It was only about 15 minutes off the M6 freeway to the Hawkshead Brewery in Staveley, Cumbria. The…read moreroads weren't that windy and were wide and well-paved so this is faring better than expected already. We arrived to where the brewery showed on my map, but it wasn't there. The brewery was slightly up the road within a small shopping inlet next to a coffee shop. We parked and approached the brewery and were pleasantly surprised with how impressive the set-up was. The building was large and beautiful with large wood beams, huge windows, and comfy leather seats. It was so quiet in there I didn't know how much noise we could make without being rude, so we opted to sit in the corner so we could strategize about which beers we wanted to try and how much time we wanted to spend off the road. I ordered the Lakeland Lager which is a 5%ABV Lager/Pilsner and Sean had the Cumbrian 5 Hop 5%ABV Golden Ale. I really liked the Lakeland Lager because it was crisp and refreshing with a great hop flavor on the back-end. Most of their beers were "real ale" style, but the lager wasn't. It was a nice change from all the real ales available. I also really enjoyed the Brodie's Prime with is a dark porter-style beer and is 4.9%ABV. It has a very smooth mouth-feel and is extremely drinkable. We sampled almost their entire beer selection and overall their beer was very good. The styles were done well and the beer was clean and clear and cheap! We were there around lunch time so we went ahead and ordered some food before they stopped serving. Sean ordered the beer cheese soup and I ordered the mushrooms with Stilton blue cheese on toast. The soup was served with large pieces of sourdough bread and butter so it was very filling for a good price. I tried some of the soup and it was really good. The mushrooms were sautéed in butter and the cheese was melted on top of the toast so it was damn delectable. I savored every bite of that toast. The soup was something like 2 pounds and the toast was 4 pounds. I think we walked out of there spending about 10-15 pounds total? Pretty decent if you ask me. Also, they refused to accept our tips. I am accustomed to giving tips always, but they politely declined my offer. Great service, delicious food, cheap and amazing beer and no tip?! It was one of the highlights of the trip.

I'm often in Windermere for the weekend, and having a pint at the Hawkshead Brewery in Staveley…read moremakes for a great start to it. It's a big venue, with a large downstairs area next to the bar, and further seating on a mezzanine upstairs. There's then a further bar (only open sometimes) through the back. There's large glass panels to let you see into the actual brewery itself, so it's interesting just being in the place. There's outside seating too, in the car park, so it's hardly picturesque, but it's fine too when the weather is mild or if you want some peace and quiet away from the buzz indoors. It's a good atmosphere, very laid back and friendly, with plenty of dogs. Staff are pleasant and helpful, and know their beers well. The beers are good - all sorts from your pale ales through to your dark stouts, and last time I was there I had a raspberry sour. It wasn't great if I'm honest, but you can't win them all :-) Hawkshead seem to be quite an adventurous brewery, so there's always something new to try. My favourites are the stouts. There's a range of food too which seems to be mostly traditional 'Northern' food - Shepherd's Pie, Yorkshire pudding, Venison burgers - mostly very meat heavy, so I've never tried anything, apart from the chips. The chips are good! They do a fantastic beer festival. We went this year for the first time, and it was brilliant, we had such a good time. You get a menu, and can just work your way through the ones you fancy the sound of. They're categorised into the different bars, so it makes it quite fun to work your way about trying different ones. They had a massive marquee when we were there, with a crazy and very entertaining jazz band. It's a family atmosphere, with kids there too, so the adults are sensible and nothing gets too out of hand. I'm hoping we can go every year! With regular weekend checks ins until next year.

Wow, I can't believe it's been three years since the last review of this place. Hopefully that…read moremeans it's being kept a secret...in which case I'm going to be found majorly guilty of breaking the silence. On the recommendation of a friend who lives about half an hour from Ulverston, we reserved a table for four here and wandered down from Virginia House Hotel (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/virginia-house-hotel-ulverston) where we were staying. From the outside it looks just like your typical whitewashed country pub. Though I'd hardly call Ulverston town centre bonefide 'countryside', the place still had an immediate charming effect on us as we approached. Once inside you're met with a pub-sized 'shrine' to the town's most famous son. Photos, screen shots, figures and memorabilia from Laurel & Hardy's history on the screen are everywhere. It gets the set-up just right - managing not to look like an obsessive fan's homage to Stan, but just enough to pay tribute to his fame. The sizeable bar has at least six handpulls on at any time. Most are from the local area but their range stretches further afield aswell. What was great was having the option of getting a tray of three thirds in case you couldn't choose between them. The menu is pretty comprehensive and we saw the portion sizes were, well, sizeable, so opted for mains and desserts. I had the 10oz sirloin steak cooked medium rare and it was incredibly juicy. The stars on the plate were the onion rings though, beer-batter crispiness - sheer heaven. Lots of chunky chips and coleslaw with salad (you could opt for potatoes and veg instead) and then it was on to the puddings. Ice cream flavours that we'd never heard of before. Coupled with sticky toffee pudding I had 'Thunder and Lightning' flavour. I'll keep what it was like a secret so you have to try it yourself ;) Lovely, friendly staff, great ales and immense food. It certainly wasn't 'Another Fine Mess.'

The Stan Laurel Inn is a good all-round local pub. Paul and Trudi have had it for two years…read more The food is scrumptious. On Friday I had a big piece of fish in crispy beer-batter, with chips which I could tell were home cut, and extremely tasty mushey peas. That was the special for a fiver. They get their ingredients from the best greengrocer and butcher in town. Given the name there is a fair bit of Laurel and Hardy memorabilia in the bars. The pub is Thwaite's, but always has six real ales including from the nearby Ulverston Brewery. They also do bed and breakfast for £30 p.p. per night.

Friendly staff, great beers & food, dog friendly…read more This is a proper pub, just like they should be. Lots of seating inside and a good few tables outside for that rare day of sunshine. The beer is excellent, their commitment to this is demonstrated by their own onsite brewery and the great selection of handpulls. The food is good standard pub fare with a few more modern options like nachos and curry on the menu too. Fish and chips was a popular choice with our group along with steak and ale pie. They have specials on the blackboards every day. There is a small car park and more spaces along the lane so no problems parking. They are dog friendly and the whole place is generally full of well behaved and gorgeous ones. Staff are friendly and helpful so all in all a great place to stop if you are in the area.

The Watermill is a traditional pub, with different rooms spreading out from a double sided bar in…read morethe centre. It's also a microbrewery, and names all it's beers after types of dogs. Hence you have names such as Collie Wobbles and Shih Tzu faced. I had a half pint of Dog'th Vader, a dark and tasty stout, and very nice it was too. We didn't have any food, but it was a Friday night, and the place was stowed full with people having dinner, so it seems to be very popular. The guy who served us probably could have been a little bit friendlier, but he probably gets stick to death of stupid people like us laughing over the dog themed names. Or maybe he was just feeling a bit ruff.

The Brew Room is a fantastic, comfy pub north of Blackpool city centre. They make their own beers…read moreon the premises [5 hand-pumped ales available], and there's also a decent selection of guest ales. All beers are modestly priced, and kept fresh. It's a family-friendly place, kids are allowed until 8 p.m. The décor is fairly stylish and very comfortable, with a number of designated sections to sit and relax. Home-made smoked sausages [Excellent, and only 4.5 UKP] and oven-baked, freshly made pizzas are available at all times. On Monday nights they have a pub quiz, which can be very lively [I "ran" into one]. The staff are friendly and competent [in sharp contrast to the nearby The Hop!], food was served quickly. I actually visited the pub *twice* that same day - as Blackpool doesn't offer very many options for real ale lovers. Highly recommended for this town, it's only a short walk from The Blackpool Tower and The North Pier.

Personally, I don't think it gets much better than Unsworth's Yard in the sunshine…read more A recent discovery, it's the perfect place to sit back and relax after wandering around the village of Cartmel and pressing your nose up to the door of L'Enclume. Around the communal courtyard, there's a micro-brewery, cheese/pastry/deli shop, and wine and spirit vendor. There are only a few tables, so you might have to be all eyes and ready to swoop, but it's worth it. You can take a look at the micro-brewery and chat with one of the brewer's, who's more than happy to give samples before you purchase a pint. There are brewery tours available to those who wish to learn more. Something great to note? To enter the church, you have to walk directly next to the brewery. Good going, town planning! The cheese shop gives off a powerful smell at first - it should probably come with a warning for pregnant ladies and those with weak hearts - but I promise you get used to it. The man working that day was completely charming and wanting to help everyone and anyone, giving out samples of every cheese they sell. They were running low on breads etc when we visited as everything is baked locally and when it's gone, it's gone! I had a little bottle of prosecco, which went down very nicely, especially when sampling some of the cheddar we purchased. Plenty of people had their purchases spread about them, and it's a great place to go if you can't agree on what to drink or nibble on; just go to one of the shops and then meet in the courtyard.

Absolutely amazing service. Great prices and would serve us after we were so rudely ignored at the…read morestore across the way. Very friendly and won't ignore you. Wish I could give it more stars!

Friendly local pub full of character with the accent on a raft of real ales, bottle beers and…read morewhiskey. It is also a micro brewery so there will usually be either a Tigertop or Foxfiield beer. They serve home cooked food from lunch time until 7pm. Beautiful sunset views of the Duddon Estuary and Black Combe from the front windows. If you are travelling by train Linda and Stuart will let you know when the last one is due so you can leave it to the last minute to depart. Alternatively you can take advantage of their bed and breakfast facilities. Outside seating area. Occasional speciality beer and theme weekends.

My husbands family lives in a walking distance to this Pub so whenever we visit them visiting this…read morepub is a MUST. Laid back atmosphere, very "homey", lots of brew and cider choices. I never like their beer or ciders, but its because I am not used to room temperature "flat" beer (i like it bubbly and cold) but my English husband LOVES their beer selection, which attracts big crowds as the pub is located next to the train station. Even though they don't have draft beer, I like they do have lots of bottled choices. When I visit I always find a bottled beer that suits my palette. They serve good food and do a great job with their cooking creativity. I once tried their peppered mushroom soup which was outstanding. We will be back next year:)

I had a roast beef dinner and the food had some unusual flavours added which i didn't enjoy ie a…read moreglaze on the cauliflower and the red cabbage. The veg was too al dente and the roast potatoes were not crispy, i like a traditional roast dinner.. the service and ambience were very good

Great mussels for dinner and big menu for many options. Server was so nice. Cozy seating for a…read moregreat date night!

A visit to the brewery is a must if you are in Lancaster. Amidst all the history that surrounds the…read moresmallest city in uk, this brewery somehow gave the most incredible experience that is definitely history in the making - don't miss out in being a part of it now! The staff are very knowledgable and friendly. Just chatting with them for a few minutes, you can feel the passion and enthusiasm oozing out from each them. Special thanks to Mark Westall and his team. The best globally... Period.