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Albion Brewery Bar, Northampton
Northampton
NN1 1PR
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Albion Brewery Bar
This is an excellent brewery bar close to the town centre and easily reached from the train station, operated by the latest incarnation of the Phipps Brewery. They’ve made an excellent choice of location for their new brewery and bar, occupying part of the old Ratliffe & Jeffrey's Albion Brewery - a fantastic Victorian building which lends itself perfectly to Phipps’ latest operation. The bar has a bit of a drinking hall feel to it, thanks to the spacious main room with its high gabled ceiling, raised bare boarded seating area to the front and concrete floored bar area at the back. You enter via a nice corridor with display cabinets full of old Phipps memorabilia on the walls, emerging into a characterful lobby with an amazing leaded stained glass window on the rear feature wall. Turning through the door to the left, you enter the main room, with the servery along the back wall. The bar has a nice dark wood counter and grand bar back with a nice Phipps Brewery endpiece and etched glass across the top, all of which has apparently been salvaged from former Phipps pubs, as was much of the furniture and decor. Pew and chair seating fill most of the room, with a good amount of standing room left in the area directly opposite the bar, despite the place being considerably quieter than a lot of the town’s other well regarded ale houses on this Friday evening visit. The room has been fitted with plenty of attractive dark wood panels, leaded and stained glass windows and other such period features, whilst the decor includes some amazing old etched glass mirrors, plenty of old Phipps memorabilia including a few great pub signs, and some modern blackboards that in no way detract from the pub’s overall appearance. A great 60’s soundtrack was playing away in the background and on my way out, I spotted one of those table skittles games that seem to be popular in this part of the country.
The brewery can be viewed through some large windows to the left of the bar, so it was appropriate that a good selection of Phipps ales occupied the handpulls, with options on this visit comprising Single Hop Ernest, Ipa, Bison, Gold Star, Black Star, one other that I failed to note down and one that had just gone off. I tried the Single hop Ernest, which was a decent enough brew served to me by a very friendly barmaid who had a little chat with most customers on arrival.
I really liked this place, which I thought was a great restoration of a beautiful old brewery building and a great way to keep the Phipps name going. It was a shame to see the pub much quieter than the likes of the nearby Malt Shovel and Pomfret Arms, as I would say this isn’t too far behind them in the pecking order and should be regarded as a must-visit for anyone crawling around Northampton.
On 29th December 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Albion Brewery Bar
Almost cinema like inside, a nice old building and opened up room . Brewery tap, but the beer is too warm for my personal taste. Nice place though
On 20th October 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Albion Brewery Bar
Phipps brewery goes back to 1864, when the Phipps brothers from Burton on Trent started brewing in Northampton. The last pint of Phipps beers came to a halt in 1968 under Watney's and was only available in bottles up until 1972. In recent years a few brewers books survived, pulled from skips and taken home as souvenirs. Grainstore Brewery brewed their beers up until 2013, until capacity was strained to meet demand.
Funds were raised by the Phipps and Radcliffe family and in 2014 they bought back and restored the Albion Brewery. Since then more of their heritage brews have returned. There were eight handpumps across the bar on our visit, serving six from Phipps, along with one guest beer and one cider. We found the staff to be very friendly and welcoming and the beers we tried were exceptional, we especially liked the Gold Star and the IPA. The pub had plenty of space and you get a good view of the brewery through the glass partition doors along the left hand side of the bar. The bar area looked to be reclaimed as it was traditional in style and constructed from mahogany. Well worth a visit to this brewery tap if you're in the area.
On 11th February 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Thuck Phat left this review about Albion Brewery Bar
The Phipps brewery tap in an historic brewery with a labyrinth of underground tunnels below apparently.
The small bar is to the right as you enter behind which is the brewery.
The tap itself is a simple one roomed affair with hops on the ceiling and darts, skittles and bar billiards as diversions.
The service is warm and welcoming with tasters freely offered.
Beers on were largely from the Phipps stable - Gold Star, Cobblers Ale, Golden Goal, Bison Brown and Beckets Ale in addition to Grainstore Triple B and Saxbys Cider. The Bison Brown was an interesting brew and Gold Star always goes down well.
Phipps seem to be becoming more adventurous with their specials and the Albion is always worth a look in to see what's on.
On 6th August 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 679 recommendations about 678 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Albion Brewery Bar
An interesting brewery tap for Phipps ,this is a one room in an industrial building with the brewing kit sectioned off behind the bar.There are some pleasing original features,traditional bench and pew seating and a small bar with 8 handpumps serving a selection of Phipps ales together with some Locale guests.Sadly the condition of my Phipps Gold Star wasn't the best,and maybe the very hot temperatures had something to do with that,however it was still drinkable as was a second pint.A generous CAMRA discount was offered after the barman asked if we were members,a nice touch.There is a Northamptonshire skittles table with a match in full flow,but no flatscreen,fruit machines or muzak.Popular with local CAMRA members,this place has the feel of a micro pub but just in a much lager environment.A totty freezone compared to the bars in nearby Bridge Street.
On 28th June 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2728 recommendations about 2728 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Moby Duck left this review about Albion Brewery Bar
A very lively brewery tap, the place was packed on my visit, there was 8 hand pumps on the bar, but couldn't get close enough see all of them, however my Phipps Golden Best was excellent. A band was setting up while I was there that could explain the crowd, despite the crush I enjoyed the place, especially the beer.
On 6th May 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1872 recommendations about 1845 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Albion Brewery Bar
Modern alehouse and micro-brewery housed in an old 'converted' brewery building, so quite an unusual history with a re-reversal of fortune. Anyway, the both elements are housed in what could otherwise be something of a barn beside the taller main building, but the central partition breaks things up a bit and there is plenty to look at. The bar features traditional furniture and lots of breweriana plus bar billiards, a form of table skittles, etc. Clear view of the brew plant, with a group visit in the offing by the look of things when I visited. Six Phipps (NBC) beers, including the IPA (£3.40) and one under its Hoggley's brand, plus a local guest and a cider from the eight handpumps.
On 18th December 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Albion Brewery Bar
The Albion Brewery Bar is housed in an old brewery building.
Once inside there is a large square shaped room to the front,with the bar on the right side as you enter the room,there are lots of normal tables and chairs for seating,the front area of the room is up one step where there are more normal tables and chairs,there are some settees to the left,you can see the new brewing plant behind the bar to the left,i did not see the room with a bar billiards table and Northants skittle table.
There is a very good choice of real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Phipps Diamond Ale which was a very nice well kept beer,the other real ales noted Phipps Gold Star,Red Star,India Pale Ale,Diamond Ale,Hop Harvest,there were a couple more i failed to note.
I thought the room was too big for my liking,i thought the beer choice was good and the two i tried were on top form,but is this a real ale drinking barn.
Pub visited 1/10/2016
On 11th November 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Albion Brewery Bar
An old re-converted brewery (Phipps NBC). Very impressive and over two rooms. Main room has vaulted ceiling, reclaimed old furniture, loads of Phipps breweriana. There is a dedicated games area with bar billiards and Northants skittles. Behind the traditional bar (reclaimed fittings) via an oak and glass partition is the in-house brewery which also doubles-up as a function room, 8 pumps, with 7 ales and a cider. All the ales were theirs bar one from Twisted Brewing Co. I tried the Stout and the Red and both were highly tasty and in excellent shape. Was exclaiming to Desmond just how good this place was when a voice piped-up saying ‘glad you like it!’ and he turned out to be the proprietor who was holding court. A jolly nice chap he was too and we chatted to him for 5 minutes. This is an absolute corker and is also two minutes from the Malt Shovel, a pub to which this is now a serious contender for ‘best in show’ in Northampton. 9.5
On 13th August 2016
- rating: 9
[User has posted 5099 recommendations about 5082 pubs]