The Grove, at the corner of Spring Grove Street, Huddersfield is a comfortable walk from the town centre. Dating from 1853 the pub originally had a small brewery attached. In 1911 it came under the ownership of the Huddersfield brewers, Bentley and Shaw. It continued as a tied house (owned by a succession of breweries and selling their beers) until 2005 when it seemed for a time that it might close down. Luckily it didn't close: instead it became an independent pub specialising in a wide variety of real ales, many of them from local craft breweries.
Not so much a pub, more a temple devoted to the art of the brewer, the Grove is a place of pilgrimage for those who worship beer. I sampled a pint of Curious Original Pale Ale from the Magic Rock Brewery, Huddersfield. It was wonderful stuff, light enough for a lunchtime pint and fruity enough to qualify as one of your five portions of fruit a day. It was all I could do to avoid breaking out into a chorus of hymn-singing - All Things Bright And Beautiful, All Bitters Great And Small.
As so often happens, much better inside that the exterior would lead you to believe. Which ales made up the other four from the 'five a day'. I always believed there was one pork chop in each pint, so you could skip meat and fruit.
ReplyDeleteAdd a bag of crisps and your carbohydrate, fat and salt intake would also be sorted. That just leaves a glass of milk before bed :)
ReplyDeleteIt really is an unassuming looking building. I can tell by the interior that it has a lot of character and probably smells good too.
ReplyDeleteI'm more fascinated by that brick tower thing next door, to be honest. What is it? (BTW, did you get the photo I emailed?)
ReplyDeleteAlan, no I didn't get your email but glad you got the photos.
DeleteThe interior is more interesting to me too. Now I am curious about the tower thing that jenny is asking about.
ReplyDeleteThere looks to be a chapel behind, so that round thing could be their bell-tower.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about how big this place would be and then you conveniently included a photo. So it's fairly small and was local watering hole.
ReplyDeleteYour enthusiasm for a good brew is positively evangelical, Alan.
ReplyDeleteI wish there was a ‘like’ button here.Martin’s puning relies are so witty! So ‘wise and wonderful’ :)
DeleteI like your version of the hymn better...
ReplyDeleteI'm with Jenny - what's the circular building? Something Fred Dibnah took down?
ReplyDeleteIt hardly looks like a pub..very understated..The Grove could be almost anything :)
ReplyDeleteI do love the names they’ve chosen for their brews. I’m surprised you didn’t try the ‘Rapture’ Alan.
ReplyDeleteWow, it does almost seem like a religious experience to walk in there!
ReplyDeleteThis looks to be a wonderful spot to spend an afternoon. Enthusiasm for a good pub and good beer is a fine quality, thanks for sharing that with me all the way over here.
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying your pub series if not always commenting - good pubs are so rare, and yet so worth the finding.
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