Micropub Adventures

Welcome to Micropub Adventures

Hi and Welcome! This is where I share my love of exploring micropubs, independent pubs, and breweries around the UK. I’m all about finding those cosy little spots with great beer, community values, friendly faces, and plenty of character. Along the way I’ll be writing about the pubs I stumble across, the pints I enjoy, and the breweries that make it all happen. If you’re into good beer and discovering hidden gems, grab a pint, choose a place to visit and explore the area.

Take a look at the links below to follow my adventures—whether through my latest blog posts, by Category, or by Area—plus plenty of other fun bits to explore

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My first visit yesterday was in Bridlington to The Moon Tap / The Moon Tap. The Moon Tap has been a pub site for a long time and sits firmly in Bridlington’s town-centre story. It was originally known as the Half Moon, a local pub that served the area for many years when Prospect Street was growing in the late 1800s. After the Half Moon closed, the building was done up and reopened as The Moon Tap, keeping its long-running role as a place to drink and meet. These days it also houses an on-site brewery, Bridlington Brewery, brewing beer right inside the building and adding a modern twist to a very old pub tradition. Southsea is a great place to explore, and well worth a visit to HUIS / @huissouthsea. This meaning “house” in Flemish, opened in 2015 on Elm Grove in Southsea. From the start, it set itself apart with a retro 1960s living-room feel and a focus on Belgian culture. At first it balanced being both a bar and a restaurant, but the food soon became the main attraction, with chefs trained in Belgium bringing classic dishes to Portsmouth. Over time, HUIS built a reputation as a cosy local spot, blending quirky décor with hearty European cooking. It quickly became a favourite in the community, adding a fresh twist to the city’s growing independent dining scene. Saltash in Cornwall is beautiful and home to The Cockleshell Micropub. This opened in 2020 in a former shop unit, named in honour of the Cockleshell Heroes—Royal Marines who carried out a daring canoe raid behind enemy lines during WWII. The name reflects Saltash’s strong military and naval connections, as many service personnel have lived in or passed through the area. Founded by locals with a passion for history and community Chorley is an amazing day out, full of great Pubs and Micropubs including Shepherds Hall Ale House & Victoria Rooms. Shepherds’ Hall Ale House opened in 2014 and quickly became Chorley’s go-to spot for proper ale. It’s set inside an old 1903 lodge building that once belonged to the Shepherds’ Friendly Society and later became a newsagent, so it’s got a bit of history baked in. Three brothers run the place, keeping it chilled and old-school — hand-pulled beers, local breweries, no blaring TVs or gimmicks. In 2021 they knocked through into the shop next door and added the “Victoria Rooms” for a bit more space. Still, it keeps the same relaxed, pint-and-chat kind of vibe it started with. Morning, A fantastic brew pub to visit if you’re in Nottingham is The Angel Microbrewery. The Angel Microbrewery in Nottingham has a wild past. The building goes back to the 1600s, starting as two houses before being merged in the 1800s. Over the years, it’s been a chapel, a pub, and — if the stories are true — even a brothel, with some darker tales of murder mixed in. By the 1980s it was a cult rock venue, with Oasis and Arctic Monkeys playing upstairs before they were famous. In 2016, the place was reborn as The Angel Microbrewery, with its own brewhouse cranking out fresh pints alongside a menu focused on ethical, veggie-friendly food. Hull is a fantastic day out full of a great mix of pubs including Hop and Vine, Hull. The Hop & Vine is located in the cellar of 24 Albion Street, part of a Georgian townhouse dating back to around 1790. The building has a classic three-storey frontage with original sash windows, stone lintels and iron railings, all protected under its Grade II listing. Originally built as a home, it later became a shop and then a dental surgery before Stewart Campbell and Janet Rowan converted the basement into a pub opening in 2006z Now owned by Tony Garrett since 2017, it still retains much of its historic character and sits within Hull’s Georgian New Town Conservation Area, protected since the mid-1970s. Morning, A must visit fantastic pub in St Helens is The Cricketers Arms. The Cricketers Arms on Peter Street has been part of St Helens life for years, though things weren’t always rosy. By the early 2010s it was in bad shape, boarded up and close to disappearing altogether. In 2013, a local couple took it over, determined to bring it back. They turned it into a proper community spot again, focusing on cask ale – something it hadn’t been known for in decades. Word spread, awards followed from CAMRA in 2015 and 2016, and then it went all the way to Pub of the Year. Not bad for a place that nearly didn’t make it.