Chris_OGrady

I knew we were ****ed when they were actually really effective in the West Ham game. Doomed to be forever known as a tinpot, plastic, clapper club...

If we got into the champions league, the fall eventually would have been even harder after wasting more money on crap and wage increases.

Agree on Liverpool > Manchester. There's lots of hidden gems tucked away in the Georgian Quarter which don't get much attention. Which are the ones you rate out of interest?

Apparently the Pinsent owner has bought the fishing shop in Mountsorrel and is going to move there

Was back on the booze this weekend after having most of Jan off it. I tried the Monro and Bridewell before the Everton game. Beer selection in the Monro was good, but I just didn't like the feel of the place inside. They've gone for some kind of rustic half finished decor, which makes the place feel more like a themed bar than pub. The Bridewell was good, it's an old police station which has been turned into a pub. Always a good atmosphere in there and the landlord behind the bar is a bit of a local legend- I was on the Kirkstall bitter. Generally love Liverpool for boozing (pubs and bars), and I think it's got even better since I was there for uni, with some good renovations and new additions. Was in the Fox Cub on Sunday sampling some new beers which were as good as ever.

It was better than the Blacksmiths roast

I had a roast at The Hunting Lodge in Barrow yesterday and thought it was really good. Not a massive fan of roast dinners generally, but that's the best one I've had round here (admittedly I have not been for that many).

GB is very studenty these days

Horse and Trumpet in Sileby used to be decent when it was Steamin Billy. It's now a Punch Tavern so imagine it's gone downhill (haven't been post change). Navigation in the sun is Susan.

Have you tried the Navigation yet in Barrow?

I took my Dad to Pinsent just before Christmas and he's obsessed with it now. Now I've got him out of Quorn he realises that there's better pubs elsewhere.

Afraid not. The windmill would have been perfect for that but it's gone now.

Swan in the Rushes (Old man and Castle Rock). Other notable shouts: Organ Grinder (quite traditional), White Hart (traditional pub, but stylish), Wheeltapper (micropub), Needle & Pin (micropub), Three Nuns (Traditional Everards and next to White Hart).

Yes, I rate their big cuts of red meat, but I had some Aldi-like chicken from there recently. I like the big prawns you can get in the frozen section. I buy in bulk and then divy up and freeze most of it.

Do Costco get their meat from the same place as the supermarkets? You can buy large cuts of meat from there which you can't get at the supermarkets, but I think the quality is closer to the supermarkets than butchers.

I'm happy to spend a bit more on good quality food and drink because that's what I'm into. I have 0 interest in stuff like cars and designer clothes, which means I can allocate those monthly finance payments elsewhere

Thanks! This makes perfect sense, as I switched to buying butchers chicken last year, after getting fed up of Aldi chicken, and there is a clear improvement in quality.

I know someone who works for a brewery, and they said that Wetherspoons can sell their beer even cheaper than the brewery can in their own pubs, because Wetherspoons buys in such large volumes and benefits from other economies of scale. They also said that out of all the big pub chains Wetherspoons is the best to work with and very supportive of local and independent breweries.

What's the difference between supermarket meat and say butchers meat? Do the same people supply all the supermarkets? For example, does "Ashfields" chicken from Aldi come from one supplier or lots of suppliers?

They must be doing a bit better with there being an absolute dearth of pubs by the train station. What's happened to Steamin Billy these days? Looks like they've got rid of all their pubs apart from the Cow and Plough in Oadby.

I mean you clearly have an anti Leicester agenda so no point listing any others . It was the one on Park Road. Will go to Birmingham again this year so will hit you up for some suggestions beforehand!

I like Paddy's, Little Club, Broadway, Indian Queen and Three Kilns. I'm more into the starters and Indo-Chinese stuff like crispy aubergine, chilli mogo, masala fish, lamb chops etc. Done Hen & Chickens and Soho Tavern in Brum. I liked Hen and Chickens, but thought Soho Tavern was overhyped. Felt a bit Instagrammy inside and none of the dishes we ordered were that good, apart from the mixed grill which is hard to get that excited about. Agree with you on the price though, it was very good value for money and cheaper than Leicester.

All the Castle Rock ones are good. West Bridgford and Beeston are worthy of crawls themselves.

Yeah fair, agree to disagree on Leicester. I know you side with Birmingham!

What are the good ones in Nottingham out of interest, because I'm yet to find one... Please don't say The Emerald because I want more than just a dry mixed grill . I've done Cumin, Calcutta Club, 4450 Miles from Delhi, Mem Saab, and Anoki - all decent enough, but expensive and pretty standard fare.