Prestwich
village lies at the outer rim of the grand metropolis that is Bury and so it
often gets overlooked in favour of its brighter, louder, neighbour Manchester.
Although it harbours aspirations-some would say pretensions-to be a Didsbury clone,
the reality has been somewhat different. Beer choice has traditionally been
limited and was heavily dominated by Holts with only a very limited choice of
other ales. However, things have been steadily improving and the burgeoning
dining scene has started to have a knock on effect on the beer front. Eager to
check out the latest disturbances in the Force, I set sail for pastures new.
New
adventures in drinking, as everyone knows, can be thirsty work so the
experienced traveller will always warm up with a pint or two. The logical place
to start seemed to be the Coach & Horses, just over the border in Bury Old
Road, Whitefield. This Victorian boozer is a traditional Holts pub divided into
3 rooms. I tend to find the Mild a little variable but the Bitter is always a
safe bet. Prestwich Liberal Club also offers the lure of real ale but is harder
than Fort Knox to get into. Even if you get past the swipe card protected front
door, you may find yourself trapped in the foyer awaiting a friendly face to
buzz you in. If you do get the hard-as-nails barmaid to serve you, the choice is
Holts Mild & Bitter alongside Landlord.
Much more
amenable is one of the new kids on the block: All the Shapes. This new café bar
nestles on the site of a former tanning salon on Warwick St and is just the
sort of place that Prestwich has sorely been lacking in. It’s cosy with a small
downstairs bar area and more room upstairs. Obviously it offers the now de
rigueur food options, which are very good I believe, but most importantly it
has a decent beer offering. Two handpumps offer a changing selection of local
ales: First Chop and the excellent Track Black IPA on my first visit. There’s
also the likes of Cloudwater and Camden on tap and a decent bottled collection.
This should do really well and you can see it expanding in the future.
 |
| (All the Shapes) |
Already part
of a growing empire is the other new kid on the block: Solita. Situated on Bury
New Road, this will need no introduction to those who have visited the Didsbury
or Manchester City centre branches. Known ostensibly for their food,
particularly the burgers, they do also offer the opportunity to just go in and
enjoy a few drinks. The Prestwich bar downstairs is comfortable and far larger
than you might think. They seem a little shy about the fact that they serve
real ale and the handpumps tend to go unbadged. Here the rather excellent Pale
Ale house beer is brewed by Bury’s very own Brightside. They also brew the
equally excellent house keg beer Solita Brau. Other options on draught include
Kona Big Wave and Paulaner. Whilst not an obvious option as somewhere to pop in
for a drink, the beer selection does offer something different for the area.
 |
| (Solita) |
Whilst in
the area it would be rude not to check out the Church Inn which is tucked away
at the end of, appropriately enough, Church Lane. For many years the Church
flew the flag for beer choice in Prestwich and was the first in the area to
offer a no-smoking room. its Deuchars-when that was considered cutting edge-was
also rated the best in the borough. Despite still being an Enterprise Inn pub,
it makes the most of the available guest beers and offers four for your
delectation. To get to the Church, you’ll have to pass Prestwich Conservative
Club. It’s worth poking your head in here to marvel at the rather plush
surroundings. They do have real ale on; it varies but was Robinsons Trooper
when I called in.
Now of
course Prestwich wouldn’t be Prestwich without a drop of Holts. You’re spoilt
for choice really, what with the Red Lion and the White Horse but on this
sortie it was the Foresters that took the prize. This is a 1960’s two-roomed
boozer where the Bitter is usually on form. You’re very close to the Metrolink
stop now, but it’s worth calling in the Railway & Naturalist. Built in 1850,
the ‘Nats’ was originally named after the members of the Botanical Society that
used to meet there but the coming of thirsty railway labourers changed the name
to its current status. When the pub was knocked through, along with the loss of
the famous ‘Rat Pit’ room, it lost much of its character. However, in recent
times it has returned to the real ale fold and now offers a changing guest
beer.
Prestwich definitely
looks to be on the up beer wise and is only a bus or tram ride away from Bury or Manchester centre.
