Pubs and Bars / Pub of the Week
Pub of the Week: The Wooden Walls
It’s a contradiction in terms to call micropubs trendy. By their very nature they are the antithesis of cool. But with the arrival of the Wooden Walls in Staple Hill, Bristol’s micropub revolution continues apace.
The city now has four micropubs, which define themselves as “a small freehouse which listens to its customers, mainly serves cask ales, promotes conversation, shuns all forms of electronic entertainment and dabbles in traditional pub snacks”.
This newest member of the gang – following in the footsteps of the Drapers Arms on Gloucester Road, Chums on Chandos Road and Snuffy Jack’s on Fishponds Road – used to be a carpet shop.
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It’s now a place for appreciating good beer and cider, with owner Dave Sibley (formerly of Snuffy Jack’s) chalking up a couple of new additions in the space of less than half an hour on Thursday afternoon as selections run out and are then swiftly replaced.
Among the beers on this particularly visit were three from Cosmic Brewing Co. in nearby Fishponds, an APA, milk stout and steam beer, with the APA coming off and replaced by Hood best bitter from Lincoln Green of Nottinghamshire.
“I’ll take the easy way out,” stated one drinker as he headed to the serving hatch. “What’s the hoppiest one at the moment?”
This turns out to be Speakeasy, an unfined US IPA from VOG of Glamorgan, which the new customer started sipping after taking a photo of the large blackboard with the day’s drinks chalked up.
Alongside the beers, all costing £3.50 a pint with 30p off for Camra members, are three ciders for £3.70, the Brislington Brain Twister dry, a medium dry from Ashridge and a bottle of Strawberry Kiwi by Brothers.
There are also two gins from Phipps, and two wines from Distant Vines, a Sauvignon Blanc and a merlot.
Befitting its name, most of this new micropub’s walls are wooden, decorated with planks, with a few framed photos and prints.
There may not be any pumps here, with the beers poured directly from their casks from a stillage set up in a small room behind the serving hatch, but there are some 20 pump clips already on display from the likes of Dark Star, Hoggleys and Bristol Beer Factory.
“This is the best one out of Bristol’s micropubs,” a new local proclaims midway through his second pint. “It’s got everything that I need.”
The Wooden Walls, 30 Broad Street, Staple Hill, Bristol, BS16 5NU
07448 936034
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