Royal Reconnaissance in Sutton Coldfield

King Henry VIII was the monarch responsible for granting Sutton Coldfield its Charter of Incorporation way back in 1528, ever since which the town has had the right to refer to itself as 'royal'. Naturally for someone of a regal persuasion, our very own Nick is only too happy to subject the area to his sovereign brand of scrutiny as he makes his first blog appearance of 2023...

- Hill Village Road -

Saturday 28th January 2023 heralds an outing that should be majoring on micropubs if all goes to plan. Nick and I therefore converge upon the Cross City line for our connection north of New Street before making Four Oaks our first principal stopping point, noting the presence of exclusive gated communities and a prominent Methodist Church. A gentle meander around Mere Green has us doing a Lichfield Road - Hill Village Road loop, all in the shadow of the TV transmission tower. A couple of quaint cottages lurk amidst otherwise unremarkable residential surroundings although we do note the strangely-named Funky Bear, a Thwaites pub that has had quite a makeover since I last saw it in its White Lion days. 

- Ale Hub, Mere Green -

Nick is not averse to the occasional bout of funkiness but we have other targets in mind today, hence the bottom end of Hill Village Road conveys us to the Ale Hub pretty much bang on 12 midday opening time. The barman is just finishing off his cleaning routines then obligingly lets us inside to partake of Church End's Fallen Angel, which at 5% abv makes for a rather potent aperitif. The beer is served in very good condition as we ponder an extensive gin menu and gaze out upon the traffic ballet that is Mere Green's main roundabout; the bar is certainly well positioned overlooking a busy junction so hopefully they drum up a healthy amount of trade. At time of writing there are six Ale Hubs in total, this one being part of a portfolio that includes outlets in Kingswinford, Droitwich, Worcester, Dickens Heath and Shirley, all of which have sprung up since the autumn of 2020. I really like what they do and wish them well. 

- Leviathan Brewing is Open! -

From Mere Green we intercept an X5 on its way down from Roughley and briefly encounter Sutton Coldfield town centre. This is only a passing visit because we're soon on the trail of a microbrewery, hence venturing along Coleshill Road to locate the Reddicap Industrial Estate. Casting our eye among the workshop units, we can't see anything obvious until a little metal cask offers this all-important invitation: "Come in, We're open". I must admit I wasn't overly familiar with Leviathan Brewing beforehand but they've definitely made an impression now, thanks to a distinct liking of all things heavy metal. His Majesty Nick is equally beguiled by blackened walls and framed Black Sabbath photographs as we peruse an extensive beer lineup. 'Master of Poppets' catches the imagination as a 13.4% barley wine but we play it safer with 'Voodoo People' stout, a creation that blends five malts for a smooth dry tipple.

- Aspen Gold in the Brew House -

Isn't it amazing what you can find on an ordinary Walsall housing estate these days? Streetly's Boundary Way block of shops on the Hundred Acre isn't the most promising setting for a Good Beer Guide entry - one end of the precinct seems to be fortified with giant pencils protecting a nursery school against invaders - but this is precisely where the Brew House calls home. Our tick here is reward for a kamikaze sprint to catch the 77 bus over from Sutton, and Nick has just about got his breath back in order to obtain our pristine halves of Aspen Gold (from the Arbor Brewery). One half of the pub is adorned with pumpclips while the other pays homage to musical masters such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, The Yardbirds and Cream. FA Cup goalflashes are flying in as the regulars keep track of their betting accumulators, and it all goes to show what wonders can be achieved with an empty shopping unit.

- Something plummy at Cask & Craft -

Delighted to have bagged the Brew House, we wait for the next 77... and wait... and wait. Just when we think we might have to rename this blogpost 'Stranded in Streetly', the bus belatedly does turn up and we're on our way into Boldmere. Hoping for some teatime sustenance, we chance the Bishop Vesey Wetherspoons only to find it packed to the rafters; a coachload of Leicester City supporters celebrating their victory at Bescot have descended upon the place so we won't be sampling the special Burns Night haggis burgers today. Instead we'll simply trot over the road into Cask & Craft, an independent bottleshop and beer bar with surreally psychedelic wall patterns. The downstairs fridges are proving popular with can aficionados while we adopt a first floor perch for quaffing of Titanic Plum Porter and Wild Beer Millionaire Milk Stout, the latter having an appealing salted caramel edge to it. 

- Boldmere Bear -

A check of the train app tells us it is time to make tracks, as it doesn't do to keep His Majesty out after his bedtime - Nick presumably has to get back to a well-loved royal teddy which has been the subject of recent media revelations. Boldmere Road yields a flurry of dusky pictures with an emphasis on the Big Sleuth bear stationed outside the Harvester, and with a close eye on the clock we make it hastily to Chester Road Station for our trains home. Three micropubs and a brewery tap makes for an excellent day's work with each of our chosen watering holes offering much to be commended - they certainly get Nick's stately seal of approval. Cheers!