May - Fairway
The Fairway
137 Higher Hillgate, Stockport, SK1 3HR
The Stockport & South Manchester CAMRA Pub of the Month award for May 2013 has been won by the Fairway on Hillgate in Stockport.
Stuart and Emma Driver took on the former Robinson's house, (the Flying Dutchman) and re-opened it in October 2012 after a thorough refurbishment. Stuart has had pubs in the past including the New Inn at Castleton (Rochdale), Copperfields Bar / Southlands Hotel in Adswood, and most recently the Dog & Partridge at Great Moor. Seeing how being a tenant of a pub company or brewer could be so expensive, he decided to purchase the Flying Dutchman to enable him to have full control over costs, beer choice and such.
For people familiar with the old Dutchman, the layout of the new pub will seem fairly similar, but Stuart assures us that under the surface a great deal of change has taken place - indeed there are entirely new toilets, a new kitchen, new fitted and upholstered bench seating, new décor and lighting, plus an upgraded outside smoking / drinking area. All of the glazing has been changed too, and the cellar facilities upgraded.
Six handpulls serve a constantly changing array of beers, with those from local micros featuring prominently. Obviously, trade determines how the beer range fares because with success the range and variety will grow. Trade and customer satisfaction has been so good that over 70 different beers have now been served in the first six months. Good food is another feature of the pub's success; meal times are 12-2 Tuesday to Friday; 12-4 Saturday; and 12-6 on Sundays. There is also live entertainment every Saturday night.
You may ask why the name change to Fairway? Well, although Stuart does enjoy a game of golf (driver; fairway, geddit?), that is not the reason for the name. His father suggested Fair Play, but that was deemed unsuitable, so Fairway was chosen instead. A new name for a pub given a fresh start.
This promises to be a good night, so come and join us for the celebration on Thursday, May 23rd from 8pm. The Fairway is at 137 Higher Hillgate, Stockport SK1 3HR. Buses 358 and 383 stop outside, whilst buses on the nearby A6 include 192, 199 and 378.