real ale

If you are a fan of real ales and are looking to try out a micropub in the Derby area then you are in luck here as I’ve picked out a selection of some of Derby’s finest micropubs.

In what would be my first new micropub visit for 2½ years I visit The Hole In The Wall, a former bank turned small watering hole in the Derby suburb of Mickleover.

Formerly a derelict building but now home to a new cafe brought to you by the team behind the Grand Cafe Caruso in Derby. Time to pay a visit to Cafe Villabella.

With the easing of lockdown many small hospitality businesses are now able to open up, initially with outdoor services. One such venue to reopen is The Brunswick Inn in Derby, and I caught up with them to find out how the pandemic has affected the business and his hopes for the re-opening.

One micropub has that managed to keep going during the COVID-19 pandemic is the Dog & Parrot in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire. We caught up with the team at the Dog to get the full lowdown on how the pandemic has effected the business as well as their involvement with creating government pub guidelines, and some wider thoughts on the micropub trade going forward.

Lying on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border is the town of Stapleford, home to a former pizza takeaway that is now a small watering hole – The Millipede.