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Bursley Ale House, Stoke-On-Trent
Burslem
Postal town: Stoke-On-Trent
ST6 4ED
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Bursley Ale House
Really a mini-pub rather than a micro one in terms of size, but the ethos is definitely of the former ilk. You approach the fine old building, formerly a wine bar, through a tidy front beer garden and find a small room with the counter directly ahead and the casks in a cool-store cabinet to the right. With only a few bar-stools in this part, the main seating area is in a modernised room on the left-hand side. Five real ales and two ciders in a range of styles on the bank of seven handpumps, from which I opted for the Burton Bridge Damson Porter (£3.20).
On 9th June 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Bursley Ale House
A well supported community pub, serving five ales and two ciders from handpump. As this was originally a town house and not a purpose built pub, there is no cellar here. So all their beers and ciders are found on stillage, situated in a chiller cabinet on the right hand side of the bar. I decided to go for the Oakham Bishops Farewell, but unfortunately it had just finished. No problem there as one of the locals, poured us an Oakham JHB straight from the cask.
We found this pub to be very welcoming and it wasn't long until we were chatting away with everyone. Another nice touch was the landlady brought round some snacks in bowls for everyone and the local Bombay mix was hot and spicy. The pub also hosts a pie and peas night on Tuesday nights, which are made locally and will only set you back a couple of quid.
On 5th August 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about Bursley Ale House
Although this place is billed as a micropub and is on the Association list it does break two of the guidelines with the TV screens and the fact they sell Guinness and their 13 lager. The screens were showing that 80s music channel on my visit but BT Sport is advertised outside. At least it doesn't seem to have Karaoke nights like one of the Redcar micropubs!
Ignoring that it's been more than well described below but I would add that the toilets here are upstairs. I was the first one in at midday but a few people started drifting in.
The seven hand pumps had two ciders, Town House Bramling Cross, Leatherbritches Ashbourne IPA, Oakham Inferno, Clouded Minds Hazel Nutter and Bradfield Farmer's Stout. I went for the Ashbourne IPA (£3.20) which was excellent.
It's a nice enough place but the TV screens mean it loses a point from me.
On 27th March 2017
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Bursley Ale House
Set in a fine looking Georgian building near the main crossroads in the centre of Burslem, this was previously known as Chambers Wine Bar before its conversion to a micro pub in late 2014. The place doesn’t look much like a pub on approach, thanks to the well kept gravel front garden with a few nice seating options and the impressive facade of the attractive building. Once inside, you’re greeted by the servery which is directly opposite the front door and has a modern counter and plain wall bar back decorated with various pump clips. The bar area has stone tile flooring which looks very nice but is pretty unforgiving if you happen to drop your glass, as one chap found out to his cost during my visit. To the right there is a glass fronted cabinet in which all the beers are racked. The proprietor was having considerable difficulty changing a beer when I arrived and the fact that the cabinet doors open out across part of the bar counter meant that it became rather squeezed at the bar whilst they tried to fix the problem. There’s not much room for seating here, with just two tables along the front wall, but over to the left you’ll find a bare boarded space with around half a dozen tables served by padded chair and pew seating. There is a fireplace to one side and TV screens were showing an 80’s music channel which kept being interrupted by annoying ad breaks which played through the pub. Decor included various black and white photos and front pages from the local paper, giving a glimpse into Burslem through the ages. Stairs to the rear lead up to a plain first floor area with laminate flooring and lots of modern padded chairs. This room can be hired for private events and felt a bit like an overspill space with much less atmosphere than the fairly busy main bar downstairs.
A board on a pillar to the left of the bar listed the full ale range and those that were due to come on next. Options on this visit were Thornbridge Lord Marples, Millstone Stout, Townhouse Meg’s Mild (£3.10) and Flowerdew, plus Oakham Inferno which went off but was eventually replaced with their Green Devil IPA. Two real ciders rounded out the handpulled options and there were various interesting bottles on the go as well and my pint of mild was in fine shape. A good mixed clientele seemed to be split roughly 50/50 between the ales and bottled lagers.
On opening, this was only the second micro pub in Staffordshire and I think it would be fair to say that its introduction in Burslem provided a much needed alternative to the town’s well established circuit of traditional ale houses. I found this to be a very smartly presented venue with some well kept beer and comfortable seating which fits seamlessly into a crawl around Burslem.
On 28th December 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Bursley Ale House
A fairly simple place housed in a nice old Georgian townhouse – it doesn’t exactly look like a pub from the outside and you’d be forgiven for walking straight past it. Seven pumps containing six ales and one cider with a good selection of micros. We went for Oakham Citra and a Fyne Cairn Dhu which were both in good nick but were also a bit on the chilly side. To the right of the bar is a glass cabinet where the barrels are racked, which was an impressive feature. It’s a nice enough place for a pint but lacks the cosiness to make you stay for a session, I think.
On 15th November 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about Bursley Ale House
Bursley's occupies an imposing Georgian building which has a walled and gravelled courtyard at the front with various tables where a few larky locals were enjoying an ale in the sun on my visit.
Some of the Georgian theme has been retained inside with original ceiling roses, wooden floors, tall backed dark wood benches and a log burner. It's nicely done and to emphasize the micropub theme, to the right as you walk in there is a clear fronted cabinet which houses the beer barrels.
The bar is to the right and was staffed by a friendly chap sporting, appropriately, a Port Vale shirt.
Seven handpumps had on two ciders, Oakham Citra, Bank Top Flat Cap, Fyne Ales Rune, Slaters Premium and Hop Back Entire Stout. These were listed on a blackboard by the bar to the right of which is the list of what's on next which was similar in theme to those beers listed. The Citra was good and the selection is reasonable but not quite good enough to keep me away from The Bull's Head around the corner.
A well done micropub and a valuable addition to Burslem's improving beer list of purveyors.
On 17th July 2015
- rating: 7
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about Bursley Ale House
A micropub with a few real ales on. Set in what looks like a Georgian style house it has a bar as you enter and to your right is a cabinet containing 8 or so beer barrels. Beer barrels are also dotted around the pub with some waiting to be put on. Very good.
On 18th June 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]