Three Tuns, Dronfield..

[Guest makapaka]

2 hours ago, DerbyTup said:

 I don't think I've ever been in a "real ale" pub anywhere that doesn't cater to some degree for folks who just want to drink ordinary keg beer or lager.  So it's a pity that you  felt the need to "take flight" just because the pub started having different beer.  That seems strange to me - although I do chop and change the pubs I go in quite regularly.

 

I'm a serial stopper myself.   I have a spate of going in certain pubs for weeks, months, on end, then I get bored with it.  I get bored with the same people, the same conversations, the same boring choice of drinks and I pack it in altogether and find somewhere else to go.  I don't drink much in any case - maybe a couple of pints - very rarely three.  But I'm pretty discerning about what I drink and if I go in a pub and it doesn't have decent beer then I honestly won't bother. 

 

One of the main reasons I stop going in pubs is I find it depressing to see some folks just drinking their lives away in the same pub, night after night.  They are there - part of the furniture - knocking back the beers - popping out for a fag - propping up the bar.  Some real ale pubs seem to attract a certain crowd as well, which I'm not so keen on.  I'm talking about a scruffy, bohemian, "new-age", extreme left wing socialist, animal-rights protesting, vegan, LGBTPQRSTUVWXYZ, crowd.  People who look like they live in old post office vans, have yet to discover soap and shampoo, and rear stray dogs and juggle for a living.  

 

I'm familiar with the pub scene in Dronfield.  The Sidings used to be a very popular pub in the late 80's/90's.  It attracted a younger, smarter crowd, of which I was one.  The big house at the bottom of Green Lane was a bar too, called "Chaplin's", for a short while during that period.  Similarly, it attracted a young, smart set.  I think I must have been in every pub in Dronfield at some time or another.  But I liked the classier places as a kid, places where smart, attractive, people went.  I was, after all,  a hunter-gatherer back then.  As I've got older, I've become less interested in being around smart, attractive people, and more interested in the quality of food and drink.

 

I was enthused when the Hallowes re-opened as the Three Tuns.  I was looking forward to trying lots of new beers from different breweries - but it was beer from the same Spire brewery in the main.  And it wasn't  all so great!  I thought the pub had a strange layout (not much they could do about that without major reconstruction I don't suppose), but there were things they could have done something about, to make it better.

 

First, (and this is really important in any pub - and even in your home), the lighting.  It's interesting that you also draw attention to this.  Lighting can make or break a pub.  It can create and change the atmosphere of a place.  And I'm afraid the 3 tuns got that terribly wrong.  It was stark and unwelcoming.  Whatever other research they've done (if indeed they have done any) to reflect on why this pub failed, I'd bet that they've never even considered something so simple as changing the lighting would have made a huge difference to how welcoming the pub felt.

 

There were other issues too which were within their control.  The beer pumps were not functioning properly.  They were sucking air and the pints had bubbles on top of them which wasn't great.  I once mentioned this and the girl behind the bar said something along the lines of - "he knows there's a problem with it - but he doesn't do anything about it" (or something to that effect).   

 

Which brings me to the beer. 

 

They did have some good ones occasionally.  In particular they had a couple of stronger beers which I really liked, a pale ale, called  "Amarillo" and a strong amber beer called "Enigma".   These two beers were not "regular" on the bar - I believe they were seasonal brews - but they were both very good and I used to look out for them if they were on.

 

On one occasion I was delighted to see they had Enigma on when I visited.  I didn't hesitate to order a pint of that.  I took one sip and nearly spat it out.  It was off, like...really off. Just like vinegar.  Sometimes real ale goes like this if it's the bottom of the barrel, or been stood too long in the pipes.  It's more of an issue with the higher strength beers because, frankly, they don't sell as quick as the lighter session ales.  I mentioned it and there was no problem offering me an alternative drink - that's always appreciated.  But, did they turn the beer clip round and take the beer off?  No.  They were happy to continue selling it to the next customer.  They didn't even try it themselves to see if it was off. 

 

About a week later I went in again, saw the Enigma beer on the bar and assumed that this must be a new barrel now, so ordered a pint of it.  Same again!  I think that was the last time I ever went in there.  They didn't go bust, I'm sure, because of my withheld trade - but these are what I call "quality control" issues - and can bring any business down.

 

I popped into the Dronfield Arms a few weeks ago actually.  I think the beers they make are really quite good, "the hopjacker" stuff.  But it's not really a pub that I like.  I think the narrow "corridor" feel to the place just doesn't do it for me.   It didn't bother me as a kid - but it was heaving with good looking girls back then.  Now it's just a few old farts like me that enjoy the beer! 😉

 

 

Ah the golden age of nightlife with the  classier set of smart attractive people in the swinging scene of late 80’s and 90’s...........dronfield.

 

simon le Bon swinging by now and again and ad-hoc piano playing by Elton John with George Michael and DerbyTup arms around each other singing along. 

 

Rumours have it the ivy was concerned

that it was drawing so much trade away from their London base and so via industrial espionage sent spies dressed as New Age juggling travellers with flea bitten dogs to tamper with the lighting and beer lines thus  ruining the bourgeoisie scene and eventually replacing it with simple artisans drinking their life away and occasionally smoking.

 

such a shame. 

Edited July 27, 2019 by makapaka

[jemson 10]

14 hours ago, DerbyTup said:

 

 

I'm a serial stopper myself.   I have a spate of going in certain pubs for weeks, months, on end, then I get bored with it.  I get bored with the same people, the same conversations, the same boring choice of drinks and I pack it in altogether and find somewhere else to go.  I don't drink much in any case - maybe a couple of pints - very rarely three.  But I'm pretty discerning about what I drink and if I go in a pub and it doesn't have decent beer then I honestly won't bother. 

 

One of the main reasons I stop going in pubs is I find it depressing to see some folks just drinking their lives away in the same pub, night after night.  They are there - part of the furniture - knocking back the beers - popping out for a fag - propping up the bar.  Some real ale pubs seem to attract a certain crowd as well, which I'm not so keen on.  I'm talking about a scruffy, bohemian, "new-age", extreme left wing socialist, animal-rights protesting, vegan, LGBTPQRSTUVWXYZ, crowd.  People who look like they live in old post office vans, have yet to discover soap and shampoo, and rear stray dogs and juggle for a living.  

 

I was enthused when the Hallowes re-opened as the Three Tuns.  I was looking forward to trying lots of new beers from different breweries - but it was beer from the same Spire brewery in the main.  And it wasn't  all so great!  I thought the pub had a strange layout (not much they could do about that without major reconstruction I don't suppose), but there were things they could have done something about, to make it better.

 

First, (and this is really important in any pub - and even in your home), the lighting.  It's interesting that you also draw attention to this.  Lighting can make or break a pub.  It can create and change the atmosphere of a place.  And I'm afraid the 3 tuns got that terribly wrong.  It was stark and unwelcoming.  Whatever other research they've done (if indeed they have done any) to reflect on why this pub failed, I'd bet that they've never even considered something so simple as changing the lighting would have made a huge difference to how welcoming the pub felt.

 

There were other issues too which were within their control.  The beer pumps were not functioning properly.  They were sucking air and the pints had bubbles on top of them which wasn't great.  I once mentioned this and the girl behind the bar said something along the lines of - "he knows there's a problem with it - but he doesn't do anything about it" (or something to that effect).   

 

I popped into the Dronfield Arms a few weeks ago actually.  I think the beers they make are really quite good, "the hopjacker" stuff.  But it's not really a pub that I like.  I think the narrow "corridor" feel to the place just doesn't do it for me.   It didn't bother me as a kid - but it was heaving with good looking girls back then.  Now it's just a few old farts like me that enjoy the beer! 😉

 

 

HaHa. I very much concur with the vast majority of that with similar opinions and experiences. However, I may largely drop into a caricature of your second paragraph..... 

 

Are Hopjacker still brewing? I know Ed left but is the brewing kit still there and in use? Very good beers, unfined and vegan, and maybe not what the boss or Dronfield wanted. Whoever named that chinook beer `Ryed Like The Wind`? Genius....

[Guest makapaka]

1 hour ago, jemson said:

HaHa. I very much concur with the vast majority of that with similar opinions and experiences. However, I may largely drop into a caricature of your second paragraph..... 

 

Are Hopjacker still brewing? I know Ed left but is the brewing kit still there and in use? Very good beers, unfined and vegan, and maybe not what the boss or Dronfield wanted. Whoever named that chinook beer `Ryed Like The Wind`? Genius....

He’s not keen on your type so don’t expect a reply.

[DnAuK 10]

On ‎27‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 21:50, jemson said:

HaHa. I very much concur with the vast majority of that with similar opinions and experiences. However, I may largely drop into a caricature of your second paragraph..... 

 

Are Hopjacker still brewing? I know Ed left but is the brewing kit still there and in use? Very good beers, unfined and vegan, and maybe not what the boss or Dronfield wanted. Whoever named that chinook beer `Ryed Like The Wind`? Genius....

The Dronny wasn't brewing when I went for the 'One Valley' festival. I had seen a couple of beers of theirs around in the weeks leading up to that so I assumed they must be, but it seems that was just old stock as the bar was quite clear no brewing was happening, and none of their beers were on.

[jemson 10]

Yeah. That makes sense Dan. Shame but Ed is now back as an excellent host / bar keep @Pour. Good place too!