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Colston Crawford's
Beer Column
For 21 years I wrote a beer and pubs column for the Derby Telegraph. After retiring in October 2025, I am continuing it as a blog, and this is it. Feel free to read, subscribe, comment or whatever.
Posts
Unique country pub that fulfils many roles proved a cool refuge in a very hot week
It was with a little trepidation that my wife Pamela and I set out to meet friends for lunch this week – not because we didn’t want to see them but because it was just so hot that to have a hot dinner seemed like an uncomfortable prospect. Happily, we need not have worried. We’d booked at the Coopers Arms at Weston on Trent, a longstanding favourite, and the main bar and restaurant sit below ground level in the former Weston Hall, a17th century manor house. It was suitably co
Colston Crawford
Jun 254 min read
Unique country pub that fulfils many roles proved a cool refuge in a very hot week
It was with a little trepidation that my wife Pamela and I set out to meet friends for lunch this week – not because we didn’t want to see them but because it was just so hot that to have a hot dinner seemed like an uncomfortable prospect. Happily, we need not have worried. We’d booked at the Coopers Arms at Weston on Trent, a longstanding favourite, and the main bar and restaurant sit below ground level in the former Weston Hall, a17th century manor house. It was suitably co
Colston Crawford
Jun 25
Taking the tour at Thornbridge for an insight into a huge Derbyshire business success story
A brewery tour at Thornbridge, in Bakewell, is not like a typical brewery tour but perhaps that’s befitting, because Thornbridge are no ordinary brewers and no ordinary company. It is a tour worth doing, though, and more on what was my third tour at the new brewery in a bit. Attending the tour, from left, myself, Glynn Brearley, Yvonne Bower, Rob Bower, Sandy Dyson and Dave Fawcett. Thornbridge are, as most people interested in beer are aware, one of the biggest business succ
Colston Crawford
Jun 14
Welcome to The Tannery, Ashover Brewery's bold new bar in Derby
It’s a bold move opening a brand new taproom in the centre of Derby in these tricky times but the resurgent Ashover Brewery have done just that. The Tannery opened at the weekend on Sadler Gate in the former Carnivore restaurant premises – and it looks a treat. The Tannery staff all ready for last week's opening, from left, Harvey Maddox, Chris Sherratt and Tom Wardle. It’s also another bold move from the group of friends who bought Ashover out of administration barely a year
Colston Crawford
Jun 8
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