcester Mill Crooked Hooker and Nobby's Plum Porter.
I initially went for the North Cotswold Jumping Jack, but found it far too flat and flavourless. My second choice was the Nobby's Plum Porter, which was a bit better.

On 20th March 2019 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3378 recommendations about 3378 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Aqualung . left this review about Early Doors

I wonder if they named this after the BBC sitcom from ten or more years ago.
It's not the easiest place to find as it's tucked down a short walkway between a town car park and a pedestrianised street. It's a proper micropub as well described below although it's more comfortable than some of the ones that double up as off licences. There's a single tall table and chairs, a few low tables and stools, a small sofa and some cushions on the window alcove. There were only a few in on my Friday midday visit.
Three hand pumps dispense non-mainstream ciders and the chill cabinet had all ten places filled with six beers available. These were the Early Doors House beer & No. 3 by Hart of Wellingborough, Nethergate Umbel Ale, Phipps IPA, North Cotswold Moreton Mild and Church End Goats Milk. I went for the Phipps IPA (£3.00) and the No. 3 (£3.20) which was highly recommended by the landlady. Both were in excellent condition.
I really liked this one and if there's anything better to be found in Daventry then I would be amazed. I wouldn't be surprised to see it appear in the next GBG.

On 16th February 2016 - rating: 9
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]


Please Note: This review is over a year old.


Thuck Phat left this review about Early Doors

Early Doors, a micropub occupying the site of a former mobility shop, opened at the end of February 2015.
It's tucked away off Sheaf Street in Daventry in, what appears to be, a very small site. It's somewhat larger than it appears once inside.
The bar, which you face when going in, is made of cut down old doors with a large, reclaimed slab of timber as a top. Behind the bar is a bespoke cabinet which can house 10 beer barrels which only had a couple of empty spaces on my visit. The floor is polished concrete and the seating and tables basic but the lighting is good and candles are lit in the evening. I found it to be a very comfortable spot for a pint or two and there has clearly been an enormous effort made and plenty of imagination used to achieve this.
The welcome was chatty, informative and knowledgeable on my quiet lunchtime visit with the owners explaining how they'd spotted a gap in Daventry's real ale scene. The gap being an almost total lack of quality real ale and, after much research, investigation and thought decided to try and fill it with Early Doors.
Beers on, all served from the barrel, were: Towcester Mill Crooked Hooker 3.8% at £3.20, Phipps IPA 4.3% £3.00, Frog Island Shoemaker 4.2% £3.00 and Natterjack 4.8% £3.20. Coming soon were Great Oakley Tiffield Thunderbolt and Wot's Occuring and Dowbridge Onslaught and Praetorian Porter. These were already racked up. The beers are listed on a large blackboard behind the bar and tasters and advice are freely given. The policy is to rotate predominantly local ales and all that I tried was in good nick.
Early Doors is a very novel spot for Daventry and has already proved successful, unsurprising given the complete lack of alternatives.
Worth noting are the opening hours which are Tuesday to Saturday from 12 to 9, lack of lager and policy of no children but dogs welcome.
I've rated an 8 as Early Doors is providing something which Daventry simply doesn't have and fully expect that as it becomes more established and busier that the number of beers available will increase and so will the rating.
I thoroughly enjoyed stopping by and wish the owners every success in providing Daventry with it's first quality real ale pub. The first and only place I'd visit if in town.

On 16th March 2015 - rating: 8
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]