Pubs and Bars / Pub of the Week
Pub of the Week: The Shakespeare, Redland
Publicans across the UK are breathing a collective sigh of relief that January is coming to an end.
It’s a time of the year when pubs have an unfortunate habit of shutting, as the man behind the bar at the Shakespeare in Redland tells a customer ordering a pint.
One nearby casualty is The Port of Call just the other side of Blackboy Hill from here, with a for sale sign hanging outside.
is needed now More than ever
Will anyone have the courage to take on a pub such as that off the beaten track?
The Shakespeare is a case in point that pubs can be turned around, being transformed last year by Neil and Olivia Greenwood from the Royal Oak on Gloucester Road and the Cross Hands in Fishponds.
“Is this bit Henleaze?” asks a customer to his friend on a recent Friday lunchtime, pointing out of the window.
“No, Westbury Park,” his mate replies.
Not quite. The Shakespeare sits in the heart of Redland near a small parade of shops that includes a newsagents and bakery.
It’s a handsome red brick Victorian pub, with a spacious U-shaped seating area hugging the bar. There’s an old meets new feel inside, with leather upholstered bar stools and sofas jostling for position next to exposed brickwork.
In one corner, a large flat screen television sits on a wall made out of reclaimed wood and is sure to be a popular spot once the Six Nations begins.
The real ale duo of Sharp’s Doom Bar and Bath Ales Gem are a ubiquitous site in Bristol pubs, but they are joined here by three others including Black Sheep from North Yorkshire and Long Blonde from Sussex’s Long Man.
Three ciders on offer are Thatchers Gold, Aspall and Symonds, and if you want the stronger stuff you can have a trio of gin tastings for a tenner with options such as Jinzu from Bristol bartender Dee Davies and Adnams Copper House, made at a distillery in Suffolk next door to the Adnams brewery.
A lunch offer on Monday to Friday sees two main courses available for £10, with steak night every Thursday (steak, chips and a bottle of wine for two for £30) and a popular Sunday roast.
Raise a toast to the end of January and support your local boozer.
The Shakespeare, Lower Redland Road, Redland, Bristol, BS6 6SS
0117 9739 850
www.theshakespearebristol.co.uk
Photos by Giulia Stella