March - Boar's Head
The Boar's Head
2 Vernon St (Market Square), Stockport, SK1 1TY
The Stockport & South Manchester CAMRA Pub of the Month for March is the Boar's Head on Stockport's Market Place. Dave Sharpe reports.
There is very little argument when I say the Boar's Head in the Market Place is Stockport's busiest lunchtime boozer - given there is no food available.
This Sam Smith's house was first mentioned in the town's history in 1824. It was rebuilt in 1880 and back in 1921 it was a Bass house. It cam into the ownership of Tadcaster's Samuel Smith's in the late 1960s when the acquired a small local pub chain. For the last six years it has been in the capable hands of Sue and Terry Wild, supported by, Sue tells me, the best staff you could wish for. Prior to taking on the Boar's Head Sue and Terry ran the now-closed Greyhound in Edgeley for five years.
It has had several refurbishments, the last in 2013, which have seen the restoration of something approaching the original multi-room layout. On entering the bar faces you with a lobby running down to the left. A small open area to the right leads to the corner room and there are two small rooms facing the bar. Carry on past the bar and round the corner you enter a large "function room" with its own bar.
Sam Smith's in Tadcaster was established and it Yorkshire's oldest brewery. They still brew in traditional "Yorkshire squares" and deliver their draught beer in wooden barrels - they still employ their own cooper. Old Brewery Bitter is the only cask ale at this Good Beer Guide listed pub and they get through three 36-gallon barrels of it each week so, as you can imagine, it's always in good condition. Don't take my word for it - come and join us for an enjoyable social evening on Thursday 26th March.