Transpennine Real Ale Trail

On 17 January 2023, the second day of the Leeds based trip, our group of 12 CAMRA members planned a day out visiting some of the refreshment room bars and pubs on the Transpennine railway line between Leeds and Manchester. An off peak day return to Stalybridge costs £12.50 with a railcard discount. 

We caught the Transpennine Express train from Leeds at 10.45, arriving Huddersfield 11.05 soon after the 11.00 opening of the Head of Steam which has an entrance near the south end of Platform 1.

We walked through the first room into a front bar and then left into another front bar where the cask ale handpumps are located. When everyone orders individually it takes a while to get served! Recognising that he was dealing with a group of soft Southerners, the barman kindly offered to take sparklers off when pulling beers but I don't think anyone wanted this done.

The Price is Right was showing on the TV. Music included 'House of the Rising Sun'. Tim's beer choice: Magic Rock Brewing - Hat-Trick 'Modern Blonde Bitter' £1.90 half pint.

At the north end of platform 1, accessed from the impressive station forecourt, the King's Head opened at 11.30am and features a large room with a log burning stove and a second room with a fireplace.

Tim's beer choices: Cloudwater - Fuzzy 'Hazy Pale' £2 half pint (photo above) & Bradfield Brewery - Farmers Belgian Blue £1.65 half pint.

We found out too late that both Huddersfield station bars offer a CAMRA discount.

Although many Transpennine Express trains were cancelled this week, our preferred train to take us across the Pennines to Stalybridge was running but busy and we ended up in different coaches in order to find a seat. After the bright sunshine of Leeds and Huddersfield the weather soon changed to cloudy skies and snow covered hillsides. Two of our group failed to alight at Stalybridge and would rejoin us later after returning from Manchester (8 miles to the west)!

Stalybridge Station Buffet Bar was busy so our group was split across several rooms, one of which featured live folk music. There was an open coal fire in the main bar to provide necessary warmth.

The lunch menu was limited but Tim secured one of the few pork pies remaining (£3) to go with his choice of a pint of Rat Brewery - The Snow Rat (£4.10). Others enjoyed mustard with their pies. Music included Status Quo - Pictures of Matchstick Men.

Heading back towards Leeds, our first stop was at Greenfield to visit the Railway Inn, after crossing the platforms by footbridge.

Here we met up again with Mike and Lesley Andrew who had left Stalybridge earlier and reached the pub by bus with less steps to negotiate.

The traditional pub has several rooms and we enjoyed friendly service. There are interesting vintage black and white photos of the local area and games available include table football.

Tim's beer choice: Millstone Brewery - Tiger Rut (£3.60 pint). Music included early Fairport Convention and Shirley Collins.

A delayed Transpennine Express train to Huddersfield made us anxious that we might miss the Northern Rail connection to Dewsbury but there was time and no need to use the subway to reach the bay platform.

However, we needed to use the footbridge at Dewsbury to reach the West Riding Refreshment Rooms on Platform 2.

It was busy inside but we were able to find seats and enjoy the warmth of the coal fire. Tim added a copy of Ullage magazine to the rack for CAMRA magazines. Tim's beer choice: Thornbridge Brewery - Astryd + North Riding Brewery - Citra Pale (£4 for 2 x half pints) with Citra Pale standing out as his favourite beer of the day.

Thanks to Mark Geeson for organising this great day out on the Transpennine Real Ale Trail.

On Thursday, Tim was able to visit another pub on the trail -  The Commercial, Slaithwaite - as part of a group of five who returned to Huddersfield by train. Also accessible by train, we travelled to Slaithwaite by 181 bus which passes Linthwaite and stops near the pub just after crossing the river Colne and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. 

As we arrived, efforts were being made to get the log burner to catch fire and generate some heat in the light main room. The pub was quite busy with local people.

Tim's beer choices: Empire Brewing - Commerci' Ale (£1.40 half pint) & Empire Brewing - Raspberry Blower (£1.65 half pint). Music included Richard Thompson.

Although popular with CAMRA members for years before, the Transpennine Real Ale Trail gained publicity and popularity when Oz Clarke and James May featured some West Yorkshire railway bars they visited on an episode of BBC's Oz and James Drink to Britain in 2009.

Other pubs on the Transpennine Real Ale Trail (west to east) include:

Marsden - Riverhead Brewery Tap

Mirfield - Navigation Tavern

Batley -  Cellar Bar

Beer in Brussels - Sunday 3 July 2022

 

Simon and Tim travelled from Antwerp to Brussels Midi by train and then walked through a busy Sunday market and then along Avenue de Stalingrad to reach Cafe Bebo at its northern end, where it joins Place Rouppe.

While Tim checked into economical and nearby Hotel Barry, Simon enjoyed a glass of Duchesse De Bourgogne at a pavement table. (Simon's luggage had already been deposited at the station in readiness for his evening departure by Eurostar to London).

It is only a short walk from Place Rouppe to Place Fontainas.

Tim's first beer in Brussels would be served inside at Moeder Lambic (Fontainas) where it was not busy and the background music was mainly Europop.

While Simon (above) enjoyed a glass of Quetsche Tilquin, Tim enjoyed a glass of Troubadour Magma NEIPA. These were poured from two of the forty or so taps.

There are now two banks of taps at the back of the bar and two more banks on the bar itself. 

With so many taps for a wide choice there are few bottles listed on the daily beer menu.

It is now 'bar service' and it appears there are no longer any handpumps at Moeder Lambic for cask beer. Some seats near the entrance have been removed to make way for a raised and tiled space, perhaps intended as an open storage area? 

Moeder Lambic (Fontainas) must surely be an essential destination for any beer enthusiast's Brussels visit.

With an evening train to catch, Simon was keen to visit nearby Poechenellekelder and enjoy a lasagne meal in advance of our friends, who were catching a later train from Antwerp to meet up with us at Brasserie de la Mule.

Situated near the Mannekin Pis tourist hotspot, all the tables in the courtyard were taken so we sat inside, near the stairway leading up from the entrance, with music from a talented singer-guitarist just outside providing a good background.

From the extensive beer menu, Simon chose Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers Oerbier and Tim chose Orval (after finding that V Cense from Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille was not available).

Our drinks were professionally poured and served with a small bowl of complimentary snacks. Simon could not finish his lasagne, served with a generous basket of bread so Tim also had something to eat before his evening meal! As usual, Poechenellekelder did not disappoint and is another essential Beer in Brussels destination.

On the way to the tram stop to take us to Schaerbeek, we walked up Rue du Chene and passed Gist and the statue of Jacques Brel at Place de la Vieille Halle au Bles. Tim would revisit Poechenellekelder and Gist in the evening. 

Tram 92 runs from Palais to Pogge and we arrived at Brasserie de la Mule, 95 Rue Reubens, soon after 5pm.

The building was once a tram depot and stable for the horses that once pulled them. The courtyard furniture is made from wooden pallets and cable drums. Tim's first beer (above) was Straight Saison (6% ABV) served in a tall wheat beer style glass with good value at 5 euros for 50cl.

It was good to meet up again with the 'usual suspects' from Antwerp although Dave had travelled on to Amsterdam instead. Out of service trams are still stored behind the old tram depot - as visible in the photo.

Inside, the Bar de la Mule is a large space with a vaulted ceiling and seating areas at both ends. Table football can be played at the end which leads to the courtyard at the side.

Brewery vessels and the canning line can be seen before entering the bar area and when leaving. 

With a train to catch, Simon was the first to leave. Before the rest of us left at 7.30pm there was time for another tall beer (an amber coloured Hefe Weisse Naturtrüb for Tim).

There was also time to speak to Guillaume who had single-handedly managed the bar all day. Tim left a copy of West Berkshire CAMRA Ullage magazine with him for customers to read.

Note that live music and other events are often held at Brasserie de la Mule and event details are updated on Facebook.

A photo opportunity for Tim (Thomas) as the group of four reached Thomas tram stop, at the junction of Rue du Progres and Avenue Philippe Thomas.

Tram 3, south towards Churchill, would take us to Beurs. Esplanade is the northern terminus on this route. Presenting an enabled contactless bank card to the reader onboard charges 2.10 euros for an hour's travel on the STIB-MIVB network. 

We passed some Tintin street art in Rue de l'Etuve, just south of Rue du Lombard, as we approached Poechenellekelder.

Tim was happy to revisit Poechenellekelder and to sit outside this time.

He chose Moinette for his first evening beer. This time there was no complimentary bowl of snacks to nibble. This Brasserie Dupont 8.5% ABV flagship beer was created in 1955.

Here's a photo of Tim's lasagne at Poechenellekelder from a 2019 visit. Once again it was a popular meal choice. Unlike the afternoon visit, there was no basket of bread accompaniment on this occasion. It was generous of Richard to pay for all our meals. He was feeling rich after patting a different pocket while at Brasserie de la Mule and discovering that the wallet which he had thought had been pickpocketed, while on the tram to Schaerbeek earlier, had not been stolen after all!

With its collection of wooden puppets, there is always something unusual to photograph on the route to the toilets at Poechenellekelder. These are reached after negotiating stairs up from the entrance and then down to the basement from bar level. 

It was deja vu again for Tim as the group walked up Rue du Chene but this time we would find a table inside Gist which was dimly lit. It was good to see a handpump in action here even though not placed in the most ergonomic position on the bar!

There have been several changes since a previous visit to Gist in 2019 when it was run by Jenlain and Jody - see previous post. The loud music from vinyl records has been toned down and the decor has changed.

The new decor includes cymbals as shades for lighting fixtures.

Gist is now an Untappd verified venue and details of available beers can be checked online. 

Tim received a 'Gist Brussels Family' badge after checking in his first beer (Blanche Cassis by Drogenbos) on the Untappd app (as timofnewbury).

Despite its name, Urine a 7% ABV DIPA collaboration between Brasserie du Borinage and Bastard Brewers tasted good and was served in a can shaped branded glass.

Although Gist was not busy later on, the helpful staff kept the bar open until the advertised closing time of midnight on Sunday.

Note that a range of Brasserie de la Mule canned beers, with colourful labels by AMMO illustration, are available at Gist.

Gist has become another essential Beer in Brussels bar to visit, especially for craft beer enthusiasts!

The regularly updated Brussels Beer City blog by Eoghan Walsh has more news about beer in Brussels and is highly recommended.

Eoghan's latest book 'A History of Brussels Beer in 50 Objects' includes #49 Brasserie de la Mule Hefe Weisse.