Brew Tavern

BeerHeadz, based in the Cabman’s Shelter just outside Nottingham Station, had established itself as a great venue for cask ale and regularly featured in the Good Beer Guide. Its closure at the end of 2023 was definitely bad news, however after only a few months it has re-opened as the Brew Tavern, the sister pub of the well-known craft specialist bottle shop, Brew Cavern.

Matt, the owner, was happy to explain his interest, “We’ve had our beer shop, Brew Cavern, for 91/2 years now and have been keen to open a pub or bar for some time. When BeerHeadz approached us about the possibility of taking on the lease for Cabman’s Shelter we jumped at the chance. Sadly, it took a little longer than planned but we hope people agree it was worth the wait.”

Unfortunately, the delay in opening did cause some issues for members, as the Nottingham Drinker had gone to print with the Stout & Porter Stroll in January and the Brew Tavern was featured. However, this was quickly resolved with “strollers” available to pick up their sticker at Brew Cavern, without any commitment to purchase, although we hope that a few did spot an interesting ale.

Danielle, our ND Editor, attended the opening in March and was immediately impressed, quoting in her online Pubs article, “you can be sure that the attention and love of beer in the shop will translate perfectly to the new venture”. They certainly made a really positive start with all five cask lines being dedicated to London based micro-brewery, The Kernel, which all went down well apparently. In addition they have eight keg lines, which should also help make this a “must visit” for anyone that has a passion for an interesting range of craft beers.

So, after a few weeks of opening it was good to get further feedback from Matt, who said, “We’re 4 weeks in now and the response has been incredible. We’ve been busier than we anticipated with some lovely comments about the quality of the beer on offer and how light and airy the space feels. Amazing what a lick of paint and some furniture can achieve! Our biggest challenge is keeping the steady flow of the best possible beer we can get our hands on, but that remains our focus for 2024, with a couple of tasting events in the pipeline”.

So, if you’ve not yet visited, it must be worth a journey wherever you are in the Branch, as there are definitely no issues getting there with its ideal location for public transport. As Danielle also said “stepping off a train at the station and finding Brew Tavern as your first pub in Nottingham will certainly set the bar high for the rest of Nottingham’s pubs.”

I’m sure we’d all agree that Danielle knows her stuff, so obviously well-earned praise. No wonder Matt is already working on his next project, stating “We’re also moving the shop to Hockley in a few months. We’ll have more space which will allow for a few beers on tap. We’re thinking in the region of 2 cask 5 keg. Keep your eyes peeled for news on that soon.”