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The Inaugural Cat Inn Beer Festival A lazy May Bank Holiday gave us the chance to visit a favourite pub of mine, which just happened to be holding a beer festival. The Cat Inn is situated on the A458 as it passes through the sleepy village of Enville, between Bridgnorth and Stourbridge. The casual reader of CAMRA’s ‘Good Beer Guide’ might struggle to find it as the pub sits in a thin corridor of Staffordshire separating the Shropshire and West Midland counties. Parts of the building date back to the 16th century and the pub is a veritable rabbit-warren of rooms and passageways. The proximity to the road is a sure sign that it was there first and care should be taken when leaving the pub through the front door. There is also a pleasant garden area and courtyard.
Visiting on the last day of the festival (Monday 7th May), it was reasonable to assume that the majority of drinking had already taken place, although there was still an impressive range of 20 or so beers available. I started with a Woods Shropshire Lass (4.2%), a beer from one of several local brewers. I soon moved on to All Gates Bright Blade, a complex beer from a relatively new brewery based in Wigan. Another favourite was Northern Soul Rider (4.0%), but the Malt Shovel Mild (3.8%) from Fernandes brewery could not pass without a mention. This is full-bodied with very evident roast malt and chocolate flavours, as well as being stronger than the average mild. Those with a little more adventure, or possibly nothing to do for the rest of the day, could have tried something a little stronger. Wolf ‘Granny Wouldn’t like it’ (4.8%) had contrasting hoppy bitterness and cherry-like fruit tastes. Castle Rock Elsie Mo (4.7%) and Pot Belly Red Wing (4.8%) would also have been worth a go. However, preferring to stick to session beers, I tried Betwixt Sunlight (4.3%) and Ossett Black Bull (3.9%), a beer which is described simply as ‘dark and dry’ and I couldn’t argue with that. My colleague, John, tried Enville Cat-astrophic, a dark offering from the nearby brewery, followed by Willy’s original Bitter (3.8%), a light brown beer with strong bitterness. There were other Enville beers available in the bar, which by mid-afternoon had filled up somewhat. Closing time at this historic inn came all too quickly and we were on our way home, but it was well worth the trip. The flyers indicated that the festival was an annual event. Let’s hope the pub continues to run beer festivals in the coming years. The Cat Inn is located on Bridgnorth Road (A458), Enville, Staffs, DY7 5HA. Check for opening hours – Tel (01384) 872209, Web - http://www.thecatinn.com © Richard Reynolds 2007 |
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Last modified: 03/11/07 |
The
restaurant upstairs normally provides a wide range of traditional meals,
sandwiches and daily specials, but the area was set aside for the beer festival
on our visit. Still, there were good value baguettes, jacket potatoes and thick
sandwiches available, as well as hot pork batches.