The Great British Pub Crawl’s Dale Harvey gives his verdict on 15 Grantham pubs
A man on a mission to tour, review and celebrate the nation’s pubs has given his verdict on 15 venues in Grantham.
Dale Harvey visited the town for a second time for a pub crawl across town, visiting a range of popular pubs across the area.
Usually joined by his partner Holly Booth, the couple aim to visit every pub in England and have so far managed to visit more than 2,000 pubs in nearly two years, including Stamford and Spalding.
On the duo’s Great British Pub Crawl Facebook page, Dale – who visited alone on December 7 – described Grantham as a “friendly and welcoming town” that has a “lot of variety in it”.
He added: “[It has] a lovely cocktail bar, plenty of grand old pubs that are steeped in history and even some ghost stories.
“It was a bit of a walk from the Tap up to the Lord Harrowby but, honestly, I would do it again in a heartbeat because all of the 15 pubs I visited deserve to be showcased and do well.
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“For me, all that Grantham is really missing is a true craft beer bar - zero offerings of any true craft beer houses in the town, no sign of any sour beers and very few pubs with any kind of craft ales on at all. Aside from that, it's got the lot.
“Apparently, a YouTube influencer visited Grantham a few months back and called it the worst town he's ever been to - well, I would like to speak to this chap as he obviously doesn't get out much.”
“Grantham is a great little town and never let anyone tell you otherwise!”
The pubs he visited were: The Whistle Stop Micro Pub, The Reindeer Inn, The Old Bank, Chequers, The Beehive Inn, Blue Pig Inn, Angel and Royal Hotel, The Nobody Inn, The Black Dog, Tap & Tonic, The Kings Arms, Bar Retro, The Tap, The Lord Harrowby and The White Lion.
Arriving just after 2pm, his first stop was at The Whistle Stop, at Grantham Rail Station, which he described as a “lovely little micropub” that has “three real ale hand pumps on and a wealth of other choices to suit all palates”.
Next on Dale’s crawl was a visit to The Reindeer Inn which he thought was a “lovely little corner pub with a friendly welcome”.
He added: “Definitely somewhere that the alternative music lovers can hang out as there was a rock undertone to the music.
“Lady running the place is super lovely and they've gone all out with the festive decorations that look great. The pub is also dog friendly.”
The third stop was The Old Bank, described as “very grand looking”.
Dale said that the welcome at the pub was “always good” and praised it for its sport coverage and range of ciders.
Next was a walk around the corner to Chequers, in Market Place, which Dale thought was “beautiful inside as it is friendly”.
He added: “Young lady on the bar is super friendly, just as I remembered it being in here last time we came and the pub is warm and cosy with some decent tunes playing.”
The fourth pub to visit was The Beehive Inn, what Dale described as a “classic old school pub”.
He said the pub was the “base that the good old British boozer was built on”.
Next up was The Blue Pig Inn, Dale’s favourite of the Grantham pubs.
Dale said the “fantastic little pub” is a “must visit for everyone”, praising its “very welcome open fire” and it's “true historic feel”.
Next on the list was the town’s oldest hotel, Angel and Royal, which he thought was “one of the most beautiful buildings you’ll ever find”.
He added: “Two separate bars either side of the entrance that are each as beautiful as each other and both house a lovely open fire.
“Young lady serving in the cocktail bar was very friendly and welcoming and they've got a couple of real ales on as well as plenty of other choice.”
Just a three minute walk away was The Nobody Inn which Dale thought was a “hive of activity, with superb, quirky decor.”
He said that the pub “covers all bases”, due to its sport coverage, music events and a place that can also provide a quieter experience.
Eighth pub on the crawl was the Black Dog, in Watergate.
Dale praised the venue for the “friendly chap” who runs it and its history due to its many ghostly tales.
Next was a visit to Tap and Tonic, which is one of Dale’s favourite cocktail bars he has visited.
He said: “[It is] a stunning little cocktail bar and honestly one of my favourite cocktail bars we have visited.
“They do a superb Pina Colada for £8.50 which is very reasonable for the quality and the ambience here is just lovely.
“Really friendly staff and perfect surroundings.”
The tenth pub on the list was The Kings Arms, in Westgate, which Dale thought had “plenty of character”.
He thought the staff were “top notch” and made people feel very welcome.
Dale also praised the addition of a beer pong table since his last visit.
Next was a visit to Bar Retro, which he said “offers everything you’d expect from a place with that name”.
Dale then made his way to The Tap, which he said is a “proper music bar with great tunes and fantastic memorabilia on show”.
Next was a stop to Grantham’s CAMRA pub of the year, The Lord Harrowby, in Dudley Road.
Dale said: “They [have] a great array of beers on, a friendly way about them and a lovely pub.”
The final stop was The White Lion which although Dale said was “situated out of the main town”, it was a “lovely” and “friendly place”.
He added: “A real fire blazing [place], plenty of punters in and a lovely welcome, making it my perfect final stop for the day.”
After touring around 15 pubs, Dale was back on a train home just before 9pm.
To find out more about Dale and Holly’s pub adventures, go to https://www.facebook.com/TheGreatBritishPubCrawl. Our Secret Drinker has also begun his own odyssey around pubs in the county. You can catch up with his first review here.
Do you agree with Dale’s verdict on Grantham’s pubs? Let us know in the comments below
