Water Mill closed

Rowley Reg

Well-Known Forumite
Walked past this morning - £1 a pint written all over the windows. Peered-in, all in darkness and everything gone from the bar.

Real shame, but does raise questions about greedy pubcos and the ability of town centre pubs to survive. I really feel for the poor people who have lost their dream, home, and business.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Been closed for a while hasn't it? Didn't surprise me really, I went in when they opened but they offered nothing I couldn't get elsewhere therefore there was no specific reason to visit.
 

Bob

Well-Known Forumite
Been closed for a while hasn't it? Didn't surprise me really, I went in when they opened but they offered nothing I couldn't get elsewhere therefore there was no specific reason to visit.

What should they have done to get you (and everyone else) through the doors?
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Easy for me:

http://www.staffordforum.com/xf/index.php?threads/water-mill.6464/page-3#post-116393

Although reading that I realise I possibly missed an entire incarnation of the pub! On the last page I mention the new owners selling Thatchers, and indeed they said they would be, yet the next time I went in to meet some mates it was most definately strongbow on tap. Which, as most people who know me can vouch, is rather low on my list of tipples of choice.
 

Glam

Mad Cat Woman
Everyone sells Strongbow, which tbh, is rather boring. The Spittal Brooke used to sell a nice cider on tap, can't remember the name.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Its such a shame that every pub in town now seems to sell real ales but few are willing to give cider a try, if you cared about the quality of one surely you'd care about the other? I can understand them being scared to risk it on the poly boxes that go off but just stocking one bottle of note would surely not be impossible?
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Where will you be selling them? I'm only able to visit the town easily but will happily visit either establishment there to partake. Also understand this is a personal choice, I have no idea what other cider fetishists drink! Main ones for me that I know can be had in bottles but can never find would be:

Black Dragon (Gwynt y Ddraig)
Gold Medal (Gwynt y Ddraig)
Old Rascal (Thatchers) - Already at the Moat House? My staple drink at the Greyhound as its low enough alcohol to have multiple!
Vintage Perry (Westons)

Of these I can't get the Welsh ones anywhere, the only places I know are the Wetherspoons in Llandudno and the Tesco at Abergele! Old Rascal I only know of at the Greyhound or the Moat House, and the vintage perry is sold in Tesco. More usual to find, but still a damn sight better than the usual offerings:

Green Goblin (Thatchers)
Wyld Wood (Westons)
Katy (Thatchers) - Already for sale in the Swan :)
Most Henry Westons range (vintage/sweet/dry)

Of these Green Goblin seems to have disappeared again after a brief popularity at the Pie & Ale House, Wyld Wood can be found in a few but not many (The Yard! That shocked me) and is a distinctive taste that not all may enjoy. Katy is a bit more popular, but a rather strong one for drinking out if you ask me. I believe that the Henry Westons are only really available at the Picture House, but would love to be proved wrong. I also had them last year in a tiny pub in the living room of an old farm looking building near a canal!

I'd also try virtually anything I'd not tried before, as long as it appeared to be a real cider and not a fake one. I've only been lucky enough to find a cider from Once Upon a Tree at the Swan at Whiston previously (Tumpy Ground), but that was a 20l box so not much use without a constant trade. Ross on Wye do some very interesting looking bottles although I am yet to try one, I've heard the Headless Man and the one with the alpaca on the front (cyder?) are rather good. I suspect these would be hard to come by though as I've never seen one. I'm thinking of making a few orders at Christmas from as many small companies as I can, give myself a bit of variety!
 

ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
I went into the Water Mill a while ago to see if their advertised Reggae Night was any good. It was the kind of place where the tracksuited locals stared at everyone walking through the door. So I didn't go back.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
The last time that I went in there, it was still the Nag's Head and some rugby players were puking into a bucket.
 

Trumpet

Well-Known Forumite
The Spittal Brooke used to sell a nice cider on tap, can't remember the name.
Pretty certain it was Addlestones. A couple I know who used to go in there drank it all the time, she was about a size 6, three stone wet through type. She used to regularly have 6 or 8 halves and still drive home. Lunacy.
 

United57

Well-Known Forumite
Black Dragon (Gwynt y Ddraig)
Gold Medal (Gwynt y Ddraig)
Old Rascal (Thatchers) - Already at the Moat House? My staple drink at the Greyhound as its low enough alcohol to have multiple!
Vintage Perry (Westons)


Green Goblin (Thatchers)
Wyld Wood (Westons)
Katy (Thatchers) - Already for sale in the Swan :)
Most Henry Westons range (vintage/sweet/dry)

No white lightning ?
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
If you can get either of the welsh ones I promise to visit every night after work for 2 weeks, I know that doesn't clear a crate but its a minimum of 10 you'll sell. I do miss the gold medal!
 

Noah

Well-Known Forumite
Give me a list and I'll have them in within a week as an experiment

There are three Staffordshire cider makers.

Woody's Cider is at Branston, near Burton & has been established for several years. http://woodyscider.co.uk , email frank@woodyscider.co.uk

Hurst View Cider is a new one, the ciders have been available at Morton's Brewery and featured at the West Midlands Cider & Perry Festival. I'm not certain of the contact details but as far as I am aware the owner is Nick Rowbotham and it is based at Hurst View, Ivetsey Bank, Wheaton Aston, ST19 9QP. The cider is 6.5% ABV and comes in bottle or bag.

The third may not be producing in Staffordshire yet. Gary Parson's Solway Cider was well established in Cumbria but Gary was moving to the Bignall End area in September and hoping to transfer cider production there.
 
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